The Ringer Reveals 'Silver Lining' for Jazz After Playoff Elimination

Despite coming up short in the standings, it's not all bad for the Utah Jazz.

Despite the Utah Jazz embarking on a worse campaign this season than they did in the first year of their rebuild, the team still has a few positive takeaways to gather, with less than five games to go in 2023-24.

Their recent 12-game losing stretch tells us that the tank is in full effect, but there is some clear talent that rises to the surface of this roster. Whether you look at veteran players like Jordan Clarkson and John Collins, or the youth movement involving guys like Keyonte George or Taylor Hendricks, there are numerous skilled and ideal pieces to work and move forward with across the board.

As Zach Kram sees it in his latest article for The Ringer, he details the Jazz's silver lining of the season being centered around the production of Lauri Markkanen and Collin Sexton, both of which have had stellar seasons in Salt Lake City.

"First, Lauri Markkanen proved that last season’s Most Improved Player triumph wasn’t a fluke, as he posted essentially the same stellar statistics in his second season in Utah," Kram said. "Despite some rumors ahead of the deadline, the Jazz opted not to trade the 26-year-old All-Star, and for good reason. Second, Collin Sexton turned in the best season of his career... he’s averaging an efficient 19 points and a career-high five assists per game, and his advanced metrics are by far the best of his career. Both Markkanen and Sexton joined the Jazz as part of the Donovan Mitchell trade—which means the team is reaping rewards from that transaction even before the picks they got from Cleveland make it to Salt Lake City."

Markkanen has missed a good chunk of time past the All-Star break, but it wasn't before he made his mark on the Jazz season when in the lineup. He averaged 23.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.0 assists on 48.0/39.9/89.9 splits in 55 games. Having another productive season within Utah in the books, he's effectively allowed himself to receive a substantial pay raise with an extension this summer.

As for Sexton, he's having a stellar year in his full season back healthy, posting 18.7 points a game along with 2.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists. Going from once being in trade rumors and discussions to a potential staple on the roster, it was a great showing all around from the former Cleveland lottery selection.

Moving forward, both of these guys will be cornerstone parts of what the Jazz are looking to build for the coming years. Keep an eye on how negotiations go between Utah and Markkanen this summer as the two will attempt to hash out a long-term extension.

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