By implementing the 65-game threshold for any major NBA awards, evaluating Victor Wembanyama's all-time status will be a challenge when it's all said and done.
The San Antonio Spurs have already been without their best player, Victor Wembanyama, for 12 games this season. If he misses five more, he will be out of contention for MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, All-Defensive teams, and All-NBA teams.
With 49 games to go and a New Year's Eve injury cutting his last game short, it seems unlikely that he will clear the 65-game threshold.
Originally imposed by Adam Silver to discourage load management, Wembanyama, Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and other elite players are all at risk of falling short of the mark. Imagine, for a second, the All-NBA second and third teams this season if those players are ineligible.
While the rule was well-intentioned, it could have some long-lasting consequences.
Wemby's Legacy Will Be Hard to Measure
The Spurs, after beating the OKC Thunder three times, are one of the best teams in the entire NBA. Wembanyama is easily their best player, is one of the game's top scorers, and is the undisputed best defender in the world.
However, thanks to the league's ruling on individual awards, it's easy to envision a future where Wembanyama has one or no MVP awards and limited All-NBA appearances by the time his career is over. If the Spurs pile titles during his career, which seems probable, but he doesn't have individual accolades, where will he rank all-time?
Granted, Kobe Bryant only had a single MVP award, and some fans would declare him a top-five player ever. Maybe a lack of individual accolades can be overlooked in favor of team success, but does the league stand to benefit from the face of the entire sport missing out, even as he dominates?
This is not to say that awards should be dolled out based on potential. Kyrie Irving should not make the All-NBA team this season, no matter how dominant he is when he returns from a torn ACL. However, as the pace of the game speeds up and injuries become more common, managing the minutes of the best and most iomporant platyers in the league is not only smart, but becoming increasiongly nessasary.
There needs to be some sort of limit, but only allowing players to miss 17 games when travel is at an all-time high and non-contact injuries are on the rise doesn't seem like the smart move. In order to add some integrity back to individual awards and make sure that the best, most impactful players are recognized, Adam Silver needs to reevaluate his never-ending fight on player management and smart medical decisions.