Jazz Made the Right Decision With Jordan Clarkson

Here's to hoping that the Utah Jazz keep Jordan Clarkson where he belongs in the lineup.

On Friday, the Utah Jazz crossed the Canadian border as an emotionally challenged group to battle the Toronto Raptors. Following the NBA trade deadline, several players voiced opinions about losing teammates in this week's transactions and how mentally tough it can be in the NBA business.

But sooner or later, a team must return to the hardwood to face its competitive foes along with up or down-graded maneuvers. Friday night in Toronto, the Jazz displayed one of the best team efforts we have seen in quite some time.

The notable takeaway from Friday night's game was the absence of Jordan Clarkson from the starting unit. The eye test instantly revealed the Jazz played well as a team and did not have to worry about Clarkson over-dribbling the air out of the basketball.

Coach Will Hardy may want to consider relegating Clarkson to his natural role of sixth man, which would show the Jazz as a more polished product. With the trade deadline in the books, hopefully, the Jazz will work out an agreement with Russell Westbrook and become a legitimate playoff contender.

The Jazz were led in scoring by Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler, who each totaled 23 points. Collin Sexton chipped in a notable 22 points, while Kelly Olynyk posted possibly his best game of the season with 16 points, eight assists, seven rebounds, a block, and a steal. 

A total of five Jazzmen scored in double-digits, and everyone posted a + game rating except Ochai Agbaji, who finished with a -16 rating. This was a crucial victory for the Jazz, who are back in the playoff picture as the 10th seed in the Western Conference. Utah's overall team record is 28-29, and on Saturday, the Jazz will face the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

The Raptors also had five double-digit scorers, led by Pascal Siakam's 35 points. He shot 57% from the field and connected on five three-pointers, but his efforts were not enough to propel his team to victory.

As a pretty consistent mixed bag, the Raptors are now 26-31, ranked No. 11 in the Eastern Conference, and are currently not in the playoff picture. Toronto should have considered more player activity prior to the trade deadline, as it has several pieces that technically operate as the same player.

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