2 Reasons For Optimism Amid Jazz's 8-Game Losing Streak

It's been a rough season for the Utah Jazz but there are two developments that should give fans hope for the future.

Mar 18, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George (3) reacts to a play against / Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

The losses are piling up. The Utah Jazz are losers of eight straight games and have compiled a league-worst 3-19 record since the NBA trade deadline.

Some believe this was Utah's best path forward — maximizing its lottery odds and retaining a coveted top-10 pick so early in its rebuild. Others believe the lack of a competitive environment is hurting the young pieces that the organization is hoping to develop into core pieces going forward.

Unfortunately, there’s probably no way to give a concrete answer to that discussion. With the season winding down, there are still a handful of developments that could take place to make Jazz fans feel a bit better about the team's future heading into the offseason.

Let’s look at two that stand out.

Walker Kessler’s Struggles

Mar 27, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Malaki Branham (22) goes to the / Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

It wasn’t long ago when Kessler was a shoo-in for All-Rookie first team after a brilliant season. That initial campaign awarded him the opportunity to represent his country at the FIBA World Cup last year. In so doing, some have speculated that Kessler's lack of playing time could’ve stunted his growth and contributed to his struggles this year. 

Kessler's stats are down across the board in his sophomore campaign in nearly every category. He’s coming off the bench and closing very few games for a struggling team right now. Even more concerning — he doesn’t seem to be playing with the same confidence and joy we saw last year. 

The one positive: Kessler's blocked shots per game and his block percentage are both up. He remains one of the most talented shot blockers in the league, and his impact is felt on that end when he’s out there — the Jazz are 4.6 points better defensively with their young deterrent out there.

Kessler's 9.19 block percentage trails only Victor Wembanyama this year and is one of the top 5 marks of the past 20 years. Kessler is also top-3 in defensive field goal percentage on shots within six feet — a testament to how difficult he makes scoring at the rim for his opponents. 

While expectations were likely too high for Kessler prior to his second season, he’s still a very useful player with an elite skill. I’m bullish on his ability to bounce back next year with a summer to work on his game and, hopefully, a more cohesive basketball environment around him. 

Keyonte George’s Confidence

Mar 29, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George (3) lays the ball up to the / Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports

The spectacular rookie from Baylor has had an overwhelmingly positive rookie year, putting him at or near the center of Utah's future plans. After a stellar stretch from the end of January through early March, George has had a forgettable handful of games. 

Prior to this stretch, George averaged 18.1 points and 4.4 assists per game, and lit the nets on fire. That’s the George that makes me confident about his future as the team's starting point guard.

George's size, vision, and feel for the game have answered the question about whether or not he can be a point guard — the answer is a resounding YES. Mix that with the scoring acumen he’s always possessed, and the Jazz have a legitimate building block to work with going forward.

Similar to Kessler, George will benefit from having a better cast of players around him going forward. The reality is, the responsibilities George has had on his plate have finally worn him down.

The NBA season is long, and as impressive as George has been this year, he looks exhausted. I’m hoping he can rediscover the juice that had all Jazz fans excited for the future over the final 8 games.

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