Will Hardy Had Strong Claim on Lauri Markkanen After 51-Point Night

The Utah Jazz, in the midst of their second win of the season, saw a historic performance out of their star forward Lauri Markkanen.

In 45 minutes, Markkanen had the highest scoring performance the franchise had seen in 27 years with a 51-point outing, paired with six three-pointers, a perfect 17/17 of the line, and of course, a big home win to elevate the Jazz to 2-0 in the Delta Center to start the season.

Such a night prompted Jazz head coach Will Hardy to hand his due credit to Markkanen after the win, saying that the star forward has gotten better every season that he's been in the building, and that even without being a vocal leader, he sets the tone for the roster in a major way.

"Yeah, I think Lauri's gotten better every year that he's been here. He works really hard on his game. I think tonight we saw some of the physicality in the mid-range... I think his conditioning is better, and I think it allows him to absorb a lot of physicality."

"I think Lauri's just enduring all of those things. He's not complaining to the officials. He's not looking around, asking for help. He sets the tone for us. Like, Lauri doesn't have to be a vocal leader. I think he's become a good vocal leader in our locker room. But, I think his presence on the court is what stands out to me."

Will Hardy Says Lauri Markkanen Sets the Tone, Gotten Better Every Season

Oct 27, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) takes an inbound pass for a last second shot against Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) during the fourth quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Markkanen's off to a fiery start to the season through three games, with the 51-point breakout now leaving the Jazz forward to becoming the fifth-highest scorer in the NBA through a week of action (34.7), while scoring at least 20 points in all three of his showings thus far.

And it's through those shining and versatile offensive performances for Markkanen that allow him to set the tone for this roster, even if the star forward isn't as vocal of a leader as some of his peers.

That 34.7 PPG number might not stick through the season, and the Jazz may come back down to earth soon, but through the initial sample size that this young roster, and especially Markkanen has shown thus far, it's been extremely positive–– and an effort that Coach Hardy is taking notice of.

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