Jazz fans were proven right after Utah’s crucial lineup changes

The Utah Jazz are in no man’s land again. While it’s clear that everyone will see what this team is really made of in the coming weeks, they emerged victorious. What made last night’s win over the Dallas Mavericks special, however, is that they won while playing mostly in their youth.

Many have questioned Utah for playing veterans like Jusuf Nurkic and Svi Mykhailiuk as much this season, while players like Brice Sensabaugh, Kyle Filipowski, Taylor Hendricks and Cody Williams are all waiting in the wings and needing development.

Well, it seemed like the Jazz were listening to the fanbase as they rested Nurkic and put Filipowski at center, while Mykhailiuk was a healthy scratch and deployed Brice Sensabaugh as two guards.

So not only did they get the victory, but the young boys all played a part in making it happen. Sensabaugh was a bit of a failure, but that’s okay. Filipowski had his best game of the season, Cody Williams and Taylor Hendricks had their best games in a while, and Isaiah Collier did his job as a backup point guard.

Fans have a legitimate complaint about winning with their veterans if they want to see how their young talent will do. Well, nights like last night prove why they believe in the rest of the Jazz kids, which also gives the team more reason to play them.

Of course, none of this would have been possible without Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George doing their usual thing, but at this stage of the season, Jazz fans can expect this level of play from them. However, it is a huge headline to see their other young boys doing their part.

But there is still one red flag

No, believe it or not, this isn’t about the potential of tanking, although there are fans who will certainly hate wins against the Mavericks. No, this is more about the fact that Utah’s defense is still downright terrible.

It seems like the offense is in good hands for the foreseeable future with all the talented personnel they have, but if they want a long-term title contender, they need all-around two-way players. No Walker Kessler certainly plays a role in this, but he is only one man, and the Jazz know from the Rudy Gobert days that it will take more than one man to form an elite defense.

Since Utah appears to be serious about making progress, don’t be surprised if they try to sign more defensive personnel before the NBA Trade Deadline passes. In fact, they could look to add some young defensive players to solidify their route this season.