Utah Jazz guard Collin Sexton is going to remain out for the next week as he continues to rehab his strained left hamstring, marking the fifth week he’s been sidelined because of the injury.
The Jazz say that Sexton is progressing as expected and is set to be reevaluated next Thursday.
Sexton has been frustrated about not being able to play, but is also trying to practice patience as he works his way back.
“He works really hard, he’s very diligent, he’s fired up for his teammates, he’s engaged in the locker room,” Jazz head coach Will Hardy said.
“I’ve had to tell him to sit down multiple times because the new rule where you can’t stand in the corner (of the court during a game) and I’ve had multiple officials say, ‘Hey, you got to tell Sexton to sit down,’ and I’m like, ‘Hey, I’m trying, but I can’t really control him.’ That’s how he is. That’s just who Collin is.”
Despite being sidelined, Sexton was on the Jazz’s recent six-game road trip, and after every single game he was stretching or getting treatment on his hamstring even though he wasn’t playing.
Though frustrating, Sexton knows that the Jazz medical and coaching staffs have his best interests in mind.
After having surgery to repair a torn meniscus in November of 2021, Sexton was unable to play for the rest of the 2021-22 season and only returned to competitive play after he was traded to the Jazz.
He also missed 12 games earlier this season with a right hamstring strain.
After missing nearly a year of basketball, and knowing the nature of how he plays and how explosive he can be, there were some people within the Jazz organization who figured there might be a couple hiccups along the way, such as hamstring, calf strains or the like, but there’s no fear that there’s any risk of re-injury to Sexton’s knee or that any of these smaller strains are of any long term concern.
The Jazz see Sexton as a part of their future, and they believe that proceeding with caution will not only benefit him in the long run but also the success of the Jazz.
Meanwhile, the Jazz have been able to hang on to some semblance of roster continuity by adding Kris Dunn to the mix.
Dunn first joined the Jazz on consecutive 10-day contracts before the team signed him to a multiyear deal, meaning he would be with the Jazz through at least the remainder of this season, where he’s filled in for Sexton.
“He’s been great in our locker room. He’s got a great personality, very engaging,” Hardy said of Dunn. “He’s got kind of a loud voice, which I think is good for our team. We have some quieter guys on our team, and Kris is somebody that seamlessly has fit right into the group.”
While Sexton has been out, Talen Horton-Tucker has had the lion’s share of primary ball handling minutes with Dunn coming in as a backup point guard.
If Sexton were to return this season, it’s not clear what exactly would happen with those point guard minutes.
If Sexton remains out for the rest of the season (there are only 13 games left), the Jazz would have the entirety of the offseason, which would include the draft, any trades and free agency, to decide how to proceed with the point guard rotation.
At least for the foreseeable future, the Jazz have Sexton on ice awaiting his return and will continue to experiment with Horton-Tucker and Dunn.