The Utah Jazz entered training camp with one big question: who will start at point guard? The Jazz still don’t have an answer.
Utah Jazz Rumors: New Starting Backcourt in 2023-24 and Final 2-Way Spot
Utah was one of the most surprising teams last season. The Jazz, expected to be one of the worst teams in the Association last year, won 37 games despite trading away Rudy Gobert, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Donovan Mitchell before the start of the season. They then sent starting point guard Mike Conley to Minnesota in a three-way trade at the trade deadline. The Jazz also traded Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley to the Los Angeles Lakers in the deal.
Utah went just 10-16 following the trade deadline. Following the midseason trades, the Jazz used several starting combinations in the backcourt. Ochai Agbaji, Jordan Clarkson, Kris Dunn, Talen Horton-Tucker, and Collin Sexton received starts down at either the one or two down the stretch.
Dunn was the most effective despite making just three starts and five appearances overall for the Jazz. Sexton and Horton-Tucker were theoretically the second and third most effective guards during ths stretch.
Looking For a Starting Point Guard
Before the start of training camp in Hawaii, Utah coach Will Hardy told Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake City Tribune that he anticipated a “vicious” battle for the starting point guard job. Sexton, Horton-Tucker, Clarkson, Dunn, and rookie Keyonte George were all expected to be in the mix for the job.
“Those five guys are gonna go at it at training camp, and I love that. But we’ve got to make sure that it’s within a team construct,” Hardy said in Larsen’s piece. “Individual motives are good and powerful, and we need to lean into those.”
While Hardy has five guards who can play the point, none of the players are traditional lead guards. Hardy said he will keep this in mind when considering potential lineup combinations and backcourt duos.
“We have a lot of really good guards, and I don’t want to say, ‘You’re the point guard and you’re the (shooting guard). I don’t think that fits our group best. “It’s more about viewing them as pairs. I’m not relying on one person to bring it up each time and sort of initiate what we’re doing. That flexibility is going to be an adjustment for us.”
Fast forward to nearly two weeks later, the Jazz’s starting backcourt is still very much in question.
In a more recent article, Larsen said that Hardy is clearly struggling with deciding who to start in the backcourt. Sexton and Horton-Tucker have been paired with the first unit in the Jazz’s first two preseason games.
Utah has a 1-1 record, with the Los Angeles Clippers being the opponent in both games. However, the Jazz are home for the next few days with preseason games against Portland (Saturday) and New Zealand (Oct. 16).
It appears that Hardy wants to make a decision a decision shortly.
“As a staff, these next three days at home are going to be important — to really put our flag in the sand and say ‘This is how we’re going to go into the beginning of the year,” Hardy told Larson on October 11. “These next couple of days of practice, and probably that Portland game are going to be really big for us to make decisions. We don’t want to go too much past that Portland game, where we’re still trying to sort out where we’re going to be opening night, because you need to try to give guys an opportunity to play together.”
The Competitors For Starting Point Guard
Collin Sexton
Sexton, who signed a four-year, $70 million contract with the Jazz last September, has the most starting experience among all guards on the Jazz’s roster. The 24-year-old is an outstanding scorer who loves to get to the rim and is a solid shooter.
Sexton has struggled mightily through the first two preseason games. Sexton is averaging 4.0 points on 18.2% shooting from the field and 25% from the 3-point line. He also has doled out five assists and committed five turnovers.
The bigger problem is that Sexton has not been good at getting people into sets, recognizing mismatches, or running a team.
Talen Horton-Tucker
Horton-Tucker finished last season as the Jazz’s starting point guard and played exceptionally well during the stretch. But the 22-year-old is not a great shooter or ball-handler as he has a career 3-to-1.6 assist-to-turnover ratio. Also, Tucker is at his best when attacking one-on-one. However, that is different from the style that suits the Jazz want. Instead, they prefer an offense predicated on ball and player movement.
Horton-Tucker, who started at shooting guard during the preseason, was much better in the second game against the Clippers than the first. He averages 18.5 points on 45.2% shooting from the field and 35.7% from the 3- 3-point line. He also has grabbed 5.0 boards, 4.0 assists, and 1.5 turnovers.
Kris Dunn
Dunn arguably played his best basketball ever in his short stint with the Jazz. He defended, showed off terrific passing, and shot the ball well.
Dunn has played well on both ends this preseason. He compiles 9.5 points, 3.0 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.0 turnovers. Dunn has made 9 of 10 shots from the floor and 1 of 2 from the 3-point line.
Jordan Clarkson
Clarkson is a natural microwave scorer who also showed an impressive ability to make the right read while attacking last season. Before the season, Hardy said he wasn’t sure whether Clarkson would start or come off the bench. However, it appears that Hardy is more comfortable with having Clarkson as the Jazz’s sixth man.
Clarkson has come off the bench in both preseason contests. He played better in the second game against the Clippers, but turnovers were a problem. Clarkson hasn’t shot the ball well yet.
Keyontae George
George was one of the best players during summer league action. The 19-year-old is also seen as one of the team’s future building blocks. But is he ready to be a contributor from day one?
George has shown he can be a quality distributor with a 10-to-4 assist-to-turnover ratio. He also has gotten to the free throw line, making 8 of 10 attempts. However, he has fallen in love with the 3-pointer too much and has yet to find any rhythm.
George averages 10.0 points on 31.2% shooting (5-13) and 20% (2-10) from the 3-point line. He is also contributing 5.0 assists, 1.5 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 2.5 turnovers.
What Should the Jazz Do?
While the Jazz may want Sexton to win the point guard job, he hasn’t done anything to prove he is the best option. So, their best choice is to go with Dunn and Horton-Tucker while bringing Clarkson off the bench. This is if they see themselves vying for the 9th or 10th seed in a loaded Western Conference.
If Utah is unhappy with their current options, the Jazz could seek a trade. As Larsen pointed out, there is a lot of point guard depth around the league. Larsen said one possibility is the Portland Trail Blazers’ Malcolm Brogdon, as they are openly shopping him.
But if the Jazz see this year as more of a developmental season, there is no reason not to hand the reigns to George and let him and Horton-Tucker show what they can do together. Horton-Tucker is slated to be an unrestricted free agent this summer, so why not see if he is worth a future investment?
