3 reasons to watch the Utah Jazz take on the Orlando Magic

The Utah Jazz and the Orlando Magic face off against one another, with both teams trying to make headway.

The Utah Jazz got a much-needed win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday, showing off what their offense could look like if everyone was hitting at the same time. Jordan Clarkson looked the best he’s looked across this early season and Collin Sexton was a man who couldn’t miss. Coupled with Lauri Markkanen’s steady supply of rain-making shots, the Grizzlies had no chance.

Not with or without star Ja Morant, who remains suspended.

The Jazz now have the Orlando Magic on Thursday, and the Jazz could pull themselves back to .500 with a win, a win that may just be likely.

Back to .500

The Utah Jazz have a very real shot at beating the Orlando Magic on Thursday. As long as everyone plays to their average selves, the Jazz should be able to take down the Magic, who are having a rough start to the season. They’re only 2-2, but the team has seen young player Paolo Banchero take a step back to start the season. He’s struggling to hit his shots and fellow youngster Franz Wagner is now doing most of the heavy lifting. Banchero is averaging less than 13 points per game so far, far down from his 20+ last season. The Jazz are not going to be facing a great team, even if Banchero was playing up to his expectations, so fans who want to see the Jazz even out their record need to tune in tonight.

Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton’s potential return to form?

We know that Clarkson and Sexton are liabilities on defense, but when they’re on offensively they’re as good of scorers as anyone in the league. The only problem is that to start off the year, neither has been “on”. Until Wednesday’s game against the Grizzlies, where both men went off. Now we have to see if they can keep this going for a stretch because both men are vital to the Jazz’s success. If they can continue to play well the Jazz will re-enter playoff considerations real fast.

The gameplan for Franz Wagner

Defensively, the one player the Jazz have to worry about is Franz Wagner. He’s a tremendous scorer and someone the Magic are hoping to build their future around, alongside Banchero. The Jazz’s perimeter defense has been bad this season, and Wagner poses a problem for the Jazz. How the Jazz try to defend Wagner will be very telling, because we’re not sure if the team has the pieces needed right now to push for the playoffs. If the Jazz can slow down Wagner, it may go a bit to reassuring fans that Will Hardy can win with this roster as is.