Editor’s note: Fourth in a series of stories grading all the Utah Jazz players from the 2023-24 roster.
When the 2023-24 season began, one of the biggest questions for the Utah Jazz was what would happen on the guard line. With Talen Horton-Tucker and rookie Keyonte George on the roster, as well as two-way players Johnny Juzang and Jason Preston, along with late addition Kira Lewis Jr., and veterans Jordan Clarkson, Collin Sexton and Kris Dunn, there were a lot of mouths to feed.
Ultimately, the veterans proved to be valuable in different ways, both on and off the court. They were all asked to take on different roles and they were all facing different kinds of expectations.
As such, grading them is not going to be purely based on their on-court production (though that is certainly a big factor), but also in the context of what the team became over the course of the season and what the players meant to the fan base and to the larger NBA landscape.
Jordan Clarkson — B+
To be the final holdover from the previous “era” of Jazz basketball, in his 30s and wanting to be a part of a winning team with a chance to contend and to spend the season hearing trade rumors and seeing that he’s not going to have a chance to play postseason basketball, it would have been really understandable for Clarkson to be disgruntled. It would have made a lot of sense if he was frustrated and complained about the situation.
But Clarkson never complained. He accepted his role as a mentor and leader for the young players on the roster. He accepted his role as a facilitator and despite any rumors, he has maintained that he loves Utah and would welcome being able to stay in a Jazz jersey.
In order to grade Clarkson’s season, we have to weigh a lot of things. His on-court production was mixed. His shooting numbers were way down compared to previous seasons, as he shot just 29.4% from 3-point range on fewer attempts. That said, he averaged five assists per game while his turnover numbers were down compared to last season.
Clarkson broke a 33-year-old Jazz record for the most 30-point games from a bench player, a record that was previously held by Thurl Bailey, and on Jan. 1, he ended the Jazz’s 15-year regular season triple-double drought. Although those moments do not make up for the fact that the Jazz were losing more games than they were winning, they were among the few bright moments of the season.
While there are many who would have wanted to see more from Clarkson, the truth is that the Jazz weren’t asking for more and they probably didn’t want more. If anything, they wanted less and they had to use minor injuries as a way to shut Clarkson down for large stretches of the season.
If we weigh everything together, giving Clarkson a B+ for the season is probably the very least that he deserves.
Collin Sexton — A+
At the beginning of the 2023-24 season, a common thought about Sexton was whether or not his contract would hold value. Owed $17.3 million for the 2023-24 season, $18.1 million for the 2024-25 season and $18.9 million for the 2025-26 season, there was concern that if Sexton underperformed the Jazz wouldn’t be able to trade him and would be stuck with an inflated contract.
In 2021 Sexton had season-ending knee surgery after playing 11 games with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Last season, with the Jazz, Sexton returned from surgery and played 48 games. So, on top of questions about Sexton’s value compared to his contract, there were also questions about his being able to remain healthy throughout an entire season.
Well, Sexton took any doubts or worries and completely blew them out of the water. He was asked to focus more on his decision-making and become someone who would be a threat as a playmaker while also maintaining efficiency.
Sexton started out the season on the bench but pretty quickly played himself into the starting lineup. He averaged 18.7 points and a career-best 4.9 assists this season while shooting 39.4% from 3-point range and a career-best 85.9% from the free-throw line. Sexton proved to be one of the most energetic and ruthless players on the roster who was always trying to improve.
His contract might have seemed inflated at the beginning of the season, but now it looks like a steal. Sexton has increased his value across the board, and his reputation for being dedicated, tireless and one of the most coachable players in the league has a lot of people coveting him.
The Jazz have the kind of lightning-in-a-bottle player in Sexton that teams drool over. He’s shut down every doubt anyone has had about him and now should be looked at as one of the most valuable players on the Jazz roster.
Kris Dunn — B+
There was a time not that long ago when Dunn’s career seemed to be over. His resurgence from the G League is well documented and his time with the Jazz has given him the opportunity to prove that he belongs in the NBA.
After an incredibly impressive 22 games with the Jazz at the end of the 2022-23 season, this season was a real chance to see where Dunn’s game was. Though he came back down to earth a bit, he showed that his offensive game is wider than anyone originally believed, he can shoot (36.9% from 3), run the pick-and-roll, doesn’t get too sped up, has a nice floater and is smart when making decisions with the ball in his hands.
Defensively, Dunn is still the player that he always has been. He’s an absolute dog on that side of the ball and it’s a joy to watch. He makes the players around him better because he defends at such a high level.
Dunn’s game isn’t completely without flaws, though. There are a lot of times when he’s unnecessarily passive. He needs to learn to take advantage of situations where he can punish the defense inside — that means drawing fouls and playing through contact and then capitalizing at the free-throw line. Dunn shot just 68.8% from the charity stripe, which is something that needs to improve.
But there are also ways that Dunn impacted things that won’t show up in a box score. He is without a doubt the most extroverted player on the Jazz roster and he was invaluable as a mentor for the rookies, especially George. Additionally, Dunn brings an element of toughness and fight that the Jazz would be lacking without him.
When Jazz CEO Danny Ainge was asked the type of role players that were important to have on the team once they have the stars to build around, Dunn was the only player that he mentioned by name.
“Those characteristics are just toughness and that competitive fire, that is their strength,” Ainge said. “I would say the guy on our team this year that exemplified that the most is Kris Dunn. Kris gave us a defensive presence more than anybody else on the perimeter. ... He has a role in the NBA, and we liked what he brought to the table.”
Dunn is a free agent and he could draw some attention from across the league, but the Jazz might be smart to keep a guy like him in house because without him, you lose a lot more than just a backup point guard.
