Utah Jazz Playoffs 2023: NBA Basketball Highlights & Winning Streak

On Monday, December 11th, the Utah Jazz would lose against the Oklahoma City Thunder 134-120

in a game that they were down by 38 points going into the fourth quarter

putting their record at 7-16 on the year. Just two days later, on December 13th, in a home game versus the New York Knicks

with their star Lowry Markin back, they would pull off a close win

and begin the start of something special. At the time of this recording, which is Friday, January 26th, 2024

the Utah Jazz are currently 16-7 in their last 23 games, which includes a six-game winning streak

and a three-game losing skid they just recently broke, giving them the third-best record in the entire NBA during this run

At this point in the NBA season, we're over halfway through it, so the question has to be asked in this video

are the Utah Jazz for real, and do they truly have a chance to make the playoffs

Currently, they are sitting at 10th in the Western Conference, tied with the Lakers but losing the tiebreaker

If you stay to the end, we will try to answer if the Utah Jazz are for real or if they're

going to flounder as the season continues. But in the meantime, let's go through what has happened during this stretch for the Utah Jazz

What has been the biggest changes between this stretch and their 7-16 start to the season

And if we think they should be buyers or sellers in the upcoming trade deadline

But before we dive in, I'm super excited for this video because I'm doing something I've

always wanted to do but I've never done before. I received exclusive voice notes from a Jazz creator who I think is killing it on Twitter

right now. His username is Jazzmatic. He deserves a much bigger following, so please check out his stuff on Twitter

I've linked him in the description. He's from the Salt Lake City area and is a two-time national champion coach

He'll be giving us some X's and O's insight on the team he watches diligently night in

and night out and takes on certain players peppered throughout this video. Currently, the Jazz have the 16th rated offensive efficiency in the league and the 21st

rated defense while being just 21st in net rating. But if we were to take into an account from

December 13th on, the Jazz have the 8th overall offensive rating in the NBA in that time span

the 13th rated defense, and our 10th overall with a net rating of plus 4.8. They're just coming off

a 6-game winning streak that included a win at Philadelphia, a win at Milwaukee, and a win home

versus Denver in three consecutive games. Although the past 23 games have been incredible overall for the Jazz

they are just coming off a three-game losing streak that included two really hard-fought losses at home versus the Thunder

and away versus Houston. And I promise you the numbers looked even more incredible

before that losing streak, but they were able to stop that losing skid last night in Washington

Let's dive into some specific players and how they've impacted this 23-game stretch

So let's start with Lowry Markkinen. In my opinion, he's an all-star and at the very least a 1B player on a championship roster right now

What's super special about Lowry is his ability to be efficient and effective off the ball

He does it so well, and it's a rare trait to have in today's game. The Jazz acquired Lowry in 2022 from Cleveland in the Donovan Mitchell trade

which is a trade I think will go down in history as worse than the Rudy Gobert trade

Like I mentioned in the intro, he did sit out for 8 games straight this season to start that 7-16 stretch, but ever since he's been back from that injury, he's been playing phenomenally, averaging 24 points per game, 8.8 rebounds, and shooting 49% from the field, 39% from three, and 87% from the free throw line

Like I said before, Lowry is unique in that he doesn't need the ball in his hands often to score

And although he did average 25.6 last season, he's playing only 32.5 minutes per game

which is two minutes less than last year and shooting over a shot less than he did last year

All the efficiency is pretty much exactly the same. I know there's been some rumors over the past couple months on NBA Twitter

that Lowry would be a perfect fit in Oklahoma City, but I just don't see Danny Ainge ever giving this man up

he is your key to building a championship roster for the future and to be honest i think he would

be able to attract a superstar in free agency due to his style of play here's a quick tidbit that

jazmatic had to say about lowry what i like about lowry is he's touching so many different points

of the game it's not just his shooting it's not just his scoring he's improving his defense and

you can see that in the most at reese example when they played the la lakers marketing was the

primary defender on Anthony Davis in that game. And Davis, while he did have a triple-double

he went 5 for 21. Not a great percentage. The other thing that I think Lowry is improving is

his off-the-bounce game. He is taking it strong to the rim, and he's doing it off more than one

dribble. There's multiple possessions where it's 1, 2, 3 dribbles, sometimes a spin move

and he either getting to the line or he finishing As a 7 the Jazz and Hardy inverted a pick where Markkinen was the ball handler and he coming off this pick and roll and he hits Colin Sexton on time

