Anthony Edwards’ appeal for All-NBA consideration denied
Two NBA stars who played fewer than the requisite 65 games to be eligible for year-long awards are on the voters’ ballots this year. Anthony Edwards is not one of them. Pistons guard Cade Cunningham and Lakers guard Luka Doncic played 63 and 64 qualifying games, respectfully.
Cunningham missed 12 games with a collapsed lung, while Doncic missed a pair of games to attend his daughter’s birth in Slovenia. “The NBA and NBPA agreed that, taking into account the totality of the circumstances for Cunningham and Dončić, each player qualified for awards under the extraordinary circumstances provision in the CBA,” The National Basketball Players Association said Thursday. Edwards also filed a challenge through the NBPA before an indepent arbitor, but his challenge was denied, which will cost Edwards what was likely to be a second-team All-NBA selection.
Justin Holland, Edwards’ business manager, said he and Edwards appreciated the players association appealing the case. “For me personally, I’m a bit confused at the clemency for Cade, who missed time for something that happened on the court, and not Ant, who missed time for an infection,” Holland said in a statement to ESPN insider Shams Charania. “But ultimately you already know Ant isn’t trippin’ over it AT ALL.
” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said it “sure would be nice” to hear an explanation for Edwards’ denial. “Particularly when you look at the history of Anthony, who plays all the time,” Finch said. “I’m not sure why we have a rule if we have an appeals process that is overturned in two-thirds of the cases that were held before it.
It feels more like a suggestion than a rule. ” Finch said Cunningham and Doncic are “super deserving” of award recognition and noted their injuries were legitimate this season. His gripe was not with them, but rather that Edwards’ situation didn’t receive similar treatment.