After a long summer, the Jazz will play basketball tonight! They face the reloaded Houston Rockets, who boast aging yet dangerous superstar Kevin Durant alongside younger up-and-comers like Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, and Reed Sheppard. The Jazz, for there part, take what could be the first big step towards the light at the end of the rebuilding tunnel. Rookie wing Ace Bailey, while played sparingly during the Summer League, has nonetheless given Jazz fans everywhere a renewed sense of hope for the future, if a cautious one.
However, as has been the norm the past two years, the Jazz are plagued by the injury bug. Whether the players are being held out from an abundance of caution, or because Danny Ainge doesn’t realize that you don’t get lottery credit for tanking the preseason, the injury report is long:
Summer League star Kyle Filipowski is out, plus their projected starting frontcourt and point guard, which should mean extended burn for Walter “Walt Lake City” Clayton Junior at the point/shooting guard spot and Ace Bailey in the frontcourt, not to mention Keyonte George and Brice Sensabaugh. While likely not translating to a Jazz win tonight, longsuffering Jazz fans will be interested to see whether Keyonte George has really improved, and whether Brice Sensabaugh can maintain the hot shooting he showed in Summer League. Curiously, the injuries may also mean that we see Kevin Love in a Jazz jersey for the first time, as well as Mo Bamba and Kyle Anderson.
When: October 8th, 6PM Mountain Time
Where: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Watch: KJZZ, Jazz+, NBA League Pass (Out of Market)
This is the first of four preseason games before Opening Night against the Los Angeles Clippers on October 22nd. Whether we watch improbable wins or blowout losses, it’s good to have Jazz basketball back, even if it doesn’t count yet.