We’re ranking every Utah Jazz player by how impactful we expect them to be this season.
All sports teams have a pecking order. There’s the leader of the team, the star of the whole show and the guys you’re only going to see if things go terribly, terribly wrong. The Utah Jazz are no different in that regard. They have a star in Lauri Markkanen that they hope gets them back to the playoffs. Then they have guys like Johnny Juzang, who if he’s getting minutes, something has gone wrong.
That’s not a knock on Juzang, but he’s just not being given much of a chance to start over guys like Jordan Clarkson.
Every guy has a role to play and some are more important than others, but among the Utah Jazz, who is the most important? Is it Markkanen? Is it Juzang? (It’s not Juzang), is it Clarkson? Let’s find out as we rank every player on the Utah Jazz by their most likelihood to make an impact on the team.
Firstly, let’s start with the honorable mentions.
Josh Christopher, Micah Potter, Johnny Juzang
These three men make up the two-way contracts that the Utah Jazz currently enlist. They could change at any time, but currently, Josh Christopher, Micah Potter, and Johnny Juzang make up the three plays. You can put them in any order, but the order I’d put them in is Josh Christopher is the least of the three you can rely on.
Christopher isn’t a great shooter and is already on his second team after just being drafted a couple of years ago. He’s got some issues as a prospect. For Potter, he’s coming in second. He’s a solid rebounder, but he isn’t athletic enough to make up for a lack of refined shooting. Then there’s Juzang, the most likely of the three to see any real-time on the pro squad.
15. Omer Yurtseven
It’s fair to say that Omer Yurtseven is not a standout on this team. At least not yet. The big man played with the Miami Heat, showing off some impressive skills, but he’s mostly been forgotten about with the Utah Jazz. Since arriving with the team this summer, Yurtseven hasn’t really made any headway with the team.
He was thought to be the team’s backup big behind Walker Kessler but it’s looking more and more likely that he’s going to be riding the pine pony. Kelly Olynyk is still the primary big off the bench and is able to fill in for both Kessler and John Collins as needed.
This means that Yurteven is basically just sitting on his hands for most games. He’s a solid defender, and a decent rebounder but he isn’t really doing much else to get eyes on him. He’s a fine backup but unless someone gets hurt, Yurtseven isn’t likely to see many minutes or make any meaningful impact.
If he does see some action, it may not be the best thing for everyone involved. He’s a bit limited athletically and there’s a reason he isn’t making noise. If Olynyk, Kessler, John Collins, or Lauri Markkanen goes down with an injury, it’s far likelier that Taylor Hendricks will get more minutes than Yurtseven.
14. Simone Fontecchio
Simone Fontecchio looked good in the FIBA World Cup, helping lead Italy to a nice showing. There was some belief from us that he may crack into the rotation with how well he played but that doesn’t seem likely to happen. Unlike some on the team, Fontecchio isn’t that far down the depth chart. He’s right behind Lauri Markkanen and maybe Ochai Agbaji, depending on if the team feels Agbaji can replace Markkanen for a spell.
But that’s just it; if Markkanen is out for any real spell, the team will likely just push someone like Agbaji or John Collins into his spot more than likely. And that’s because Fontecchio, like Omer Yurtseven before him, has just not impressed people with his preseason performances.
He’s done a solid job, nothing to shake a stick at, but when you’re talking about being good enough to replace Markkanen in the event of an injury, that’s a tall order and one that Fontecchio has not proven he can do in the NBA. As with the rest of the players so far on this list, if Fontecchio is playing significant minutes for the Utah Jazz, something terrible has in fact gone wrong.
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13. Luka Samanic
Despite being buried further behind the starter than someone like Omer Yurtseven, Luka Samanic may find more minutes to play due to those ahead of him. Samanic is the team’s third-best power forward, just behind Taylor Hendricks and starter John Collins. Samanic isn’t going to get minutes over Hendricks, as Hendricks is a vaunted prospect (and Samanic is not). And he’s not going to get minutes over Collins, as he’s the new addition the team is quite excited about.
Samanic is someone who can be a very unique and dynamic forward, having good handles, and solid passing skills, and is largely just a unique force at the position. He lacks a bigger frame and may not be as strong as others in his position. Inconsistency as a shooter is also going to hinder him from time to time.
