3 Biggest Takeaways From Jazz’s Tough Loss vs. Kings

The Utah Jazz came up just short of a 2-0 start on the new season following a 104-105 loss to the Sacramento Kings in their first road bout of the year, and instead head back to Salt Lake City at an even 1-1 through two showings.

Not quite as dominant of a showing as the Jazz had vs. the LA Clippers and their 20-point blowout for their season opener, but they still managed to have some lingering positives of note. Of course, there were also some negatives that played into the inevitable loss as well, which also make for some interesting topics to keep an eye on for this group moving forward.

Here's the three biggest takeaways to gather from the Jazz's second game of 82 on the new regular season:

Lauri Markkanen Shows Glimpses From EuroBasket Once Again

Oct 24, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) controls a rebound against the Sacramento Kings during the second quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images | Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

Even with the end result being a loss, it's hard to dislike what was seen from Lauri Markkanen.

In 36 minutes, Markkanen chipped in for a nice 33 points on over 50% shooting from the field, along with four rebounds to continue a notably hot start to the season––seemingly rolling over some of the continued dominance from what he put together overseas during the summer at EuroBasket amid Finland's historic finish.

The end result didn't end how Markkanen wanted. However, if the Jazz forward is able to play to that level on a nightly basis, he alone will be keeping Utah in a ton of games down to the wire, as he did for this one.

Ace Bailey's Slow Start Continues

Oct 22, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Ace Bailey (19) reacts to a foul by the Los Angeles Clippers during the first quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Two regular season games into his NBA career, and fifth-overall pick Ace Bailey has yet to show out his skillset the same way in which he did during his two explosive preseason outings.

Against both the Kings and LA Clippers, Bailey has shot a combined 1/10 from the field, scoring a total of two points with zero points vs. Sacramento, and overall, has come up short of the sky-high hype he had entered into his rookie season with.

Bailey was dealing with an illness in game one of the season, and to his defense, might've not been at completely full health in game two vs. Sacramento, either, which could be a factor to take into account amid his quiet start. Thankfully, there remains a long rookie season ahead for the top-five pick to eventually find his groove.

Ball Security Inconsistencies Remain

Oct 24, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Utah Jazz guard Walter Clayton Jr (13) controls the ball against Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis (11) during the second quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images | Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

Last season, the Jazz and their youth struggled from start to finish of the year in the turnover category––averaging a league-most 16.5 turnovers a game, putting their inexperience and youth at the forefront that led to some lack of consistency in keeping ahold of the basketball and limiting transition opportunities.

Game one of the season, Utah seemed to have taken a few steps forward in that regard, while also generating some of their own on the defensive end. However, after finishing vs. the Kings with 20 turnovers, it's clear there's still much more room to grow before this team can be confidently trusted to maintain possession on the offensive end on a consistent basis.

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