The Utah Jazz are a team continuously in start of the rebuilding phase of their franchise. After letting go of Donavan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley, and Bojan Bogdanovic, the team is starting from scratch. But Utah still does not a clear-cut formula to being a perennial contender once again.
The Jazz are unlike the Oklahoma City Thunder or Orlando Magic. These franchises are prime examples of young organizations who have a clear vision how they want to build their roster.
With that part of construction still lacking, the Jazz must start by deploying their young guys more minutes, such as Keyonte George, Walker Kessler, Ochai Agbaji, and Taylor Hendricks. They are not vying for a playoff spot this year, so the best approach is to focus on player development of the aforementioned individuals.
Moreover, the front office must also distinguish who are the building pieces of the Jazz and who are the expendable assets that can be moved before the trade deadline.
Some of these individuals that might be moved does not necessarily mean their careers are dwindling, but it more so means that they are a better fit for a team contending in the postseason. With that, this is the Utah player who must get less minutes and likely be dealt by the deadline.
Why Jazz should play Jordan Clarkson less
Some Jazz fans might be irate seeing Jordan Clarkson's name in this article, but he is someone that must not be getting 30 minutes per game for a lottery squad. Clarkson is 31 years old, which means he is far from the timeline of the Jazz who are likely to be successful in four to five years. He was the perfect sixth man during the tenure of Mitchell and Gobert. But Clarkson will fit like a glove in a franchise, such as the Miami Heat or New York Knicks.
Since Clarkson has been fantastic in this 2023-24 campaign, it is the ideal time to sell high on his value and receive younger players or draft capital. A plethora of squads will be interested in Clarkson, so Utah has the major opportunity to negotiate and gauge all these deals. He is still in the prime of his career, and he has proven to thrive in a bench role, which is integral for stacked teams.
Dealing Clarkson will naturally cost Utah to lose more games this season, but it will be an opening for head coach Will Hardy to utilize George, Agbaji, and even Collin Sexton more minutes. The sacrifice of losing a myriad of contests will be tough to stomach, but the front office must be faced with reality that it will happen for a small market and rebuilding organization.
The trade deadline is still over a month away, so the Jazz can still continue playing Clarkson many minutes because it can also be the avenue to give him the platform to boost his stock in the market. If the right deal is on the table they must take it in a heartbeat because there is a chance that Clarkson's value may fluctuate.
For a youthful roster like Utah, it is vital to surround youngsters with veterans that complement their style of play. Clarkson is an incredible streaky scorer, but there are instances wherein he can be a ball-stopper or liability on defense which are habits that are not healthy for his teammates.
Jordan Clarkson is still an elite NBA player, but he will fit better in a lineup that will maximize his talent.
Follow Us
Subscribe