Utah Jazz at Denver Nuggets: Keys to getting back on track

Key #3 – Slow Trey Lyles

I know, Jazz fans, this one sounds absolutely crazy. But believe it or not, Trey Lyles has played extremely well for the Nuggets of late, particularly in the absence of Paul Millsap. In his last eight games, Lyles is averaging 16 points on 57.8 percent shooting from the field and 55.6 percent from deep on 4.5 attempts per game, while also chipping in six rebounds per contest.

Especially considering how he played during his time as a Jazzman, those numbers seem very much less than sustainable, but that doesn’t change the fact that he has been on a tear lately. And after two disappointing performances against his old team to start out the season, you can bet that he’ll be looking to earn his revenge tonight.

Therefore, when he’s on the floor sparking Denver’s second unit, the Jazz will absolutely need to hold him in check. He’s shown flashes of brilliance as a versatile and effective offensive player during his time with the Nuggets, so the Jazz need to be prepared for him to continue to do so. I don’t think any Jazz fan would argue with the sentiment that Utah clearly won the recent trade with Denver by netting Donovan Mitchell, but that doesn’t change the fact that Lyles has looked much-improved so far on his new team.

So while Lyles isn’t the Nuggets’ best player by any stretch of the imagination, he could be considered their hottest and he’ll almost certainly be out with a chip on his shoulder and something to prove as he takes on his former team that traded him away. That’s a dangerous combo that the Jazz will need to stop in order to avoid an unfortunate outcome.