The NBA has been keeping a close eye on the Utah Jazz's maneuverings on the injury front over the past few weeks, even fining them a hefty $500,000 for holding their key players such as Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. out of action in the fourth quarter of a close game despite being purportedly healthy.
Jackson, eventually, would undergo season-ending surgery to remove a growth in his left knee, and now, Markkanen reportedly suffered an injury in practice, which could force him to miss even more time — perhaps even the rest of the Jazz's season.
Rumor has it that the NBA isn't very pleased with the timing of Markkanen's injury and the circumstances surrounding this alleged knock that the Finnish star sustained in practice. As per Tony Jones of The Athletic, he is “hearing” that “the league is sending independent doctors to verify” whether or not the injury the Jazz star sustained is legitimate.
Considering the Jazz's track record on the injury front over the past few seasons, the NBA being this vigilant should not come as a surprise to anyone. Even then, the Jazz would contend that these decisions of theirs only come as a result of a system that promotes these kinds of shenanigans in the first place.
Jazz's hands are tied in the final year of blatant tank job
No fan could argue that the Jazz aren't blatantly tanking. They would owe their first-round pick this year to the Oklahoma City Thunder if their pick lands outside the top-eight, and while that wouldn't be the most devastating thing in the world, they would much rather keep that asset and see if the player they draft becomes a long-term keeper instead of witnessing the rich get richer.
Even then, the Jazz are only playing the game; as the old adage goes, don't hate the player, hate the game. It's clear that the NBA has to institute a few changes to discourage this level of tanking shenanigans, but as long as these haven't been legislated out of the game yet, the Jazz shouldn't have to suffer to this degree.
