Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick believes the selection criteria should be changed to allow LeBron James to claim a place in the All-NBA team for this season.
James sat out Tuesday night’s 136-108 defeat to the San Antonio Spurs due to left foot arthritis. It was the 18th game he has been forced to miss this season, making it impossible for him to now reach the 65-game threshold to be eligible for the league’s annual awards.
The 41-year-old has been named to an All-NBA team for a record 21 straight seasons but that streak is now set to end.
However, Redick, who was part of the voting panel in his previous role as a member of the media, suggested the 65-game rule, brought in prior to the 2023/24 season, should be used as “guidance”.
He said: “I think it’s fine to have some sort of guidance for voters. I know the first year that I voted, there were a bunch of guys that were in like that 54-to-56-game range.”
It stinks for guys who have great years – Johnson
Redick is unlikely to get his wish, although Spurs coach Mitch Johnson also believes it is tough on players that have great years despite injury problems.
“I think the intention behind the rule makes sense,” Johnson said. “Try to incentivize and motivate players to play. Playing games in this league over 82 games of just regular-season games is a lot, and it’s tough and there’s a lot of bumps and bruises and four-letter-word things that people play through. And I think that’s a skill and that’s a demand that these guys push through mentally, physically and emotionally, and I understand the intention of it.
“The details if 65 games is the right number people should be ineligible for certain awards [if they do not reach it], I honestly haven’t given it much thought. I think it obviously stinks for guys who have really great years.”
LeBron and Lakers in fight to reach playoffs
Of more concern to Redick, James and the Lakers is the defeat to the Spurs and the damage it could do to their playoff hopes.
LA are fifth in the Western Conference and ravaged by injuries with Luka Doncic (hamstring), Austin Reaves (calf), Marcus Smart (ankle) and Deandre Ayton (knee) all missing the game against the Spurs.
That gave bench players the chance to impress but they failed the audition as the Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama poured in 40 points in just 26 minutes.
Redick was particularly displeased with his team’s defensive efforts.
He said: “You have some of these games, and I don’t know the belief level of the guys that were out there, that some of these games you’re thinking to yourself, ‘oh I’m gonna get more shots tonight.’ And you just come out with zero intent defensively.
“Wemby blitzed us and we didn’t execute what we’re trying to do. And then when he didn’t have the ball and they drove, it was like one-on-one, no help defense.
“I could have showed 18 clips of us not playing our defense. Not a lot to take away other than we suck at defense.”
Wembanyama blitz proves too much for Lakers’ second string
It was a good night for 7ft 4in Wembanyama, even though he watched the final quarter from the bench with the game won.
He said: ”I was also pushing to go back, but I mean, they did the right thing by keeping me on the bench. We got to think long term. But yeah, these kind of games, you got to have the greed. I mean, every game you have to have this greed to want more every time, because you know at all times it doesn’t matter who’s on the court, it’s somebody who’s going to want to stop you from doing what you do out there. So you got to be greedy.”
