Lauri Markkanen not only looked like his old self when the 2025-26 season started for the Utah Jazz, but he was playing at a historic level. Sure, as more time has passed, he has fallen back to earth a tad, but still, when Markkanen plays, the Jazz are a better team.
But because the Jazz don't play him enough (for good reason), Markkanen didn't get another All-Star nod. Now, making the All-Star team in the Western Conference is a tough mountain to climb, but making it harder in Markkanen's case is the fact that he plays for a team that not only tanks, but also plays him sporadically to ensure their record is bad enough to get a high lottery pick.
It proves a harsh reality: the NBA typically does not hand out All-Star nods to players on tanking teams. Having put that out there, there are exceptions, such as a player with a sterling reputation or a conference that is just that weak.
Such an exception actually showed itself this year, as Pascal Siakam, the best player on one of the league's worst teams, made it, despite how bad the Indiana Pacers are.
It's hard to tell what exactly has made him better than Markkanen this season. The Pacers are currently worse than the Jazz despite how many games Markkanen has missed, and even by traditional numbers, at best, Siakam has been on the same level as Markkanen.
It really is just a matter of Siakam being in the Eastern Conference, having a good reputation, and being more available. Switch the two, and Markkanen would be in his second All-Star game, no questions asked.
This should be the last year Markkanen gets snubbed
Markkanen made the All-Star team in his first year as a Jazzman because, besides his All-Star-caliber play, the Jazz weren't that bad of a team mid-season (29-30 before the All-Star Break). Hence, he got the nod that he deserved. For two of the last three seasons since then, he has more or less maintained that level of play.
He hasn't gotten more nods because the Jazz have intentionally gotten worse over the years, but that should hopefully change next season. Once Utah starts winning more games, starting next season, the argument against Markkanen will get much weaker, paving the way for him to get the recognition he deserves.
Markkanen continuously getting snubbed is the biggest tragedy of his time in Utah. There isn't necessarily substantial proof, but enough to believe that he's not a good stats, bad team player. Her won't have the opportunity to prove as such until next season, but when he does, these snubs will look even more ridiculous in hindsight.