The Utah Jazz should not run a four-guard lineup during the regular season

The Utah Jazz ran a risky lineup against the Portland Trail Blazers, one that shouldn’t be run again.

Give Will Hardy credit, he sure knows how to get creative. In their most recent game against the Portland Trail Blazers the Utah Jazz ran out a lineup that featured four different guards. Three of them were point guards, Kris Dunn, Collin Sexton, and Keyonte George. A fourth was a shooting guard; Ochai Agbaji, and all four played around the center Walker Kessler.

It was a bold lineup, one that came about with a lead of 35-25 late in the first quarter. The lineup didn’t do great, scoring just five points while giving up nine. By the time Talen Horton-Tucker came in for Sexton, the score was 40-34.

Horton-Tucker did better with the unit, helping them go on a 14-9 run by the time another non-guard came into the game. The pressure was there offensively, but defensively they were lacking. Having Kessler helped immensely, but this lineup really only worked because the Blazers have a smaller team and aren’t really a threat to win many games.

If Hardy tries to run out a four-guard lineup against teams like the Los Angeles Lakers or the Dallas Mavericks, with the big bodies they have, the Jazz may not see the same success.

That’s why it’s important to not run this lineup out that much, if at all. It’s not reliable. Plus, while you don’t need everyone to be a Chet Holmgren or Victor Wembanyama-sized player, you’re going to need more than one guy who’s over 6’6 on the court at a time.

The Jazz has length where it matters, and not using it doesn’t make sense.

Now, it should be noted that this isn’t a lineup that the Jazz would start. It’s likely a lineup they would try and go with if the opposing team is bigger and slower; teams like the New York Knicks and the Cleveland Cavaliers, and only for a few minutes at a time.

No one should worry about this being their new starting lineup.