Lauri Markkanen is heading into a season that could finally put his scoring in a different spotlight.
For years, he has put up numbers for a Jazz team stuck in the lottery. Now Utah appears to have a legitimate path to the playoffs, and that changes the conversation around him. Even with a better structure around the roster, Markkanen still looks like the player the Jazz need to lean on most on offense.
That’s not really a surprise. He has long looked like the kind of scorer who can carry a team’s attack, with elite production from deep and the ability to finish inside when the moment calls for it.
The difference is that he has mostly been doing that work on teams that weren’t built to compete. This season gives him a chance to do it while Utah is trying to win meaningful games.
He remains the most versatile offensive player the Jazz have, and that matters in a group that is trying to take a step forward. Last year, Utah made a giant trade for Jaren Jackson Jr., a move that made it clear the franchise was done living near the bottom of the Western Conference. They gave up a massive haul of draft picks to get one of the league’s better defenders, and the message was obvious: the Jazz wanted to start pushing toward the playoffs.
There are still questions. Losing Walker Kessler over the summer hurts those hopes.
But the roster still has enough pieces to make things interesting, with Keyonte George now signed to an extension, Darryn Peterson coming in through the draft, and Ace Bailey entering his second season. Add in some solid depth, and Utah has the look of a team that can make some noise in the West.
Even so, the offense still runs through Markkanen. His size, his shooting from three, and his touch near the rim make him Utah’s best scoring option. If the Jazz are going to get where they want to go, he’ll have to score efficiently and deliver in the biggest moments.
That’s the challenge ahead, and it’s one he hasn’t really had in this setting before. He has scored plenty in Utah, but not with this kind of team context around him. Now he gets the chance to do it while the Jazz are aiming higher.
In Other News...
Jazz May Be Betting Big On A Blueprint Fans Know Well
The Jazz have made their position on Keyonte George pretty clear by locking him into a contract extension, a move that says more about the franchises long-term direction than any single game from last season. In a league where teams are constantly searching for a lead guard who can steady the offense and shape the entire identity of the roster, Utah appears to believe George can grow into that kind of centerpiece.
There is a familiar template behind that bet, one Jazz observers will recognize from around the NBA: find a guard with enough craft, control and scoring touch to organize the whole operation, then build outward from there. George is not there yet, and the comparison to Jalen Brunson reflects upside more than accomplishment, but the logic is easy to follow for Utah. If the Jazz are right, this extension could be one of the first real markers of a roster constructed around a very specific kind of engine. [Read more 🡒]
Ryan Smith Just Weighed In On The Jazz Draft Debate
With the second overall pick in hand, the Jazz entered the draft with plenty of eyes on them, and the chatter around the top of the board only grew once BYU star AJ Dybantsa went first overall to Washington. Utah's choice of Darryn Peterson was always going to invite comparison, especially in a market where every draft decision gets picked over immediately.
Ryan Smith has now added his voice to the conversation, and he made clear he believes the Jazz landed on the right player. For a team hoping Peterson can become a cornerstone as his NBA regular season approaches, that kind of public backing matters almost as much as the selection itself, even if the debate over who should have gone where is unlikely to fade anytime soon. [Read more 🡒]