Jayson Tatum calls for new rules on All-NBA voting: "It probably should be positionless"
BOSTON -- Jayson Tatum is honored -- "obviously" -- to be a member of this year's All-NBA First Team. But he still feels the system for determining that group could use some adjustments.
Speaking in Miami a day after being named as one of the very best players in the league, Tatum couldn't help but find it odd that Joel Embiid ended up on the All-NBA Second Team.
"I mean -- there just should be some, you know, rules in place," Tatum said. "I think, I don't know exactly the number, but maybe you should have to play a certain amount of games, or maybe you are a playoff team or not. I do think it probably should be positionless."
Embiid -- who finished second in MVP voting this year -- ended up on the Second Team, as MVP Nikola Jokic occupied the center spot on the First Team.
"Joel Embiid was second in MVP voting and made Second Team. Doesn't really make too much sense, right?" Tatum said. "I think it should just be, like, the 15 best players. And obviously with some guys in their contract years, there's super-max deals involved, that's tough. And I'm sure that's tough on the voters as well. So I think there's a lot that could be changed in that area, in that regard."
While Tatum is the beneficiary of the system this year, he was snubbed a year ago ... which resulted in a lost opportunity at an extra $32.6 million. Tatum said that situation is behind him now, but he still used his time at the podium on Wednesday to propose the changes.
"I've talked about this quite a bit, just on the criteria and how this vote is. It's just so wide open, right? And there's no really set rules on who should qualify. And I think that was the frustrating part [last year]," Tatum said. "But, you know, it happened. Do I think I was one of the best 15 players last year? A thousand percent. But, that's behind me now, and I made it this year. And now we're trying to win a championship."
