THE Utah Jazz had one other tough evening on the workplace towards the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday. Not solely did the Jazz fall to 4-13 with a 128-115 loss to Victor Wembanyama and Co. that eradicated them from NBA Cup argument, however they misplaced their star Lauri Markkanen within the course of to a contusion of the left knee.
Markkanen was injured within the fourth quarter after a knee-to-knee collision with Wembanyama. The Jazz star needed to be helped off the sector and into the locker room. Will Hardy, Jazz head coach confirmed the bruise after the sport, in line with NBA.com.
Utah hasn’t completed it but launched an damage report for Wednesday evening’s recreation towards the Denver Nuggets, so it is unclear what Markkanen’s standing might be. Provided that it is a back-to-back recreation so early within the season and the Jazz aren’t actually prioritizing successful proper now, it might be stunning if the Finnish ahead suited up.
Markkanen has already missed three video games this season for Utah. He additionally noticed his general numbers drop a bit after changing into an All-Star expertise in recent times, main him to signal a large $238 million contract extension this previous offseason after commerce talks. Simply two seasons in the past, the massive man was placing up 25.6 factors and eight.6 rebounds per recreation. These averages dipped barely to 23.2 factors and eight.2 rebounds per recreation final season, however now sit at 19.5 factors and 6.6 rebounds per recreation thus far in 2024-25.
The place Lauri Markkanen and Jazz go from right here
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We hope Lauri Markkanen’s knee damage is just not critical. However whether or not he is wholesome or not, the Jazz are very clearly one of many groups that might be on the entrance of the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes. With a 4-13 report, Utah is the second-worst crew within the Western Convention and fifth within the Tankathon standings.
Along with his large extension, Markkanen is a franchise cornerstone, however he is not a transparent No. 1 contender and wishes much more assist. Walker Kessler is a strong middle, however his the title has been in commerce rumors. Keyonte George is a promising teenager who has proven flashes however remains to be fairly uncooked. 2023 lottery choose Taylor Hendricks is out with a season-ending damage. There’s a group of veterans like John Collins, Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton who’re commerce candidates.
The Jazz might be seeking to get a real centerpiece within the upcoming draft, whether or not it is Flagg or another person. For now, maintain your fingers crossed on Lauri Markkanen’s damage entrance.
Jason Patt is the top of the ClutchPoints editorial crew. The Illinois alumnus makes a speciality of masking the NBA, NFL and MLB, and he is beforehand signed to SB Nation, FanSided and Forbes.
