Game Thread Feb 07, 2026 05:00PM MT: Utah Jazz @ Orlando Magic

[kabenac]

Another awesome tank loss! **** you Adam Silver!

 

[JazzFever]

Best thing I noticed- JJJ can punish mismatches- and since Lauri has gotten better at that recently too and we’re so freakishly tall, teams are going to have a real rough time switching on us…

 

[NUMBERICA]

In love with this. Take all prisoners!

 

[Tom Pitt]

I will say, after reading the melt down NBA reddit is having over Utah's tank job tonight, the next 2 months is gonna be kind of painful whether they hold onto the pick or not. Ultimate pain is losing the pick. And subtle pain in keeping it. Watch Washington and Utah fall as much as possible in the draft lottery

If Adam Silver doesn't like it, he's got to find a find a way to take all incentives out of losing... but even if they did, that may not be best for the league anyway

 

[jazznik]

Konchar seems like a limited player, but he's strangely productive.

That's just the experience. Svi is the same way.

 

[MTS]

I will say, after reading the melt down NBA reddit is having over Utah's tank job tonight, the next 2 months is gonna be kind of painful whether they hold onto the pick or not. Ultimate pain is losing the pick. And subtle pain in keeping it. Watch Washington and Utah fall as much as possible in the draft lottery

If Adam Silver doesn't like it, he's got to find a find a way to take all incentives out of losing... but even if they did, that may not be best for the league anyway

I mean, I think tanking is lame as much as anybody, but it's an NBA problem, not an individual team problem.

Jazz would be idiots at this point to not tank, given that everybody else around them is also doing it.

 

[fishonjazz]

Different ankle.

So you acknowledge that he had a hurt ankle.
So back to the question, why even play him when he has a legit ankle issue.
He should have never even checked into the game

 

[Step-Back Lauri]

JJJ looked nice considering it was his first game in Jazz jersey.

Post trade deadline NBA is so pathetic, if draft class is good. The league loses so much potential by enabling and allowing this ****.

 

[rippimpc]

Epic tank job. We can't fall to 7th worst

That said, i might be okay if the NBA did the draft wheel where every team would draft in every spot 1-30 every 30 years if they could find a way to take away the edge big markets get. Or kind of even the playing field in other ways. Idk, if you draft your players I don't think you should get as penalized going into the tax to resign them

Wheel + hard cap + infinite max contracts

 

[Jaanipoeg]

I am not worried about some left field punishment coming that threatens the pick, just some player participation fines, but I think discourse is getting louder and there is a good chance we see the draft ordering overhauled somehow.

We may see the tank ladder pulled up behind us after this season.

 

[Tom Pitt]

JJJ looked nice considering it was his first game in Jazz jersey.

Post trade deadline NBA is so pathetic, if draft class is good. The league loses so much potential by enabling and allowing this ****.

Perhaps they need to lock draft position after the trade deadline. It won't eliminate all tanking but at least you would have teams trying the last 2 months of the season.

But can you imagine a team getting locked in drafting 5, and then get hot in part because of a trade they made at the deadline and end up making the playin? I could see teams taking advantage of this too but it would at least be more interesting

 

[KqWIN]

I mean, I think tanking is lame as much as anybody, but it's an NBA problem, not an individual team problem.

Jazz would be idiots at this point to not tank, given that everybody else around them is also doing it.

I think mid game tanking is the worst as a fan, and I'm not even one of those psycho's betting on Lauri over/under assists. But the league did this to themselves. They tried to get at the Jazz via the player participation policy. There has never been a fine for tanking as there is no rule against tanking, only the player participation policy which was meant for national tv games and viewership. There's no rule against what the Jazz are doing right now.

The NBA has to be concerned with gambling and all the pitchforks calling everything rigged. They made their bed by trying to ban tanking the traditional way using an unrelated rule. Teams are still doing that of course, but if you're going to be hall monitors and fine the Jazz for it, this is the only logical outcome.

Currently there is incentive to lose, zero incentive to win, and no rules against what the Jazz are doing.