Breaking Down Jazz Lineup Ahead of Late November Mavs Matchup

The Jazz are 4-14 after splitting two games with the Mavs so far this season.

Keenan Womack | Nov 30, 2024

Nov 14, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II (2) dunks the ball against the Utah Jazz during the fourth quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images / Rob Gray-Imagn Images

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Tonight, the Dallas Mavericks once again travel to Salt Lake City to take on the Utah Jazz, a game that tips at 8:30 PM CST and will air on NBA League Pass.

The last time these two teams met, Dallas lost in embarrassing fashion as Luka Doncic, who will be out tonight, missed a defensive assignment that led to a John Collins dunk with fewer than 10 seconds left on the clock. The 115-113 loss stung and was part of a four-game skid that put the Mavericks under .500 at that point in the season. Since then, however, Dallas has rebounded, winning six of their last seven games.

The backcourt will consist of Collin Sexton and Keyonte George, both of whom have been the engine driving the Jazz backcourt this season. Sexton is averaging 17.2 points and 3.2 assists per game as the primary lead initiator for the team, though George facilitates offense more effectively, averaging 5.7 dimes per contest. George has struggled with his offensive efficiency shooting the basketball this season at just 37.9%, though he has come back from a miserable start to the season, averaging 43.2% over his last 10 games. His 16.1 points per game rank fourth on the team.

Lauri Markkanen and John Collins will be the forward grouping, the two top scorers in the lineup at 19.5 points and 17.9 points per game, respectively. Markkanen will play the wing spot, all 6-foot-10 of him. One of the team's better rebounders at 6.6 per game, he and Collins, who averages 8.8 for second on the team, do a lot of the heavy lifting on the glass, as the guard unit is not extremely proficient in the rebounding category.

Center Walker Kessler will patrol the paint and execute his skillset of rebounding (10.8 per game, first on the Jazz) and blocking shots (2.8 per game, also tops on the roster). The 7-foot-3 post player has missed some games due to injury this season, and did not play in the last matchup against Dallas on November 14. His presence will be helpful for the Jazz as they deal with Dallas' tandem of centers in Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford.

Off the bench will be Isaiah Collier, Brice Sensabaugh, Johnny Juzang, and Cody Williams. Injuries to Jordan Clarkson and Kyle Filipowski will certainly affect their depth in this game as Dallas attempts to get revenge for the last matchup. As Dallas will be down the aforementioned Doncic as well as Klay Thompson, it will be up to Kyrie Irving and company to take down the struggling Jazz.

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Published Nov 30, 2024

KEENAN WOMACK

Keenan Womack is a sportswriter native to Dallas, Texas, who has spent the last 12 years in Austin, the home of his alma mater, the University of Texas. Keenan has covered sports for SB Nation, Bleacher Report, Rivals/Orangebloods, a host of his own sites and now, Fan Nation. Focusing on basketball, Keenan was on the beat for the Longhorns hoops team for the last two-and-a-half years before moving on to pursue other opportunities. He is married and lives with his wife close to the Moody Center, so they can continue to catch games together.