Bam Adebayo

Devin Booker Expected To Play For Team USA In Olympics

After previously reporting that Jrue Holiday, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Joel Embiid and Jayson Tatum are considered locks to be part of Team USA’s roster for the 2024 Olympics in Paris, at least as long as they remain healthy and interested, Shams Charania and Joe Vardon of The Athletic have added a seventh player to that list: Suns star Devin Booker.

Booker, Holiday, Durant and Tatum were on the roster when the Americans won the gold medal in Tokyo in 2021.

USA Basketball isn’t expected to make a formal announcement about the roster until late April or early May, according to Charania and Vardon. Embiid is currently recovering from surgery to repair a torn meniscus, but sources tell The Athletic he remains committed to playing.

Four other players are considered “strong candidates” to join Team USA’s roster this summer as well, sources tell Charania and Vardon. That group features Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, Heat center Bam Adebayo and Lakers center Anthony Davis. During All-Star weekend, both Haliburton and Davis said they’d play if they were invited.

Adebayo was another member of the roster that won gold a few years ago.

If all four players make the cut, 11 spots on the 12-man roster would be filled, though a lot can happen between now and the beginning of July, when Team USA will hold its training camp before the Olympics open later that month.

Heat Notes: Adebayo, Jovic, Highsmith, Jaquez

Bam Adebayo admits he’s had a tough time adjusting to his new role as team captain, the Heat center told Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. Adebayo says the leadership responsibilities have made his season much more challenging.

“You’ve got to understand how to translate messages to everybody because everybody is different and everybody has their own stuff going on,” Adebayo said. “I got my own stuff going on in my mind, how I want to play and how I want to affect the game. And 14 other guys do, too. So trying to get 14 other guys to buy into your message, how you’re saying it, get them to buy into what the coach is saying. It’s tough because guys got dilemmas, guys got feelings.”

We have more on the Heat:

  • Adebayo only attempted two shots in the All-Star Game but he feels validated by the fact he’s been selected three times, Chiang writes in a separate story. “Respect, at the end of the day,” he said. “Being able to, obviously, get to this thing three times, you want it to become a routine. You want it to be an every year thing. For me, it’s just respect from all the coaches who voted me in and respect for who I am and what I do.”
  • Forward Nikola Jovic is trying to adjust to coach Erik Spoelstra’s rotation tinkering. Jovic had a 24-point outing against Milwaukee in a game shortly before the All-Star break. In other games, he barely sees the court. “The wild thing is I either start or I don’t play,” Jovic told Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Jovic said he’s happy for any opportunities he gets on a contending team.
  • A man who was seriously injured in a car accident when he was struck by Haywood Highsmith‘s vehicle has filed a civil lawsuit against the Heat forward, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald tweets. The man was helping another driver whose car was stuck in the middle of a dark road when he was struck by Highsmith’s vehicle. The victim remains hospitalized after a partial amputation of his leg.
  • Jaime Jaquez Jr. has been one of the league’s most productive rookies and The Ringer’s Wes Goldberg’s details how the former UCLA star has quickly endeared himself to the team’s coaches and players.

Southeast Notes: Adebayo, Wright, C. Martin, Magic Rookies

Bam Adebayo will become the first Heat player to start in an All-Star Game since Dwyane Wade did it in 2016, having been named to the Eastern Conference starting lineup by head coach Doc Rivers as an injury replacement for Joel Embiid, per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.

As Rivers observed on Saturday, with the East’s All-Star roster relatively heavy on guards and wings, Adebayo was the most obvious choice to replace Embiid in the middle.

“My lineup decision was easy,” Rivers said. “I looked at Big Joel out, what other (center) do we have on the team, and Bam got the honor. It’s good for him, too. It’s funny, I told him in locker room. He didn’t know. I thought he knew because I told the league yesterday that he did know. You could tell he was very happy about it.”

As Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald writes, Adebayo had already joined an exclusive group by becoming the sixth player in franchise history to earn three All-Star nods as a member of the Heat, joining Alonzo Mourning, Shaquille O’Neal, Wade, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh. However, Sunday will be his first All-Star start.