That inconsistency as a scorning threat is the biggest issue with Samanic. If he can develop a reliable shot and find minutes, he can help the team to a degree, but he likely isn’t going to be the savor the team needs if Lauri Markkanen or Collins goes down with a major injury.
He may prove us all wrong but who knows at this point.
12. Brice Sensabaugh
When it comes to Brice Sensabaugh, he’s someone that the Utah Jazz could really find some minutes for should things not go their way. He’s, on paper, the best shooter of the three rookies the Utah Jazz just drafted. He’s able to score from all three levels and he can stretch the court.
He is only (ha, only), 6’6, so he’s likely not an option at power forward and definitely not at center. So he’s limited to just perimeter positions. And due to the fact he isn’t a strong ball-handler and isn’t a great passer, he isn’t a point guard. So he’s stuck playing just the shooting guard and small forward positions.
Positions that are pretty well covered. He’s likely only going to get minutes if injuries rear their ugly head and start taking down the players ahead of him like Jordan Clarkson, Ochai Agbaji, and Lauri Markkanen. That said, we’re now starting to get into the territory where if that happens, the team may not be screwed.
Sensabaugh has a long way to go before he’s ready for 20+ minutes a game, namely due to how far behind is already is in regard to development. He’s missed months due to a knee injury, so he’ll need to prove he can get back into game shape in a hurry. But if he does, the Jazz could probably expect 10+ points out of him a night.
11. Talen Horton-Tucker
It may seem unfair to Talen Horton-Tucker, who is penciled in as the team’s starter at point guard (according to ESPN), but it makes sense. For some reason Utah Jazz head coach Will Hardy is high on him, at least high enough to start him over Collin Sexton and Kris Dunn. Admittedly, staggering Sexton so he doesn’t start next to Jordan Clarkson makes all the sense in the world, but over Dunn?
Dunn is everything Horton-Tucker is, but better. He’s a better defender, better rebounder, better passer, and even a better scorer. The only reason why it makes sense for Horton-Tucker to start over Dunn is because the team is trying to trade Horton-Tucker.
That’s it, that’s the only reason why it makes sense to start Horton-Tucker over Dunn. Otherwise, what is even going on here? He’s not the most consistent player the team has, and sure, he’s young so he can still get better but most of the time if you’re a bad shooter, you stay a bad shooter.
You don’t just turn into Steph Curry, either you are or you aren’t. And Horton-Tucker isn’t. He’s likely to be an issue for the offense, and defensively, he’ll prove to be a liability.
10. Keyonte George
Consistency is going to be the name of the game for Keyonte George. That’s really been the rookie’s biggest issue across the Summer League and the NBA preseason. He’s super athletic and can blow past anyone with the ball in his hands, but he struggles everywhere else. And then, sometimes he doesn’t. Sometimes he’s a madman who can’t be guarded. Making shots from all over the place. Then the very next game he goes 2-15 and has more turnovers than Arby’s.
I may have dated us a bit if Arby’s doesn’t still have turnovers, but the analogy is solid. George can be great, and he can be truly awful. It really all depends on the time of date and if Mars is in retrograde. Or maybe it’s just that he’s a rookie and isn’t completely sure how to be his best self as often as possible.
Regardless, George’s early inconsistencies will limit have much time he sees, and it may be a while before he’s playing significant minutes for the team. Especially considering the depth the team has at the guard spots around him. They may not have any real All-Stars, but they have very few players who aren’t of some quality.
9. Taylor Hendricks
As with Keyonte George, and Brice Sensabaugh, fellow rookie Taylor Hendricks is not going to be someone that you should expect to see much of to start the season. He, like Sensabaugh before him, missed a lot of time due to injury. He didn’t play in the Summer League and played limited minutes in the preseason.
Like with George, Hendricks has shown to be pretty inconsistent due to the combination of age, inexperience and just not being in a rhythm yet. And with all three, it’s super important that we all hear this; they’re going to get better (we hope). They’re going to improve and they’re going to find their space within the team to operate.
It’s just not going to be early, and it won’t be very often. Hendricks will likely be the first guy off the bench after the regulars, and when he gets in, will have opportunities to show off what he can do.
Still, with just John Collins, Walker Kessler, Lauri Markkanen, and Kelly Olynyk ahead of him, it’s very likely he will get some minutes faster than the rest of the rookies on the team. After all, having just four bigs ahead of him, foul trouble or injuries will launch Hendricks into playing time.
