Is The 65-Game NBA Rule Fair?

We debate whether the NBA’s 65-game threshold protects the value of MVP and All-NBA or punishes players for bad injury luck. We weigh availability against dominance, then test the rule by imagining how it would have changed award history. 
• Explaining the NBA 65-game threshold for MVP, DPOY and other awards 
• Comparing possible standards like 60 games versus 75 games 
• Why a games-played baseline can reduce bias and protect award integrity 
• How the rule pushes back on unnecessary load management 
• The injury problem and whether the cutoff adds dangerous pressure 
• Why fans and ticket prices should match player availability 
• Retroactive examples with Steph, LeBron, Kobe, MJ, Embiid and Bill Walton 
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Transcript

Welcome And The 65-Game Rule

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What's up, everybody? It's your favorite show, favorite show, get a bucket. I'm your host, Trey, and as usual. Hope you're all having a wonderful, wonderful day. Today we're going to talk about the NBA 65 game threshold. Now, should there be well, all right, first and foremost, y'all might be wondering what am I talking about, right? Well, it's it's essentially this NBA players, in order to win the MVP award, the defensive player of the year award, all these different accolades, right, in order to win those awards, you have to play 65 or more games during the NBA season. So, we we we ask and wonder how much do games played matter? They always say the best ability is availability, right? And some of the players have been complaining over the game threshold being 65 games, right? Now keep in mind, again, it's 65 games out of 82 games played. That's 79% of the games you should play. That's not bad, alright? That's a high C. In I'll say March of 20 March 26, 2023. I actually stated on my show. I believe that the player should have to play 60 games out of 82. That's a 73% games played. That's easy. That's a that that's a that's that's one of the that's on the lower scale of the C's. That's borderline C minus. Alright, so I felt like that's fair personally. One of my boys actually said that he believes they should play 75 games, which is 92% of the season. So as you can tell, there are high expectations out there. I thought 60 was fair. You know, C's get degrees. But why is the games play threshold fair? Well, we got a couple things. Like, for example, Bill Walton's MVP, because some people have a gripe about that MVP, which personally, I can actually make the I can make the case that I even have a gripe with that MVP. Like Kareem could have won down. I'm just saying, bro, I'm I'm really lost. I understand they had a better team, but still, yeah, I'm a little bit flabbergasted at that myself. But still, Bill Walton's MVP, that's one of the reasons why the game's threshold matters. Because Bill Walton actually played, what was it, 58 games that season, right? You also eliminate bias, okay? So again, like we're encouraging players to be available. You get to preserve the award, the award's integrity. Okay, you also improve the regular season value, and it impacts contract incentives. Because you can throw in, okay, well, all NBA selections matter, and now you can give a little bit more wiggle room from an organizational standpoint. But also, players might actually work a little harder in maintaining their bodies. We can't talk about, oh, there's bias in terms of NBA award selections, because guess what? They had to one play a specific amount of games that gives you a solid baseline to follow. And on top of that, too, it helps against load managing. And when I say load managing, I mean unnecessary resting because I do believe in load managing to a degree, but unnecessary resting. Like if you can play, again, for me, you get 60 games to play. So I'm a little generous. I'm a little more generous than the NBA is. But again, that's that's why it's fair. Why it's not fair, ladies and gentlemen? Why the games play threshold is not fair. What happens if there's like a major injury injury? Should players be penalized for a major injury? Like let's say Paul George years ago, right? He he can't he can't make them games up. What if he was close and he gets that level of injury? Is he just automatically cut? That is tough. Cade Cunningham, for example, collapsed long at what 60-61 games? Oh, that's disgusting. Now keep in mind, based on my standards played, he would have made the cut at 60, 61 games played. But by the NBA standards, he might not be able to make that MVP award. Is something like that hurtful? Because Cade been hooping this year. Cade been getting a bucket this year for sure. And passing and passing the ball so that way his team can get a bucket. Like he's been like Detroit Pistons kind of nice. So, I mean, and then and and then also are we putting too much pressure on