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The NBA's new player participation policy has successfully made star players around the league stay available to hit a minimum threshold of games for awards consideration. But players with actual injuries have been penalized severely, as Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell is now ineligible for awards after missing his 18th game of the season.
Many stars around the NBA face this problem, most notably Joel Embiid. Embiid's MVP campaign was derailed after he seemingly forced himself to play while injured to not lose his eligibility. Jimmy Butler is also ineligible but openly declared he didn't care about All-NBA selections anyway. Other notable stars to have missed 18 or more games this season include Kyrie Irving, Bradley Beal, and Julius Randle, among others.
Mitchell missed his seventh straight game with a left knee bone bruise tonight as the Cavaliers lost 111-117 to the Phoenix Suns. Minor injuries throughout the season had caused Mitchell to miss 11 before this stretch. He is averaging 28.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and 1.8 steals per game this season, but will now be out of the running for the All-NBA recognition he deserves.
Mitchell had a genuine shot at making the All-NBA team for his incredible performances in Cleveland this season. He led the team to one of its best stretches of wins this season while Darius Garland and Evan Mobley were out injured. They have gone 9-9 in the 18 games Mitchell has missed and 32-15 when he's available.
With the Cavaliers pushing up on the No. 2 seed in the East, he'd be a shoo-in for an All-NBA selection if he was eligible. Unfortunately, the Cavaliers superstar will miss out on the honor.
More Stars Could Miss Out On Eligibility
Mitchell is the latest casualty of the new 65-game requirement for post-season awards but more star players may join him very soon. One player on the bubble of eligibility is Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns. Despite Booker averaging 27.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 6.8 assists for the Suns, he could be out of the All-NBA race if he misses four more games.
Tyrese Haliburton rushed back from a hamstring injury to keep himself eligible for All-NBA as it could result in supermax eligibility if he makes the All-NBA team. The league's assist leader, Haliburton can only miss five games more to keep himself in the running for his first All-NBA selection.
Stars like Trae Young and Karl-Anthony Towns might not have made the All-NBA team this season but their incredible contributions will fall under the 65-game mark after their regular-season-ending injuries. KAT can miss 13 more games while Young has only five games left.
Thankfully, many of the MVP candidates and All-NBA locks are about to reach the 65-game requirement to solidify their position. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic have played 63 games already this season, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Anthony Edwards have played 62 games, and Jayson Tatum has played 60 games. Right outside the 60-game mark, we have the likes of Kawhi Leonard, LeBron James, and Luka Doncic, who have all played 57 games.
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NBA Insider Reveals Biggest Concern to Lakers’ Title Chances
The Los Angeles Lakers believe that they can win the championship next season after finishing as the third seed in the Western Conference this past year. Bringing in Luka Doncic midway through the year gives them the confidence that they can score with anyone in the league. They also brought in some help at the center spot by signing Deandre Ayton. While LA feels good about the improvements that they made to the roster this offseason, one NBA insider doesn't believe that they addressed one concern enough for them to win a title. More news: Lakers Criticized for Passive Approach to Trade Market by Anonymous NBA Executive NBA insider claims the Lakers are too bad at center to win a title According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN, he believes that the Lakers' biggest concern is at the center spot. "Nothing the Lakers do is under the radar, so this potential pitfall might seem more obvious than the other contenders' concerns. But until proved otherwise, L.A. is soft in the middle." Ayton doesn't have a lot of fans around the league after the Portland Trail Blazers paid him to go away. This is the second team that has cast him aside due to effort issues. Ayton played with the Phoenix Suns when they made the NBA Finals in 2021, so it's not like he hasn't been playing in competitive games. To see him not care at multiple stops is alarming. If the Lakers can get him to try harder when he's on the court, this signing might work out for them. If they can't get him to improve his effort, the Lakers aren't going to win a title. More news: Lakers Hiring Former Mavericks Award-Winning Coach The Lakers need the center spot to be better in order to win the title Jaxson Hayes clearly wasn't a good enough starter last season once Anthony Davis was traded away, but they are hoping he is a great backup. He had the best season of his career last year. It still all comes back to Ayton and his ability to finish better around the rim and block shots. The defense got shredded in the playoffs, especially in the paint. If Ayton plays up to his potential, this Lakers team has a real shot to win it all. If he's the same guy he was in Portland, he might be released at the end of next year. Latest Lakers News For more news and notes on the Los Angeles Lakers, visit Los Angeles Lakers on SI.