8. Collin Sexton
Collin Sexton could find himself much higher up this list depending on what happens with not only Jordan Clarkson, Talen Horton-Tucker, and others, but with his play. Sexton not only has to deal with a deep rotation around him, but he has to shake off the struggles he has developed so far during the preseason.
Sexton did not look good scoring the ball, and as that’s the only real move he has, that’s all sorts of problematic. Since Sexton isn’t a great passer, or even a passable defender, if Sexton isn’t hitting his shots, he’s not going to help a team play better. That’s really what it comes down to with him.
Sexton is a volume shooter, doing most of his damage from the paint. So when his shot isn’t falling, as it currently isn’t, there’s little value in playing him. It’s likely just a slump, one that he’ll have to shoot his way out of, but even then, how long until he looks like his old self? An old self that, even when good is still limited as Sexton’s not known for his three-point shooting volume.
He can shoot the three-ball when he tries, but for some reason, he’s hesitant to take more shots from that distance.
7. Ochai Agbaji
With Ochai Agbaji, off goes the limitations conversations, and in comes the “just wait” conversations. Agabji played very well as a rookie for the Utah Jazz and is going to get minutes as both a backup guard and small forward.
Going in for Jordan Clarkson and Lauri Markkanen, Agbaji is going to have a real shot to score some points off the bench. And as a natural shooter, especially from three, Agbaji may just come out of nowhere to contend for the Most Improved Player of the Year Award.
And while his scoring is going to help, it’s his defense that should have a lot of us excited. The most dynamic part of his game during the preseason was his playing defense. He was everywhere, and looking every bit as advertised coming out of college.
If he can keep his shot falling at a consistent rate and become the perimeter defender needed to pair with Walker Kessler, Agbaji may not be a bench player for very much longer.
6. Kelly Olynyk
As far as who the sixth man on the team is going to be, it’s likely to be Collin Sexton or Jordan Clarkson. As far as who the sixth man should be? It’s Kelly Olynyk. Olynyk would still be a starter if he were on any other team, but because the Jazz have the young defensive dynamo Walker Kessler, a huge potential All-Star in John Collins, and the face of the franchise Lauri Markkanen all needing spots in the starting rotation, someone had to go to the bench.
Olynyk is someone who can do it all. He’s a versatile big who can play power forward and center. He can pass, rebound, play defense, and score from all three levels. He’s not so good that he can turn himself into an All-NBA player, he has his consistency issues, but when he’s on a night of 12-15 points, 6-8 rebounds, 4+ assists and 25+ minutes isn’t unlikely.
And considering he’ll be doing that from both the power forward and center spots really shows you just how effective he can be if used right. He’s someone the Jazz can lean on to do damage off the bench, and can be slotted into any lineup depending on the need at the moment.
We’ve pitched trading him before, but now we think Olynyk may be better off staying in Salt Lake City.
5. Kris Dunn
Kris Dunn should be starting. It doesn’t make any sense that he’s not. We’ve talked before about why he isn’t, and it’s mostly to do with our belief that the Utah Jazz are trying to get someone to trade for Talen Horton-Tucker before it gets too late in the season. After all, the Jazz almost dealt him to the Houston Rockets this past week.
It’s the only reason that makes sense why someone like Dunn, who can change the game on defense, isn’t starting over Horton-Tucker, who isn’t very good on defense. The thing that further baffles us is that the one thing the starting rotation needs, a good passer, is exactly what Dunn is. If he’s nothing else, he’s the team’s best and most reliable passer.
Sure, there are concerns about his scoring, and if he’s going to be able to keep the clip he was at last season going this season. Those are all viable concerns that we don’t have the answer to. Yet, even if his shooting falls off to what it was in Chicago, he’s still a better fit for what this team needs on offense and defense. He’s worth the risk in that regard. He should get the start so that he can prove if last season was a fluke or not.
4. John Collins
Right now, we’re going to be cautiously optimistic about what John Collins can bring to the table. He didn’t have the best preseason at all. His shot looked rough, he wasn’t in tune with his teammates, and due to that, turned the ball over way too much. He seemed a bit passive as well, not as forceful and take-charge as we’ve seen in the past.
