3 studs and 1 dud from Utah Jazz win over Pistons

With any luck, last night’s game marks the moment that the Utah Jazz got back on track. Granted, a 111-101 victory over the Detroit Pistons isn’t necessarily something Jazz fans would expect to be celebrating. The Pistons are one of the worst teams in the NBA. The Jazz, allegedly, are one of the best.

Regardless, this team needed a win however they could get one. In the midst of a slump and without their offensive engine in Donovan Mitchell, this was a key win for the Jazz’s 2021-22 season.

Here are 3 studs and 1 dud from their performance.

Utah Jazz stud: Jordan Clarkson

It’s important to give credit where it’s due. We may have advocated for a Jordan Clarkson trade ad nauseam, but the league’s reigning Sixth Man of the Year was sensational last night.

His performance may have lent credence to the argument that Clarkson isn’t built to thrive alongside Mitchell. In his star teammate’s absence, Clarkson delivered 20 points while shooting 8/17 from the field and 3/5 from three-point range.

Clarkson is a primary ball-handler. His ideal role is to occupy that space with a second unit. He mostly does precisely that for the Utah Jazz. The issue in 2021-22 has been that he doesn’t have a role when he shares the floor with Donovan Mitchell. That’s a significant problem, given that Mitchell is on the floor for 33.5 minutes per contest.

It feels like Clarkson would be better served on a team that runs their offense alongside a wing or a big, as long as his three-point percentage remains below average. That’s all we’ve ever tried to say: nobody is here to deny Clarkson’s talent.

Last night, it was on full display. If the Jazz opt to hold onto Clarkson and hope for his threes to start falling, we’re willing to admit it could end up being the right decision.