Bruins' top prospect makes decision on college that will shake up the scene
Boston Bruins top prospect James Hagens has announced he will return to Boston College for his sophomore season. In a brief interview with Scott McLaughlin of Boston’s WEEI 93.7, Hagens shared that he’s in no rush to advance to the next step, acknowledging that development is a, “marathon, not a sprint.” Hagens revealed the news while participating at the Bruins’ 14th annual back-to-school celebration, alongside current Bruins Mason Lohrei and John Beecher. Few announcements will shake the college scene as much as the news of Hagens’ return. He was among the best freshmen in college last season, tracking to 37 points in 37 games. That scoring earned him a unanimous selection to Hockey East’s All-Rookie team — an accolade he shared with teammate Teddy Stiga and Boston University rival Cole Hutson. Hagens reached those heights while filling an interesting role with the Eagles, stepping in between wingers Gabe Perreault and Ryan Leonard after the two spent their last three years centered by San Jose Sharks prospect Will Smith. Each of Perreault, Leonard and Hagens scored fewer points than the Eagles’ top-line managed in 2023-24, but it seemed that was more the cause of a low-scoring year across Hockey East. The top unit recorded points on 36 percent of BC’s goals this season, an ever-so-slight improvement over the 34 percent contributed by Smith, Leonard and Perreault in 2024. But while Hagens faced questions of his scoring upside relative to other top draft-eligible talents in the NCAA, it was hard not to be impressed by his on-ice results. He’s long been a dynamo among his age group, with an innate ability to predict movement and put himself in position to make a play. Hagens is strong on the puck — with an ability to use finesse moves and bulky shoulders to force his way into the dangerous areas of the ice. More than that, he showed clear signs of improvement as the year went on — developing his physical presence and ability to make a difference even when he wasn’t the first man in on a play. Those signs of growth give Boston a prospect to be excited over. Hagens was lauded as the clear first overall talent in the 2025 draft class, prior to the beginning of the 2024-25 season. Much of that claim came from his command of the U.S. NTDP over the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, where he served as the team’s top-line center and snappy playmaker next to electric goal-scorer Cole Eiserman. With Eiserman’s help, Hagens was able to become the fifth-highest scoring player in NTDP history, with 187 points in 118 games. He also set the scoring record at the World U17 Hockey Challenge in 2023, with 21 points in seven games, and the World U18 Championship in 2024, with 22 points in seven games. Hagens will be returning to a fresh-faced Boston College lineup next season. Both Leonard and Perreault signed their NHL entry-level contracts at the end of last season, leaving the Eagles with vacancies on both wings on their top-line. One of those spots will be occupied by Stiga, who has shown years of chemistry playing next to Hagens. The other spot will be closely contested, but could land in the hands of transfer forward Ryan Conmy or fellow Bruins draft pick William Moore. Hagens and Moore will be two of six Bruins prospects on next year’s Eagles squad, providing local fans with plenty of reasons to walk to Conte Forum when the puck drops.
