Utah Jazz Midseason Report
Jan 3, 2025, 3:01 PM
Utah Jazz forward Taylor Hendricks (0) looks at the referee during an NBA game against the Dallas Mavericks at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, March 25, 2024.
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SALT LAKE CITY – With the college football season in Utah officially over, sports fans around the state may be tuning into the Utah Jazz for the first time to start the new year.
If you are a fan just catching up on the Jazz’s 7-25 start to the season, here is what you have missed so far.
Related: Jazz Face Heat, Magic In Weekend Back-To-Back
Utah Jazz Season At The New Year
The Offseason
The Jazz entered the year with low expectations after largely sitting out much of free agency.
Despite rumors that the Jazz kicked the tires on both Paul George and Mikal Bridges in the offseason, their key additions over the summer were reserve center Drew Eubanks and shooting specialist Svi Myhkailiuk.
The Rookies
The Jazz did add three players in June’s NBA Draft, selecting Colorado’s Cody Williams with the tenth overall pick, former top-rated high school recruit Isaiah Collier with the 29th pick, and taking Duke center Kyle Filipowski early in the second round.
Williams was in the Jazz’s rotation to start the season but has spent the majority of his time over the last month in the G League.
The young lottery pick struggled with the physicality of the NBA to begin his career but has shown strong recent flashes including a 36-point outing in his last appearance with the Salt Lake City Stars.
Cody Williams scored 36 points for the @slcstars today.
Seems splitting time between the NBA and the G League has boosted his development.
New @utahjazz two-way guard Elijah Harkless scored 32 in his debut.#TakeNote | @kslsports
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) January 2, 2025
Collier has played the most minutes of the three Jazz rookies in part due to his NBA-ready body.
The USC product is a strong playmaker for his age, but his shooting percentages have a long way to go before he’ll be considered a quality NBA guard.
Filipowski had a better-than-expected start to the year recording double-digit scoring outings in his first 14 appearances before suffering an ankle injury in late November.
The rookie has since returned to the floor but has yet to recapture his early-season production.
Slow Start For Second-Year Players
The Jazz’s sophomores got off to a difficult start with Keyonte George shooting the ball at a historically poor rate to open the season.
However, the guard has since bounced back and is averaging over 16 points, five assists, and three rebounds in his last 22 appearances while shooting an improved 42 percent from the floor and 38 percent from the three-point line.
George needs to continue to improve as a defender and lower his turnovers, but he’s well on his way to becoming a core member of the Jazz’s future.
💥 TOP 10 DUNKS OF 2024 💥
At No. 6… Keyonte George winds one back! https://t.co/J3EiIRrqfd pic.twitter.com/AhoXyn1251
— NBA (@NBA) January 3, 2025
Brice Sensabaugh has played a limited role for the Jazz in his second season averaging just under 17 minutes per game in 26 appearances.
Though coach Will Hardy has brought the wing along slowly, the Ohio State product has shown significant growth as a shooter knocking down 38 percent of his nearly four three-point attempts per game.
The low point of the season came early in the year when 2023 lottery pick Taylor Hendricks suffered a gruesome leg injury that will sideline him for the entire 2024-25 campaign.
Hendricks had shown improvement on both ends of the floor as a starter in his first three appearances but will have to hit the reset button after fracturing his fibula and dislocating his ankle in October.
The forward has since rejoined the Jazz on road trips and hopes to be in uniform to begin the 2025-26 season.
Resurgence From Collins, Kessler, Clarkson
Despite having just seven wins as of the new year, the Jazz have seen bounce-back seasons from John Collins, Walker Kessler, and Jordan Clarkson.
Collins has been arguably the Jazz’s best player averaging 17.7 points and 8.2 rebounds while shooting a stellar 52 percent from the floor and 42 percent from three.
The forward has a stronger grasp of what the Jazz are asking of him and maybe playing the best basketball of his career.
After a disappointing sophomore campaign, Kessler returned to the Jazz in year three with a much sharper approach to the game.
keeping the big fella fed 🍽️
have you voted for all-star today? show some love to Walker and let’s get him to ASW | https://t.co/r0WqJC1lpF ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/QCZn2krhk7
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) December 31, 2024
The center ranks seventh in the NBA in rebounds per game and second in blocks and once again looks like a cornerstone for the Jazz’s frontcourt.
Clarkson has been playing through plantar fasciitis for most of the season, but despite the injury has looked better than he did last year.
The guard’s raw statistical output has dipped slightly as a result of playing four fewer minutes per game, but his three-point shooting percentage has climbed from just 29 percent last season to a more respectable 34 percent this season.
Both Collins and Clarkson will be names discussed at the trade deadline, while Kessler appears to be off the market.
Lauri Markkanen’s Down Year
Though still the Jazz’s top offensive option, Lauri Markkanen is having his worst season since joining the team in 2022.
Markkanen signed a contract extension with the Jazz over the summer that will see him earn more than $200 million over the next five years, but his averaging fewer than 20 points per game for the first time in Utah.
🇫🇮 brought that finnish flair to the big apple 🇫🇮#TakeNote | @Markkanenlauri pic.twitter.com/VwGlzzSyPo
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 2, 2025
The Finnish forward has seen a dip in points, rebounds, assists, blocks, steals, field goal percentage, and three-point shooting percentage in his third season with the Jazz.
The drop in production isn’t a major concern considering the Jazz’s emphasis on developing their young players this season, but worth watching over the final 50 games of the season.
Steady Collin Sexton
Though his steady performance allows him to be overlooked, Collin Sexton remains one of the top players on the Jazz roster and one of the most underrated players in the NBA.
The seventh-year guard is averaging 17.7 points and 3.8 assists while shooting an impeccable 49 percent from the floor, 43 percent from three, and 89 percent from the free-throw line.
Sexton is the only player on the Jazz roster to appear in all 32 games this season.
Where Are The Jazz In The Standings?
Having prioritized the development of their young players on the roster, the Jazz are off to the second-worst start in franchise history through 32 games having won seven games while recording 25 losses.
Only the New Orleans Jazz who opened the 1974 campaign with a 3-29 record had a worse start to a season than this year’s roster.
Entering 2024, @utahjazz owned a 14-29 record, 4th worst in the West. Finished with 4th worst record in the West.
Entering 2023, Jazz owned a 19-20 record, 6th worst in the West. Finished with 4th worst record in the West.
Entering 2025, they sit at 7-24, 2nd worst in the West.
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) December 31, 2024
The silver lining to the slow start to the year is that the Jazz currently are tied with the Charlotte Hornets for the third-worst record in the NBA, and would have a 50 percent chance of landing a top-four pick in the 2025 draft if the lottery were held today.
With highly touted prospects Cooper Flag, Dylan Harper, and Ace Bailey at the top of this year’s draft, the Jazz could find a franchise-changing piece if the lottery balls fall their way in May.
What’s Next For The Jazz?
The NBA Trade Deadline is less than five weeks away and the Jazz should be a popular name in trade rumors.
John Collins, Jordan Clarkson, Collin Sexton, Drew Eubanks, and Svi Mykhailiuk will likely have suitors on the market, though the Jazz shouldn’t feel any pressing need to make a trade to accomplish their goals this season.
After the February All-Star break, expect a heavy dose of the young players to close the season as the Jazz prepare for another important lottery process in the offseason.
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Ben Anderson is the Utah Jazz insider for KSL Sports and the co-host of Jake and Ben from 10-12p with Jake Scott on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone. Find Ben on Twitter at @BensHoops, on Instagram @BensHoops, or on BlueSky.
