The Utah Jazz had a rough outing against the Houston Rockets, losing 129-101. Let’s look at how the team did.
Svi Mykhailiuk | B
Mykhailiuk was solid in this one overall. Mykhailiuk, to me, is a puddy player, he can plug holes of scoring where needed, and tries on defense. If you’re expecting more than that, you’re going to be disappointed. His play doesn’t seem to elevate or decrease the level of play around him, but he does well at what he does, shoot the ball.
Lauri Markkanen | C-
Markkanen scored 18 points with 8 rebounds and 1 assist. Typically, an 18 and 8 line is respectable, but for Markkanen, this isn’t close to good enough. Markkanen is paid like a superstar but was completely shut down by the Houston defense in this one. There are times here Markkanen has been remarkable this season, tonight wasn’t one of them. It’s not a great sign for the crowd that wants to “build around Markkanen” that this is the best he can do against one of the best teams in the league.
Jusuf Nurkic | A-
Nurkic was on his way to a triple-double until the Jazz were so far behind that he didn’t play in the 4th. Part of this was that the Jazz will play two games in two days. Nurkic has played very well this season for the Jazz, enough that he’s garnering some trade interest. With his line of 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 9 assists in just 19 minutes, you can’t complain about that level of production.
Ace Bailey | A
Bailey was the best player for the Jazz today. In a game the Jazz lost by almost 30, Bailey was a +2 in net rating. He shot 8/12 from the field and 3/5 from three against a stout Houston defense. It was impressive how well Bailey did creating his own shot while also coming off screens. Bailey is looking more and more like a player who could potentially be the focal point of an offense. Not only did he score, but Bailey also made the right pass multiple times, sometimes being too unselfish. Yes, Bailey needs to improve his game and make better decisions, but that’s the exciting part. We’re only scratching the surface of what he can potentially become.
Keyonte George | F
This grade isn’t fair. George was clearly not himself in this one, and his stat line of 0 points, 2 assists, and 8 turnovers showed. Why did the Jazz even play him?
Brice Sensabaugh | C-
Sensabaugh has been struggling to shoot for most of the season now, and today was more of the same. The good thing for Sensabaugh was that he provided more than just scoring. His 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals were great. He also had a fantastic dunk.
Kyle Anderson | C
Anderson has been a nice addition to the Jazz, providing defense, passing, and some simple scoring. The issue in this one was the foul trouble he was in right from the start. He had to leave the game early because of it, and it hampered his play somewhat. That said, he’s a bench player, and it wasn’t enough to drive down his grade.
Kyle Filipowski | D+
Filipowski was not good in this one. His show wasn’t falling inside or outside. It was a glaring example of how bad the Jazz were in this one. He gets some points for some rebounds and assist,s though.
Isaiah Collier | D+
Also a D+ for Collier, who had some sort of injury in this one. He wasn’t effective other than assisting with the ball, and allowed the Rockets to keep rolling against the second unit.
Walter Clayton Jr.| C-
Clayton has really struggled recently, but played well today. He shot the ball efficiently, played defense, and assisted on 5 buckets. In a massive loss, he had a -4 net rating that shows his impact in the game. It’s nice to see him have a good game against the Rockets, hopefully there will be more games like this in the future.