5 players on the bubble of missing out on postseason awards

The NBA's new collective bargaining agreement stipulates that players much appear in 65 regular season games in order to qualify for awards, such as MVP, Rookie of the Year, or All-NBA teams. That means several notable players have already been eliminated from the conversation.

Joel Embiid, Kyrie Irving, Kristaps Porzingis, and Donovan Mitchell are among those who cannot win awards this season. There are others perched precariously on the bubble with roughly two weeks left in the NBA season. Most teams have eight or nine games remaining on the schedule. The window is closing fast for some.

The list of those who are ultimately disqualified will undoubtedly be a lightning rod for controversy. There has already been a chorus of debate centered on the CBA's new rule and how it impacts future salaries.

Here are a few noteworthy bubble occupants who will require some positive injury luck down the stretch.

Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves

Games Played: 60
Games Left on Schedule: 8
Outlook: Not great, Bob

This is one of the better examples of this brewing conflict. Karl-Anthony Towns is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season with a torn meniscus, with hopes for a return "early in the Western Conference playoffs." He should be re-evaluated any day now, but it all likelihood, it's too late for KAT to ramp up and return in time to qualify. Especially with the Minnesota Timberwolves locked into a playoffs spot.

So, KAT will end the season five games short, ineligible for All-NBA consideration despite his fourth All-Star appearance and tremendous productivity for one of the league's best teams. We have seen Towns alter his approach and essentially learn a new position to make the Wolves' twin towers setup work. He's spending less time in the post, instead focusing on his historically great 3-point shooting and expanding his defensive impact.

None of that will matter, unfortunately. At least not as far as the awards race is concern. It's a huge bummer, not only for KAT but for Minnesota fans. Towns is averaging 22.1 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 3.0 assists on .506/.423/.874 splits. He's frequently the butt of jokes, so it's easy to forget how dominant Towns is at his peak. There simply aren't many more skilled 7-footers in the league.

Without the 65-game rule, it's fair to say Towns would at least receive some votes for All-NBA. Even with the games missed, and even with the crowded pool of frontcourt stars, Towns has been an outlier-awesome scorer for a potential No. 1 seed.

Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat

Games Played: 63
Games Left on Schedule: 8
Outlook: Good

Despite dealing with a hip injury early in the season and a back problem in March, Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo is on track to qualify for the regular season awards. It's a good thing too, as he should receive votes in multiple categories (DPOY, All-NBA, All-Defense).

It's not over until it's over, so Adebayo needs to maintain a healthy status for at least two more games. That said, Adebayo has historically been very durable, only missing the 65-game threshold twice in seven NBA seasons (64 games in 2020-21, 56 games in 2021-22). The Heat are destined for the play-in tournament once again, which qualifies as a relative disappointment based on last season's conclusion. Then again, the Heat were in the play-in a year ago and made it all the way to the Finals.

Miami is one game behind Indiana for the No. 6 seed, so there's still time to move up and avoid such a precarious fate. The Heat would currently battle the Philadelphia 76ers in the 7-8 matchup, presumably battling a (mostly?) healthy Joel Embiid. From there, it could get dicey. No matter how the cards fall, Adebayo will be responsible for shouldering his usual heavy burden on both ends.

Adebayo is on track for his fifth straight season receiving All-Defense honors and DPOY votes. He has never won the primary defensive award — and frankly, it's not looking great this season or in the future with Victor Wembanyama hanging around — but Adebayo could earn his first All-NBA slot in 2024. It's far from a guarantee, but it's time to appreciate his two-way contributions. He's a five-position defender, a bonafide No. 2 scorer, and a legitimate passing hub in the frontcourt. Few NBA stars are more well-rounded.

