On October 25th, the Utah Jazz lost to the Sacramento Kings 114-130. One of the coaching decisions that caught the eye of many was the team’s four-guard bench unit. Head coach Will Hardy had played a second-unit rotation of Kris Dunn, Collin Sexton, Keyonte George, Ochai Agbaji, and Walker Kessler. Kessler is a starter and has been playing with this small lineup due to his size and rebounding ability.
Will the Utah Jazz’s Four-Guard Lineup Become Part of the Regular Rotation?
Is the Four-Guard Lineup Here to Stay?
Even though it has just been one game, this four-guard lineup has not given the Jazz what you would expect. The group looked slow on defense and did not generate efficient offense. So, will the four-guard lineup be part of the regular rotation or something that the Jazz go to situationally?
The Jazz experimented with this group in preseason, and they showed quickness and an ability to drive into the lane and kick for good shots. Even with those perceived strengths, you would expect the Jazz to struggle to rebound when they play a group with four players under six-foot-five. However, the team outrebounded the Kings 54-45 for the game. This may not be a common occurrence if the Jazz keep playing small, but it’s a positive sign if they aren’t getting killed on the class.
Does the Utah Jazz Have the Personnel to Play With a Bigger Bench Unit?
Kelly Olynyk seems like the best answer, but he was getting minutes with the starting players against the Kings. The two most likely answers would be rookie Taylor Hendricks or Luka Samanic. Both are about six-foot-10 and can space the floor and bring athleticism to the court.
The Jazz may feel that Hendricks is not ready for real playing time as he is just 19 years old. Samanic played well for the Jazz to end last season, helping him earn a partially guaranteed contract for this year. However, the former first-round pick has struggled to gain traction in the NBA. He’s played in just 44 games through his first five professional seasons.
Who Could’ve Been Subbed in Against the Kings?
Even if you believe Hendricks or Samanic could be playing to give the Jazz’s bench more size, the NBA has shown that teams are willing to play smaller if the smaller guys are better than the bigger players. Plugging in one of Hendricks or Samanic would mean benching either Dunn, George, Sexton, or Agbaji.
Agbaji is a shooting guard or small forward, so it is unlikely he would be cut from the rotation if size is lacking. George also seems unlikely since he has shown many flashes of talent and was a positive versus the Kings. That would leave either Dunn or Sexton.
Moving one of those two out of the rotation would mean that Hardy believes that Hendricks or Samanic would have a bigger impact on the game. Regardless, Hardy showed his willingness last season to change rotations to find something that works or because a player has developed and earned playing time.
