Pros and Cons of Jazz New Starting Lineup

Can the new Utah Jazz starting five deliver the goods?

Dec 28, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) celebrates with Utah Jazz guard Collin Sexton (2) against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images / Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

NBA basketball is finally back! Well, kind of. With preseason hoops upon us, it’s time to analyze real basketball again.

Unsurprisingly, the Utah Jazz unveiled a new starting group of Keyonte George, Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen, Taylor Hendricks, and Walker Kessler in their debut win against the New Zealand Breakers. Let’s dive into the pros and cons of this new starting lineup. 

Pro: Youth

This goes beyond just the starting unit; this lineup leans into the team's youth movement. George, Hendricks, and Kessler, in particular, are among the most touted Jazz prospects. It’s time to see if they can sink or swim alongside franchise centerpiece Lauri Markkanen. This is a significant step forward, given the veterans that Will Hardy has typically catered his starting lineups towards in years past. 

The Jazz have been clear that they want to prioritize their youth this season, and this lineup is a nice step towards backing those regards up. 

Pro: Size 

Aside from Collin Sexton, this group has positional size across the board. With positional size being a core value that the front office has emphasized in recent years, it seems like they’re beginning to show us their team-building blueprint going forward. A Markkanen-Hendricks-Kessler frontcourt gives the team a ton of rim protection in theory. It’ll be worth monitoring if this size can boost the team's defense from a season ago when they ranked dead last. 

Con: Point of attack defense 

As I mentioned, the Jazz finished dead last in team defense a season ago. The team's best perimeter defender, Kris Dunn, now plays for the Los Angeles Clippers. All five starters still need to improve at defending in space. This is probably more of a team issue than just a starter issue, though. The Jazz will likely look to Hendricks and George to take steps forward in this area but could struggle to do so. 

Con: Lack of creation 

Starting this group puts much pressure on Keyonte George and Collin Sexton to generate advantages and make good decisions for their teammates. Lauri Markkanen is a unique talent because he does most of his damage without pounding the ball onto the floor, so he relies on others to find him when he’s ready to score. Taylor Hendricks and Walker Kessler are solely play finishers at this point in their careers. 

While certainly not a bad thing, it just puts more on George and Sexton's plates. Part of me wonders if swapping Hendricks for a more skilled offensive wing like Cody Williams could bring more balance to the group if the offense bogs down. It’s obviously too early to say for certain, but it's something to monitor, especially if the guards struggle.

a little @keyonte1george,
a little @walkerkessler13,
a little 14-0 run ⏰ pic.twitter.com/dtNFF6cjmI

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) October 5, 2024

Pro: Flexibility 

One of the great things about rebuilding is you can experiment with new things and see how the puzzle pieces fit. Will Hardy has the leeway to try multiple lineup combinations to see what works and what doesn’t. In the end, development is of greater importance to the Jazz this season than wins or losses.

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