When faced with the NBA’s new 65-game rule, Donte DiVincenzo responded with acceptance, saying “It is what it is.” He understood that even if he had been eligible, winning the Most Improved Player award was not guaranteed.
Despite playing an average of 38 minutes per game since February, the Knicks guard was ineligible for postseason awards because he did not play 20 or more minutes in at least 63 games (plus two games with at least 15 minutes).
The issue arose because DiVincenzo, who played a total of 81 games, started the season as a reserve and only began playing significant minutes about a quarter into the season.
He missed the eligibility cutoff by just nine seconds in one game.
“Obviously that’s disappointing,” said Josh Hart. “That’s the downside of the first year of the rule. You knew there would be players who were affected by it.
“Now that they see it in action, hopefully they can revisit it this summer and find ways to maintain the rule without penalizing players for having a smaller role.”
Knicks’ Donte DiVincenzo takes NBA award eligibility snub in stride https://t.co/OFPbh6LxKr pic.twitter.com/zZnzJyDFsG
— New York Post (@nypost) April 18, 2024
