Jalen Johnson’s Outstanding Performance Puts NBA Bettors and Sportsbooks in a Dilemma: Who Will Be the Most Improved Player?
The NBA Awards season is always an exciting time for fans and bettors alike. However, this year has brought new challenges and confusion due to the league’s new game and playing time requirements. One award that has particularly caught the attention of sportsbooks and bettors is the Most Improved Player award, and Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson is at the center of it all.
To be eligible for the Most Improved Player award, players must be active in 65 games while playing at least 20 minutes in each game. This requirement has left some of the top contenders off the board, including Joel Embiid who had an exceptional start to the season but was sidelined by injury. However, Jalen Johnson’s case is different.
If Johnson plays every game for the rest of the season, he will meet the 65-game requirement. The only obstacle holding him back from eligibility is a November 25 game against the Cavaliers, where he only played eight minutes due to injury. However, there is a potential solution for Johnson to qualify.
According to the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), a player can file an Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge, which would be heard by a third-party arbitrator. Johnson would need to prove that it was impracticable for him to play in the missed games, that he would have met the eligibility criteria if he had played in those games, and that it would be unjust to exclude him from consideration for the award. If he plays in Atlanta’s remaining 14 games, he would fall just 12 minutes short of eligibility.
Many experts believe that Johnson should be the favorite for the Most Improved Player award. ESPN’s Zach Lowe stated on his podcast that Johnson deserves the recognition. Stat Muse also highlighted Johnson’s incredible improvement this season, showcasing his significant growth in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and shooting percentages.
However, the uncertainty surrounding Johnson’s eligibility has left sportsbooks in a dilemma. Some sportsbooks, like BetMGM and DraftKings, have omitted Johnson from betting and do not offer odds on him at all. BetMGM’s senior trade, Halvor Egeland, explained that the award usually goes to players who have made a significant jump to an All-Star level, and Johnson hasn’t reached that level yet. DraftKings’ Director of Race and Sports Operations, Johnny Avello, stated that Johnson is having a great year but is not currently in the picture due to the dominance of other contenders like Tyrese Maxey and Coby White.
It remains to be seen whether Johnson will file a grievance with the league to seek an exemption and become eligible for the award. The window for filing a grievance begins on the last day of the season and ends the day after the regular season ends. Johnson’s agent has not provided any comments on the matter.
The situation surrounding Johnson’s eligibility raises interesting questions for sportsbooks and bettors. If Johnson wins his grievance and the award despite not having odds listed for him for most of the season, it begs the question of whether betting action can truly count on the award. Sportsbooks have had limited wagers on Johnson for the award, and his odds have been off the board for most of the season.
As the NBA Awards season approaches, the fate of Jalen Johnson’s eligibility and the Most Improved Player award remains uncertain. It will be fascinating to see how sportsbooks adapt to this scenario and how bettors navigate their wagers without a clear frontrunner.
