{"id":125189,"date":"2025-02-23T02:25:58","date_gmt":"2025-02-23T07:25:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=125189"},"modified":"2025-02-23T02:25:58","modified_gmt":"2025-02-23T07:25:58","slug":"jazz-injury-update-spotlight-collin-sexton","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/02\/23\/jazz-injury-update-spotlight-collin-sexton\/","title":{"rendered":"Jazz Injury Update Puts Spotlight On Backcourt"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Utah Jazz\u2019s strongest position group is their guard unit.<\/p>\n<h2>Collin Sexton Injury Update Puts Spotlight On Jazz Backcourt<\/h2>\n<p>With <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/s\/sextoco01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Collin Sexton<\/a> progressing from <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/02\/04\/jazz-trade-candidate-collin-sexton-injury\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">the ankle injury he suffered<\/a> shortly before the trade deadline, they\u2019re set to be as healthy as they\u2019ve been in quite some time. Of course, fellow veteran <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/c\/clarkjo01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jordan Clarkson<\/a> has missed games intermittently to mange his plantar fasciitis. Nonetheless, he played in 8 of the 10 games preceding Saturday\u2019s victory against the Houston Rockets.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Collin Sexton Injury Update:<\/p>\n<p>Collin Sexton (left ankle sprain) has resumed on court activities and is nearing a return. He will be re-evaluated early next week. <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/AP4Kcg9H4V\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/t.co\/AP4Kcg9H4V<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/utahjazz\/status\/1893392802421022791?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">February 22, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>With that in mind, the Jazz\u2019s backcourt conundrum is as complicated as ever.<\/p>\n<p>At every point this season, they\u2019ve had (at least) four starting-caliber guards when counting the young <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/g\/georgke01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Keyonte George<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/c\/colliis01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Isaiah Collier<\/a>. Yet, this is the best the quartet has looked collectively. When Sexton does return, Jazz head coach Will Hardy will be faced with tough choices.<\/p>\n<h3>Shuffling The Deck?<\/h3>\n<p>Right now, Collier is rolling with the starters. Of the four players mentioned, he\u2019s not only the top point-of-attack defender but the most natural facilitator. Though not their most gifted scorer, he\u2019s shot 50 percent from the field over his last 13 games.<\/p>\n<p>Nevertheless, Hardy is <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/03\/17\/jazz-will-hardy-praises-keyonte-george-potential\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">known to be particularly fond<\/a> of George, who has started to find his rhythm since being <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/01\/27\/jazz-point-guard-decision\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">demoted the second unit<\/a>. In fact, the Baylor product is shooting 43.7 percent from the field and 34.4 percent from three as a reserve versus 39.1 percent from the field and 34.9 percent from three as a starter.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Second 30-point game of the season for Key along with 8 rebounds and 6 assists,,, we call that locked in \ud83d\udd10<a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/PlayerHighlights?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#PlayerHighlights<\/a> presented by <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ZionsBank?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@ZionsBank<\/a> <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/0ate6lQBZI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/0ate6lQBZI<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/utahjazz\/status\/1893536735289577736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">February 23, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Save for two games in which Hardy was <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/10\/29\/jazz-bench-star-collin-sexton-bizarre-coaching-decision\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">searching for solutions<\/a> to a larger problem, Sexton has been in the first unit throughout the season. In that role, the fierce 26-year-old has been posting 18.7 points and 4.2 assists per game while shooting 48.3 percent from the field and 42.2 percent from deep.<\/p>\n<p>However, Clarkson has started in Sexton\u2019s place since his ankle sprain. In that time, he\u2019s averaging 22.2 points and 4.2 assists per contest while shooting 44.2 percent from the field and 44.7 percent from deep. His recent efficiency has been impressive but it comes from a five-game sample size.<\/p>\n<h3>What Combination Is Best?<\/h3>\n<p>Again, the question that Hardy faces isn\u2019t a new one. Frankly, coaches always try to figure out the right combinations with their rotation, not just him. That being said, the Jazz are an evolving team. What worked best for them in November might not be what works for them now.<\/p>\n<p>The skillsets of their top guards are pretty clear though.<\/p>\n<p>So, if the Jazz\u2019s focus is defense and transition offense, they should start Collier and Sexton. If the emphasis is on scoring instincts in the halfcourt, give Sexton and Clarkson another whirl. However, if ball-movement is being prioritized, Collier should be out there. If they want the most well-rounded guard, Sexton is their man.<\/p>\n<p>Rather than looking at George as the odd man out, he should be considered the x-factor. At 6-foot-4, he\u2019s a good enough as a scorer and playmaker in the open and halfcourt to fit alongside Collier, Clarkson, or Sexton. Furthermore, he hasn\u2019t played quite well or consistently enough to leapfrog Sexton. Still, he\u2019s putting the pressure on Collier to keep his starting job.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a9 Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Utah Jazz\u2019s strongest position group is their guard unit. Collin Sexton Injury Update Puts Spotlight On Jazz Backcourt With Collin Sexton progressing from the ankle injury he suffered shortly before the trade deadline, they\u2019re set to be as healthy as they\u2019ve been in quite some time. Of course, fellow veteran Jordan Clarkson has missed [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5008,"featured_media":125191,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[24,1608,62],"tags":[1594,4930,321,4665,4745],"class_list":["post-125189","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-jazz","category-basketball","category-nba","tag-collin-sexton","tag-isaiah-collier","tag-jordan-clarkson","tag-keyonte-george","tag-nba-injuries"],"modified_by":"Quenton S Albertie","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125189","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5008"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=125189"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125189\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":125192,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125189\/revisions\/125192"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/125191"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=125189"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=125189"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=125189"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}