Alperen Sengun, Houston Rockets

Games Played: 63
Games Left on Schedule: 8
Outlook: Murky, at best

Here's the real tragedy of the new CBA. Alperen Sengun suffered an ugly knee injury two games shy of the 65-game mark. Now, he's doubtful to return before the playoffs. The Houston Rockets have a real shot at the play-in tournament after reeling off 11 straight wins, so there's an outside chance that Sengun is rushed back — even if he's limited to bench minutes to avoid re-injury. That said, the Rockets also won 11 straight without Sengun. So, really, there's not a ton of pressure to hurry him back.

That sucks! Sengun was a frontrunner for Most Improved Player. He was unequivocally the Rockets' best player before the injury. Jalen Green's sudden explosion in Sengun's absence has led some to re-evaluate the Turkish 7-footer's place on the roster, but Sengun was a true All-Star snub and a shoo-in for MIP votes, maybe even All-NBA consideration.

It has been a season of revelation for Sengun, freed from the constraints of Stephen Silas and embraced by Ime Udoka as the Rockets' orbital focus. Fully unleashed as a passing hub and post-up scorer, Sengun is averaging 21.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 5.0 assists on .537/.297/.693 splits.

The Rockets' success without Sengun shouldn't taint his reputation. Houston experienced ample early-season success with Sengun as the driving force. Maybe the fit between Sengun and Green is unworkable, or at least requires tinkering, but Sengun was a flat-out star for 63 games. Now, it could be forgotten to history because he missed a couple more games than allowed by the rulebook.

Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns

Games Played: 61
Games Left on Schedule: 7
Outlook: Good

Devin Booker has dealt with nagging injuries all season, from toe and foot maladies to a more recent sprained ankle. While his eligibility looked tenuous at times, all signs point to Booker pulling through with at least 65 games played before the Phoenix Suns' season concludes. That could change, of course, but Booker is healthy at the moment. We should all knock on wood.

Per usual, Booker has been exceedingly productive when he's actually on the floor. He's averaging 27.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 6.9 assists on .496/.368/.881 splits, occupying the primary ball-handling role in Phoenix's backcourt and taking on outsized importance during the Suns' many games without Bradley Beal.

Kevin Durant naturally occupies a large portion of the spotlight, especially with the season he's having, but Booker is an All-NBA lock assuming he reaches the 65-game threshold. The 27-year-old gets meaningfully better every season, developing his precision as a playmaker without compromising his potency as a scorer.

Booker can pressure the defense at all three levels. He's one of the best pull-up shooters in the sport and he's equally dominant slashing to the rim. His touch and craft as a finisher is commendable, and often vastly underrated. There are increasingly few holes in Booker's game. Even his defense has improved over the years. Hopefully, he gets rewarded as such when the season ends, despite Phoenix's limited success in the Western Conference standings.

Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers

Games Played: 63
Games Left on Schedule: 6
Outlook: Good

Tyrese Haliburton has been open about his displeasure with the new CBA. The Indiana Pacers' point guard battled through multiple lower-leg injuries to reach this point. In a twist of cruel irony, the fact that Haliburton had to push through injuries could ultimately hurt his case with voters. He went through a considerable lull in February after returning from a hamstring injury, during which his efficiency plummeted and his defensive shortcomings were exacerbated.

He's rounding back into form as the playoffs approach, but Haliburton once felt like a legitimate MVP candidate. Now, he's more in the second or third team All-NBA range, with a chance to receive a few votes for Most Improved Player (he finished sixth last season).

We shouldn't understate how great Haliburton has been. Even after the midseason slog, he's averaging 20.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 11.0 assists on .478/.368/.861 splits. His shooting has regressed from off the charts to well above average, but Haliburton is still bombing an absurd volume of 3s (7.7 attempts per game) while leading the NBA in assists.

He is the league's ultimate setup man, processing the game at light speed and playing with a selfless attitude that has already attrached one star to Indianapolis — and that is no small feat. Haliburton is still on the rise, too, but he pushed himself too hard because of the new CBA. That is the downside risk of this 65-game rule. Players could put themselves in harm's way just to qualify, which could have far more severe consequences than the league anticipated.