Phil Jackson has been a part of 13 NBA championships as a coach and player, so he knows a thing or two about winning a title, including the formula that will get you there.
Jackson famously said that for a team to be considered a true contender for a title, they have to win their 40th game before they lose their 20th.
The numbers may seem arbitrary, but the formula has held true for the last 19 NBA champions.
With every team right around 50 games, there are only eight left who have a chance to reach that mark after the Timberwolves lost last night. You can probably rule out the Lakers, who would have to win 11 in a row to get to 40 wins before 20 losses.
Teams like Denver, Houston and San Antonio would have to win seven or eight games of their next 10 to get there, and the Knicks and Celtics would have to win nine of their next 10 games.
That leaves just the Pistons and Thunder as teams with the best chance to get there, as OKC only has to win one game of their next nine while the Pistons will have to win at least [four of their next 11 games.](https://pistonpowered.com/trade-deadline-drama-looms-detroit-pistons-enter-brutal-stretch)
Are these two teams the only real contenders right now? The records would indicate so, but the league is as balanced as it has been for a long time, so this could be the first year in two decades that we see a champion not reach the 40/20 mark.
Even if that happens, there is an important takeaway from Phil Jackson’s idea.
The regular season matters for the Detroit Pistons
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I honestly get fed up with listening to fans (usually ones with players as their avatars) tell me that the regular season is “boring” or that it “doesn’t matter” or that it is “too long.” Huh?
I like hoops, so if it were possible, I’d make the regular season even longer to drag this thing out, as the most boring months for me are the ones without basketball. Some fans complain about the regular season product not being as good, which may be true as far as stakes go, but there are [great games every night.](https://pistonpowered.com/schedule)
There is also this notion that winning in the regular season doesn’t really matter, as the true test comes in the playoffs, but flailing your way through a regular season just to try and get hot for the playoffs has never been a recipe for success in the second season.
Being one of the best teams in the regular season doesn’t guarantee a championship by any means, but it’s a good indication of who the true contenders are, and despite what the ring culture aficionados want to tell you, these games count and they do matter.