The Utah Jazz may be facing a major frontcourt hit after Lauri Markkanen exited Monday’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies in the first quarter with an apparent hand injury.
Markkanen appeared to hurt his wrist early in the night after getting tangled up with Grizzlies rookie Cameron Boozer, then headed straight to the locker room after Kyle Filipowski checked in for him. A status alert later noted: Lauri Markkanen (hand) headed to locker room Monday.
For now, the exact severity of the injury remains unknown, and there’s no word yet on whether he’ll be out for an extended stretch.
If he does miss time, it would be a significant blow for Utah. The Jazz were already short on size in the frontcourt coming into the game, with center Jusuf Nurkic sidelined since the start of the preseason because of a foot injury and center Jaxson Hayes ruled out before tipoff with a minor shoulder injury.
Losing Markkanen would strip away even more size and scoring from that group. In his first three games this season, he has averaged 19.0 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists while shooting 41.3% from the field and 37.0% from three.
There should be more clarity after the game if he does not return before the final buzzer in Salt Lake City. And if this does turn into missed time, Utah will need its thinner frontcourt to absorb the minutes while leaning more heavily on the scoring of other key pieces.
Filipowski is one obvious player to watch. He has been limited early in the season as he works back from offseason back surgery, but his role could expand quickly if Markkanen is unavailable.
Keyonte George is another name who may have to carry more of the load. He’s off to a strong start, averaging over 21 points per game through three outings while shooting 57.1% from the field and 47.4% from three.
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