Jazz Notes Player Highlights: Utah’s Other Veterans In 2023-24 Season

May 17, 2024, 5:25 PM

Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson celebrates an in-season tournament win highlights...

Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson celebrates an in-season tournament win (Credit: Spenser Heaps, Deseret News)

(Credit: Spenser Heaps, Deseret News)

SALT LAKE CITY – Although Lauri Markkanen and Collin Sexton stole the show for Utah, some other Jazz veterans played key roles in the 2023-24 season.

On the Jazz Notes podcast, Ben Anderson and Chandler Holt continued the process of highlighting Jazz players’ seasons.

Following the best veterans and the rookies, we took a look at the rest of Utah’s vets.

Utah Jazz Player Highlights: The Other Veterans

Markkanen and Sexton were the clear No. 1 and No. 2 options for the Jazz last season but that didnt stop some other vets from leaving their mark in Utah’s 50th anniversary season.

Walker Kessler, Jordan Clarkson, Kris Dunn, and Talen Horton-Tucker were all asked to do different things last year and filled their roles nicely.

Sign up for the new Jazz Notes newsletter! Receive game updates, exclusive analysis and chances to win Jazz tickets.

Walker Kessler

Season stats: 8.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.4 blocks, 65.4 FG%, 21.1 3P%, 64 games played

Kessler took a step back from his rookie campaign but it makes sense when you consider the changes to the roster.

John Collins came in and it was immediately clear that the two bigs couldn’t really share the floor together. Collins and Kessler operate in the same areas on offense and the Jazz struggled early in the season when they both were in the starting lineup.

Considering Kessler dealt with injury issues and an inconsistent role, his sophomore season wasn’t as bad as some made it out to be.

He was second in the NBA in blocks with 2.4 rejections per game and still showed flashes of being a productive interior force.

Utah still has to figure out how to maximize Kessler’s potential as he heads into year three in 2024-25.

Jordan Clarkson

Season stats: 17.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 41.3 FG%, 29.5 3P%, 55 games played

Like many other players on the roster, Clarkson had his fair share of injuries in the 2023-24 campaign.

When Clarkson was on the floor, he was the same offensive spark plug that he has been for the past five seasons in Utah. Although his percentages were down a bit, he was asked to shoot as many shots as he did.

Utah was in desperate need of three-point shooting and shot creation and Clarkson provides just that.

Maybe the best moment of the Jazz season was when Clarkson broke the triple-double drought dating back to 2008 on the new year.

“Lot of up and down from Jordan Clarkson this year,” Anderson said. “Still plenty of fun moments. The Jazz were better when he was on the floor. I won’t be surprised if he’s shopped pretty heavily this offseason.”

Kris Dunn

Season stats: 5.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 47.0 FG%, 36.9 3P%, 66 games played

Dunn’s stats don’t jump off the page but he was one of the most impactful players for the Jazz last season.

With one of the youngest rosters in the NBA and some more laid-back veterans in Lauri Markkanen and Clarkson, Dunn was one of the biggest voices in Utah’s locker room.

Dunn brought leadership and a gritty playstyle to a Jazz team that lacked both of those things.

Even with an inconsistent role, Dunn put his head down and got to work every day. It’s up in the air if Utah will bring Dunn back next season but Utah and most other teams would welcome a veteran presence like Dunn.

Talen Horton-Tucker

Season stats: 10.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 39.6 FG%, 33.0 3P%, 51 games played

There were a lot of questions surrounding Horton-Tucker and his role with the Jazz and those questions only became louder when he was named the game one starting point guard.

Once Keyonte George filled that spot, Horton-Tucker fell out of the rotation entirely. He started getting minutes again later in the season when the Jazz started losing most of their games.

Horton-Tucker is a skilled player but the fit was always a bit weird in SLC.

Another team will likely pick up a flyer on the 23-year-old guard but he will likely not return to Utah next season.

Check back next week as the Jazz Notes podcast continues the Utah Jazz player highlights.

The Jazz Notes podcast, hosted by Ben Anderson and Chandler Holt, keeps you up-to-date with Utah Jazz news from on and off the court every week. Check back on Tuesday afternoons for the latest episode!

Are you on Threads yet? Let’s connect, give us a follow @kslsports

Chandler Holt is a co-host for the Jazz Notes podcast and a Digital Sports Producer for KSLSports.com, specializing in all things basketball and football. Follow Chandler on Twitter @ChandlerHoltKSL or on Threads @chandlerho1t.

