Minutes. AST/TO: aid in turnover ratio. PER: Player Efficiency Rating: The Player Efficiency Rating of John Hollinger. This is currently the most accurate predictor of future NBA performance. A player's minutes are the number of minutes he is on the court during a game or practice. A player can play more than 40 minutes in a game, but this is extremely rare. Most players wear out long before then because they can't keep up with the physical demands of the game for such a long period of time. The minimum statistic in basketball is the number of minutes that a player must play in order to be considered "minimalistic." Because so many things can happen in a game, such as injuries, fouls, and adjustments by coaches, there is not a set number of minutes that a player must play in order to be considered minimal. However, in an effort to be fair to players who suffer injuries while being limited to less than 40 minutes, the league requires those players be given credit for having played the minimum number of minutes. For example, let's say that during a game, it is determined that a player has been playing for only 30 minutes because he has fouled out due to injury.