Game Thread Feb 09, 2026 05:30PM MT: Utah Jazz @ Miami Heat

[fishonjazz]

I really want to believe that you're interested in having a genuine conversation about this, but statements like this make it hard.

Last season, Lauri played in six total games post all-star break, something you would have seen when you went to look up how many games he played. If you went back further, you'd notice that you could count on one finger the number of games he's played in April for the Jazz.

Using "He played in games 66-69" as an argument for why a player who missed 22 of the last 28 games wasn't, for all intents and purposes, shut down, is worse than wrong. It's deliberately misleading. It's arguing in bad faith.

I half expect you to reply with "Well he wasn't shut down for the rest of the season because he played in late games". Which is, obviously, missing the point, because if Lauri misses 22 of the remaining 28 games this season, it's still missing nearly 80% of the end of the season, regardless of when the games he played in occurred.

Some of those games he missed were legit missed games due to injury.

Also should be noted that supposedly Austin Ainge is in charge this year and wasn't in charge last year. Also should be noted that the jazz seem to be on blast this season for their shenanigans more so than they were last season and the negative attention they are getting might cause some reluctancy to do what needs to be done.

If I were to rank the number of games I think each player will play for the rest of this season out of AD, Tre young, Lauri, JJJ, nurk then I would have the wizards players behind all 3 of the jazz players.

I don't think the jazz are willing to tank as hard as the wizards are this season.

 

[MTS]

Some of those games he missed were legit missed games due to injury.

Tends to happen when you're willing to sit really good players out even over the smallest of injuries.

Also should be noted that supposedly Austin Ainge is in charge this year and wasn't in charge last year. Also should be noted that the jazz seem to be on blast this season for their shenanigans more so than they were last season and the negative attention they are getting might cause some reluctancy to do what needs to be done.

The Jazz are going to be on blast no matter what they do at this point. Unless the NBA actually demonstrates a willingness to punish them for breaking rules that currently do not exist, they're going to keep doing what they've been doing in previous years.

If I were to rank the number of games I think each player will play for the rest of this season out of AD, Tre young, Lauri, JJJ, nurk then I would have the wizards players behind all 3 of the jazz players.

I don't think the jazz are willing to tank as hard as the wizards are this season.

The conversation isn't about the Wizards and who can tank better between them and the Jazz though. It's whether or not the Jazz will start doing what they've done in previous seasons.

 

[fishonjazz]

Tends to happen when you're willing to sit really good players out even over the smallest of injuries.


The Jazz are going to be on blast no matter what they do at this point. Unless the NBA actually demonstrates a willingness to punish them for breaking rules that currently do not exist, they're going to keep doing what they've been doing in previous years.


The conversation isn't about the Wizards and who can tank better between them and the Jazz though. It's whether or not the Jazz will start doing what they've done in previous seasons.

Ya i actually began by talking about how the wizards are handling AD and Tre and how the jazz ain't gonna do what the wizards are doing.

 

[MTS]

Ya i actually began by talking about how the wizards are handling AD and Tre and how the jazz ain't gonna do what the wizards are doing.

I asked why you thought the Jazz wouldn't go into psycho tank mode, and you said you didn't think they had it in them. You only brought up the Wizards as a goalpost shift after your other silly "The Jazz didn't shut Lauri down last year" argument fell flat on its face.

You're not interested in a genuine conversation.

 

[fishonjazz]

I asked why you thought the Jazz wouldn't go into psycho tank mode, and you said you didn't think they had it in them. You only brought up the Wizards as a goalpost shift after your other silly "The Jazz didn't shut Lauri down last year" argument fell flat on its face.

You're not interested in a genuine conversation.

Nah wizards post happened before that.
Post #250 in the thread.
Also, multiple times in my following posts I specifically typed out shut down for the season. Not for most of the season or for 80% or whatever. I was specifically thinking of what the wizards be doing and that the jazz won't be doing that.

 

[MTS]

Nah wizards post happened before that.
Post #250 in the thread.
Also, multiple times in my following posts I specifically typed out **** down for the season. Not for most of the season or for 89% or whatever. I was specifically thinking of what the wizards be doing and that the jazz won't be doing that.

I wasn't accusing you of never bringing up the Wizards before. I was accusing you of doing so in that instance because your point that I was actually addressing (which was not and was never the Wizards one) was debunked.

Here's your point I was addressing:

That they wont shut guys down for the season? Just dont think they have it in them.

If I debunk that by pointing out that they've literally already been doing that for years, do you see how saying "Well they can't do it worse than the Wizards" is shifting the goalposts?

Whether or not the Jazz can outtank the Wizards (they probably can't) is irrelevant to whether or not the Jazz have it in them to shut guys down (they have proven they do).

 

[Tanktastic]

Some of those games he missed were legit missed games due to injury.

No, they weren't. The back injury was an actually issue in November, not after that. And the knee at the end was completely made up.

 

[fishonjazz]

I wasn't accusing you of never bringing up the Wizards before. I was accusing you of doing so in that instance because your point that I was actually addressing (which was not and was never the Wizards one) was debunked.

Here's your point I was addressing:



If I debunk that by pointing out that they've literally already been doing that for years, do you see how saying "Well they can't do it worse than the Wizards" is shifting the goalposts?

Whether or not the Jazz can outtank the Wizards (they probably can't) is irrelevant to whether or not the Jazz have it in them to shut guys down (they have proven they do).

Incorrect. I consistently said they wouldn't shut guys down for the season.
They haven't. They didn't last year or any prior year. My goalposts didn't move.
I think that all of the jazz best players will appear in some of the remaining games this season. Because I don't think they will be shutting anyone down for the season

 

[MTS]

Incorrect. I consistently said they wouldn't shut guys down for the season.
They haven't. They didn't last year or any prior year. My goalposts didn't move.
I think that all of the jazz best players will appear in some of the remaining games this season. Because I don't think they will be shutting anyone down for the season

Lauri has played in one single April game for the Jazz his entire time here.

He played in only 6 games post ASB last year.

You're just straight up wrong.

 

[fishonjazz]

Lauri has played in one single April game for the Jazz his entire time here.

He played in only 6 games post ASB last year.

You're just straight up wrong.

So they didn't shut him down for the season.
I can see that you have a problem with me being literal and I'm sorry for that but that is exactly what I'm referring to when I say shut down for the season.
If Lauri plays in one more game this season then they will not have shut him down for the season and my belief that they won't shut him, or anyone, down for the season will be correct.
I said In my first post to you about this that they will sit guys that are healthy for some games. They have in the past
What they won't do is shut anyone down for the season though

 

[MTS]

So they didn't shut him down for the season.
I can see that you have a problem with me being literal and I'm sorry for that but that is exactly what I'm referring to when I say shut down for the season.
If Lauri plays in one more game this season then they will not have shut him down for the season and my belief that they won't shut him, or anyone, down for the season will be correct.

Yep, I called it:

I half expect you to reply with "Well he wasn't shut down for the rest of the season because he played in late games". Which is, obviously, missing the point, because if Lauri misses 22 of the remaining 28 games this season, it's still missing nearly 80% of the end of the season, regardless of when the games he played in occurred.

 

[fishonjazz]

Yep, I called it:

Wow. You predicted that I would keep saying the thing I have been saying the entire time? Impressive.