Wembanyama has a rib contusion and is at 64 games played — one short of the 65-game minimum for awards.

Victor Wembanyama suffered a rib contusion and is currently sitting at 64 games played this season — exactly one game short of the 65-game minimum required for individual awards like MVP and Defensive Player of the Year. The Spurs have just a handful of regular season games remaining.

The 65-game rule was implemented to encourage stars to actually play in the regular season, but Wembanyama's situation exposes its absurdity. He's been one of the most dominant two-way players in the league all season, but a late-season injury could make him ineligible for the awards he's earned on the court. He needs to play at least 20 minutes in one of the Spurs' final games.

Wembanyama has been putting up historic numbers — anchoring the Spurs' defense while expanding his offensive game to a level that has him firmly in the MVP conversation alongside Jokic and SGA. If he can't get that 65th game in, the NBA will have to answer some uncomfortable questions about whether the rule is actually serving its intended purpose.