The NBA’s 65-game minimum was designed to protect the integrity of end of season awards. Instead, this season, it is threatening to erase one of the most talent-rich MVP and All-NBA races the league has ever seen. As things stand right now, four of the five best players in the world are in real danger of missing the cutoff entirely.
Start with the obvious one. Nikola Jokic is the best basketball player on the planet and has been putting together a season that borders on absurd. He is averaging 29.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 11.0 assists while shooting 60.5% from the field and 43.5% from three. It is an MVP season by any historical standard.
Yet a hyperextension in his left knee will sideline him for at least four weeks. During that stretch, the Denver Nuggets plays roughly 15 games. Even if Jokic returns immediately after that window, he will likely miss 18 games total, which automatically disqualifies him from MVP and All-NBA consideration. A season that could have gone down as one of the greatest ever may end with zero hardware purely due to availability.
Then there is Luka Doncic, who sits in a slightly safer position but is far from comfortable. Luka has already missed seven games this season. While he is currently healthy, minor injuries have popped up throughout the year, and he can only miss ten more games before crossing the line. That margin disappears quickly. Luka is averaging 33.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 8.7 assists in his first full season with the Los Angeles Lakers, and he is firmly in the MVP and All-NBA conversation. One short, rough stretch physically, and he could be wiped from the ballot.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is in even more dangerous territory. The Milwaukee Bucks star has already missed 14 games due to injury and has only recently returned. That means he can miss just three more games for the rest of the season. Three. For a player who plays with relentless physical force and carries massive usage, that is an incredibly thin margin.
Giannis is averaging 28.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 5.9 assists while shooting over 64% from the field and an impressive 40.7% from three. He is absolutely in the MVP race on production, but his margin for error is basically gone.
Then there is Victor Wembanyama, the newest member of the elite tier. Wembanyama exploded out of the gate before cooling off and missing time with an injury. He has already missed 12 games, which means he can only miss five more for the rest of the season.
For a player who is 7-foot-4 and tasked with doing everything on both ends, that is a risky bet. Wemby is averaging 24.0 points, 11.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 3.0 blocks while shooting over 51 percent from the field. He is in the running for MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, All-NBA, and All-Defensive teams, yet one short absence could remove him from all of them.
The only superstar truly safe is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Shai has missed just one game all season and is now the MVP favorite by default. He is averaging 32.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 6.4 assists while leading the league’s best team. Availability has become his biggest advantage.
The irony is impossible to ignore. The NBA finally has a season where multiple all-time level talents are peaking at once, and the awards race may be decided less by greatness and more by who survives the schedule. The 65-game rule may protect fairness, but this year, it is threatening to rewrite history.
