Lately, a lot of NBA players have been speaking out against the league’s 65-game rule, which affects end-of-year awards voting.
There was plenty of criticism surrounding the rule when the Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic went down for a month.
This week, there’s more pushback, as Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham suffered a collapsed lung during his team’s victory on March 17 in Washington, DC.
Cunningham isn’t guaranteed to miss the 65-game mark, but he’ll cut it close.
The simple thought of the Pistons’ two-time All-Star coming up empty-handed after the way he performed in 2025-2026 doesn’t sit right with the Golden State Warriors star, Draymond Green.
Draymond Green Makes Emotional Cade Cunningham Statement
GettyDENVER, COLORADO – JANUARY 27: Cade Cunningham #2 of the Detroit Pistons celebrates after defeating the Denver Nuggets 109-107 at Ball Arena on January 27, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images)
“Man, to see that happen is heartbreaking. So, I hope and pray that he’s able to get back,” Green said on his podcast, ahead of the Pistons’ matchup against the Warriors on Friday, March 20.
“Winning a championship is so [expletive] hard to do. Because yes, you have to be really, really, really good, but you also have to be really, really, really lucky. And like it’s things like this that you just can’t account for, you know? Like that’s what makes it so hard. You’ve got to be clicking at the right time. You’ve got to be healthy at the right time. You’ve got to actually be good enough. You need good fortune. You need good bounces, like it’s so hard.”
Before Cunningham received his official diagnosis, the Pistons had 49 wins on the year. With a victory against the Wizards on March 19, Detroit improved to 50-19. They are 4.0 games ahead of the Boston Celtics, possessing the No. 1 seed.
Considering Cunningham’s name has been mentioned in the MVP race, it’s clear he would be vital to Detroit’s upcoming playoff run. There’s no telling if he’ll be ready to return by then or not, but it might be an uphill battle for Cunningham if he does get cleared to compete.
And as far as the 65-game rule goes, here’s what Draymond Green had to say:
“It just doesn’t fix the issue. Like it does not fix the issue at all. And so here’s a guy who’s done everything right, has a collapsed lung, and he’s going to miss All-NBA because this dumba** rule that does not fix the issue,” Green stated. “It’s just ridiculous. So here we go again with these unintended consequences.”
A Look At Cade Cunningham’s Season
GettyCade Cunningham #2 of the Detroit Pistons plays against the Washington Wizards at Little Caesars Arena on November 10, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
This season, Cunningham has appeared in 61 games before going down. Seeing the court for 34.4 minutes per game, Cunningham has averaged 46.1% from the field and has knocked down 34.6% of his threes.
The Pistons’ star posted averages of 24.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 9.9 assists.
For the second season in a row, Cunningham was named an NBA All-Star. After getting All-NBA Third-Team last year, he was on pace to see a bump to second or first in 2026.
Cunningham would need four games to qualify. The Pistons have 13 games left. The team has already ruled him out for two weeks of action, which could knock eight games off. The Pistons can’t put a timeline on Cunningham’s return just yet, but the situation is certainly an unfortunate one either way.
Draymond Green Makes Emotional Cade Cunningham Statement