on target, off that pick and roll in the opposite corner. Lowry has improved so much year over year

and now he's just getting to the point where he's dominating just looking at his stats and the way

the team's playing. It's incredible and it's fun to watch and I don't see the Jazz moving him

anytime soon. While Lowry is definitely the main character in this story, Colin Sexton has also

played a major part as well. In fact, that Knicks game that Lowry came back and started this 15-5

stretch for the Jazz, Utah's head coach Will Hardy slid Colin Stexton into the starting lineup for

the first time that season in that game, and he hasn't taken him out since. During this 23-game

stretch, Colin is averaging 22.1 points per game and five assists on pretty awesome efficiency

shooting 51.6% from the field, 42.2% from three, 89% from the free throw line, and only playing

27 minutes a night. I really think Colin Sexton has a serious case for most improved player of

the year. He's not going to win it, and he really isn't even being considered right now as it's a

two-horse race between Tyrese Maxey and Alperin Chengun, but my point still stands. Will Hardy

had this to say about Colin after this recent stretch he's been on. Because I think he was

somebody that really came in with a lot of narrative around the type of player that he is

and I probably let that impact me too much last year you know he's somebody that has shown me that

like you don't you don't need to listen to any of that at all you need to just take people at face

value for how they are when they get here and what they do when they're with our team and he's a big

reason why we're playing well right now if you're watching the NBA back in 2020 you know how much of

a menace Colin was in Cleveland in that 2020-2021 season he would average 24 points per game but he's

actually playing better this season in my opinion than that one he's more efficient he only shot 47

percent from the field in that season and this one he's shooting 49 percent including a four percent

increase from inside the arc but it's also more than that Colin because he came off the bench to

start the season and just the way this Utah Jazz team has been structured is only playing 23.8

minutes per game versus in that season before he was playing 35, yet he's still averaging 17.2

points per game this season. One thing I think we all forget as NBA fans, because things change so

much from year to year, is that players deal with injuries and it takes them a while to get back to

what they were before then. And when it comes to Colin, he had a torn meniscus early into the 2021

season, playing in Cleveland, was out the rest of the season, and then that offseason was traded

in the Donovan Mitchell trade. So last season, he had a new coach, a new environment

and he also dealt with some injuries that got him out of the flow

including a nagging hamstring injury that kept him out most of the end of the season last year

Here's a quote Colin had on how he's been able to put the past two seasons of injuries behind him

I put my time in, I feel healthy, I'm excited. Coming off injury last year and playing, it was different

I wasn't able to work out in the summer. I wasn't able to play, but this summer

I was able to play as well as lift and get to the goals that I wanted to. I feel great, I'm excited

and I plan on playing a hole 82 this year. And so far, he's done just that

He's played in every single game for the Jazz. Bottom line, Colin Sexton has been phenomenal

and I'm so glad he's allowed to continue flourishing in his newfound home

When it comes to a guy like Jordan Clarkson, I think he's a very valuable sixth man

coming off the bench. He started the season starting and then got hurt

Colin moved into the starting lineup, and ever since he came back, he's been coming off the bench, which I think is a perfect role for Clarkson to be in. He's a

microwave on offense. He comes in if he's hot. It only takes him a shot or two to get going

and he can provide that nice offensive spark. But I honestly think he just doesn't fit this

Utah Jazz team's timeline. Being 31 years old, almost 32, without any inside info, my guess is

that Danny Ainge is going to want to move him at the trade deadline just due to there has to be a

contender out there pursuing a title that could use a scoring option as legitimate as Clarkson

coming off the bench. Then you have a guy like John Collins who the Jazz traded for from the Hawks

this summer and while Collins has always struggled on the defensive end he really looks like he's

found his home over this past 20 game stretch in Utah and is playing some of the best basketball

he's played in recent years. We all just kind of considered Collins washed after the trade from

Atlanta this summer. So it is really cool to see him fitting in nicely in this Utah squad

But let's hear from Jazzmatic on this one. He'll be able to provide a much nuanced take

on what Will Hardy and company have been able to do to unlock John Collins in Utah

If Collins is being guarded by a slower big then Hardy will put Collins on the three line and let him use his athleticism and speed and his shot if it falling to attack in space Now if there an equal guy or smaller that gets switched on to Collins or that starts the games on Collins Hardy will then have Collins

dive off pick and rolls and DHOs and certain actions that they do for him, not only to use

his speed and athleticism, but also on the offensive glass. I do think, though, as I say that

