The Utah Jazz enter next season with a roster that looks more intriguing on paper, but also a lot trickier to sort out on the glass.
That tension starts with Jaren Jackson Jr., who arrived from the Memphis Grizzlies at last year’s trade deadline and gives Utah a major defensive presence. The problem is that Jackson does not solve every frontcourt issue. He’s a strong defender, but not a strong rebounder, and that leaves the Jazz exposed in a spot where they already don’t have much margin for error.
Walker Kessler was supposed to be the answer.
Instead, Utah lost him this summer in a sign-and-trade to the Los Angeles Lakers after the two sides couldn’t reach an agreement in restricted free agency. The Jazz did get a pretty great haul back, but the roster hole he leaves behind is obvious. Kessler was the big body who could have covered for Jackson’s shortcomings on the boards, the way Steven Adams and, more recently, Zach Edey have done alongside Jackson in Memphis.
Without him, the Jazz’s rebounding picture gets shaky fast. Jusuf Nurkic is probably their best option on the glass, and if he ends up as the starting center, that’s not exactly an ideal setup. Utah can count on Jackson to protect the rim and help anchor the defense, but when it comes to defensive rebounding, he’s not the kind of player who can carry that burden alone.
That leaves the Jazz with a different kind of problem as they chase a playoff spot next season. If they want to avoid being one of the worst rebounding teams in the league, it’s going to have to be a group effort. Lauri Markkanen and the guard rotation will need to help on the boards, because the one player who was supposed to make this whole construction work is now gone.
Kessler was the solution. Now Utah has to find a new one.
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The bigger picture is just as important for a team that has spent recent seasons near the bottom of the league defensively. The Jazz believe recent additions can help change that, but the starting lineup still does not feel settled, especially in the backcourt and at center, and the preseason could end up carrying real weight in how the coaching staff sorts it all out. [Read more 🡒]