The Utah Jazz will get their first preseason crack against NBA competition when they go up against the Houston Rockets. The Rockets intend to contend for a playoff spot, so while it may be preseason, the Jazz should have their work cut out for them.
This writer went four-for-five when he projected their starting lineup against New Zealand. The only whiff was the small forward, where Taylor Hendricks got the nod over Cody Williams. However, even though they went with Hendricks, there's no telling if that will be the case on opening night.
With the Rockets coming to town, expect the Jazz to play their starters more, but don't expect any changes.
Keyonte George - Point Guard
All eyes will be on George's all-around development as a guard in his sophomore season. It may have been against an overseas team, but the initial results were promising, as he dished out five assists against the Breakers. George doesn't have to be John Stockton, but he has to show that he can become more than an inefficient scorer.
Collin Sexton - Shooting Guard
When he got the nod at starting shooting guard against New Zealand, Sexton did what Sexton does: He scored a ton and did so in a short time frame—16 points in 18.25 minutes. He's proven exactly what he is and has been for some time now - a legitimate starting shooting guard.
Now whether or not the Jazz see that through past his current contract is really anyone's guess. Sexton is still young, and he's got plenty of time to prove if he's their shooting guard of the future.
Taylor Hendricks - Small Forward
Hendricks got the first crack as the Jazz's starting wing in the preseason. Not only did he look promising, but knowing who he's been working with this offseason, Jazz fans should be more intrigued by his potential.
The defense and energy is there, but keep an eye on Hendricks' offensive potential. The Jazz have a potential ace in the hole in Williams if Hendricks doesn't work out, but the biggest beauty of it all is that they have both.
Lauri Markkanen - Power Forward
There didn't need to be an elaboration the first time with Markkanen's spot here, and there doesn't need to be one now.
Walker Kessler - Center
Kessler dominated the boards against New Zealand, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. Because he was in trade rumors all offseason long, all eyes will be on him for a while. No one knows if Kessler really is the center of the future or just another asset to sell off.
The Jazz clearly still believe in him and he can definitely reward their faith. If he doesn't work out or in other words, if last season wasn't an accident, that could make for quite the intriguing subplot.
So yeah, cutting out all of the explanation above, expect the Jazz to run with the same starters that they did when they went against the Breakers. However, don't be surprised if this is the last time the Jazz use these starters to see what else they have through the duration of the preseason.
Williams and Johnny Juzang definitely deserve more shine , and the Jazz may try to get John Collins involved more in hopes of increasing his massively negative value.