Jazz 130, Spurs 118: Biggest Winners & Losers
The Utah Jazz sailed to their 13th victory of the season and third win in a row by defeating the San Antonio Spurs 130-118 in the grand state of Texas. The Jazz led 64-60 at halftime and never looked back as they improved to 10-0 when leading after two-quarters of play.
Team success appeared in droves for the Jazz, but let's break down the biggest winners and losers of last night's contest.
Winner: Lauri Markkanen
Markkanen led his team in scoring with 31 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, and registered a game-high +20 rating. For those who may not be familiar with the +/- rating systems, +20 means when Markannen was on the floor during the Spurs game, the Jazz were the equivalent of 20 points better than the Spurs.
Markkanen's All-Star game selection last season was no fluke, and he continues to prove his value as Utah's top option. He has become even more lethal in the past two contests with recent line-up changes, which have included Jordan Clarkson being relegated to a reserve role.
When Markkanen has his fair share of offensive touches, the points and rebounds are generated with little effort. If the most recent lineup change remains, Jazz Nation may wake to another All-Star selection for Markkanen.
Winner: Collin Sexton
Sexton is turning into Mr. Dependable before our very eyes and performs with the exact energy, whether in a starter or reserve role. Sexton just plays basketball and is willing to give the Jazz 100% effort the entire night and dropped 20 points along with six assists against the Spurs.
Even more impressive was his defensive detail that allowed the Spurs starting point guard Malaki Branham, to be held scoreless. Sexton is a valuable piece to the Jazz and should be around for many years in Utah.
Loser: John Collins
Collins' number was called to be a starter against the Spurs, yet he logged a sparse 18 minutes. He generated seven points, four rebounds, and zero assists on his way to a meager triple-single.
Collins had very little impact against the Spurs, and his overall game is on suspect watch. He is a freakish athlete, but his handle is below average, has trouble creating his own shot for offensive production, is an average passer, and has clearly lost the hype attached to him upon arriving in the 801.
The trade rumor applies to many players in the NBA, but the signs seem to confirm something is distorting his play. Collins is a very good NBA player, but his time in SLC may be short-lived, especially if he produces these types of performances.
Besides, the promotion of Taylor Hendricks may have Jazz executive Danny Ainge back in the trading lab performing as 'Trader Danny.'
Loser: Spurs
The Spurs are sporting a Western Conference worse record of 4-25, including five consecutive losses. As we have witnessed the Spurs fall from grace, tanking or losing games is no guarantee that a franchise will recover in the future.
I firmly believe that when you teach losing or stockpile an abundance of losses for whatever reason, the outcome will not be positive, no matter what player a team may acquire in the draft.
Several of my followers and basketball colleagues have asked me how the NBA can address this tanking or losing issue. It's simple. NBA teams will receive the same amount of draft balls regardless of record. Under this format, there would be no reason to emphasize tanking or piling up losses, making teams more competitive.
The Spurs looked like a team with no sense of direction against the Jazz. They also resembled a team that has not laid a path to winning games in quite some time.
The Takeaway
The Jazz was ready to roll from the tip. This particular line-up allowed Markkanen to be the top option while mixing a variety of player skills offensively and defensively. The hard work is paying off as the Jazz are slowly rising in the Western Conference.
Teams may want to place an effort on winning and not stock pile losses as this benefits no one. The Jazz will face the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday night at 6:00 p.m. MST.
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