Are Lauri Markkanen & Utah Jazz Playoff Threats After HUGE Season Turnaround & Recent Dominant Play?

Are Lauri Markkanen & Utah Jazz Playoff Threats After HUGE Season Turnaround & Recent Dominant Play?

On today’s show what’s been the key to the Utah Jazz massive turnaround and dominant play as of late and how good can the Jazz ultimately be this season are they legit threats to make the playoffs in the Western Conference plus Lori marking good enough to be a number

One option on a championship hopeful one day it’s all coming up right here at lock on NBA you are locked on NBA your daily NBA podcast part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day what’s up and welcome to another edition of locked on NBA the biggest stories with the

Local experts I’m your host Jackson Gatlin also host of locked on Rockets right here on the locked on podcast Network your team every day now today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel the NFL postseason is here and there is no better time to get in on the action with

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You’re listen to your podcasts and on YouTube just search locked on Jazz and David let’s be honest here the Jazz got off to a bit of a rough start this season all the way kind of through up to about the end of November is but as of late they’ve been on a pretty

Significant tear here 8-2 in their last 10 they’ve got wins over the Bucks the nuggets and the Lakers and not just not just wins but but dominant wins where they LED for a majority of these games so kind of what has been the key to success here in turning around this

Season as of late well let me start with the first thing you said and just let everyone know that on December 21st the Utah Jazz went to Detroit who had lost 24 straight games and the Pistons were favored the Pistons were favored so if you want to know what a turnaround is

It’s going from being in Detroit having lost the night before to Cleveland who didn’t have Donovan Mitchell Darius Garland or Evan Moy playing in that game and then since that day you’ve lost two games teames that’s that’s a turnaround why there’s a not you can’t have a turnaround this dramatic with one thing

So the first thing actually some injuries happened that got guys to play in different roles and allowed the coaching staff to kind of reshuffle the deck and one of the major changes was that Colin ston went into the starting lineup where he’s been averaging 20 points a game and just plays with kind

Of a Fearless energy unbridled um kind of juice to every game and then Jordan Clarkson came back to the bench when he came back from his injury and that just worked better keontay George got injured rookies don’t help you win in this league Chris Dunn went into the starting lineup and just

Settled things a little bit he’s a veteran he knows how to play he doesn’t play starter minutes but he still starts and settle so all these little things kind of happened Walker Kessler got hurt Jun and it allowed them to reshuffle the deck and everyone is now playing at a

Much better level in a different role this leads to the next part of it and then I will stop I will I promise and that is they have a complete 48 minutes of fiveman lineups that are solid NBA players out on the floor at all times and if you really look around most

Rosters in the NBA almost none of them do you could say Keon hasn’t proven that yet he’s pretty good and he’s playing really well so I think he will be that I I kind of understand when you say rookies if you say rookies haven’t proven that but otherwise every other

Guy that’s playing is playing well and he’s a Bonafide NBA rotation player when he played Milwaukee the other night and they had Dame out they played about 70 minutes of guys that aren’t NBA rotation players and so the Jazz are winning with a level of consistency throughout the

Whole night why do you think the the switch specifically with ston in the starting lineup and and Clarkson back coming off the bench why do you think that has worked as well as it has why why I guess specifically are those two guys better suited for those two roles I

Mean in the simplest forms as much as Jordan Clarkson is a great flamethrower can get hot and kind of you know Luke Walton had a great line most people think they’re open when I get off the bus Jordan Clarkson thinks he’s hot when he gets off the bus um on the other side

Of it is he really was having a terrible season and he wasn’t at all efficient and Colin seon would probably never be recognized this way but is one of the most efficient guards in the NBA goes to the free throw line a ton I think he took

Eight or nine or 10 the other night he shoots doesn’t shoot a lot of Threes but he’s shooting some and he shoots really well around the paint I mean since Colin seon moved into the start in starting lineup where in last 18 games the Jazz

Are 14 and four seans 51% from the field as a guard taking 15 shots a night 39% from three six free throws a game at 91% scoring 22 points a game like Jordan Clarkson was not doing that beforehand and that’s a massive shift for this team

