Cade Cunningham injury is latest proof of the NBA's 65-game problem

"Cade missing out on All-NBA would be outrageous."

"This Cade situation is the first thing that’s really pushed me over the edge. He’s had an All-NBA season and absolutely shouldn’t be penalized for a collapsed lung with 14 games left."

"Cade Cunningham should be 1st Team All-NBA and I don't care if that's 61, 71, or 51 games."

NBA commissioner Adam Silver has a problem on his hands with the league's media.

Amid news Thursday that Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham is set to miss the next two weeks with a collapsed left lung, it's become clear that the MVP candidate is unlikely to meet the NBA's 65-game threshold for All-NBA consideration.

MORE: Cade Cunningham's possible collapsed lung recovery time based on past NBA injuries

Few would rationally argue that Cunningham -- the NBA's leader in total assists for the Eastern Conference's top team -- isn't deserving of his first career first-team All-NBA nod. But NBA rules may prevent that from happening: since the 2023-24 season, the league has mandated that players must participate in at least 65 games to be eligible for postseason awards.

The 65-game rule was implemented to curb tanking and "load management" as Silver has sought to make the NBA's more product more entertaining and meaningful down the stretch of an 82-game season.

However, it is clear that the rule has become far more punitive than anyone in the league office expected. Players like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Stephen Curry have missed too many games through injury to qualify, while others like Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama are on thin ice to remain eligible.

It is probably time for Silver to admit that the initiative failed, and that the 65-game threshold should be reduced.

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