“It’s going to be a dope experience,” Adebayo said. “Just going to really cherish that moment and thankful to God and all the people who support me through all the ups and downs. We’ve added something new to our list.”

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

  • In a separate story for The Miami Herald, Chiang examines how Delon Wright will help the Heat once the veteran guard clears waivers and officially signs with the team. Wright may not play a significant role when Miami’s roster is fully healthy, Chiang acknowledges, but he’s a talented defender who takes care of the ball on offense (82 assists to 11 turnovers this season) and will upgrade the club’s depth.
  • Cody Martin has been beset by injuries since finalizing a four-year, $31MM deal with the Hornets in 2022, but he’s finally healthy and is producing like Charlotte hoped he would when he signed that contract, notes ESPN’s Zach Lowe (Insider link). Lowe refers to Martin as a tough and selfless player who would have real trade value if he finishes this season strong, given his team-friendly contract ($8.12MM guaranteed in 2024/25; $8.68MM non-guaranteed in ’25/26).
  • Anthony Black has played a far more significant role this season than fellow Magic lottery pick Jett Howard, but the team’s front office remains “really excited” about both players, president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman tells Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. “Jett’s done really well in Osceola,” Weltman said, referring to the Magic’s G League affiliate. “Those guys are on different paths right now but we’re very high on Jett as well. He’s got a lot of gifts.”

Heat Notes: Adebayo, Lowry, Roster Spot, Highsmith

Heat center Bam Adebayo faces a difficult path toward making an All-NBA team or earning Defensive Player of the Year honors, which would qualify him for a super-max contract that would be the richest in franchise history, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Either achievement would make Adebayo eligible for a four-year extension this summer that would pay up to $245MM. Otherwise, his extension would be capped at three years and $152MM.

The league has changed its all-NBA structure so that the team is now positionless, meaning the top 15 vote-getters will be honored regardless of where they play. Jackson notes that under the old rules, Adebayo would have a decent chance at landing one of the three center spots, considering that Joel Embiid will miss the 65-game requirement and Anthony Davis and Kristaps Porzingis aren’t guaranteed to reach that mark either. Now Adebayo is competing with the entire league after ranking 27th overall in All-NBA balloting last season.

Adebayo is given the sixth-best odds for DPOY by Draft Kings and Fanduel, Jackson points out. Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert is seen as the clear favorite for that honor as the anchor for one of the league’s top defensive teams.

Jackson states that Adebayo turned down a two-year, $97MM extension last summer in hopes of qualifying for the super-max. His current contract runs through 2025/26.

There’s more on the Heat:

  • There was no reunion with Kyle Lowry in the Heat’s Wednesday win at Philadelphia, Jackson writes in a separate story. The former Miami point guard signed with his hometown Sixers after reaching a buyout with Charlotte, but he won’t join the team until after the All-Star break.
  • Miami is expected to fill its 15-man roster opening soon to avoid reaching the 90-game combined limit for its players on two-way contracts, Jackson adds.
  • Haywood Highsmith is grateful to have basketball as an escape as he deals with the aftermath of last week’s auto accident that left a man hospitalized, per Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. “Basketball is my peace,” Highsmith said. “I wanted to get back with my teammates and my coaches, to be around them, so they can get my energy up. Obviously, it hasn’t been the easiest week or so for me, but I’m just taking it day by day, and being around my team has been very helpful. Being around my family, the coaching staff, everybody, has been very helpful. So the Heat culture, Heat family had my back, so I appreciate that.”
  • Bucks coach Doc Rivers was impressed by Miami’s ability to cultivate young talent after Jaime Jaquez and Nikola Jovic led the Heat to a win at Milwaukee Tuesday night, Winderman notes in another Sun Sentinel story. “Jaquez, I mean, he’s the perfect fit for who they are and how they want to be,” Rivers said. “You know, it’s funny, I think certain guys actually target them, ‘Man, I’d fit in this system.’ Utah did that for years with Jerry Sloan. They kept doing it. And Miami’s doing it. But it’s more about their system and how they play, and how they target. But both of those guys are fun to watch.”

