In an age of load management, it is impossible to see superstars play all 82 games of a season. Injuries or rest seem to affect modern players more than the ones that preceded them, primarily due to the team’s understanding of the impact of wear-and-tear over time on their players.
Despite these modern concerns, certain players take pride in playing every possible game that they can. This season, there were just 10 players that managed to play all available games this season, with one very special player becoming the first since 2014 to play 83 games because of a midseason trade.
Let’s take a look at the 10 iron men of the NBA in the 2022-23 season.
10. Kenyon Martin Jr.Â
2022-23 NBA Stats: 12.7 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 1.5 APG, 0.4 SPG, 0.5 BPG
Kenyon Martin Jr. has emerged as one of the core pieces for the foundation that the Houston Rockets have built in recent years. He joined the team as the 52nd pick in the 2020 NBA Draft and earned playing time over the course of the season. he came close to hitting the 82-game club last season but ended up playing just 79 games.
KJ Martin is a talented slashing wing that participated in the 2023 Slam Dunk Contest this year. Though he didn’t win, his performance was appreciated by fans. He became a starter for Houston later in the season but has emerged amidst multiple wings on the roster to some prominence. Hopefully, he goes from strength to strength and is on the team when they pivot toward contention.
9. Tari Eason
2022-23 NBA Stats: 9.3 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 1.1 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.6 BPG
Martin wasn’t the only Rockets player to play all 82 games in the season, as rookie Tari Eason got his NBA career off to a start by not missing a single game of action. Eason was the 17th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft and was a defensive specialist from day one. Even though he can be an extremely talented 3-and-D wing, he’s already a fantastic defensive option for the Rockets.
His skills weren’t highlighted this season due to the Rockets being one of the worst teams in the NBA, but Eason has the traits and tendencies of a winning player. He is a hustler on the court and can be the primary wing defender for Houston going forward.Â
8. Isaiah Hartenstein
2022-23 NBA Stats: 5.0 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.2 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.8 BPG
Isaiah Hartenstein was not looking like the best backup big signing for the New York Knicks when the center was struggling to adjust to the system. Thankfully, he put it together after December and has been a mainstay in the Knicks’ rotation all season, to the point he’s played all 82 games of the season.Â
Hartenstein is a versatile big on an affordable contract, so he’s already great value for the Knicks on their bench. He can be a vertical presence and protect the rim while also having active enough hands to disrupt passing lanes to force steals. He also has solid rebounding instincts, so his numbers could definitely look better if he averaged more than 19.8 minutes per game.
7. Harrison Barnes
2022-23 NBA Stats: 15.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 1.6 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.1 BPG
Harrison Barnes was the designated veteran on Sacramento Kings’ return to the playoffs after 16 seasons. The veteran led by example, playing every single game of the season despite the miles on his body. He has been with the Kings since the Dallas Mavericks traded him in the middle of a game in 2019.Â
Barnes is a former champion and a polished offensive player with a complete skill set. While he isn’t a primary option for the Kings, he’s an ever-present member of the rotation, playing over 32 minutes a night on average. This is the second time Barnes has achieved this feat, doing it first in 2014-15, ending the season as a champion with the Golden State Warriors.Â
6. Patrick Williams
2022-23 NBA Stats:Â 10.2 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.2 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.9 BPG
Patrick Williams missed most of the 2021-22 season due to injury and wanted to make a statement upon his return this season. Even though the Chicago Bulls missed the playoffs, Williams showed the team that they can trust him by playing every single game of the season while averaging about 28.2 minutes per game.
Williams was the 4th overall draft pick in the 2020 NBA Draft and was selected by the Chicago Bulls, where he was expected to develop into a versatile wing-stopper. Though his defensive potential is clear, he has been plagued with inconsistent form. He averaged 0.9 steals and 0.9 blocks this season, so his defensive progression is clear. He also shot 41.5% from 3 on 3.4 attempts a game, so there’s a clear upside with the Florida State University alum.
5. Kevon Looney
2022-23 NBA Stats: 7.0 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 2.5 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.6 BPG
Kevon Looney is the definition of reliable and that’s the reason why he’s had such a successful career with the Golden State Warriors. He was drafted with the 30th pick in the 2015 NBA Draft and has won 3 championships at Golden State. There was a time when Looney was considered too out of shape to be a reliable rotational member of the Warriors’ squad, and now he’s a reigning champion as starting center for the squad. He was re-signed to a long-term extension last summer as well.
Looney also played all 82 games last season, so he’s on a 2-season streak of having missed no games. With health willing, Looney can continue that streak into the following seasons. The closest he came to playing 82 games before this was in 2018-19, as he played in 80 games for the squad after injuries to centers on Golden State like DeMarcus Cousins.
4. Nikola Vucevic
2022-23 NBA Stats:Â 17.6 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 3.2 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.7 BPG
Nikola Vucevic took great pride in being able to play 82 games this season, becoming the second Bulls’ player alongside Patrick Williams to achieve this feat. The former 2-time All-Star knew the Bulls wouldn’t be able to turn their season around but still ensured he was available for every game to keep their playoff push alive. Though the team pushed, they fell in the play-in tournament.
Vucevic hasn’t had a reputation for being a perennially available player but has come close to this feat twice in his career. Both times were with his former team, the Orlando Magic where he played 80 games in the 2018-19 season and 77 games as a sophomore in 2012-13, his first season with the Magic.
3. Derrick White
2022-23 NBA Stats: 12.4 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 3.9 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.9 BPG
Acquiring Derrick White via trade last season was one of the best moves the Boston Celtics could have made, as White helped them improve last season and has been a crucial component of one of the best rosters in the NBA. White plays 28.3 minutes per game for the Celtics and has brought offensive firepower off the bench for the championship contenders.Â
White has been an occasional starter this season and performed admirably in that role. He’s had some big match-winning moments for the Celtics in the regular season and will hope to carry that success into the playoffs. The shooting guard played 75 games last season for both the Celtics and the San Antonio Spurs and has bettered it to 82 this season. Prior to that, White had never played more than 68 games.Â
2. Jordan PooleÂ
2022-23 NBA Stats:Â 20.4 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 4.5 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Jordan Poole is easily one of the brightest young scoring guards in the NBA, already having a championship to his name and a big contract that has secured his future. That hasn’t made him complacent, as Poole joined Looney to be the only two Warriors’ players that didn’t miss a single game this season.
Poole averaged 30.0 minutes per game and often found himself as the primary scoring option when Stephen Curry spent chunks of the season injured. Even though he has been scoring effortlessly, the Warriors haven’t been happy with the way Poole has been playing this season. He almost played 82 games last season but ended the year with 76 appearances, his most in a season until now.
1. Mikal Bridges
2022-23 NBA Stats:Â 20.1 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.7 BPG
Mikal Bridges is the definition of an iron man. He became the first player in the 2020s and only the fourth player since 2010 to play 83 games in a season after being traded from the Phoenix Suns to the Brooklyn Nets. He’s yet to miss an NBA game in his career and didn’t even miss a game during his time with the Villanova Wildcats in the NCAA. He also averages the most minutes per game out of anyone on this list with a whopping 35.7 minutes average.Â
He has played all available games every year since he was drafted into the NBA in 2018. He provided tremendous value for the Suns and emerged as a Defensive Player of the Year caliber player up until they traded him to the Nets, where he’s developed a deep offensive arsenal. His availability coupled with his talent may make him one of the most valuable NBA superstars in a season or two.
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