Analyzing Goals Jazz Need to Achieve for Remainder of the NBA Season

Where should the focus of the Utah Jazz lie for the rest of the season after the All-Star break is up?

The Utah Jazz are gearing up for the home stretch, and with that, we’ll be able to get a good look at where things stand in their rebuild. I’ve identified two big-picture goals that will be important to track over the final 26 games, so let’s look at these goals that will hopefully give them some momentum heading into a crucial offseason.

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Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY

Develop

The single most important thing that could happen during this season was development. While everyone on the roster can continue adding pieces to their game, I’ve narrowed the list to a few core pieces that stand out.

Lauri Markkanen has tied his career-high averaging 1.9 assists per game this year, but is creating for his teammates something that he can do on a more consistent basis? How about getting his shot off the bounce more consistently? Currently, 83.8% of his made baskets are assisted.

While not a bad thing, it’s worth seeing if creation is something he can add to his game- I think this is an area we have already seen some growth in since he arrived in Salt Lake. Lauri is arguably the best off-ball scorer in the league right now, so it’s not dire, but his development and comfort with creating will only add to what the Jazz can do going forward.

Keyonte George has been the most impressive Jazz rookie by a wide margin, and he’s already looking like a steal based on his draft position. With the starting point guard job seemingly his for the foreseeable future, how he finishes this season will go a long way in providing hope for this team’s future.

His shooting percentages have been trending in the right direction for the past couple of weeks- his development of finding and knocking down high-percentage looks for himself while also setting up his teammates is the balance he will have to find.

Walker Kessler has had an up-and-down second year, but the shot-blocking ace remains one of the Jazz’s most promising young players. While his defense is already stout, I’d love to see him flash some more offensive production over the final 26 games. Both finishing stronger around the basket and knocking down his free throws at a higher clip would be encouraging signs.

Taylor Hendricks and Brice Sensabaugh have spent most of the season in the G-League but have likely been called up for the remainder of the season. Hendricks, the Jazz's highest pick of the three, has been getting rotation minutes recently. While he’s further away than projected, his defensive potential is immense. If he can become more comfortable within the Jazz’s system, offensively and defensively, and start knocking down his shots, he should give himself a foundation to build on going forward.

Sensabaugh was arguably more impressive in his G-League minutes than his teammate, but questions about his defensive focus have left him without a non-garbage-time NBA minute.

When Jazz GM Justin Zanik talked about getting the team’s young guys on the court for meaningful minutes, I expected to see Sensabaugh, but he has yet to crack the rotation. Seeing if he can gain the coaching staff’s trust and hold up against NBA talent is an integral plot for the remainder of the season.

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Feb 6, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Kris Dunn (11) brings the ball up the court against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the fourth quarter at Delta Center / Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

Discover

Around this time last year, the Jazz signed a couple of players to 10-day contracts in the wake of the Mike Conley trade. At the time, these signings felt insignificant as the team just needed to fill some empty roster spots.

Fast forward a year, and Kris Dunn, one of those “insignificant” signings, has been one of the Jazz’s most impactful players over the past 12 months. The 29-year-old guard is one of the best defenders in the league and, with the Jazz opting to keep him through the trade deadline, is a prime candidate to get a second contract from the team this summer.

After waiving Kevin Knox, the Jazz roster sits at 14 players, and Justin Zanik said the team would look to fill that final spot. It makes sense, there’s no downside to handing out some 10-day contracts and seeing if you can get a leg up on next year’s team building.

So, who’s going to be the Jazz’s next Kris Dunn, or the Memphis Grizzlies Vince Williams Jr., or GG Jackson? Opportunity breeds success, and the Jazz are going to allow some other guys to shine going forward. Some in-house candidates are the two rookies we’ve already talked about Hendricks and Sensabaugh.

Another name to watch is Luka Samanic, who showed us flashes during this time last year. I won’t speculate who the team could sign, but I will say there’s plenty of talent out there if the Jazz can find them.

In actuality, someone coming in and having a Kris Dunn impact is unlikely, but at a minimum, the Jazz need to see what they have waiting in the wings. These next 26 games could give us a clue as to whether or not the Jazz plan on retaining impending free agents, building around certain young guys, or showing us holes that the Jazz will look to fill going forward.

After all, the Jazz will have up to 3 picks in the 2024 Draft, along with upwards of $40 million in cap space to allocate this summer. Getting a firm picture of who is or isn’t part of the long-term puzzle is crucial.

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