Earlier this week, Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown finished sixth in the NBA's MVP voting. On Sunday night, predictably, Brown finished behind those same five finishers to earn a spot on the All-NBA Second Team.

While finishing on the second team is a great accomplishment for Brown and reflects his great season, one has to wonder about the NBA's policies and if Brown fell victim to a poor handling of them.

In 2023, the NBA implemented a rule to help combat "load management," by saying that players need to play in 65 games or more (with at least 20 minutes or more per game) in order to be eligible for postseason awards and league recognition.

That was supposed to be a motivating factor for players and teams, given that those awards directly help build a players legacy. Those awards also have heavy impact on a players earning potential, both on and off the court.

However, this season, the league bent its rules, which worked to the detriment of Brown. Brown played in 71 games, making himself eligible, while Luka Doncic (64 games) and Cade Cunningham (64 games) were both given exemptions. Both players finished ahead of Brown in the MVP voting and both players finished on the First Team.

Cunningham only reached the 20-minute mark in 63 games, making his exemption even more curious. He was injured at the end of the season. Doncic was also injured, but also missed two games while traveling to see the birth of his daughter overseas.

Both players have valid reasons for missing games, but both players were in violation of the rule that league put in place less than three calendar years ago. If the rule isn't going to be enforced, then what is the point of having it?

He should be mad. Yes, he already has a supermax contract, and yes, he's received plenty of accolades in his career, but he should have one more here.

Saying so publicly is probably not in his best interest because it comes off looking selfish, but we'll say it for him: Brown deserved better.

He averaged 28.7 ppg while carrying the No. 2 team in the Eastern Conference in the absence of Jayson Tatum. He also played in the appropriate amount of games, unlike Doncic and Cunningham. 

Brown said he's not surprised about being placed on the second team, and didn't mention the 65-game threshold being an issue for him.

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