The Jazz are 2-6 when they’re missing Kessler and 5-5 without Markkanen. Interestingly, Utah is 6-4 when Clarkson misses games. However, since Clarkson reverted back to his sixth-man role, the Jazz have gone 9-2.
Being a healthy squad has certainly helped matters, but having roles more clearly defined has contributed to Utah playing as a more cohesive unit. With Clarkson coming off the bench and Collin Sexton and Kris Dunn starting, Hardy has finally gotten clarity on how to distribute the minutes in the backcourt.
The hot streak does feel like the one Utah had last season. The Jazz started off the season at 10-3 but then came back down to earth with a 27-42 record to finish the season. Could a Jazz fall from grace happen again this year?
As long as the core players can stay intact and Utah remains relatively healthy, there’s no reason this squad can’t finish the year over .500. That would put Utah in the play-in tournament and give Hardy a shot to make the playoffs for the first time in the post-Donovan Mitchell-Rudy Gobert era.
The question on Jazz fans’ minds moving forward is how sustainable is the recent surge in Salt Lake City. The Jazz have won their last 13 out of 17 games and play the next four at the Delta Center where they boast a 13-5 record. Utah winning games at over a 75% clip probably isn’t sustainable, but surpassing the oddsmaker’s current projections certainly is.
A lot of Utah’s sluggish start to the season had a lot to do with injuries. Lauri Markkanen and Jordan Clarkson have missed 10 games each, while Walker Kessler was absent for eight during the first 30 games of the season.
