The Utah Jazz got an ugly reminder of how thin things can get up front without Jusuf Nurkic.
Memphis didn’t just beat Utah in the opener - it took control from the second quarter on and never gave it back, rolling to a comfortable win in a game that quickly got away from the Jazz. The Grizzlies, who potentially own Utah’s conditional pick this year, were in command for most of the night and made the margin feel even bigger with the way they handled the glass.
Ty Jerome was the biggest problem. He was excellent, and he erupted for 45 points in a performance that few would have seen coming.
Even with that kind of scoring outburst, though, the Jazz still might have survived the night better if the rest of the game had gone differently. Instead, Memphis used Utah’s frontcourt disadvantage to dictate the terms.
That’s where Nurkic’s absence really showed up.
Nurkic is expected to miss only a few weeks, but this game made it clear why the Jazz value him. He’s not the rim protector Walker Kessler or Jaren Jackson Jr. is, but he is a smart player, and Utah felt that loss badly. Memphis overwhelmed the Jazz on the boards, finishing with a 55-38 rebounding edge and a staggering 15-5 advantage on offensive rebounds.
Jerome’s hot hand was one thing, but extra possessions made the night much harder for Utah to survive. Even a big scoring performance can feel less damaging when a team controls the rebound battle, and that simply didn’t happen here.
For the Jazz, the loss was ugly, but nights like this also point to what Nurkic gives them when he’s available. It will be interesting to see how Utah adjusts between now and when he returns in November. This one will mostly be remembered as bad luck with Jerome going off, but it also served as a blunt reminder of how important Nurkic is to what the Jazz are trying to do.
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Jazz Young Core Comes With A Price Fans Can Already Feel
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For Utah, the larger picture is starting to come into focus around a young core that is still being shaped. The Jazz are leaning into Ace Baileys development as a two-way player, while rookie Darryn Peterson has already shared a bit about his draft experience and his relationship with fellow draftee AJ Dybantsa. All of it points to a franchise trying to build sustainably, even as the front office keeps an eye on how much room will be left to maneuver once the bills for this next wave of talent start coming due. [Read more 🡒]