Breaking Down What’s Next for the Jazz After All-Star Break
NBA All-Star break is here and, with that, we have an opportunity to take a deep breath and assess where things stand with just 26 games remaining for the Utah Jazz. It’s been an up-and-down season for the Jazz but with a little break in the schedule for the players to reset, let’s examine where we’re at and what the final stretch could hold.
Overview
With a record of 26-30, the team sits 11th in the West; they’re 2.5 games out of the final play-in spot but are fading after a strong stretch from late December through early January. With the way the Golden State Warriors have played recently (winners of 8 of their last 10), it seems unlikely that the Jazz will be able to catch them from behind.
More importantly, they’re inching closer and closer to retaining their top-10 protected draft pick that would make its way to the Oklahoma City Thunder if the Jazz pick finished between 11-30.
Looking at the current standings, the three teams that sit the closest to the Jazz in the draft standings are the Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, and Atlanta Hawks. In regards to how they stack up, the Jazz sit a half-game behind the Bulls, a full game up on the Rockets, and 1.5 games up on the Hawks -- both of the Eastern conference opponents will most likely be in the Play-In Tournament and will be trying to find a hot streak
Utah will face those three teams a combined six times between now and April 11th, with each of those games being very important on where the Jazz pick will end up.
Key Players
Keyonte George had the best game of his young career in the team's last game before the break. George poured in 33 points, six assists, and three steals, and tied the NBA record for rookie 3-point makes in a single game with 9. That game was a coming-out party that had been weeks in the making, with George breaking through the rookie wall and hitting his stride over the past nine games.
During that stretch, Key has averaged 16 points, 4.1 assists, and 3.2 rebounds while shooting 48.1% from the floor and 42.9% from downtown. A great stretch for Utah's bright rookie, hopefully parlaying itself into more success over the next few months.
Lauri Markkanen is in the midst of yet another stellar season that had him in All-Star conversations. Averaging around 23 points and nine rebounds per game, Markkanen continues to be the guy the Jazz plan to build around. While it could be due to several factors like fatigue, some minor injuries, or even displeasure with the team’s trade deadline moves, Markkanen slumped into the break. Regardless, look for Markkanen to come out of the break strong and hopefully build upon his great start to the season.
Collin Sexton has been one of the biggest revelations for the team this season. With averages just shy of 18 points and five assists per game, the Young Bull has had a very nice resurgence in Salt Lake.
With whispers of having to dump his contract long behind us, the debate now centers on whether or not Collin fits into the Jazz’s long-term plans. While we won’t try to tackle that question in this article, I’m excited to see what Sexton has in store for us over the next couple of weeks. His blend of intensity, efficient scoring, and being an excellent teammate makes him impossible to root against.
Going Forward
While I said it was unlikely, it’s certainly not a foregone conclusion that the Jazz roll over and play dead the rest of the way. Golden State sits just 2.5 games up on the Jazz, and with two games left between the teams, that lead could dissipate in a hurry. If the Jazz can find a combination of players that get hot at the right time, that opportunity is still in front of them.
The Jazz still have a talented roster with a great coach at the helm. If Will Hardy can figure out what to do with the wing minutes, sorry THT, they could make a run. Otto Porter could fill a role as a veteran shooter with length if his weird injury situation gets solved. Rookie Brice Sensabaugh is also a candidate for minutes, given the roster construction, but the front office might have to force Will Hardy’s hand to make that happen.
While I wouldn’t be surprised if the Jazz pulls the plug at some point to ensure that they don’t send a lottery pick to their division rival, these final 26 games will be anything but meaningless. We could see the Jazz winning games and getting a taste of the play-in, or we could see heavy developmental minutes for the youngsters. With just 26 games left, there is still a lot up in the air and plenty of stakes on the line.
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