Jazz Fall to Nuggets, 110-102: Two Key Takeaways

The Utah Jazz were defeated by the Denver Nuggets 110-102 on Monday night at the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. Unlike its previous outing, the Jazz remained determined and focused from the initial tip of the contest while falling just short of victory. Several notable performances were on display, and the 801 tasted a glimpse of how good this team can be.

All-Star Lauri Markkanen scored game-highs with 27 points and rebounds with 14. He also handed out five assists and registered a +2 game rating. Markkanen is proving his value as one of the NBA's best small forwards and validating his All-Star selection was no fluke. Not to mention, he is also the reigning Most Improved Player, so Jazz Nation should come to expect solid production from Markkanen on a nightly basis.

Walker Kessler finally dispelled some early season rust by scoring 22 points and grabbing 13 boards against a former MVP in Nikola Jokic. Kessler seemed confident and patient, allowing the game to surf his way. In previous contests, he worked hard but seemed a bit anxious, which caused spotty and questionable results. Hopefully, this performance will jump-start Kessler's level of consistent contribution.

John Collins and Talen Horton-Tucker scored 15 and 16 points, respectively, while Collin Sexton came off the bench to toss in 12 points.

The loss drops the Jazz record to 1-3, who now hold the 12th spot of 15 teams in the Western Conference.

The Nuggets meanwhile moved to 4-0 on the season and show-cased the pedigree of a current champion.

Nikola Jokic messed around and got a triple-double. He hit 27 points while shooting 12-for-16 from the field, dropped 11 assists, and grabbed ten boards. He registered a game-high +13 rating.

Teammate Aaron Gordon chipped in with 21 points, and Jamal Murray contributed 18 points and 14 assists.

Now, let's dissect two critical takeaways from Utah’s third-season loss.

Kessler Has Best Performance of the Year

Before the Nuggets game, Kessler displayed mediocre basketball skills, but not last night. Along with the above statistics, he delivered a more than respectable output against the top 2 players in the entire NBA, Nokola Jovic.

Occasionally, a game such as this will elevate confidence and could be the start of something great. Excellent work, Mr. Kessler!

Clarkson Underwhelms as a Starter

I'm not sure what happened to Clarkson, but he scored four points on 2-for-10 from the field, did not make a free-throw or three-point shot on seven total attempts, committed five turnovers, and charted a -7 game rating. He also continues to disrupt the natural flow of the Jazz offense by over-dribbling and decreasing the value of Horton-Tucker and, in some cases, Markkanen.

I've written in multiple articles that Clarkson would better serve the Jazz in a 6th man role where he would thrive and increase the stock of the role players. Perhaps Coach Hardy will explore the thought of Ochai Agbaji as the starting off-guard.

Agbaji does not require ball dominance to be effective, is a much better defender, would not detract from the Jazz scoring feed, and will place the ball in the hands of the Point-Guard.

Jazz Nation should keep an eye on the Off-Guard situation.

Utah will face the Memphis Grizzlies tomorrow at the Delta Center in the SLC.

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