Analyst’s bold take warns Commanders may have made huge offseason blunder
The Washington Commanders are currently dealing with some wide receiver issues heading into the season. An NFL analyst poured more fuel on the fire by proclaiming that Adam Peters will regret a huge call earlier this offseason. Terry McLaurin is not practicing and hasn't for months as his contract battle with the Commanders goes on. Others lower down the depth chart are coming in for increasing criticism, which leaves general manager Adam Peters with a potential problem on his hands if they cannot turn the tide before Week 1. The Commanders' wideout regeneration began by letting Dyami Brown walk in free agency. Although the former third-round pick displayed much-improved performances down the stretch and into the playoffs, it wasn't enough for Peters to give him an extended stay. NFL analyst believes Commanders could regret letting Dyami Brown walk Brown ended up signing a one-year deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars that includes $9.5 million guaranteed. He's made his presence felt over the summer, drawing praise from quarterback Trevor Lawrence and head coach Liam Coen. This is the time of year he always flourished in Washington, but putting it together in a competitive setting was far more challenging. That didn't stop Brock Vereen of CBS Sports from labeling Brown as a sleeping giant ready to take over in 2025. The analyst thought his stock was low right now, but the Commanders could be kicking themselves for letting him go when it's all said and done. Stock right now is low on him because, 'Oh, Washington got rid of him. They replaced him with Deebo Samuel. He only landed a one-year deal.' This is a sleeping giant. Liam Coen knew exactly what he was doing. Dyami Brown is a versatile weapon. He can take handoffs, he can catch the ball, he can line up anywhere on the field. He even has pass attempts over his career. He can do everything and will be probably the most forgotten offensive weapon coming off of the Travis Hunter hype.Brock Vereen via SI Brown always flattered to deceive in Washington. He had every physical tool imaginable to be successful, but consistency never got close to the required standard. Peters takes sentiment out of every equation. The front-office leader didn't think the North Carolina product was worth what Jacksonville was willing to pay. And he pivoted accordingly. There probably won't be much regret around Brown's departure, regardless of whether he performs well with the Jaguars or not. He had countless chances to establish himself as a long-term option and almost always failed to deliver. If he'd done so, the Commanders would have rewarded him with a new deal. That wasn't the case. And there are still more questions than answers around Brown despite his promising start in the Florida sunshine. More Commanders news and analysis
Perhaps Superman Paul Skenes has found his kryptonite
Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes may continue to be one of the top contenders for the National League Cy Young Award, but there is one place where he has appeared mortal this season. On Tuesday night, the Milwaukee Brewers did to Skenes what they have done to plenty of MLB pitchers in 2025 ... put up big offensive numbers. For the second time this season (Skenes also pitched in Milwaukee on June 25), the Brewers forced him from the game after just 4.0 innings on Tuesday night, logging six hits and four runs during his time on the mound. Both of those performances came at Milwaukee's home stadium (American Family Field) and both are now Skenes' shortest outings of the season. While another NL Central team has put up more runs against Skenes this season (the St. Louis Cardinals nicked him for five runs in 6.0 innings on April 8), no other team has had the same kind of success over multiple starts by Skenes in 2025 as have the Brewers inside their home stadium. In all this season, Skenes has given up 10 hits and eight runs in 8.0 innings in Milwaukee. It was his third career outing on the road against the Brewers, with his lone 2024 start representing arguably the best outing of his rookie season. On July 11, 2024, Skenes struck out 11 and didn't allow a hit over 7.0 innings as the Pirates would eventually post a 1-0 victory. Tuesday's short outing was highlighted by a pair of Milwaukee home runs, including a leadoff solo shot by Sal Frelick that quickly set the tone for the Brewers. While Milwaukee's hit parade helped raise Skenes' ERA on the season to 2.13, it's hardly any reason for concern in a season where the 23-year-old right-hander is still a heavy favorite (-600) to win the NL Cy Young Award, per BetMGM. Skenes struggling in Milwaukee is likely more yet another stamp of approval on the Brewers' potential to be a threat once the postseason arrives. With an 18-4 record since the All-Star break entering Tuesday, Milwaukee has taken over the NL Central race from the Chicago Cubs. So what's the good news for Skenes? This is Pittsburgh's last trip to Milwaukee this season and the next-to-last series for the Pirates against the red-hot Brewers. Milwaukee will visit PNC Park for a three-game series on Sept. 5-7, and if Skenes gets a chance for revenge against Milwaukee, there couldn't be a better place for him to take the mound. This season, in 11 starts covering 68.2 innings, Skenes has a 1.70 ERA in the Steel City.
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