I hate this part of the NBA season.
With a couple of months still to go before the playoffs, the teams are already set, everyone knows who’s going to the postseason and who isn’t. It’s now just a waiting game. That makes this stretch feel a bit ugly and almost unwatchable.
Right now, some of the biggest stars in the NBA aren’t even on the court, whether it’s because of injuries or tanking. It’s hard to find reasons to tune in before the playoffs, considering who’s missing and how little the stakes actually are.
And yet, even when there are a few moments trending on the court, the rumor mill and drama never stop. The NBA is sports entertainment, but right now, most of the entertainment is happening off the court, not on it.
© Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn ImagesUnderperforming Lakers Have Chemistry Issues?
The Los Angeles Lakers, the most popular franchise in the NBA, with LeBron James and Luka Dončić at the helm, are always expected to be must-watch TV. Before the season started, NBA fans hoped this star-studded franchise would dominate the league, Luka wins MVP, and the Lakers bring home another NBA title.
But this season, injuries, drama with the higher-ups, a lack of defensive ability, and more recently, chemistry issues have them sitting at the sixth seed in the NBA, just one spot above the play-in. Far from dominant.
The Lakers’ most recent loss to the Orlando Magic opened an uncomfortable Pandora’s box.
Starting with the final play: Luka passed out of a potential game-winning attempt to LeBron, who was in an even tougher position. The result, the Lakers lost. LeBron seemed extremely confused by the decision.
“I thought he had a good look, and it looked like he kind of just lost his balance,” LeBron said. “Didn’t have a rhythm with the ball, whatever the case may be… And I was kind of off-balance when he gave it to me. I thought he had a great look.”
When Luka was asked about it, he provided an even more confusing response: “I know I was open, but I just thought I was a little bit far,” said Luka, who has attempted 315 shots from beyond 26 feet this season.
Luka Doncic on passing up the final shot:“I know I was open, but I just thought I was a little bit far.” t.co/5yknPebbRr
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) February 25, 2026More questions surfaced after the game, including Deandre Ayton taking issue with his role, saying he feels like he’s being used as nothing more than a lob threat and rebounder, something I don’t even think he’s particularly great at.
Deandre Ayton expressed his frustration with his role in LA after the Lakers’ loss vs. the Magic ? pic.twitter.com/D5BXsDSuzW
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) February 26, 2026Capela, unlike Ayton, didn’t need motivation taped to his water bottle, which reportedly read: “DA’s Crunk Juice — Drink this to unleash the beast.”
The only thing consistent about the Lakers right now is their inconsistent chemistry. Plays are being questioned. Roles are being questioned. And for a team with championship aspirations, that’s not just concerning, it’s a recipe for disappointment.
© Reuters via Imagn ImagesNBA is Not Buying The Jazz’s Injury “Luck”
The NBA is against tanking, now more than ever. Slapping fines, holding meetings, and suggesting rule changes that could alter the league as we know it.
However, teams haven’t exactly respected Adam Silver’s warnings. If anything, they’ve just found more creative ways to tank.
The newest trend? Announcing season-ending injuries for “injuries” that you normally don’t… you just normally don’t.
BREAKING: Utah Jazz starting center Jusuf Nurkić will undergo a surgical procedure on his nose Wednesday that will sideline him for the remainder of the season, league sources tell me. pic.twitter.com/MFYjY333GU
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) February 23, 2026Obviously, the league isn’t stupid. They’ve started sending in their own independent doctors to check the legitimacy of these “injuries,” especially the ones that didn’t require surgery.
That’s where the Utah Jazz come in.
There was a report out of Jazz practice that Lauri Markkanen injured his hip and ankle and would require an MRI. If the MRI revealed anything significant, he’d be shut down for the rest of the season, joining Jaren Jackson Jr., Jusuf Nurkić, and Walker Kessler. Essentially, almost all of the Jazz’s big men, another reason why the team would keep sliding down the standings.