2024 NBA All-Star Reserves Revealed

The 2024 NBA All-Star reserves were announced on Thursday night, according to a release from the NBA (Twitter links). Below is a rundown of the 14 players set to join the previously announced starters in the All-Star Game set in Indianapolis on Feb. 18. All-Star reserves are selected by the league’s head coaches.

Eastern Conference Reserves:

Maxey, Brunson and Banchero are first-time All-Stars. Brunson was a strong contender for a starting guard spot in the Eastern Conference, a spot that ultimately went to Bucks guard Damian Lillard. Mitchell (five), Brown (three), Adebayo (three), and Randle (three) are all multi-time selections.

As observed by ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link), Randle earns a $1.3MM bonus by making the All-Star Game. Though with the Knicks forward set to miss extended time, it’s likely the NBA will name an injury replacement player. Injury replacements are named by commissioner Adam Silver.

If Brown plays in 65 games by the end of the year, he’ll receive a $1.7MM bonus for his All-Star nod, according to Marks, who adds that Celtics guard Jrue Holiday had a $348K All-Star bonus that is now deemed unlikely.

Hawks guard Trae Young, Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen, Boston’s Holiday, Derrick White and Kristaps Porzingis, Raptors forward Scottie Barnes, Magic forward Franz Wagner, Bulls guard Coby White, Pacers center Myles Turner and Heat forward Jimmy Butler are among players who had cases to make the game but didn’t.

Western Conference Reserves:

Every player among the Western Conference’s reserves is now a multi-time All-Star. This is Curry’s 10th All-Star appearance, leading the group. George and Davis will be making their ninth appearances. Booker (four), Edwards (tw0), Towns (four) and Leonard (six) round out the list.

Having not been selected to the All-Star Game, Kings forward Domantas Sabonis will miss out on a $1.3MM bonus, according to Marks (Twitter link). Sabonis would regain that bonus if he’s named as an injury replacement, but none of the 12 Western All-Stars appear in danger of missing the game at this point.

Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, Sacramento’s De’Aaron Fox and Sabonis, Rockets center Alperen Sengun, Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, Wolves center Rudy Gobert, Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama, New Orleans forwards Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, Clippers guard James Harden and Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen are among those who missed the cut in the West.

Heat Notes: Losing Streak, Martin, Spoelstra, Robinson, Big Three

Saddled with a seven-game losing streak, the Heat are feeling ornery, according to The Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson. A lot of strong words by players and coaches were passed along during a film session on Tuesday. The team is back in action against Sacramento on Wednesday.

“Things were said that needed to be said,” forward Caleb Martin said. “I really do think we’re on the same page.”

Coach Erik Spoelstra said the team’s approach is more important than X’s and O’s at this juncture.

“Toughness — mental, physical, emotional competitive toughness,” he said. “The schematics are second, third, fourth, fifth [behind that]… That’s what we worked on today, finding solutions that are really none of your business, and I say that respectfully.”

We have more on the Heat:

  • Duncan Robinson has entered the league’s concussion protocol, Jackson reports in the same story. Robinson played only four minutes on Monday against Phoenix. He sat out the second half after he revealed he wasn’t feeling well. Robinson took a hard fall and his head snapped back as he hit the court on Saturday against the Knicks.
  • Miami is 5-11 when Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro are all available this season after finishing 26-25 in those games last season, Jackson points out in a separate story. The Herald columnist cites a number of reasons why the team’s Big Three hasn’t meshed well this season.
  • On that same topic, Herro said the team is still trying to find the reasons for the recent slide, according to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald“We’re still figuring it out,” Herro said. “During a seven-game losing streak, it’s not really easy to pinpoint what we’re going to do going into each night when we’re losing. But we’re just trying to win and figure out what works and what doesn’t.”
  • One thing is for certain during the franchise’s longest losing streak. There’s a determination to get things turned around quickly, William Guillory of the Miami Herald writes. “Obviously, if you’re in this kind of hole, the level of urgency, concern is extremely high,” Spoelstra said.

