The Jazz had their first nationally televised game, and it did not disappoint… for the first half. In the second half, they fell apart and struggled mightily without Keyonte George. They also faced some familiar faces in John Collins, and Kriss Dunn. Dunn had a fantastic night, notching 5 steals and 14 points. These were not the same Clippers that the Jazz faced at the beginning of the season. At the end of the day, though, the Jazz are one loss closer to a top 3 pick in this year’s NBA draft.
With that out of the way, here are my player grades for tonight’s 115-103 loss to the Clippers.
Lauri Markkanen - C-
Lauri Markkanen looked fairly rusty this game, which is to be expected as it was his first game back since January 12th against the Cavaliers. He started the game shooting 1/6 and just not looking fully comfortable on the court. His night as a shooter did not improve as he would finish shooting 5/15 from the field. He did, however, have two blocks, including an impressive one on a James Harden shot attempt.
Cody Williams- B :)
Williams did a little bit of everything tonight, he had 11 points, two boards, and two steals on the night. He continues to be more aggressive on offense, as showcased by his beautiful up-and-under dunk over John Collins. It wasn’t a perfect night for him, however, as he did lose his handle on the ball on what should have been an easy dunk in transition. He also had the ball snatched away immediately after he got a steal. Overall, however, he shot 4/7 from the field and made one of his two three-point attempts.
Ace Bailey- B
If he were graded on his punctuality, Ace would get a big fat F for tonight, as he was late to his halftime interview because he headed to the locker room too early after drilling a three to end the 1st half. Thankfully, that’s not what he is being graded on, as he had a solid night, putting up 20 points while shooting 50% from the floor and making 4/9 threes. He also forced a jump ball on an impressive hustle play.
Kevin Love - C-
Not a night to remember for Kevin Love as he only had 3 points in 24 minutes. He shot a putrid 1/5 tonight and had the worst +/- of any Jazzman at -20. His night wasn’t a total stinker, however, as he still managed to grab 11 rebounds.
Isaiah Collier- B-
Collier had a solid night, dropping 12 points to go along with 9 assists, 4 rebounds, and only one turnover. He also had a pretty smooth fade-away jump shot over Harden. I am slightly discouraged to see him go 0/2 from three. His shot from deep just has very little arc and seems to always miss short. There is no question about his ability to pass the ball and drive to the rim, but the development of his three-point shot will determine whether his game can take the next step.
Brice Sensabaugh- C+
I had the toughest time grading Sensabaugh tonight out of everyone. He had 13 points on decent shooting splits, and he also forced an offensive foul on John Collins. Some of those points did come in garbage time, though, which is why I settled on a grade of C+ for Brice.
Taylor Hendricks - D
A night that Taylor Hendricks will need to put behind him as he continues to battle back after his horrific leg injury last season. In my notes for this game, I didn’t mention him once. I still believe in Hendricks 100%, but tonight was rough for him as he shot 0/4 to go along with 3 turnovers in just 12 minutes of gametime. He also posted a +/- of -15.
Kyle Filipowski- D+
On paper, Flip had a solid game. 8 points, 10 rebounds, and a +8 on the night. That, however, doesn’t tell the full story of his game. He got beat inside by the Clippers big men several times. The charge that was called on John Collins was a very generous call, because to me it just looked like Flip got bullied. His defense must improve if he wants consistent minutes heading into next season.
Walter Clayton Jr.- C-
Clayton played only 19 minutes tonight, which I thought was a slightly odd decision considering that Keyonte George was out tonight. He did nail a three and get a nice lay-up that probably should have been an and-one. Looking at the stats, he also had a block, which I have no mention of in my notes, and have no memory of seeing him get one, but I’ll take their word for it.
Kyle Anderson- B
Kyle Anderson was Kyle Anderson, providing a steady vet presence out there in a game without Jusuf Nuric. He did have 12 points on good shooting and 5 assists. Side note, I don’t think I will ever get used to watching the way he plays basketball. Just completely at his own pace, and with his own unique shooting form.