The league, however, isn’t buying what the Jazz are selling.
They’re reportedly sending their own independent doctors to verify Markkanen’s MRI, making sure there’s nothing shady going on.
The NBA is sending their own independent doctors to verify Lauri Markkanen’s MRI from his injury in practice today, per @Tjonesonthenba pic.twitter.com/KWpIAxfMAM
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) February 26, 2026And the key word here is sending.
Because the league is already under fire for fining the Indiana Pacers for not playing Aaron Nesmith, a player league doctors cleared over team doctors without even examining him in person.
Right now, NBA vs. Tanking might be the biggest rivalry of this part of the season.
#Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle on his reaction the the league fining the team for not playing players they deemed healthy enough to play pic.twitter.com/ym52xnCRwR
— The Fan Morning Show (@MorningShow1075) February 24, 2026 @ Ken Blaze-Imagn ImagesPhil Jackson’s 40-20 Rule Revived in 2026
NBA sports media is also over what they’re seeing in the league right now and has already shifted its attention to the postseason, using the 40–20 rule to declare who the contenders are today.
The 40–20 rule was something former Chicago Bulls head coach Phil Jackson conjured up. The idea is simple: any team that wins 40 games before losing 20 games is a real contender to win the NBA title.
And the numbers back it up.
40 out of the last 44 NBA champions met that criteria.
If that statistic is any indication, there are only three teams in the NBA this season who have achieved it: the Oklahoma City Thunder, the San Antonio Spurs, and the Detroit Pistons. Those are now considered the true contenders, and this rule has a way of weeding out the dark horses and the pretenders.
According to Phil Jackson’s infamous 40-20 rule, only 3 teams meet the criteria: Thunder, Pistons and Spurs ?Do you think one of these teams are winning the NBA championship? ? pic.twitter.com/utRQFIHYUn
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 26, 2026With stats and history backing it, it’ll be interesting to see what happens with teams like the Boston Celtics, who narrowly missed the cutoff by a single game, especially if and when Jayson Tatum returns to an already strong lineup, adding a variable to math.
© Kevin Jairaj-Imagn ImagesCooper Flagg Is No Longer the “Favorite” for ROTY?
Cooper Flagg was easily the most coveted prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft class. And to his credit, he’s been having a great rookie season. But there’s been another rookie performing just as well, if not better, breaking rookie records at an insane pace.
And the craziest part? He played behind Flagg at Duke just last year.
Kon Knueppel, who was drafted fourth overall, is definitely not the fourth-best rookie this season.
Knueppel just hit the 200 threes-made mark, becoming the fastest rookie to reach that number and only the second rookie ever to do it. He’s now less than a handful of threes away from breaking the all-time rookie record, with plenty of games left to do it.
200 THREES FOR KON KNUEPPEL ?He got there in just 58 games… the fastest player to reach that mark in NBA history! pic.twitter.com/TV7CZYNXlo
— NBA (@NBA) February 25, 2026Knueppel is also putting together a 50/40/90 season, one of the rarest efficiency benchmarks in basketball, and could be on track to become the only rookie in NBA history to finish with that level of efficiency.
This record-breaking run — on a legitimately good team — has launched Knueppel to the very top of the Rookie of the Year power rankings. And when I say top, I mean first. At his current pace, this race might already be over.
Meanwhile, Flagg has been dealing with injuries that have kept him off the court, making it even harder for him to close the gap and turn this into a real fight down the stretch.
After becoming the fastest player in NBA history to reach 200 threes, Kon Knueppel reclaims the No. 1 spot as he closes in on the rookie single-season 3-point record ?Read @AschNBA’s full Kia Rookie Ladder on the NBA App!➡️ t.co/2DsdV3w5dP pic.twitter.com/nd8SICoqpm
— NBA (@NBA) February 25, 2026Hence then, the article about around the nba trouble in la 40 20 contenders silver questions jazz kon for roy was published today ( ) and is available on Bleacher Nation ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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