Heat Notes: Losing Streak, Rozier, Rotation, Jaquez

The Heat are fully healthy for the first time all season, but their long losing streak continues, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Apart from guard Dru Smith, who underwent season-ending knee surgery in December, Miami had a complete roster available for this afternoon’s game in New York. So it was discouraging that the Heat weren’t able to remain competitive against a potential playoff rival, falling 125-109 for their first six-game losing skid in nearly three years.

“Look, right now we’re going to rally around each other, rally around our identity,” coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters. “It’s a tough time right now.”

Miami is 0-3 since acquiring Terry Rozier from Charlotte on Tuesday in a move to add another weapon to the offense. Rozier is struggling badly with his shot since the trade, connecting at just 30.3% from the field and 18.2% from long distance.

“He’ll figure it out,” Spoelstra said. “He’s trying to fit in and I get that. We’re all saying the same thing. We want Terry to be Terry. He’s going to unlock other things for us.”

There’s more on the Heat:

  • Rozier started for the second straight game, alongside Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and Haywood Highsmith. Spoelstra used Kevin Love, Duncan Robinson, Jaime Jaquez and Caleb Martin off the bench in the first look at what his rotation might be with everyone available. Chiang notes that Josh Richardson picked up his first DNP-CD of the season, while center Thomas Bryant also didn’t play.
  • Jaquez returned after missing the previous six games with a strained groin, Chiang adds. He provided six points and four assists in about 24 minutes and played 7:33 in the fourth quarter until the game got out of hand. “There are definitely some things defensively that he needs to fast track on and he knows that,” Spoelstra said. “But offensively, you can definitely see some of the intangibles that he brings. He just has a knack for the play, a knack for getting us some rim pressure and we need a lot more of that.”
  • Today’s loss shows the Heat need to add size before the trade deadline to have a shot at another long playoff run, states Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. He observes that Miami was outrebounded 29-19 in the first half and frequently had to throw double teams at Julius Randle, leading to open three-point shots.

Team USA Announces 41-Player Pool For 2024 Olympics

USA Basketball has officially announced a pool of 41 players who are in the mix for the 12 spots on the 2024 Olympic men’s basketball team.

While the pool is subject to change, Team USA’s 12-man roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics will, in all likelihood, be made up of players from this group.

The list figures to shrink as the summer nears due to players suffering injuries or opting not to participate for other reasons, but at some point prior to the July event the U.S. decision-makers will have to choose a final roster from the remaining candidates.

Here’s the full list of 41 players, 28 of whom have represented Team USA in a previous World Cup or Olympics:

  1. Bam Adebayo (Heat)
  2. Jarrett Allen (Cavaliers)
  3. Paolo Banchero (Magic)
  4. Desmond Bane (Grizzlies)
  5. Scottie Barnes (Raptors)
  6. Devin Booker (Suns)
  7. Mikal Bridges (Nets)
  8. Jaylen Brown (Celtics)
  9. Jalen Brunson (Knicks)
  10. Jimmy Butler (Heat)
  11. Alex Caruso (Bulls)
  12. Stephen Curry (Warriors)
  13. Anthony Davis (Lakers)
  14. Kevin Durant (Suns)
  15. Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves)
  16. Joel Embiid (Sixers)
  17. De’Aaron Fox (Kings)
  18. Paul George (Clippers)
  19. Aaron Gordon (Nuggets)
  20. Tyrese Haliburton (Pacers)
  21. James Harden (Clippers)
  22. Josh Hart (Knicks)
  23. Tyler Herro (Heat)
  24. Jrue Holiday (Celtics)
  25. Chet Holmgren (Thunder)
  26. Brandon Ingram (Pelicans)
  27. Kyrie Irving (Mavericks)
  28. Jaren Jackson Jr. (Grizzlies)
  29. LeBron James (Lakers)
  30. Cameron Johnson (Nets)
  31. Walker Kessler (Jazz)
  32. Kawhi Leonard (Clippers)
  33. Damian Lillard (Bucks)
  34. Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers)
  35. Chris Paul (Warriors)
  36. Bobby Portis (Bucks)
  37. Austin Reaves (Lakers)
  38. Duncan Robinson (Heat)
  39. Jayson Tatum (Celtics)
  40. Derrick White (Celtics)
  41. Trae Young (Hawks)

Adebayo, Booker, Durant, Holiday, Lillard, and Tatum were part of the Olympic team that won gold in Tokyo in 2021. Jerami Grant, Draymond Green, Keldon Johnson, Zach LaVine, JaVale McGee, and Khris Middleton were also on that roster, but aren’t part of the preliminary pool this time around. It’s possible some of them turned down invitations.

