Preseason basketball means just about nothing. But the Utah Jazz haven’t played meaningful
basketball for over three years, so we might as well evaluate how they played in their preseason
opener vs. the Houston Rockets. Here are the first player grades of the season:
(Note on Grading Scale)
All performances are relative. We won’t expect the same from Jusuf Nurkic as we do Lauri Markkanan. That said, if someone plays well, they get a good grade. If they play poorly, they get a bad grade. Don’t take
it too seriously, it’s just for fun!
Ace Bailey – A+
Whatever you expected from Ace Bailey in his first NBA game, he exceeded it. He finished the
night with 25 points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals, one block, and two turnovers, all on
nearly 70% shooting from the field. On offense, he made quick decisions with the ball, limited
poor shots, and knocked down a number of smooth pull-up jumpers. On defense, he moved his
feet, got his hands in passing lanes. He got lost at times, but gave great effort. All together, it’s
hard to not get excited by what we saw.
Taylor Hendricks – A
Only a year after a devastating injury, Hendricks came out looking quick and confident. He was
more timid on defense than what the Jazz will need from him, but still collected five stocks and
shot well from three. Great start to the season for Hendricks.
Keyonte George – A
George finished the night with nine assists and zero turnovers. The Jazz need him to be a
facilitator moving forward, and he did that wonderfully tonight. On top of that, he pitched in 16
points on great efficiency.
Brice Sensabaugh – B+
Sensabaugh has the most clearly developed skill out of any young player on the roster: he can
shoot the leather off of the ball. He finished the night with an efficient 24 points, but lost points
on his grade for a few poor defensive possessions. I suspect this might be the sentiment for
Sensabaugh all season.
Cody Williams – D
Williams looked no different tonight than he did most of last season – which is to say, invisible.
He scored two points and didn’t get a single rebound, assist, steal, or block in 20 minutes. If he’s
not getting opportunities to score, he’s got to make an impact some other way. Tonight, he did
neither.
Walter Clayton Jr. – C
Clayton Jr. struggled in his first taste of NBA basketball. He missed six of his seven shots, turned
the ball over three times, and struggled to match the physicality of the game at times. As an older
draft pick, the expectation is that Clayton Jr. is more NBA-ready today than most rookies.
Jusuf Nurkic – B
Nurkic nearly ended the night with a triple-double: 12 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists.
The so-called Bosnian Beast has always had the ability to facilitate an offense. He did just so
tonight, but turned the ball over four times and was flat-footed on defense.
Svi Mykhailuk – C-
When Mykhailuk touches the basketball, it feels like it’s a guarantee he’ll shoot it. Tonight, he
only got six of them up, but missed five. He turned the ball over four times, but at least gathered
two steals.
Kevin Love – B-
Just based on his defense, Love probably shouldn’t be in the league anymore. That said, he shot
four of four from three, grabbed six rebounds, and was a fantastic leader from the bench.
Multiple times throughout the night, he encouraged Ace Bailey and coached the young guys.
That’s all we need from him.
Kyle Anderson – C
Anderson looked slow tonight, even for his standards. He grabbed six boards, but didn’t do much
else. That said, like Love, his role will be as a mentor off the bench.