I think Collins has a little ways to go still defensively, and I don't just mean as a point

of attack defender which he has enough speed and athleticism to be decent at but what i'm talking

about is more so on the team defensive side as sometimes he gets lost within the team defense

or forgets his responsibilities especially because hardy and the jazz like to switch up defenses so

much once again depending on matchups you know hardy will go from a zone to a box in one or back

to man they'll do certain rules on certain guys but you can tell that he cares and he cares about

the team and the guys like him which is something that i think every jazz fan can appreciate he at

George is the Jazz's 16th overall pick out of Baylor. There's growing pains there, but it does

look like he has some serious promise as a scorer in this league. Walker Kessler is also someone who

was injured for six or seven games early in this season, but he has been nothing short of remarkable

in this 23-game stretch. Walker is leading the team in net rating at plus 10.7. He's second in

defensive rating on the team at 108.9, and his offense has been surprisingly efficient as well

Danny Ainge has to be very happy to have a young defensive anchor locked in for the indefinite

future of this court. And then we have the infamous Chris Dunn. I remember when my Wolves

selected him at the fifth overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft. He shot just 37% from the field

that season, playing only 17 minutes a game on an awful Timberwolves team, but he really did seem

like a bust after his rookie season. He was traded to the Bulls along with Lowry in the Jimmy Butler

trade. And now here we are in 2023 after bouncing around the league for the past four to five

seasons. He is the starting point guard for this resurging Jazz team. We're also going to let Jazz

Matic take it away on Chris Dunn. I've been on the Chris Dunn bandwagon since super early in the year

when he wasn't starting. He was getting spot minutes. The lineups were tinkered with. They

were adjusted. Some games he played, half the game, some games he wouldn't. And now that he's

starting, everybody else can see what he brings to the team. And the thing that I love about Chris

Dunn is he's just doing what's being asked of him. He's not trying to do anything more. He's just

doing what Coach Hardy and the Jazz want, which is to defend and to get scores the ball. A nice

addition to his game is his ability to get into the paint and make a play for himself. Anytime

Chris Dunn has the ball, he has the ability to get to his spots, especially by the charge arc. And he

definitely looks for shooters and looks for his guys but now what he's also doing is looking for

his shot himself which I think makes him invaluable so Will Hardy has him being a rover where he's

roving around disrupting everything when anybody attacks the paint he's there not caring about the

shooter he's rotating well he's taking charges he's getting steals this way I wouldn't trust

anybody else on the jazz to do this besides Chris Dunn I've called for him to be starting since he

got 10 minutes a game maybe less than that and now he's showing everyone what he can do

But Talon Horton Tucker is a player that ever since the Jazz have been rolling, he's been taken out of the rotation almost entirely with a ton of DNPs during this stretch

It really goes to show you that Will Hardy values continuity, teamwork, and playing within the system, which just honestly isn't THT's MO

He's probably the most obvious sell at the deadline for this roster. And then you have a guy like Kelly Olenek, who has been fantastic in the second unit

He is 32 years old. So I really do think Danny Ainge is also going to trade him at the trade deadline

It's just something that makes sense. Simone Fontecchio has also been a role player during this stretch

He's a 28-year-old second-year player averaging 8.9 points per game. He actually starts with this new starting lineup

And I have nothing really to say about him except that he's just super solid. But to be honest, the biggest reason in my opinion

obviously you give the players credit where credit is due. but the biggest reason for this Jazz team's success is their head coach, Will Hardy

He was the Spurs assistant alongside Greg Popovich from 2015 to 2021

In 2021, he would join Ime Odoka's staff in Boston for that season

Owner Ryan Smith and CEO Danny Ainge would hire him to become their head coach in the summer of 2022

What makes him such a fantastic hire? Our friend Jazzmatic can say it better than I can, so we'll let him take it away

I think the Jazz absolutely knocked it out of the park with the hiring of Will Hardy

He's humble and he's not afraid to try some things that might make him look foolish

For instance, this morphing zone that they've put in, which kind of a mix between a 2-3 zone