“The United States boasts unbelievable basketball talent and I am thrilled that many of the game’s superstars have expressed interest in representing our country at the 2024 Olympic Summer Games,” national team managing director Grant Hill said in a statement. “It is a privilege to select the team that will help us toward the goal of once again standing atop the Olympic podium. This challenging process will unfold over the next several months as we eagerly anticipate the start of national team activity.”

USA Basketball also announced today that Team USA will face Team Canada in Las Vegas on July 10 in an exhibition game. It sounds like that contest will take place during the NBA’s 2024 Summer League.

Heat Notes: Big Three, Lowry, Murray, Trade Options

The Heat have done a remarkable job of weathering injuries, but they’re only 31-31 over the past two years with Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro all on the court together, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. That includes a home loss Friday night to the struggling Hawks, who were missing Trae Young, bringing Miami’s record to 5-6 this season with all three stars available.

“You get used to one guy being out there, or two, and we have all three of us,” Adebayo said. “We’re all trying to play the right way, but also be aggressive. There are going to be some rough patches and we just need to keep working through it.”

The problem, according to Jackson, is the lack of a reliable fourth option to supplement the Big Three, which has caused the offense to sputter. Rookie Jaime Jaquez had been filling that role, but a groin injury will force him to miss his fourth consecutive game on Sunday.

“Teams are doubling Bam and Jimmy every time they touch it in the post,” Herro said. “To be able to watch the film, make adjustments to our spacing, I think we’ll be fine. [We’re] just getting comfortable with everyone back in the rotation.”

There’s more from Miami:

  • Veteran point guard Kyle Lowry, who was used as a reserve on Friday for the first time this season, is hoping to regain his starting spot, Jackson adds. Coach Erik Spoelstra explained that the move was made for tactical reasons. “With Jaime out, there are some moving parts with this,” Spoelstra said. “I’m not going to be just experimenting in the second half. This is about winning right now. Having Kyle anchor that second unit while Jaime is out is important.”
  • Hawks guard Dejounte Murray refused to comment on the possibility of being traded to Miami before next month’s deadline, Jackson states in a separate story. Before Friday’s game, Murray posted a photo to Instagram of him pointing to the Heat’s retired jerseys in the Kaseya Center rafters, but he told reporters it’s “respect for legends that have played this game the right way before,” rather than an indication that he wants to join the Heat.
  • Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel cautions that it’s dangerous to make a trade in reaction to recent acquisitions by the Knicks and Pacers. Winderman suggests that Lowry’s expiring $29.7MM contract only has value if the Heat are willing to take back long-term salary in return, but Caleb Martin and Nikola Jovic might be in play if management doesn’t view them as part of the team’s future.

Minimum Game Requirement For Awards Looms Large For Super-Max Candidates

As we detailed back in September, there are several players around the NBA who would benefit financially from making an All-NBA team or winning a Most Valuable Player of Defensive Player of the Year award in 2023/24.

Heat big man Bam Adebayo, Kings guard De’Aaron Fox, Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, Nuggets guard Jamal Murray are among the players who would become eligible to sign a super-max (Designated Veteran) contract during the 2024 offseason by earning one of those honors this season.

Mavericks guard Luka Doncic and Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander could ensure they become eligible to sign a super-max extension in 2025 by making this year’s All-NBA team. Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. could do the same by winning a second consecutive Defensive Player of the Year award.

Additionally, Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, and Hornets guard LaMelo Ball signed maximum-salary rookie scale extensions that will be worth 30% of next season’s salary cap (instead of 25%) if they make an All-NBA team this spring. These “Rose Rule” contracts are essentially “mini” super-max deals.