players? Because again, things like injuries, they do happen, right? We're human. Okay, so should we be putting that much level of pressure on players? Also, could we be encouraging risky play? Because while we want players to play, we want them to be safe. And if you're gonna go out there and play because you understand it could be affecting your contract or even your all-MEA selection or all-star, whatever the case may be, I mean, do I believe that you should go out there even when you hurt to a degree? But will it make you, will it force you to go out there a little bit, hence the too much pressure on players? I'm just saying, and let's not forget too, I think again, when I mentioned Bill Walton earlier, right? There are instances where players who have played less games are more dominant than players who have played more games. Like, for example, I said Mikhail Bridges should have been all NBA selection, but that was because of the games played. He had actually played 83 games in an 82-game season, ladies and gentlemen. That's ridiculous. And he had good stats to boot. Meanwhile, other players who were probably better talented are playing less games. So that's an example of when dom when dominance doesn't get accounted for because of fewer games played. Now, I will say this, okay? If we do start lowering the game's threshold, then I expect for ticket prices to also be lowered as well, too. Just point blank, period. Because that means that other players, like players gonna be missing games. Which they can miss games. Again, that's fair. Like I I've already given them 22 games to be missed. But at the same time, ladies and gentlemen, if we start pushing that down more, that's gonna be a little tough. And I I expect as a paying customer, fans need to be treated with respect. Because again, we're who we're kind of who generate your your your paycheck just a little bit. We influenced the paycheck just a little bit. And now let's give some examples of some players, some notable players, that probably wouldn't have made an all-NBA selection if the game's threshold had actually counted. Because remember, the game's threshold really started 2024, right, to be clear. So when I said I said this March 26, 2023, I said it before the before the season had started, before the before it was implemented, you know what I'm saying? So if we actually took the game threshold back to like the inception, okay. Steph Curry, he wouldn't have been able to be an all-NBA caliber player between 21 and 23, which is crazy because he won a championship during that season, and 26. LeBron James couldn't have been one in 19, 21 through 23, and also 26. Talking about the years, by the way. Kobe Bryant couldn't have been one in 99 or 2012. Michael Jordan, the GOAT himself, couldn't have been there in 2001. Joel MB couldn't have been there between, well, actually, when I think about it, his entire career. And then Bill Walton, well, Bill Walton couldn't have been there between 75 through 77, 78 through 84. Wow, and then 87 through 88. So pretty much only about two seasons of Bill Walton's career could he have been MVP. And again, like I said, I I still have a couple of questions as to why he was MVP to begin with, but again, that's another discussion for another day. Bottom line is the 65 games threshold rule, it it's about balancing entertainment, fairness, and players' health, right? It does strengthen the value of consistency and I I availability as well, too. But it does have some risks, all right? It's especially in some extreme cases, too. So again, ladies and gentlemen, I do understand the game's threshold. If they lowered it five more games, I wouldn't be mad. Because one, we won't be complaining because now you couldn't say, oh, well, Cade Cunningham missed that. Well, I mean, I hear you. I hear you. And to be fair, it would be unfair and unfortunate if K missed that because he's been hooping. But end of day, rules are rules. So again, ladies and gentlemen, as y'all can tell, I do like the game's threshold accounted for. And I do actually plan on going back throughout the history to apply my games through games play threshold just to see, just to see how each player stacks up in comparison. How would their all NBAs, how would their awards look differently? So I'm I'm curious about that person. But ladies and gentlemen, I'm curious to you, I'm curious about you all. What do you feel about the NBA's 65 threshold? Do you like it? Do you not like it? Do you think they should lower it? Do you think they should increase it? Again, I told you, somebody told me they should play 75 games in order to make the awards, which is crazy to hear. But again, I'm here. I I'm very curious what your thoughts are. So please make sure to like, subscribe, comment, tell anyone who's anyone about the show. My name is Trey, I'm the host of Get a Bucket. I hope you were all having a good one. Take care.