Earlier today, SNY’s Ian Begley reported that Jalen Brunson‘s injury recovery is going very well, and New York should expect their captain back at some point this season. This is incredible news for the Knicks, as Brunson’s ankle sprain seemed very serious when it happened, casting doubt on their playoff hopes. It’s looking like they’ll get their guy in the lineup again soon, but his situation sparks an interesting NBA debate.
Brunson’s Injury Shows Why 65-Game Rule Needs Tweaks
Before the 2023-24 NBA season, the league instituted a 65-game minimum participation rule to be eligible for awards. This goes for every honor, outside of Rookie of the Year and All-Rookie teams. It’s clear why Adam Silver felt he had to do this: load management has been getting worse over the last decade. Players and teams are prioritizing their health in the long run over being available on a nightly basis, and the league’s product has suffered for it.
The number of national TV games ruined by multiple guys simply deciding their bodies needed a break reached a staggering level, and something needed to be done about it. Furthermore, it’s sad for basketball fans when a family goes to their one NBA game a year only to find out that their favorite player will be in street clothes.
Rule Hasn’t Had the Expected Outcome
While this new eligibility rule is correct in spirit, it’s debatable whether it has made a positive effect on the league. Firstly, it’s unclear whether players have load managed at a lower rate. On the flip side, guys have returned from injuries sooner than they should have to ensure their eligibility, causing more damage down the road. Tyrese Haliburton‘s borderline MVP season tanked because he came back too soon from a hamstring injury to reach the 65-game mark. He was never the same athletically, and his season ended with a hamstring strain in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Brunson’s Campaign is a Prime Example of the Bigger Problem
The topic of this article is the other issue with the 65-game rule and why it needs tweaking. The spirit of the rule is to prevent players from sitting out games needlessly without punishment. Unfortunately, it has an unintended consequence other than the ones mentioned above. Players miss out on deserved awards and All-NBA selections because they suffer one month-long injury, even if they come back as soon as possible. Brunson’s ankle injury is the perfect representation of this.
Brunson played 61 of the Knicks’ first 62 games and suffered an ankle sprain on March 6th. He played through the first five-and-a-half months of New York’s season, gutting through several injuries on the way to suit up in all but one game. He hasn’t load-managed once this year and rarely has in his entire Knicks career. Even though he’s not at all the type of guy the rule intends to crack down on, he may lose out on a well-deserved All-NBA second-team selection because he stepped on someone’s foot with a month left in the season.
NY’s captain shouldn’t have to choose between returning a little early and risking re-injury and missing out on an All-NBA honor. These awards matter in NBA history and for his legacy and Hall of Fame case, and he’s more than earned his spot as one of the ten best players in 2024-25. He’s not the only example of this. LeBron James injured his groin while playing in his 58th of 65 Lakers games, casting doubt on his All-NBA eligibility despite an incredible, healthy season. James returned early enough to play seven more games, and maybe Brunson will as well. However, the league needs to consider changing the rule.
Lowering the Number of Required Games Is a Good Middle Ground
The intention of the rule is in the right place and Silver should keep it. However, the NBA should lower the amount of games a player has to appear in to be eligible for the awards. Before this, there was always an unwritten rule that voters would adhere to that said a guy had to at least play 50-ish games to earn an award. A player should have to participate in a majority of his team’s contests to deserve honors, and this rule accomplishes that. I would bring it down to somewhere between 55 and 60 games. That would allow someone who’s been a top-15 player in the league to earn his All-NBA spot while giving some grace for a freak injury like Brunson’s.
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