Not all of those 10 players look like legitimate All-NBA, MVP, or DPOY candidates this season, but many of them will be in the mix. However, as Tim Bontemps and Bobby Marks write at ESPN.com, the newly implemented 65-game minimum requirement for award winners looms large for this group.

Without appearing in 65 games (including at least 63 of 20-plus minutes and two of 15-plus minutes), these players will be ineligible to earn an All-NBA spot, and without that end-of-season honor, they won’t be in position to receive a higher maximum salary.

According to Bontemps and Marks, a player who misses more than 17 of his team’s games, falling short of appearing in the required 65, can technically still qualify for award recognition, but only in very specific scenarios:

  1. If the player appeared in at least 62 games (and 85% of his team’s games to that point) and then suffers a season-ending injury.
  2. If the player files a grievance and presents “clear and convincing evidence” that his team limited his games or his minutes with the intention of depriving him of award eligibility.

While there’s also a clause for “extraordinary circumstances,” the NBA and NBPA don’t expect that clause to apply to injury absences, since it would essentially defeat the purpose of the rule, per ESPN’s duo.

Of the 10 players mentioned above, one is already ineligible for a major end-of-season award — Ball has appeared in just 19 of the Hornets’ first 39 games due to an ankle injury, so even if he doesn’t miss a game for the rest of the season, he’ll max out at 62 appearances. Given Charlotte’s spot in the standings, Ball would have been an All-NBA long shot anyway, but he has been playing at a very high level when he’s been healthy.

The 65-game mark remains within reach for the rest of this group, though some players can’t really afford any sort of extended absence. Adebayo, for instance, has missed 10 of Miami’s 42 games so far and only logged 12 minutes in an 11th, which means it won’t count toward his 65. Seven more missed games would cost him his award eligibility.

Murray is in a similar spot — he has missed 14 of Denver’s 43 games and played just 10 minutes in a 15th, so three more missed games would make him ineligible for award consideration.

Doncic has missed seven games for the Mavericks, while Fox has missed six for the Kings, so they’re on pace to play in enough games, but if either player turns an ankle or tweaks a hamstring and is forced to the sidelines for a couple weeks, he’d be in trouble.

It looked like that might happen with Haliburton, who sat out just three of the Pacers’ first 36 games, then strained his hamstring earlier this month. He was expected to be unavailable for at least a couple weeks, but returned to action on Friday night, ahead of schedule, after missing just five contests.

Haliburton is a legitimate All-NBA candidate and would be in line for a projected $41MM pay increase across his five-year extension if he earns one of those 15 spots. Were those financial considerations a factor in his early return to action? Would he still have been inactive on Friday if that 65-game minimum weren’t in play?

It’s hard to imagine the Pacers allowing their franchise player to risk potential re-injury by coming back too early, but Haliburton certainly has a ton of motivation to play in every game he can this year.

As Howard Beck of The Ringer writes, that 65-game minimum will be a fascinating subplot to follow in the second half of the season. Although we’ve focused here on players whose future earnings could be directly tied to whether or not they claim an end-of-season award, there are many other potential All-NBA candidates who may fall short of 65 games, changing the equation for voters.

Joel Embiid, Jimmy Butler, Kyrie Irving, Donovan Mitchell, Devin Booker, Zion Williamson, and Lauri Markkanen are among the stars who have been out for eight or more games so far this season, Beck observes. Kevin Durant has missed seven.

The 65-game minimum isn’t necessary to earn votes for Sixth Man of the Year, Rookie of the Year, or an All-Rookie spot, but the other major awards require at least 65 appearances.

In 2023, five of the 15 players who made an All-NBA team appeared in fewer than 65 games, but that won’t be the case in 2024. The players who have the most riding on All-NBA honors from a financial perspective may be the ones most motivated to stay on the court, but as Adebayo points out, you “can’t stop injuries from happening.”

“God forbid nobody gets hurt, but you can’t [prevent] injury,” he said, per Bontemps and Marks. “I think it’s crazy that we even have the rule. It’s one of those things where you just accept the rule. … I guess use your 17 games as wisely as possible.”