This season of Utah Jazz basketball has been anything but predictable.
Projected to win just 24 games at the beginning of the season, the Jazz are on pace to eclipse that total before Christmas, proving those projections should have been a lot higher. With wins against the Pelicans (twice), Nuggets, Timberwolves, Rockets, Grizzlies and Lakers, the Jazz’s continued success has put a damper on “fluke” talk throughout the league.
Through three weeks, the Jazz are near the top of many per-game categories, including assists (5th), three-pointers made (2nd), and offensive rebounds (5th). The team’s defense is also allowing the fifth-lowest three-point percentage, third-least assists, and forcing the most turnovers per game.
Additionally, Utah is 4-0 at home, making them one of three teams (Milwaukee and Phoenix) in the league with four home wins so far this season.
👀 𝐔𝐭𝐚𝐡 𝐉𝐚𝐳𝐳 – 𝟑𝐫𝐝 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 👀#TakeNote #NBA #UtahJazz pic.twitter.com/6yZvh0SBqc
— Justin Giles (@JustinGiles_) November 6, 2022
Playing Team Basketball
Coach Will Hardy has led a solid team through its first eight games, and is certainly avoiding the “stat-padding” that usually follows teams built like this one.
Six Jazzmen are currently averaging over 10 points per game, led by Lauri Markkanen’s 22.6 average. Jordan Clarkson (16.5), Kelly Olynyk (12.9), Colin Sexton (12.5), Malik Beasley (11.9), and Mike Conley (11.6) are also averaging over double-digit points per game.
Markkanen in particular has shined for the Jazz, averaging 22.6 points and 9.3 rebounds – both lead the team – while adding 2.9 assists and a block per game. Alongside his success, the entire Jazz team has played extremely well, helping the franchise sit all alone in third place in the Western Conference.
Results
Jazz 123, Nuggets 102
Jazz 132, Timberwolves 126
Jazz 122, Pelicans 121
Rockets 114, Jazz 108
Jazz 109, Rockets 101
Denver 117, Jazz 101
Jazz 124, Grizzlies 123
Jazz 121, Grizzlies 105
Dallas 103, Jazz 100
Jazz 130, Lakers 116
NBA Trade Grades: Did Jazz Or Cavaliers Win The Donovan Mitchell Trade?
All Stars
With Utah hosting the NBA All-Star game this year (February 2023), fans were bummed thinking no Jazz players would make it after trading away stars Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell this past summer. However, not only is there a good chance that the Jazz will be represented, the franchise may continue its streak of having consecutive players in the All-Star game.
Enter Jordan Clarkson and Lauri Markkanen.
Clarkson is averaging 17.4 points per game, 5.3 assists, 4.8 rebounds and shooting 42% from the field. Meanwhile Markkanen leads the team in scoring at 22.2 points per game. The 6-foot-11 forward is close to averaging a double-double with 9.4 rebounds per game. He’s also shooting 51% from the field.
If both continue to play like they have, it’s likely that both will receive selections for the All-Star game in Salt Lake City.
