Cade Cunningham injury puts NBA’s 65-game rule back under microscope

The NBA’s 65-game rule isn’t just unpopular. It’s reshaping the season in real time.

And now it’s hitting Detroit.

Cade Cunningham is at 60 qualifying games after being diagnosed with a collapsed lung. If he doesn’t return by early April, he’s out of MVP and All-NBA consideration. Same story for Isaiah Stewart, who was in the Defensive Player of the Year mix before a calf strain ended that run.

This is the rule in action. The threshold is simple on paper: Play 65 games, log at least 20 minutes in most of them, and you’re eligible.

Miss too much time, even late, and you’re out. No exceptions for timing, momentum, or impact.

That’s where the frustration comes in.

Cunningham carried Detroit to the top tier of the East. If he falls short of 65, none of that matters for awards. Meanwhile, others are hanging on by a thread. Kawhi Leonard and Nikola Jokic each have almost no margin for error. Victor Wembanyama can miss only two more games. Anthony Edwards likely needs to be back by the end of March.

Every absence counts now.

The ripple effects go beyond MVP. All-Defense is tight. Draymond Green needs to play nearly every remaining game. Ausar Thompson has one game of flexibility. One more absence could decide entire ballots.

Most Improved Player is already thinning out. Injuries have effectively eliminated candidates like Michael Porter Jr. and Dillon Brooks. Deni Avdija, once a frontrunner, has zero margin left.

The rule was designed to ensure availability. Instead, it’s forcing late-season sprints just to stay eligible. Players aren’t just chasing wins. They’re chasing games played.

And in a season defined by injuries, that line at 65 is deciding more than it was ever meant to.