NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
The Utah Jazz are moving in the right direction, finally. After their deal with the Memphis Grizzlies before the trade deadline, the Jazz can now say they have a roster that should compete for a playoff spot next season. Never mind the Play-In; they are gunning for a Top-6 spot.
The Jazz sent Walter Clayton Jr, Taylor Hendricks, Kyle Anderson, Georges Niang, and 3 future first-round picks to Memphis for Jaren Jackson Jr, Jock Landale, John Konchar, and Vince Williams Jr. On paper, it may not seem like much, but Jackson’s addition alone makes the Jazz better.
They will have to mesh with the second half of the season still to be played. Right now, they are 8 games out of the Play-In with the Dallas Mavericks, Grizzlies, and the Portland Trail Blazers ahead of them. While anything can happen over the course of the regular season, this deal was about next year and beyond.
The Utah Jazz have dealt with injuries to key players this season, such as Lauri Markkanen and Walter Kessler. Clayton Jr., whom they drafted in the offseason, has shown some promise but wasn’t as consistent as the Jazz would have liked. Maybe a change of scenery will help. Hendricks Jr is a reserve with not much time under his belt. And yes, the draft picks may come back to bite them later on, but for now, you do what you have to do in order to be competitive. It’s been a long time coming.
The addition of Jackson Jr will improve the defense of the Jazz, who rank 30th in Points Allowed. Pairing Jackson in the frontcourt with Markkanen and Kessler will give the Jazz size and toughness on the defensive end. On the offensive side, that frontcourt will be scary to deal with. Markkanen has range, and Jackson has shown the ability to hit from deep as well, and both layers can put the ball on the floor and drive past their defenders.
But where this trade really helps them is in the backcourt. Keyonte George has come into his own this season with averages of 24.2 points and 6.6 assists per game. Now, they can slide Ace Bailey to a permanent SG spot and hope he continues to blossom. Following a slow start, the rookie is averaging 11.2 points. Bailey has mainly suited up in the SF spot, but he does have the versatility to play in the backcourt, and with his size and wingspan, he can cause mismatches and havoc on the defensive end.
The second unit is even stronger now with the additions of Londale, Williams Jr, and Konchar. All three players have played solid minutes for the Grizzlies due to their injuries and will add more leadership to the Jazz. The Jazz, barring another trade, still have the services of veterans such as Jusuf Nurkic, Svi Mykhailiuk, and Kevin Love. But they also have the young legs of Brice Sensabaugh, Cody Williams, Isaiah Collier, and Kyle Filipowski. No need to panic at all.
What this will come down to is chemistry. The Utah Jazz have finally put together a roster that can compete on a nightly basis, and hopefully, they can finally get from under the stink that has sat on them since losing Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell. Right now, they appear to be moving in the right direction.
