NBA Player Participation Policy explained
The New York Knicks aren’t as impacted by the new NBA Player Participation Policy as other teams, but it’s still something they have to keep in mind.
It helps that Tom Thibodeau doesn’t know what load management means. Unsurprisingly, the head coach voiced his support (subscription required) for the new policy, saying he believes it’ll cut back on load management.
What is the NBA Player Participation Policy?
Over the summer, the NBA Board of Governors approved a new Player Participation Policy, replacing the Player Resting Policy. The new policy is aimed at combatting load management and ensuring stars are available to play. Teams must have an approved reason for a star not to play.
The policy also enforces that no more than one star player is out for a game, star players are available for nationally televised games and the In-Season Tournament, teams balance one-game star absences, teams keep stars from long-term “shutdowns,” and that stars be present and visible at games even if they’re out.
What is the definition of a star in the NBA Player Participation Policy?
Players named to an All-NBA team or an All-Star in the past three seasons are classified as stars. If a player is named an All-Star in February and previously didn’t meet the criteria for a star, they’ll be impacted by the policy for the rest of the season.
Which NBA stars are affected by the NBA Player Participation policy?
For a list of all 49 stars impacted by the policy, click here.
Which stars are excluded from the NBA Player Participation Policy?
Per the NBA, exceptions are granted to stars “for injuries, personal reasons and pre-approved back-to-back restrictions based on a player’s age, career workload or serious injury history.”
Which Knicks players are affected by the NBA Player Participation Policy?
Julius Randle is the only affected Knick. If Jalen Brunson (or maybe even RJ Barrett) is named an All-Star in February, the policy will apply to him for the rest of the season, too.
How are teams penalized if they violate the NBA Player Participation Policy?
For the first violation, a team will be fined $100,000. For the second, $250,000. Every time after that, a million more dollars will be tacked onto the previous fine.
Is the NBA Player Participation policy working?
Through the first two weeks of the season, several stars, including Harden, have missed games. The NBA investigated Harden’s absence from the first three Sixers games but closed the investigation and decided not to punish Philadelphia after he was traded to the Clippers.
The early returns show that the league isn’t being overly strict about the new policy, but maybe that’ll change as the season wears on.