The Utah Jazz were seeking their first win of the 2024-25 NBA season on Tuesday, but their chances took a significant hit when they lost their star player, Lauri Markkanen, to back spasms during a 113-96 home defeat to the Sacramento Kings. Markkanen finished the game with seven points on 3-of-5 shooting.
This setback follows a troubling incident the previous night when 2023 top-10 draft pick Taylor Hendricks sustained severe leg injuries, causing fan optimism to wane.
Despite ongoing trade rumors, the Jazz remain committed to Markkanen, who signed a lucrative five-year, $238 million contract extension in the offseason. This move reflects the substantial progress he has made since joining the team prior to the 2022-23 season, during which he averaged 24.5 points and 8.4 rebounds while shooting 39.6 percent from beyond the arc over 124 games.
However, Markkanen’s health is a concern; he has yet to play 70 games in a single season since being selected as the No. 7 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. This lack of durability poses a challenge for a team that needs its best player to compete. The Jazz’s playoff hopes are slim even with Markkanen, and they seem unlikely to have a successful season if he faces extended downtime.
As the season starts off poorly for the Jazz, fans are anxiously awaiting an update from head coach Will Hardy regarding Markkanen’s condition. Unfortunately, the team’s performance was overshadowed by a solid outing from Sacramento, led by Domantas Sabonis and DeMar DeRozan. In a losing effort, former Sixth Man of the Year Jordan Clarkson scored 21 points on 50 percent shooting, while rookies Kyle Filipowski and Brice Sensabaugh contributed positively.
Looking ahead, if Markkanen cannot play on Halloween against the San Antonio Spurs, the Jazz will likely rely heavily on John Collins to step up. While Halloween may not traditionally bring good fortune, this team may need to find success in unconventional ways.
