Who will make All-NBA teams this year? How the awards race is shaping up with injuries to top stars
As the NBA season crosses the halfway mark, the fiercest battle for All-NBA honors isn't taking place on the hardwood, but against the calculator. The league’s 65-game eligibility rule, originally introduced to curb load management, has morphed into the defining storyline of the 2025-26 campaign. With February arriving, the margin for error has vanished for several of the game's titans, threatening to reshape the history books. What was designed to ensure stars played has arguably created an "efficiency trap," where legitimate injuries are punishing the league's most marketable faces.
The anxiety is palpable surrounding Nikola Jokić. After suffering a hyperextended knee in late December, the Nuggets center is walking a tightrope, currently on pace to play roughly 67% of the season—barely scraping past the mandatory cutoff. While Denver managed to stay afloat during his recovery, a single minor setback now would disqualify the perennial MVP contender from award consideration entirely. He isn't alone in the danger zone; Giannis Antetokounmpo sits in a similarly precarious position. With 14 absences already logged and a lingering calf strain, the "Greek Freak" can afford only three more missed games before he is mathematically eliminated.
While the old guard sweats the math, a new hierarchy is solidifying at the top. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has seized the MVP frontrunner status, averaging a blistering 32 points per game with elite efficiency, seemingly immune to the attrition around him. Meanwhile, Luka Dončić continues to post staggering numbers (33.6 PPG) for the Lakers, anchoring his case for a unanimous First Team selection. If Jokić, Giannis, or the injury-plagued Victor Wembanyama fall short, the door swings wide open for rising superstars like Anthony Edwards or Jaylen Brown to claim spots previously reserved for the league's pantheon.
The stakes extend far beyond simple trophy collection. With supermax contract eligibility tied directly to these selections, the final months of the season will be a high-stakes game of survival. As the race tightens, the 2026 All-NBA teams may ultimately reward durability as much as dominance, forcing voters to grapple with an uncomfortable reality: the best players in the world might be watching the awards ceremony from home, disqualified by a rule that has no room for bad luck.
The anxiety is palpable surrounding Nikola Jokić. After suffering a hyperextended knee in late December, the Nuggets center is walking a tightrope, currently on pace to play roughly 67% of the season—barely scraping past the mandatory cutoff. While Denver managed to stay afloat during his recovery, a single minor setback now would disqualify the perennial MVP contender from award consideration entirely. He isn't alone in the danger zone; Giannis Antetokounmpo sits in a similarly precarious position. With 14 absences already logged and a lingering calf strain, the "Greek Freak" can afford only three more missed games before he is mathematically eliminated.
While the old guard sweats the math, a new hierarchy is solidifying at the top. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has seized the MVP frontrunner status, averaging a blistering 32 points per game with elite efficiency, seemingly immune to the attrition around him. Meanwhile, Luka Dončić continues to post staggering numbers (33.6 PPG) for the Lakers, anchoring his case for a unanimous First Team selection. If Jokić, Giannis, or the injury-plagued Victor Wembanyama fall short, the door swings wide open for rising superstars like Anthony Edwards or Jaylen Brown to claim spots previously reserved for the league's pantheon.
The stakes extend far beyond simple trophy collection. With supermax contract eligibility tied directly to these selections, the final months of the season will be a high-stakes game of survival. As the race tightens, the 2026 All-NBA teams may ultimately reward durability as much as dominance, forcing voters to grapple with an uncomfortable reality: the best players in the world might be watching the awards ceremony from home, disqualified by a rule that has no room for bad luck.
