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Jazz’s Isaiah Collier, Lauri Markkanen connect for clinical alley-oop
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- Jazz’s Isaiah Collier, Lauri Markkanen connect for clinical alley-oop
Jazz's Isaiah Collier, Lauri Markkanen connect for clinical alley-oop appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The Utah Jazz (16-36) used a defibrillator to revive themselves and their fan base this week, as they completed a huge trade to acquire former Defensive Player of the Year and two-time All-Star Jaren Jackson Jr. It remains to be seen if this aggressive maneuver will lift the squad out of Western Conference irrelevance, but it shows the organization is building toward something.
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There are a few players on the roster like Lauri Markkanen , Keyonte George and Isaiah Collier who should be important components alongside Triple-J. Two of those guys displayed sublime chemistry during Saturday's road game versus the Orlando Magic. Collier launched a pass from the Magic logo to Markkanen for a stunning alley-oop .
Once projected be a top-five draft pick, Collier posted an uneven freshman campaign with USC and fell toward the end of the first round. The 21-year-old may not live up to his pre-college hype, but he is making notable progress during his second NBA season. His playmaking skills especially stand out.
Collier is averaging 10.0 points and 7.1 assists in 24.9 minutes per contest while shooting 50.5 percent from the field. He displayed terrific court vision on this specific sequence, connecting with a cutting Markkanen at the perfect time. The man who finished the play obviously deserves his due as well.
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The Finnish 7-footer is enjoying another stellar season in Salt Lake City. He is scoring 27.1 points per game on 47.7 percent shooting from the field and 36.3 percent shooting from beyond the 3-point line. Markkanen has not done much winning during his four years in Utah, but he should shine brighter moving forward.
The Jazz have been gradually constructing a solid foundation. Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., Keyonte George and Walker Kessler all appear to be core members of this squad (Ace Bailey's day will come, too). Isaiah Collier is also intent on cementing a prominent role for himself. If the young point guard continues to break out dimes like the one he executed in Orlando, he will get his wish.
Utah will be spending the playoffs at home for a fourth straight year, but the next nine weeks will be interesting just the same. It's about time.
Related: Jazz star Keyonte George exits Magic game with ankle injury
Related: Watch Jaren Jackson Jr. swish his first bucket with Jazz
