Predicting Jazz's Day-One Starter at Point Guard

Although the Utah Jazz were able to put a big dent in reshaping their roster last week, making three first-round selections, there’s still a lot of work that lies ahead. A big question moving forward is this: what are Utah’s plans at the point guard position?

Currently, it’s up in the air with four players vying to be a long-term solution. Who has the inside track to be the day-one starter?

Let’s examine.

Collin Sexton

Sexton is a proven commodity as he enters his fourth year as a pro and second with the Jazz. The former No. 8 overall pick averaged 14.3 points per game while only logging 23.9 minutes per contest, mostly coming off the bench in his first year in Salt Lake City.

Sexton is the most prolific scorer out of the four candidates, but does that equate to a long-term solution at the one?

Jazz CEO Danny Ainge appears to be on a quest to put together the longest starting lineup in the league. If this holds true, Sexton may be destined to come off the bench as the sixth man. Utah will need players that can create their own offense when the starters are resting and Sexton has already proven that he can thrive in that role.

Talen Horton-Tucker

It’s still unknown whether Horton-Tucker will be a Jazzman moving forward, but expect him to be the day-one starter if he stays in Utah. He has the highest ceiling of the bunch and has shown he can be the best player on the court on any given night.

With a 7-foot-1 wingspan, 'THT' is exactly what Ainge wants in regard to the positional size of a point guard.

That said, Horton-Tucker needs to improve on his offensive efficiency, turnovers, and being an overall facilitator if he wants to lock down the job on a permanent basis. The Jazz are in a spot where they can go through a year of growing pains, but it still feels like a coin flip on whether Horton-Tucker will be back in 2023-24.

Keyonte George

Utah’s second pick in the 2023 draft (No. 16 overall) has a reputation for being a shooting guard that can score in bunches, but can George be groomed to be the point guard of the future? According to George, it shouldn't be a problem.

“Yes, sir. I definitely — I could be a point guard in this league,” George said. “Continuing to stay in film, make sure I’m understanding the reads. It’s more space, so making sure I know, ‘Okay, this guy, if he’s a tag guy, knowing who’s going to be that field guy, who’s going to be in the corner.’ Knowing all my reads. Like I said before, I’m a student of the game. Always winning and continuing to learn each and every day, so I definitely feel like I could be a point guard in this league.”

We know George won’t be the starter on opening night, but he’s a player to keep an eye on as the season unfolds.

Kris Dunn

My money is on Dunn opening the season as the starter, if Horton-Tucker opts out. Dunn really came on strong when Sexton went on the shelf with a hamstring injury last year.

The former lottery pick averaged 18.0 ppg while dishing out 7.4 assists in the last five games of the season in Utah. It’s a small sample size, but at 29 years old, Dunn is showing he could be a late bloomer.

Dunn has the most experience in running an offense while also being the best defender of the rostered candidates. This would leave Sexton coming off the bench as a high-volume scorer, which suits his strengths.

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