Rockets' Alperen Sengun Will Likely Benefit from NBA's 65-Game Rule

The 2025-26 NBA season was the first season in which the league's new participation policy took effect. The league office felt there needed to be a way to end or curtail the league's rampant load management trend.

Players were sitting out games, even when healthy. Which especially became problematic during nationally televised games, in which superstar-level players were late scratches.

Especially since those nationally televised games were heavily based on the fact that those specific teams have those star players, to start with. The mandate is that a player must play at least 65 games in order to receive any of the league's end of season awards.

Or even any of the league's three All-NBA teams. The policy has been a major topic of discussion of late, as several of the league's best players will not be eligible for consideration, including Detroit Pistons superstar Cade Cunningham, Minnesota Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards and Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic.

Which opens the door for other players to fill those spots on the All-NBA team, which spans fifteen deep, to fifteen total players, regardless of position. Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant will certainly be on one of the league's All-NBA teams and would have been regardless of the injuries to Cunningham, Edwards and Doncic.

However, Durant's teammate, Rockets center Alperen Sengun, could very well be a beneficiary of the league's rule and find his way on one of the All-NBA teams. Granted, it's not like Sengun isn't a standout player.

This season, he made his second All-Star team in as many years. Sengun is averaging 20.6 points, 8.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists, ranking 11th in rebounds and 19th in assists, while also leading the Rockets in the last category.

Sengun has been especially turning it on, of late. And he's rediscovered his outside shot, which could immensely help a Rockets team that lacks outside shooters. To add color to his recent success, Sengun has averaged 23.6 points, 8.2 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 56.6 percent from the field, 61.5 percent from deep and 66.1 percent true shooting in the Rockets' last five games.

In the last 10 games, Sengun has averaged 22.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 6.7 assists, 63.4 percent from the field, 52.6 percent from deep and 67.9 percent true shooting. He's certainly been playing at an All-NBA level of late.

And that's been without a point guard to feed him the ball in his favorite spots on the floor. It may be unpopular but Sengun could find himself on one of the All-NBA teams. Especially considering the players that won't make the cut, due to the 65-game rule.