Lauri Markkanen needs to be featured as a legit No. 1 scoring option for the Utah Jazz to win games

The Utah Jazz have proven one thing; Lauri Markkanen needs more shots.

So far, through three games, the Utah Jazz are far from the playoff team we thought they’d be. They’re among the worst, if not the worst defensively; something we feared could be the case due to their collection of offensive-minded guards, while also a middling, unimpressive offense. The team as a whole isn’t shooting well, and guys we thought would be big contributors to the team, like Ochai Agbaji, are sitting on the bench watching. Even the defensive dynamo that was supposed to be Walker Kessler is playing uninspired ball.

The only man who isn’t struggling it seems is Lauri Markkanen who is starting off the season in elite territory. He’s single-handedly carrying the offense as of right now, and it’s not even close. He’s been super efficient for a Jazz team that is just 21st in the league in shooting percentage while being 9th in shots taken and 17th in shots made.

Markkanen is the only player to score 73 points or more in his first three games, while not hitting 100 minutes played. He’s fifth in total points while being tied with just two others for the least amount of minutes played across three starts.

And it isn’t just his low-post exploits that have been key to his hot start. Of everyone in the top 20 of points scored, who have started three games, Markkanen is third in three-point shooting, with only Luka Doncic and Jalen Brunson topping him. Markkanen is hitting 46% of his threes so far. This season.

Considering the Jazz are 12th in three-pointers attempted, 15th in threes made, and 16th in three-point percentage, it’s obvious that Markkanen is carrying them from beyond the arc. The Jazz as a team have made just 37 of their 106 attempts. Markkanen is 12 of 26. Take out Markkanen and the team is shooting just 31% from three, putting them in the bottom seven or eight teams in the league.

Clearly, giving guys like Jordan Clarkson, Collin Sexton, and Talen Horton-Tucker 31.4 shots per game isn’t helping this offense. We’re hopeful Clarkson gets better as the season goes on, but Sexton doesn’t shoot threes and Horton-Tucker is the 14th-worst shooter in the league.

So it boggles the mind how Utah Jazz head coach Will Hardy allows three players who are shooting terribly to take shots away from Markkanen. Markkanen was just 26th in attempts per game last year, and as he’s supposedly the top guy in the offense, that’s a pretty low number. The best guys in the league average 20 or more, and that should be the amount Markkanen gets per game.

Markkanen also needs to play more minutes. Stop giving minutes away from Markkanen to give to others who just hinder the offense and outright hurt the defense.

This means either telling the likes of Clarkson, Sexton, and Horton-Tucker to find Markkanen more often or putting in guys who won’t take away from the best shooter on the team. This team’s only victory came when Markkanen out-bodied the opposition and dropped 35 on the Los Angeles Clippers.

If that’s what the Jazz are going to need to win this year, so be it.