That said, Collins is also coming back from a major injury that affected his shooting, and integrating into a new city, a new team, and a new offense and defense. He’s going to have his struggles, but he’ll likely bounce back to the player he was. There’s no reason to not think that at this juncture.
His injury was to his finger, and it’s supposedly healed at this point. So it stands to reason that he’ll be ready to go and look more like the Collins as old. Still, he’s not the best scorer on the team; he’s not even the second-best scorer, nor is he the best rebounder or the best defender.
So while he has a tremendous upside, he’s still just the second-best option on either side of the court at best, and third-best at worst.
3. Jordan Clarkson
Speaking of the second-best scorer, have we talked about Jordan Clarkson? Clarkson, as we’ve mentioned before, is Collin Sexton’s final evolution. As with Sexton, Clarkson really only does one thing very well; sore. But unlike Sexton who doesn’t shoot many threes or has spells where he’s inconsistent, Clarkson does in fact shoot threes and hardly ever has a long cold snap.
Clarkson shouldn’t shoot many threes, admittedly, he’s barely a career 34% shooter from behind the arc, but he at least has the confidence to take a bunch every game. It’s not what anyone wants (besides Clarkson) but he’s at least willing to do it. That’s more than we can say about Sexton most nights.
So yes, Clarkson isn’t elite from three, but he is from inside the arc. He’s a career 51% from inside the three-point line and it shows, namely in last year’s Sixth Man of the Year Award. He can be a genuine difference-maker on offense. If he’s able to play solid defense, which would be a year-to-year improvement for Clarkson, then the Jazz may even see Clarkson make the All-Star team in 2024.
Even if he doesn’t play great defense, at least he can still rebound at a high rate for you, as he can average nearly four rebounds per-game. And that’s something a lot of shorter guards can’t do in the league. So Clarkson has a lot more assets to bring to the table compared to someone like Sexton.
Wouldn’t have him leading the offense, however, as he turns over the ball to the rate of 1.3:1.
2. Walker Kessler
This may be too high for Walker Kessler, we respect that possibility and acknowledge that it exists. That said, he may be too low, as well. Kessler is only in his second season and isn’t the player offensively he needs to be to carry a team.
He may never be, that’s a possibility, but Utah Jazz head coach is pushing Walker Kessler to shoot a lot more outside of the paint. If he can even start hitting threes with any regularity, while also working on his shooting techniques from inside the paint, then Kessler could really do some damage for the Utah Jazz.
A consistent three-point shot would turn him into a more advanced version of Brook Lopez, and if that’s the best he ever is, then that’d be fantastic. That said, Kessler is up here because of his defensive impact on the game. Last year, it was beyond impressive.
This year, it needs to be even better, especially if the Jazz are to compete for a playoff spot. If Kessler struggles on defense, then the whole team falls apart. They don’t have the player depth or the skillsets among those players to replace him. So while we’re hoping Kessler earns this spot through his play, it’s also important to realize that he’s as high as he is, because of how important he is.
He may struggle, and if he does the Jazz are doomed. But if he doesn’t, if he succeeds, then the Jazz will be hard to beat every night.
1. Lauri Markkanen
Of course, Lauri Markkanen is the top guy on this list. Who else would it be? He’s the team’s primary scorer, he’s one of the team’s better defenders, and the entire offense that Will Hardy is building will play through Markkanen. Of course, it was going to be him.
And just like Walker Kessler, Lauri Markkanen isn’t just here because of his talent, he’s here because of what would happen to the team if he struggles or gets hurt. Like with Kessler, the Jazz doesn’t have a second All-Star or Top 25 player on the roster. If Markkanen’s scoring is inconsistent or he gets hurt, the Jazz are doomed.
If Jordan Clarkson goes down, sure you lose some three-point play, but Collin Sexton can mostly do what Clarkson can. If John Collins goes down, Tayloer Hendricks can try and be a replacement. There isn’t a replacement for Markkanen, just like there isn’t a replacement for Kessler.
Protecting Markkanen and developing a nightly game plan where he can excel and carry the team has to be the priority going forward. The team won’t make the playoffs with either man out of action, but with Markkanen, not only will the offense suffer but the defense will too.
He’s a solid defender, and while he won’t make an All-Defensive team, he’s good enough to not worry about. Losing Markkanen would be devastating and that’s why he’s the top guy.