Cade Cunningham has had a career-year while leading the Detroit Pistons to the best record in the Eastern Conference. Unfortunately, he may not receive recognition for his stellar play through accolades due to the NBA’s 65-game minimum rule.
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Cunningham was among the five Eastern Conference starters for the 2026 All-Star Game. In addition, he was on pace to earn his first All-NBA First Team selection. That is now in real jeopardy after his collapsed lung against the Washington Wizards.
Cunningham has already missed seven games. This means he only has 8 games left to miss before becoming ineligible for end-of-season awards. The Pistons have 14 games remaining, and the earliest the team expects Cunningham to return is by the beginning of the postseason.
This won’t be the first time the NBA 65-game rule has resulted in a star player missing out on an accolade they rightfully deserved. NBA analyst Jared Weiss has reached his breaking point and voiced his frustration regarding the rule.
“There is no way the 65-game rule should still be there next year,” Weiss said on a post on X. “It is clearly a terrible rule and as I have said all along, it will have a big negative impact on long term legacy when great players have emptier award resumes because they played like 6 less games than someone not as good.”
There is no way the 65-game rule should still be there next year. It is clearly a terrible rule and as I have said all along, it will have a big negative impact on long term legacy when great players have emptier award resumes because they played like 6 less games than someone… https://t.co/NILJTj7HqX
— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) March 19, 2026
Cunningham joins Anthony Edwards as another star who may potentially miss out on deserving accolades for not meeting the minimum game requirements.
Last season, the biggest snub was Victor Wembanyama, who missed out on Defensive Player of the Year consideration. The San Antonio Spurs’ big man was the heavy favorite to win the award for most of the season. Unfortunately, he was diagnosed with a blood clot, which sidelined him for the rest of the season.
Although he didn’t play the final two months of the season, he still led the league in total blocks. Despite his impressive play, he didn’t receive any recognition with any awards or accolades.
The 65-game rule was originally put in place to combat players sitting out of games citing load management. However, if deserving players continue to miss the mark by a few games due to legitimate injuries, Adam Silver may need to look seriously at the rule.