Want more coverage like Utah Jazz player highlights? Take us with you, wherever you go.

Download the new & improved KSL Sports app from Utah’s sports leader. You can stream live radio, video and stay up to date on all of your favorite teams.

  • Utah Jazz Scoreboard

  • Utah Jazz Team Leaders

  • Utah Jazz Standings

Super Bowl LIX Philadelphia Eagles Kansas City Chiefs...

ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football Writer

Eagles Deny Chiefs Super Bowl Three-Peat With Dominant Defense In 40-22 Rout

The Philadelphia Eagles’ ferocious defense denied Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs a Super Bowl three-peat.

5 hours ago

Super Bowl LIX Kansas City Chiefs Travis Kelce Taylor Swift...

DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer

Taylor Swift Booed By Super Bowl Crowd As She Watches Travis Kelce, Chiefs

Taylor Swift was back at the Super Bowl to watch Travis Kelce and his Kansas City Chiefs play the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

6 hours ago

Super Bowl LIX Philadelphia Eagles...

Chandler Holt

Eagles Dominate First Half Of Super Bowl En Route To 24-0 Lead

The Philadelphia Eagles could do no wrong on either side of the ball in the first half of Super Bowl LIX as they soared to a 24-0 lead by halftime.

7 hours ago

josh doan, utah hockey club...

Tanner Tripp

Utah Hockey Club Forward Josh Doan Reassigned To Tucson Roadrunners

Utah is making some roster adjustments, reassigning Forward Josh Doan to the Tucson Roadrunners.

11 hours ago

Utah Hockey Club Karel Vejmelka #70...

Cole Bagley

The Hat Trick: Karel Vejmelka Saves The Day For Utah Hockey Club In Shootout Victory Over Caps

Karel Vejmelka posted a shutout in a shootout as the Utah Hockey Club secured two critical points before the Four Nations break.

11 hours ago

Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl Patrick Mahomes...

SCHUYLER DIXON AP Pro Football Writer

Super Bowl Three-Peat Eluded All-Time Greats. Now Mahomes Takes His Shot

Kansas City is in the Super Bowl after winning the last two, which means the Chiefs have done what many others couldn't before them.

12 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

Northern Utah High School Basketball Players of the Week – Week 2

SALT LAKE CITY – The John Watson Northern Utah High School Player of the Week is celebrating the best high school basketball players in Northern Utah. Presented by John Watson Chevrolet in Ogden, each week we honor athletes for their exceptional performance on the gridiron. Our winners for week two of the season were Jackson Maw from […]

salt lake county player of the week...

Salt Lake County High School Basketball Players of the Week – Week 2

SALT LAKE CITY – The Hercules Salt Lake County High School Player of the Week is celebrating the best high school basketball players in Salt Lake County. Presented by Hercules First Federal Credit Union, each week we honor athletes for their exceptional performance on the gridiron. Our winners for week two were Faythe Stauffer from Riverton High […]

...

Utah County High School Basketball Players of the Week – Week 2

SALT LAKE CITY – The Mr. Mac Utah County High School Player of the Week is awarded each week to the top prep boy’s and girl’s basketball players in Utah County. Sponsored by Mr. Mac, it honors athletes for their performances on the court and exceptional play. Our winners for week two were Easton Hawkins from Lehi […]

...

Northern Utah High School Basketball Players of the Week – Week 1

SALT LAKE CITY – The John Watson Northern Utah High School Player of the Week is celebrating the best high school basketball players in Northern Utah. Presented by John Watson Chevrolet in Ogden, each week we honor athletes for their exceptional performance on the gridiron. Our winners for week one of the season were Sam Romer from […]

salt lake county player of the week...

Salt Lake County High School Basketball Players of the Week – Week 1

SALT LAKE CITY – The Hercules Salt Lake County High School Player of the Week is celebrating the best high school basketball players in Salt Lake County. Presented by Hercules First Federal Credit Union, each week we honor athletes for their exceptional performance on the gridiron. Our winners for week one were Beckham Bayles from Cyprus High […]

...

Utah County High School Basketball Players of the Week – Week 1

SALT LAKE CITY – The Mr. Mac Utah County High School Player of the Week is awarded each week to the top prep boy’s and girl’s basketball players in Utah County. Sponsored by Mr. Mac, it honors athletes for their performances on the court and exceptional play. Our winners for week one were Jaxon McCuistion from Timpanogos […]

Jazz Notes Player Highlights: Utah’s Other Veterans In 2023-24 Season