The Utah Jazz were their own worst enemy in Monday\u2019s loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.<\/p>\n
It was a winnable game, especially after Collin Sexton<\/a> and Jordan Clarkson<\/a> came alive. Despite scoring 17 points combined in the first half, the backcourt duo doubled their output in the second half. Unfortunately for them, the offense tightened up in the clutch, which has been a problem throughout the season.<\/p>\n Sexton was overthinking. Clarkson wasn\u2019t thinking. Jazz head coach Will Hardy\u2019s play-calling was preposterously redundant. Then there was Lauri Markkanen<\/a>. Though considered the face of the franchise, the Finnish marksmen tends to disappear when it\u2019s time to be a finisher. To that point, Markkanen finished the game with 26 points but had four total points and no shot attempts in the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n However, for all of their flaws and mistakes, the Jazz trio were able to send a message to both teams. Scoring 77 points to Donovan Mitchell\u2019s 22, the Cavs should still be wondering whether they made the right move in trading them. When considering the trade rumors surrounding Utah these days, the Jazz have to wonder whether to make the move Cleveland did.<\/p>\n When the Cavs sent Clarkson to Utah, it wasn\u2019t the fact that he was traded that was surprising. Cleveland had acquired Clarkson during LeBron James<\/a>\u2019s last stint with the franchise, a time in which he was a valuable bench piece. At 27 years old though, he wasn\u2019t seen as part of their impending rebuild.<\/p>\n That being said, the package that the Jazz had to give up for Clarkson was so light it might even be considered disrespectful. Utah sent Cleveland a player who would soon be out of the league in Dante Exum<\/a> and two second-round picks. Those second-round picks became Khalifa Diop<\/a> and Emoni Bates<\/a>, neither of whom have accomplished much since being drafted.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Clarkson won Sixth Man of the Year<\/a> the season after being traded. Though he wasn\u2019t part of the Mitchell trade, his move set the stage for what was to come for both teams.<\/p>\n Sexton and Markkanen were part of the Cavs\u2019 package for Mitchell, a perennial All-Star. From that perspective, they have less to gripe about than Clarkson. Nonetheless, like Clarkson, they were slighted and may have had the last laugh.<\/p>\n Markkanen had significantly improved his reputation in his time with Cleveland.<\/p>\n The Chicago Bulls treated him like a draft bust, shipping him off after his rookie contract expired. With the Cavs, his numbers weren\u2019t stellar but he had made impressive defensive strides. Regardless of that, or him landing with Cleveland in a sign-and-trade, he was moved after one season. It was an interesting turn of events, especially considering how complementary they were of him publicly.<\/p>\n Then, Markkanen became a first-time All-Star the following season.<\/p>\n Sexton\u2019s tenure with the Cavs was particularly complex.<\/p>\n The former top-10 pick was drafted as Kyrie Irving<\/a>\u2019s replacement and there was hope James would stay in Cleveland to play alongside him. Sexton\u2019s star power was relatively high even though he had yet to play in the NBA, his once in a lifetime 3-on-5 game with Alabama becoming all but an urban legend.<\/p>\nCavs-Jazz Showdown Repaints Donovan Mitchell Trade<\/h2>\n
Lauri Markkanen<\/h3>\n
Collin Sexton<\/h3>\n