And as far as just kind of the shuffling the deck here right injuries various things giving giving the Jazz kind of a fresh look here as of late just on the season they’ve had 12 different guys at one point or another in the starting lineup which of those starting lineups

Though has been the most effective is the one that they’re currently running with right now is it is it one that was maybe utilized a little bit in there somewhere that they haven’t quite gone back to to take another look at it’s an interesting question Jackson because the

Starting lineup they have right now which has led them on this way to all these wins is probably not the best starting lineup they have in fact it plays the opening six minutes of the first and third quarters you never see it again at any other point it almost

Never close with it so it plays about 12 minutes night it’s about even on the season but what the story this stretch has been is the Jazz are even for the first six or seven minutes and then as other teams go to their bench and the

Jazz go to their bench that’s when the Jazz suddenly Vault like we were talking about Jordan Clarkson in the last 12 games he’s averaging plus seven as his plus minus Walker Kessler is coming off the bench is averaging plus seven in his plus minus so and they’re intermixing

Them all very very well in different ways um and so I think it’s really a case that as the night goes on the Jazz are actually getting the best of these teams by having you know as I like to refer to on the show 240 minutes of NBA

Basketball you throw out every night 48 times five so at this point with the way that the Jazz are playing basketball now as compared to the start of the season are they are they legit threats in the Western Conference playoff race at this point had a sneaking suspicion we get

This question and so you know I’ve been looking at this there’s one statistic that’s a real outlier for the Jazz in their last 18 games they’re 14 and four they’re the best three-point shooting team in the clutch so that’s won them some close games now recently they haven’t played any close games they’ve

Just been crushing people when you start to look at things in this you’ll say well okay our team shooting an inordinately low three-point percentage right that’s like one of the ways you get hot in this league in the last 18 games when the Jazz are 14 and four

Teams are shooting 39% from three against them they’re shooting there’s the eight the Jazz are the eighth best team defending in the rim in that time period Well Walker Kesler is the number one Defender at the basket in the NBA teams are shooting 20% below League average inside six feet when Walker’s

The closest Defender since this December 13th when they’ve been 14 and four and he’s moved off the bench you their ra their rankings in this time here they 12th in shots in shooting they’re 21st in taking care of the ball they’re third in offensive rebounding they’ve been

Number one all year they’re eighth in going to the line none of those are really strange right their defense ranks 12th they’re 12th best in defending the shot that might be a little strange but I couldn’t find an out Li right we just talked about they’re shooting 40% from

Three they’re 19th in forcing turnovers they’re 15th in uh defensive rebounding they’re sixth at not fouling they’ve been playing a ton of Zone you don’t usually foul in the zone so there’s nothing like I’ve dug into this to try to figure out there’s nothing particularly unusual they’re healthy

When a lot of teams aren’t healthy and they’re deep other than Colin Sexton there’s also not really anybody that’s having a super big outlier stretch Kelly L Linux shooting 50 4% that’s a little high and GE John Collins is shooting 54% and 39% from three that’s probably a

Little high but otherwise you look down the list it’s there really isn’t anything here Jackson that just bounds off the table at you and says well there’s no way that Lowry marketing can continue to average 24 points a game well why not there’s no way Colin Saxon

Can continue to average 21 points a game well actually he’s done that twice before in his career before this year so they’re I I I’m stunned by what’s happened with the Utah Jazz they were terrible they lost by 50 to Dallas they lost by 30 to Lakers they were terrible

But what I’m watching right now I I can’t find something that says to me oh this is a total Mirage so at then at that point how much credit do you just give to Will Hardy for this turnaround then or is it do you want to give credit

To everybody like the players for buying in for accepting different roles is it is there one thing is there one guy that you want to pinpoint and say he deserves the credit and is that guy will hardy at this point so the first one I want to

Give credit to to as the players because I do think there’s something going on here and then you have to probably give the culture of the coach building this so ton Horton Tucker was starting he’s been taking completely out of the rotation doesn’t play anymore in the

