Game Thread Jan 22, 2025 06:00PM MT: Utah Jazz @ Oklahoma City Thunder

[framer]

Yeah, unless we gut the team, there won't be another bottom 3 tank next year as well.

 

[Jaanipoeg]

This is a .400-caliber basketball team in a loaded West without tank ****ery, which is honestly pretty insane given how much work has been done to tear it down and play ~6 players who can barely drink alcohol legally

 

[Jaanipoeg]

Boler: "The Williams brothers look identical to me"

lol I wish

 

[Jaanipoeg]

"and the use of inappropriate language... with profanity..."

 

[Laramie]

Markkanen a 3 point marksman.

 

[Ferguson_Mellochill]

Kessler has been amazingly consistent this year. He just keeps doing what he does.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

Harkless!!

 

[Ferguson_Mellochill]

Jalen Williams getting some easy calls compared to the contact our guys have been taking.

 

[Ferguson_Mellochill]

Jazz lack of ball handlers and playmakers really being exposed by OKC, who can just jump the passing lanes.

 

[JimLes]

It's 2025 and somehow we have like 5 guards who can't handle the ball. Like, what did these people do in college? Spot-up shooters haven't existed in decades. I'm so confused.

 

[fishonjazz]

That was a fun game that was even closer than the score would indicate.

Kessler is a beast.

I felt keyonte was having a really hard time out there.

Games like this make me wonder what seed the jazz could get with a lineup of sexton, Lauri, Collins, and Kessler staying healthy all year and the front office building the team as well as possible and hardy coaching to win.

 

[homeytennis]

Great tank job by the guys. Having 17 more TOs than OKC is golden. They are helping secure the Flagg.

 

[GG Jazz Cabbage]

SGA did what he wanted against George, then Jazz tried switching it up with others even Lauri guarding him

 

[Laramie]

If Jazz continue playing on this level they should begin to win some of those close games. I know you're tanking for a draft pick; these players have pride.

 

[fishonjazz]

Honestly if the jazz were shooting for the playoffs this year and trying their hardest to win every game then all 4 of the jazz best players could have played another 5 minutes each and the jazz might have won this one.
Collins, sexton, Lauri, and Kessler all had pretty solid games while everyone else on the team struggled (though keyonte had a decent game as well)
Playing on the road in a game that SGA scores a career high and we gave them everything they could handle and we weren't even trying that hard.

If the jazz are able to keep this roster and preserve the tank and land Flagg and then make a few trades with their draft assets and hit on a few dudes in free agency then they could be solidly in the playoff hunt next year and make a little noise.

 

[cowhide]

27 turnovers, 20 turnovers by 3 players. Jazz need to fix this problem going forward.

 

[cowhide]

Honestly if the jazz were shooting for the playoffs this year and trying their hardest to win every game then all 4 of the jazz best players could have played another 5 minutes each and the jazz might have won this one.
Collins, sexton, Lauri, and Kessler all had pretty solid games while everyone else on the team struggled (though keyonte had a decent game as well)
Playing on the road in a game that SGA scores a career high and we gave them everything they could handle and we weren't even trying that hard.

If the jazz are able to keep this roster and preserve the tank and land Flagg and then make a few trades with their draft assets and hit on a few dudes in free agency then they could be solidly in the playoff hunt next year and make a little noise.

Collins and Sexton had 14 turnovers.

 

[fishonjazz]

If Jazz continue playing on this level they should begin to win some of those close games. I know you're tanking for a draft pick; these players have pride.

Schedule is brutal though and hardy and the jazz front office aren't trying their hardest to win even if the players on the court are.

 

[HeatCheck]

Honestly if the jazz were shooting for the playoffs this year and trying their hardest to win every game then all 4 of the jazz best players could have played another 5 minutes each and the jazz might have won this one.
Collins, sexton, Lauri, and Kessler all had pretty solid games while everyone else on the team struggled (though keyonte had a decent game as well)
Playing on the road in a game that SGA scores a career high and we gave them everything they could handle and we weren't even trying that hard.

If the jazz are able to keep this roster and preserve the tank and land Flagg and then make a trades with their draft assets and hit on a few dudes in free agency then they could be solidly in the playoff hunt next year and make a little noise.

I wish that would happen. Even if they do luck into Flagg I highly doubt they would purposely hand over their '26 FRP to OKC.

 

[fishonjazz]

Collins and Sexton had 14 turnovers.

Yep which is why I used the word solid to describe their games tonight.
Get rid of the turnover issues and they had great games.

But your point further proves my point. Collins and Sexton had 14 turnovers and the jazz played the best team in the West on the road with their MVP candidate scoring a career high using an intentionally torn down roster built to tank with the jazz not even trying their hardest to win and we gave the thunder all they could handle.