NBA 65 game rule: 5 All-Stars in danger of missing All-NBA honors
This season, the NBA added the 65-game rule to the Player Participation Policy. As we pass the halfway point in the regular season, there are multiple All-Stars who are in danger of being impacted by this.
The NBA's 65-game rule is centered around the top seasonal awards and accolades. For players to be considered for things such as MVP and All-NBA, they'll need to play in at least 65 regular season games.
Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid has been the biggest player connected to this. However, here are some other star-level players that could miss All-NBA this season due to this rule change.
Players who could miss All-NBA due to the 65 game rule:
1) Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
As mentioned, Joel Embiid has been the main player brought up with the 65-game rule. Despite being in the midst of a historic offensive season, the All-Star center could end up off the MVP ballot.
Multiple injuries have cause Embiid to miss time this season. If he wants to remain eligible, he can't miss more than five games the rest of the way.
2) Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers
After being named an All-Star last year, Tyrese Haliburton has emerged into one of the NBA's top point guards this season. That said, the 65-game rule could end up being the reason he's not on an All-NBA team.
The Indiana Pacers are on pace to have the best offense in history in terms of offensive rating. This is in large part because of Haliburton, who is averaging 23.3 points and a league-leading 12.5 assists. Similar to Embiid, Haliburton can only miss a handful of games now because he had to be sidelined for two weeks in January with an ankle injury.
3) Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
Another guard in the midst of his best season to date is Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns. The three-time All-Star is averaging career-highs in points (28.4) and assists (7.3) on 50/37/88 shooting splits.
Despite this high level of production, Booker finds himself in danger of being a victim to the 65-game rule. If he misses more than eight games the rest of the season, he will be deemed ineligible for seasonal awards.
4) Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers
Having also missed nine games already this season, Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell is in the same situation as Devin Booker. While he has missed some time, the 27-year-old has been a driving force for the Cavs as they battled injury woes up and down their roster.
Mitchell is in the midst of his second-highest scoring season (27.7 PPG) while notching a career-high in assists (6.3) and steals (1.9). He's been among one of the top two-way guards in the league, but could end up not being named All-NBA due to the rule change.
5) Kyrie Irving, Dallas Mavericks
Rounding out this list is a player who is already ineligible because of the 65-game rule. Kyrie Irving is in the midst of an All-Star season with the Dallas Mavericks, but any other accolades are out of reach because of missed time.
Irving missed most of his time in December, when he suffered a knee injury due to teammate Dwight Powell falling on him. The former champion has also missed the Mavericks' last four games as he deals with a thumb injury.
In the 27 games he's appeared in, Irving is averaging 25.2 PPG, 5.1 RPG and 5.3 APG.