The NBPA’s idea to have players only voting for season-end awards was brought to light this week by the NBPA’s executive director, Michele Roberts. It seems that Roberts main goal is to take the power of season-end awards out of the hands of the media and into the hands of the hundreds of NBA players with the new ‘Players Choice Awards‘ idea.
There’s one issue, it appears not all of the players are on board with this idea. Particularly one NBA star in the form of Washington Wizards guard, John Wall.
Following from the New York Post’s Tim Bontemps.
There are plenty of players who seem excited about the idea of the NBPA voting on season long awards. One who isn't, though, is John Wall.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) April 10, 2015
Wall, on if he had voted for the NBPA's Player's Choice Awards (ballots were handed out at shootaround today): "No, and I probably won't."
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) April 10, 2015
Wall also made a compelling argument against players getting votes, saying that he didn't trust them to be impartial in their votes.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) April 10, 2015
Wall: "As players, we know who the players are, but sometimes your pride and ego come in & you don't want to see that person get an award."
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) April 10, 2015
Bontemps is right, also pointing out that one of the main differences between the media and player voting is the protection of anonymity. Media members votes for the awards get aired out like clean laundry on a clothesline, the players on the other hand, their awards will be shrouded by a cloud of uncertainty as to who actually voted for those players.
Wall is also correct in thinking that egos will get in the way because they always do. Guys have specific players they love to play with like Jamal Crawford for example, he’s a league favorite amongst players. Then on the flip side, there’s a guy like Blake Griffin, that many in the NBA don’t seem to care too much for.
There are a couple of pros and cons to this new awards show idea, which is why it’s been heavily scrutinized by many media members. There are flaws to it like if the players actually can keep up with the stats and watching all the games. Can the players separate that one time a guy went off for 50 against your team but didn’t really do much after? Can they keep their emotions and opinions out of their voting and not vote for their friends/teammates? This issues are probably more apparent than any hindering the current voting process.