3 zone with matchup responsibilities He throw out a box in one He tinker with lineups He not afraid to try things for the success of the organization He figures out ways to let guys play to their strengths He doesn coach every dribble and he has mentioned

in recent interviews that he sets philosophies or ideas of how he wants the team to play

specifically on offense, and then he trusts the guys to execute on those ideas, but within the

strength of their games. So an example is he loves having Keontae George come down the right side of

the floor because Keontae loves coming off screens or attacking going to his left hand. I think he

does a good job of giving the young guys experience like Keontae and Taylor Hendricks in the NBA. But

then when they have a full roster and they're not injured, he's still getting those young guys reps

in the G League, which I think is just as valuable. To me, if the Jazz keep this up and they make a

playoffs, Will Hardy has to be considered for coach of the year. Chris Finch is right up there

Mark Dagnall is right up there, but so is Will Hardy. The best part about this recent surge for

the Utah Jazz is the insane amount of draft capital they have from now until 2030. Through

the Donovan Mitchell trade and through the Rudy Gobert trade primarily, Danny Ainge has armed

himself with a first round pick in 2024, three 2025 firsts, including two unprotected from the

Cavs and the Wolves, their own first in 2026, four first round picks in 2027, the Cavs, the Wolves

their own, and a Lakers top four protected, which is a part of the D-Lowe Russell Westbrook trade

And then three first in 2028 and three first in 2029. This is an insane amount of ammo in the arsenal for Danny Ainge to mess around with

But the question still remains, will the Jazz be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline

Like I said before, I think they trade away Kelly Olenek at the deadline

He doesn't fit their timeline. Same with probably Jordan Clarkson. If they can get a good deal for him, maybe they decide to keep him

But the real question is, could the Jazz go out and make a big splash

is Danny Ainge ready to win now? Is this team ready for a play-in push? I truly do think they

are. They have an elite coach. They're getting good guard play out of Colin Sexton and Chris Dunn

They have an all-star in Lowry Markinan. They have a first-team all-defense caliber anchor in

Walker Kessler. And lastly, let's be honest, the West is a juggernaut this year, but the play-in

is completely wide open. With the Grizzlies losing John Morant for the season, Marcus Smart and

Desmond Bain being out for the foreseeable future. The Lakers have really sucked this year. The

Warriors have sucked even more, and the Rockets have been faltering lately, and the Mavs and the

Kings have been struggling lately as well, which means we have six teams and four spots available

Why can't the Jazz beat out two of those teams? It's not really too much of a concern to me if

they lose in the play-in. They have to get their young core a playoff atmosphere experience at some

point, so why not give them a taste for it now? You're too good to get a high lottery pick no

matter how hard you try. So if I'm Danny Ainge, I'm making zero moves involving my future first

but I may try to be a third team in a trade again, take on a salary filler for extra ammo

I then trim a couple layers of fat like a Kelly Olenek and maybe a Jordan Clarkson. And then I

ride with the rest of my guys. We haven't even mentioned the fact that you have Taylor Hendricks

and Bryce Sensabaugh getting play in the G League, ready to come up and see if they can contribute

Let this team that you've constructed see if they can prove themselves. And even if they do barely miss the play-in

let them see how it feels to almost make the playoffs, get them hungry for next year, and go all in this summer

Either way, if I have to predict the play-in teams today, here's what I think. I have zero concerns of the Mavericks or the Kings not making the play-in

so we'll put them at 7 and 8. I don't see the Lakers not making the play-in, so I'm going to put them at 9

which means it comes down to the Jazz, the Rockets, and the Warriors for that final spot

I don't know about you, but I have zero faith in the Warriors. They'll have to do some miracle working at the deadline for me to believe in them

so I'm going to eliminate them. It's really down to the Jazz and the Rockets, and I just think the Jazz have the upper hand

The Rockets are good, but they haven't been as strong as they started the season. I really could go either way, but I'm going to say the Jazz get the final spot

Bookmark this, and we'll see how I did in my predictions at the end of the year. Either way, whether the Jazz sneak in the play in and get bounced

or they somehow make it into a playoff series and get a gentleman's sweep, or if they missed the playoffs entirely

I don't think there's a way that you can say this wasn't a successful season for this team

Their best days are ahead. This Jazz team is for real. I think we've seen enough

They're good enough to make the playoffs. They play unselfish. They have such depth at almost every position

and they have a truly elite coach who knows how to get the most out of his guys

This is the first time I've ever collaborated with a local creator slash beat reporter for a video

I hope you enjoyed this style. Let me know if you'd like to see it more. Make sure to follow Jazzmatic on Twitter

He deserves way more eyeballs on his tweets. If you enjoyed this video, check out the video I just made on the Lakers role player problem explained

And as always, we'll see you on the hardwood