The Utah Jazz should be playing these three young players far more than they are.
The Utah Jazz are a team that has some issues to figure out and we think that one way to relieve the team of some of its frustrations may be to play some of the younger guys.
We know what the limits of some of the vets are, and with that in mind, it’s time to see what the floor of some of the younger guys could be. If these guys can benefit the team, then why not use them more, right?
Even if it means taking minutes away from others.
Collin Sexton
Collin Sexton is a better player than Jordan Clarkson. By all metrics, by all measurements, by everything you want to observe or read into, he’s better. He’s a more reliable scorer (.588 true shooting for Sexton, .489 true shooting for Clarkson), he’s a better defender (-4.1 DPBM for Sexton, -4.4 DBPM for Clarkson), and he turns the ball over far less (2.0 for Sexton to 3.7 for Clarkson).
He’s better. He just is. Yet, Clarkson is getting played like he’s the star of the team, taking 20+ shots per game, and getting 31.3 minutes per game. Sexton, on the other hand, is getting 18.8 minutes per game, and out-shooting Clarkson. And not just a little, Sexton is hitting 46% of his shots on the season.
For some bizarre reason, Sexton is in fact an automatic bucket, yet people dismiss that. He’s far more effective, far more efficient of a scorer than Clarkson yet Sexton isn’t getting nearly the amount of minutes he truly deserves.
Yes, he’s Sexton’s bad on defense, but so is Clarkson. And Sexton is cheaper, more efficient, and can still grow as a player. We know what Clarkson is, he’s hit his peak and it makes no sense to play him over Sexton. Especially when they play similar styles
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Keyonte George
As a scorer, Keyonte George is a struggle to watch. He’s shooting just 37% from the floor, and a true shooting percentage of just 49.1%. He’s been rough. He’s been very rough. And despite what people were hoping for after the preseason, George hasn’t been the big bucket-getter that everyone thought he could be. Still, George has shown to be valuable in a lot of ways.
George is currently third on the list out of all Utah Jazz players in assists, with 4.6 assists. He’s just behind Jordan Clarkson’s 4.9 assists and Talen Horton-Tucker’s 5.0 assists. He’s flying up the rankings with his dynamic passing and eventually may be able to unseat both men as the team’s assists leader.
He’s also doing it without turning the ball over, posting just 1.7 turnovers per game. So while he’s struggling to score, he’s still able to pass the ball without turning it over, and right now that’s what the Jazz need more than anything; a stable ball handler who can engage with the offense.
He still needs to work on his shooting, namely his shot selection, but in time that should (hopefully) come to him. Also shoring up his defense wouldn’t hurt. Though, right now, that’s something the whole team struggles with, not just him.
Ochai Agbaji
The inconsistent use of Ochai Agbaji this season has been a bit maddening. In some games he’s a starter, in others, he was getting action only after the game was out of hand. He’s averaging just 16 minutes per game, despite the fact that out of every Utah Jazz player with two or more three-point attempts per game, he’s fourth in three-point percentage.
It seems odd to keep one of your best three-point shooters to limited minutes, while guys like Talen Horton-Tucker and Jordan Clarkson have impunity to take every bad shot their hearts desire, but here we are.
Agbaji is also sixth on the team in defensive box plus-minus. Granted, only Luka Samanic and Kelly Olynyk have a positive rating in that category, but Agbaji is still on the higher end of that list, with only a -1.9. Considering Clarkson and Collin Sexton are in the -4.0 area, it seems odd George is being limited in his play.
Now that he’s seemingly in the starting lineup going forward this may not be a big issue. Now, Will Hardy has shown to be a bit unpredictable with his lineups and rotations, but it seems obvious Agbaji is the way to go. But we’ll have to wait and see.