3 winners and losers from the Utah Jazz’s loss to the Sacramento Kings

Losers

Collin Sexton

Yikes. Collin Sexton played a bad game. He went 2-9 from the floor, missing both three-point attempts he took, had zero assists, and somehow had three turnovers. The turnovers and the lack of assists aren’t surprising but coupled with truly horrid night shooting, one has to ask the very real question of how long they let Sexton shoot his way out of this slump before they start tinkering with minutes. This may be the first regular season game of the season, but he’s looked this bad since camp started. Something is up.

Kris Dunn

Four turnovers in a game is abysmal, especially when you play fewer than 20 minutes. Admittedly, Kris Dunn played fine, but for as many people, ourselves included, who advocate for him to be the team’s starting point guard, he can’t keep turning the ball over.

Team Defense

The defense was bad. Just pure bad. The Sacramento Kings shot 51 three-point shots. Read that number again, because it’s unbelievable. That’s bad enough. What’s even worse is how two of their starting forwards went ham on the Utah Jazz’s defense. Harrison Barnes was taking some very easy-looking shots, and Domantas Sabonis looked like his father and Nikola Jokic rolled into one. Walker Kessler played just 22 minutes because of how little impact he was having on the game on his own. And it’s not all on him. When you have a starting five that includes Talen Horton-Tucker and Jordan Clarkson, and then you play Keyonte George and Collin Sexton; of course, you’re going to give up a lot of points. Will Hardy is supposed to be a smart coach, yet we’re left wondering why he thought this lineup was going to do anything against the Sacramento Kings.