CBS Sports Reveals ‘Reason for Hope’ in Jazz’s Post All-Star Stretch
The Utah Jazz ended up making headlines during the NBA trade deadline with their tough decision to ship off rotational pieces Kelly Olynyk, Ochai Agbaji, and Simone Fontecchio to bring in some additional draft picks to their stash of capital.
The moves effectively led to some questions surrounding whether this team can still put together wins after selling off many contributing pieces of their lineup, but it seems some optimism remains. Utah is only one spot back from reaching a spot in the Play-In Tournament, so only a select few things would need to break their way to move up in the standings.
Within CBS Sports' latest NBA power rankings, the Jazz came in at the 21st spot, where a silver lining was detailed for the rest of the season. Colin Ward-Henninger describes Lauri Markkanen being a substantial factor in how Utah can continue to find some extended success on the floor during the last 30 or so games of the year:
Lauri Markkanen is still a stud. The Jazz outscore opponents by nearly 11 points per 100 possessions when he's on the floor, as he significantly bumps up the offensive production without giving it back on the other end. The 7-foot 26-year-old is averaging 23 points per game on close to 50/40/90 shooting splits. He's a great building block for Utah's rebuild, and also could be the key piece in trade package for a superstar. Either way, the Jazz are winners.
Despite not securing All-Star honors this season, Markkanen has still put together a very respectable year in Utah. In his 46 games, he's posted averages of 23.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 1.9 assists on an efficient 49.1/40.3/88.7 clip. His impact on the offense has been a massive reason why the unit has seen the success it has during the 2023-24 season.
It would be an uphill climb for the Jazz to reach a spot in the Play-In, but Markkanen alone gives Utah a puncher's chance to reach a top-ten seed in the Western Conference. The team has proven to be capable of rattling off several wins in a row, as shown in December/January, so who's to say it can't happen again?
The Jazz's season will resume from the All-Star Break on Thursday when the Charlotte Hornets travel to the Delta Center to face off against Utah at 7 PM MT.
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