If I were an actual teacher, I’d be quite tempted to dock the entire class points for what was, by all accounts, a thorough and unquestionable defeat to the shorthanded Golden State Warriors. Defensively,
the Jazz resisted with all the integrity of a five-cent water balloon as the visitors sliced, diced, and tore through Utah’s barricade.
Truthfully, it seemed that one swing of the basketball from sideline to sideline was consistently enough to have the Jazz scrambling to keep up. Assignments missed, men left unchecked, and wide open shot after wide open shot widened the point differential consistently through the night. The Jazz haven’t been heralded for defensive fortitude at any point in the season, and tonight was no exception.
But despite the disappointment on the court, it remains my responsibility to rate and dish out grades to each of the players in tonight’s crushing defeat.
Lauri Markkanen – C+
It is with great pleasure that we welcome the Finnisher back to the court. Unfortunately, he’s clearly a step slower in his time away from the lineup. Getting back into game shape and into the flow of the season takes time. We saw him slowly step back into his pace midway through the fourth quarter with a Joe Ingles-esque high catch-and-shoot from the top of the key and a slashing dunk in trafflic. He dunked on Draymond Green, and that alone is praiseworthy. Still, 16 points on 6-for-24 shooting is far from his standard, and for that, he must lose points.
Svi Mykhailiuk – D
It is with less pleasure that we welcome Mykhailiuk back to the starting lineup. With the recent development of Cody Williams as a slashing force of interior pyrotechnics, seeing Williams scratched from the lineup with illness is frustrating. In his place, Mykhailiuk entered the spotlight. Fair enough, but two points in 16 minutes? I would have rather seen Taylor Hendricks get some playing time in Svi’s place.
Keyonte George – B
It was an off shooting night for Key, as he hit just six of his 15 attempts from the field. Keyonte couldn’t get things going in the weeds of the Golden State interior, as all but one of his misses arrived in that range (3-for-11 from two-point territory), but he was 75% from distance. I love the aggression, but sometimes three-point land is a safer bet. I call this the Egor Demin principle.
Credit where credit is due — Keyonte’s begun to embrace his role as point guard, with seven assists and being limited to two giveaways. This is what we like to see.
Ace Bailey – A
Bailey’s playmaking potential actualized in many instances tonight. Four assists including some pinpoint cross-court passes that had the assist freak within me leaping from his chair. Ace is a scorer at heart, though, and he matched Keyonte’s 19 points on impressive 8-for-15 shooting splits from the field (3-for-7 from deep!) along with seven rebounds, two steals, and a block. I love me some Ace Bailey branded basketball.
Jusuf Nurkic – F
Nurkic has set a precedent for himself, and I am grading him against that measure. 11, 5, and 5 is nowhere near a triple-double, mister. Do better next time.
Isaiah Collier – B+
It was both hilariously self-aware and introspectively agitating when Collier’s feet didn’t leave the floor during a first-quarter jump ball. Both athletically and developmentally, Collier has yet to really elevate in his sophomore year. He got his average of six assists, made his money from inside the arc, and managed an impressive four steals in this one. For that, he gets kudos in this game.
Brice Sensabaugh – B+
When it comes to shooting, few are stroking the leather nicer than Brice. He enjoyed 22 points — a team high — on 4-of-9 shooting from deep. That’s good basketball, and it wipes clean the sins of his defense. Ish.
Kyle Filipowski – B
Flip will never be a defensive ace, but fortunately for him, neither were seemingly any of his teammates. Tonight, he posted a strong statline and didn’t miss a shot all night! …He also only played 17 minutes in this one. I guess he did well, considering his opportunity.
Kyle Anderson – B-
Watching him play basketball is hilarious. Every movement is a tremendous labor, almost as if his joints were liquifying with every step. Six assists to one turnover makes up a connective, well-lubricated basketball machine, and that’s what Slow-Mo brought to the table.
Walter Clayton Jr – C-
Walt made a brief non-garbage time appearance that yielded 0 points, but two assists. He hit his first shot well after the game had already been decided. Clayton Jr, despite his age, is taking a while to get up to speed in the NBA.
Derrick Favors – A
You read that right. Derrick Favors was back on the court in Salt Lake City tonight, shooting free throws for charity. From the charity stripe, he was positively clutch, doubling the initial donation of $1,000. Do I feel the urge to dock him points for being the reason why Utah is still indebted to Oklahoma City? Yes, but there’s very little that D-Faves could do about that now.
Calvin Barrett is a writer, editor, and prolific Mario Kart racer located in Tokyo, Japan. He has covered the NBA and College Sports since 2024.
