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When the Utah Jazz come into Chase Center to face the Warriors on Tuesday night, they’ll be on the second night of a back-to-back set with four of their top six scorers watching from the sideline.
Circumstances might seem ideal for a Warriors rout, but this woebegone season has taught them nothing can be assumed.
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There is, however, one matchup that should be intriguing: Golden State’s Dennis Schröder vs. Utah’s Collin Sexton.
The Warriors are pleased with Schröder’s defense, but the veteran point guard – advertised as a two-way talent when acquired in trade last month – has not delivered offensive benefits.
Now in his seventh week as a Warrior, Schröder is averaging 10.4 points per game, shooting 36.8 percent from the field, including 30 percent from deep, and 4.4 assists. He is the primary ballhandler of an offense that struggles to maintain pace and proficiency.
With the Warriors knee-deep in trade conversations with multiple teams, they would be willing to move Schröder for a deal they love. That can’t be done, according to league rules, before Feb. 5 – one day before the trade deadline.
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Translated, any deal that would include Schröder will have to hold until the final hours ahead of the deadline.
In the immediate, Schröder is trying to increase his value to the Warriors. Consider this another chance, as he’ll be first in line to defend Sexton, a combo guard of similar stature (6-foot-3, 190). He is, by default, Utah’s most dangerous offensive player as the Jazz will be without top scorer Lauri Markkanen, No. 3 scorer John Collins and No. 5 scorer Jordan Clarkson.
Sexton is averaging 18.4 points per game, on 47.4-percent shooting from the field, including 40.6 percent beyond the arc. He’ll share the backcourt with second-year guard Keyonte George, who is averaging 16.4 points but on much lower efficiency.
The Warriors (22-23) are trying yet again to gather enough momentum to pull out of the bottom tier of the Western Conference. This game is the first of four consecutive at home before they go on a challenging six-game road trip that takes them to the All-Star break.
The Jazz (10-34) clearly are rebuilding under longtime NBA architect Danny Ainge. They opened the season with six teenagers on the roster and are among the leaders in the race to make Duke forward Cooper Flagg the overall No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft.