Every year new rules are being implemented into the league. Some are improvements to rules that already exist while others aim at making the game more enjoyable not just for fans but players as well. However, the 65-game rule seems to have done more harm than good as three-time All-Star breaks down what it has been costing star players, with Donovan Mitchell being the latest victim.
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Gilbert Arenas recently spoke on the 65-game rule that was implemented by the NBA this year. Arenas spoke extensively about it on No Chill Gil and even went on to explain how it has been hurting the league.
For the uninitiated, the 65-game rule states a player cannot miss more than 17 games from the regular season in order to be considered for awards and All-NBA teams after the season is over.
“Dudes wanna play because it benefits them. Accolades, more points, whatever. Right? Now see, what you’re gonna get is, you’re gonna get players out there that’s hurt. That’s gonna think about themselves and go out there and injure themselves trying to make the 65-game quota. And it’s gonna destroy the star players who gets hurt during the season because all they’re gonna do is count the days and then they’re gonna come out.”
Gilbert Arenas mentioned how Donovan Mitchell fell prey to the 65-game rule as he is currently injured but was trying to make a comeback earlier than usual despite still dealing with a knee injury. Arenas highlighted how Mitchell tried to come back and got injured once again with a nasal fracture, sending the rest of his current season down the dumps.
Arenas also brought up how if Mitchell had played more than 65 games this season, he would’ve been eligible for a supermax contract the upcoming year. Unfortunately, Donovan Mitchell tried to make a comeback, only to get injured once again and cause his season to end. However, as bad as Mitchell’s situation is at the moment, he is not the only player who shared this tragic fate due to the compulsion.
Are there others like Donovan Mitchell?
Gilbert Arenas talked about Joel Embiid trying to meet the 65-game rule but was unable to do so. Embiid was one of the frontrunners for this year’s MVP award until he got injured and fell out of the race.
Arenas also brought up the case of Tyrese Haliburton and how he has been playing injured just to meet the 65-game requirement. Ever since the rule, Haliburton has been going as far as playing on strict restricted minutes for his team.
Many claimed that Haliburton should not have rushed back from injury, but did so anyway due to the rule. And now, after the star has failed to replicate the magic he displayed prior to his injury, many have doubled down on their disdain of the 65-game requirement.
This 65-game rule seems to be doing more harm than good. While fans may get to see their star players more often, this rule might end up contributing to these star players injuring themselves so severely that they go into early retirement.
Let’s see if the NBPA brings it up this offseason and finds a way to work around this rule in a way that benefits both the viewers and the players as well.
