Jazz Lose Lauri Markkanen, Forcing Will Hardy to Make a Bold Decision

Twenty-four of the Utah Jazz's first 28 shots Wednesday night came from beyond the arc. By the final buzzer, they'd attempted 44 three-pointers ... and made just 14.

The result was a 123-108 loss to the Orlando Magic at the Delta Center, Utah's 10th consecutive defeat. And with Lauri Markkanen sidelined by a hand injury, the Jazz have some decisions to make.

Wednesday offered a pretty convincing argument for what they shouldn't do.

Markkanen suffered two nondisplaced fractures in his right hand during Utah's November 6 loss to Dallas and is scheduled to be reevaluated in four weeks. With Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jusuf Nurkić also sidelined, three of Utah's most important frontcourt players are unavailable.

Even before the injury, the Jazz had used Markkanen at center for 104 possessions through nine games, according to Cleaning the Glass. That's more than he played at the position during the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons combined.

Utah needed his shooting to compensate for the absences of Jackson and Nurkić. Now that he's unavailable, the temptation might be to find another big man who can provide some version of the same production.

But the Jazz should be more interested in changing their approach than finding an imitation.

Against Orlando, Utah managed just 28 points in the paint compared to the Magic's 40. The Jazz moved the ball effectively at times, scoring 34 first-quarter points, but their offense became increasingly difficult to sustain.

The most telling sequence came in the fourth quarter.

After Brice Sensabaugh's three-pointer gave Utah a 96-95 lead, Orlando responded with an 18-3 run. Back-to-back turnovers from Keyonte George helped fuel the collapse, with the Magic converting both mistakes into three-pointers.

Will Hardy acknowledged afterward that Utah's late-game struggles haven't been coincidental. His team's execution has repeatedly deteriorated offensively, creating additional difficulties on the defensive end.

That's an important distinction. Attempting 44 threes isn't inherently a mistake, nor did Markkanen's absence cause George to turn the ball over.

But when defenses aren't forced to respect enough threats around the basket, Utah has fewer ways to manufacture quality possessions when its perimeter offense stalls.

Another traditional center won't automatically change that.

Jaxson Hayes finished with 11 points and eight rebounds Wednesday, while Mo Bamba contributed five points and two blocks. Both have their uses, particularly Hayes as a rim runner and Bamba as an interior defender.

Neither stretches the floor the way Markkanen does.

Hardy should instead experiment with combinations that create more space for his guards without abandoning interior protection entirely.

Ace Bailey has the size to handle stretches at power forward, and his four blocks against Orlando demonstrated the defensive versatility he can provide. That doesn't mean asking him to defend opposing centers all night, but it gives Utah another option against teams that aren't equipped to punish smaller lineups.

Kyle Filipowski might be an even more interesting piece of the equation.

After playing approximately 15 minutes in each of Utah's previous two games, Filipowski didn't leave the bench Wednesday.

His recovery from offseason back surgery warrants caution, particularly on the second night of a back-to-back. But as his workload permits, the Jazz should be interested in finding him a more consistent role.

Hardy praised Filipowski's screening, ball movement and shooting after Sunday's loss to Minnesota. Those skills could help Utah generate offense through something other than individual shot creation.

Imagine George and Darryn Peterson operating off Filipowski's screens and handoffs, with Bailey attacking defenses already forced into rotation.

Hayes could still provide a traditional lob threat, while Filipowski gives Hardy another option when the offense needs more movement away from the ball.

It wouldn't replicate Markkanen's production ... but that's precisely the point.

Peterson scored 22 points Wednesday, Bailey added 18 and George finished with 13 points and seven assists. Their increased responsibilities will be valuable, although the obvious opportunity for more shots shouldn't be confused with meaningful offensive development.

George shot 3-of-13 against Orlando. Peterson needed 19 attempts to score his 22 points.

Both will have nights like that, especially given their ages. What Utah should be evaluating is how effectively they create opportunities for one another and whether the surrounding personnel allow them to make the right decisions.

Smaller lineups could expose Utah defensively, and Filipowski isn't guaranteed to provide the necessary spacing. Those are legitimate concerns.

But a team with one victory through 12 games has little reason to protect a rotation assembled under circumstances that no longer exist.

Nor should the front office spend assets acquiring another center simply to get through December. Any addition should improve the roster beyond Markkanen's eventual return, not serve as an expensive temporary replacement.

Markkanen's return will restore much of the shooting and versatility Utah has spent the opening weeks trying to replace. But that shouldn't excuse the Jazz from finding out which combinations work without him.

A month from now, Utah might still have only a handful of victories. That's one thing.

Getting Markkanen back and immediately asking him to compensate for the same limitations would mean the Jazz learned next to nothing while he was gone.