Last 18 games 10 other players are playing at least 20 minutes a night and only Lowry Markin is averaging 30 like that’s really unheard of in this league right so the signature on the Jazz has been you know who their best player is and eight of us could have a

Discussion about eight other players on who their second best player is like if I ask you who the Jazz second best player is like you don’t have an answer right now everybody could just react on YouTube who do you think the Jazz second best player is will’ll get six different

Answers right away somehow the group has decided oh we’re at our best if we are willing to give of ourselves and everyone kind of plays less than maybe they want to but we all do this together winning makes everyone Better Credit to Will Hardy for finding a way to get

These players to do this because this is a league where the free agency and money and these things matter and these guys have all given something of themselves I’m sure Kelly lenck who’s playing great wants to play more than 21 minutes a night and I’m sure John Collins who

Played 33 minutes a night Atlanta wants to play more than 24 minutes a night and somehow these guys have been all kind of willing to do it when you win 14 of 18 you seemingly are it’s easier to do than otherwise um but and they have been you know this is crazy they

Played they got blasted by Boston who’s really good if you haven’t noticed um they play blasted by Boston that sounds completely unfamiliar what that feels like they then they then played Philadelphia Milwaukee Denver and Toronto and in four games they trailed for 16 minutes like against Denver they led by

Double digits fully healthy Denver two days rest for against Denver they LED for like double digits for the final 28 minutes of the game Denver never got it to single digits I mean it’s been wild to watch this happen because they’re not just winning they’re they’re literally just outplaying people for 48 minutes

You know you mentioned Lori Markin in there for just a for just a moment and you know stats are one part of the equation when you’re a number one option but there’s there’s certain intangibles that come with being the number one guy on a team so I want to know if somebody

Who watches him every single day who’s close to him who who sees you know all the little things that he he does as a player is Lori marinin good enough to be a number one guy in your eyes on a on a championship hopeful one day now not

Saying probably not okay oh sorry I thought you stopped probably not if we’re being totally honest I mean there’s what of those guys in the league eight guys in leag I don’t know if I think LeBron’s that guy anymore frankly right I don’t think Anthony Davis is probably the number one after

Watching him like I don’t know that Anthony Davis is the number one guy in a championship team if he doesn’t have like someone right next to him or you know maybe frankly the Lakers need Anthony Davis to be the number one guy on a championship team and they’re Five

Below 500 so I I think there’s seven eight guys in the league that fit that characterization right now and no Lowry’s probably not one of those guys he’s a top 30 player in the NBA are there things he could do to become a top 15 player in the NBA yeah probably like

He’s and his leadership has grown a tremendous amount this is not you know this is his first year of being the go-to guy and knowing it coming into the season and that has been different his year this year his numbers are identical 24 points nine rebounds and an assist in

Or two a game um are identical to last year but last year he was playing with Mike Conley and Malik Beasley who were veterans at the time for him to do it this year with this group of inexperienced guys is totally fabulous so he’s a much better player than he was

Last year when he was All-Star starter how much longer can the Utah Jazz keep up their dominant play for is it sustainable how good can Lori Markin and ultimately become as a player is he top 15 bound at some point in his career you’ll have us cover for all that and so

Much more over it locked on Jazz David thanks for stopping by lock on NBA with me my pleasure great job Jackson that’s my love Mondays you on the NBA Kevin o striker in the NFL it’s my first listens every single Monday as these two Shows

Are Lauri Markkanen & Utah Jazz Playoff Threats After HUGE Season Turnaround & Recent Dominant Play?

Jackson Gatlin (@LockedOnRockets) is joined by David Locke (@LockedOnJazz) to discuss the Utah Jazz ridiculous turnaround since the start of the season, now 8-2 in their last 10 including wins over the Denver Nuggets and Milwaukee Bucks, keys to their dominant play as of late, whether or not this success is sustainable, is Utah a legit playoff threat in the Western Conference, and Lauri Markkanen’s role as the No. 1 guy.

#Jazz #NBA #LauriMarkkanen

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