David Locke here, the host of the daily Locked On Jazz podcast, with your daily Locked On Jazz newsletter. Each day we bring you the biggest stories about the Jazz and the NBA, including the hottest links to other stories you need to read. Plus, Josh Lloyd delivers daily fantasy notes to crush your league.
Locked On Jazz
Utah Jazz sweep Florida wins over Heat and Magic
· The Jazz just did the Aligator Stomp on Miami and Orlando. Both of these performances were dominating. The Jazz lead by 40 in Miami and by 20 in Orlando.
· Let’s start in Miami. The Heat are broiled in turmoil and it looked like it would propel them to have great energy with an 11-3 start but the Jazz tied at the end of 1 at 23 and then blew them out for the rest of the night. The amazing thing was the Heat never had a run or regained any momentum and the Jazz lead by 40. The Jazz played a lot of different ways in this game, but one new aspect was more willing to play isolation early in the clock to take advantage of Miami’s poor on ball defenders. The Jazz did a great job moving the ball out of those possessions and got tremendous looks.
· Will Hardy said what impressed him the most was the team stuck with their plan. Early when they were executing and not getting dividends the team didn’t go rouge or splinter they stuck with the task and the goals and then they got the benefit of their work and blew the doors off the place.
· The Jazz are really a ton better than they were earlier this year. The offense ranks 9th in the last 10 games and right around that for the last 15th. They are the 3rd best EFG% team the last 10 games, one of the best three point shooting teams and the 2nd best catch and shoot 3 point shooting team.
· The defensive plan on Tyler Herro was really well executed. They doubled him off all the actions forcing the ball out of his hands. What was interesting is this not only negated Herro, but eliminated Bam Adebayo from the action as the first pass went away from Bam and he then he wasn’t getting it back. Bam ended without a field goal on the night and Tyler Herro never got rolling which he had done in almost every game this year.
· The most impressive part of the night to me is how the Jazz never relented.
· I really like how Keyonte is playing with the starters. There is a calmness to his game and understanding when to have an impact and when to play with teammates. The Jazz starters (Keyonte, Collin, Lauri, John and Walker) are playing equal to or ahead of everyone elses starting 5. The Jazz are positive when they are on the floor.
· Walker Kessler is the start of the season so far and he was outstanding in both games. His strength is allowing to have so much impact on both ends of the floor. On the offensive glass he is changing games. He is getting his hand on so many rebounds and keeping them alive. Sometimes he gets control of them and the Jazz gain a possession, but the other times he eliminates the opponents fast break by tipping the ball and stalling everything. He is a force right now. His growth this year is super fun to watch.
· The Orlando game felt like they instituted a rule that if you averaged over 10 points a game you couldn’t play and Collin Sexton snuck thru the security guards. The Magic leading scoring of available players was Goga Bitzade at 9.5 and Walker Kessler at 10 was after Collin. The game felt like it too.
· The game was tied at halftime with both offenses being putrid. Then Collin put his stamp on the third quarter and for the second straight night Brice Sensabaugh went to work. The Magic couldn’t counter.
· This was Brice’s 60th NBA game. He only played 32 NBA games last year. Couple that with the knee issues that kept him out of summer league and slowed him at training camp and he is still so young in is development. For the first time in his career he is starting to stack performances.
· Brice is a Bonafide shooter. He has elite touch. When he gets a catch and shoot three point look it is going down. He has a good one on one game from being the primary guy at Ohio State. He came to the NBA as a basketball bully and he is learning how to have more to his game than simply overpowering guys.
· The biggest thing is the confidence he is going to gain from this stretch and with Jordan out for a while he should get regular minutes for an extended period of time. Can he continue to stack performanes and overtime widen the range of his game to more passing, creation and defense.
· Jazz won the Orlando game because they didn’t give away easy points. Orlando didn’t have the fire power to score so the Jazz had to make sure they didn’t give them easy points and the Jazz didn’t.
Jan 4, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) greets Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) before a game at Frost Bank Center. | Scott Wachter/Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
Casting a cursory eye up and down the standings this weekend, I noticed some appearances that made me take a second look. This went for teams for climbing and sliding. So, I’m introducing a potentially recurring feature called “Monday movers”, highlighting teams jostling and jockeying in the standings, likely bound to get more contentious as the season goes on.
San Antonio Spurs
What a thrill it must be for long-suffering Spurs fans to take a glance at the West’s top 10 and see their team there, after so many seasons spent hanging around the bottom of the conference. What a thrill it was for me, too!
It’s not all because of Victor Wembanyama, but the phenom did hit two milestones this weekend: he played his 100th NBA game and he turned 21. His in-game numbers are similarly worth celebrating.
He’s the first player since Shaquille O’Neal to average at least 20 points and 10 rebounds before turning 21, and the 7th player in the last 45 years to score over 2,200 points (he’s scored 2,278) through his first 100 games. Other than Bill Walton and Brad Daugherty, Wembanyama’s the only other 7-foot center with 385+ assists before turning 21, though their first 100 games. He’s also put up more threes than Steph Curry did, with 225 to Curry’s 200 through their first 100 games.
Katie Heindl is a credentialed NBA and WNBA writer, her bylines have appeared with The New York Times Magazine, SLAM, The Athletic, Yahoo Sports, Dime, Rolling Stone, among others. She writes the bestselling Substack, Basketball Feelings and is working on a book of the same name.
Home and Away
Trades The Jimmy Butler vs. Heat saga escalated quickly: Here’s what we know. (ESPN)
Biz Amazon adds Blake Griffin and Dirk Nowitzki to its inaugural studio coverage for the 2025-2026 season. (The Athletic)
Replay The Utah Jazz vs. Orlando Magic game was an electrifying showdown featuring standout performances from Paolo Banchero, Lauri Markkanen, and Collin Sexton, with key contributions from Walker Kessler. (SLC Dunk)
Rumor According to sources, Walker Kessler is seen as unavailable in any realistic trade scenarios, indicating the Jazz’s commitment to the young center. (Bleacher Report)
Fantasy Cheat Sheet
A Closer Look at Brice Sensabaugh’s Scoring Surge
Jan 5, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Utah Jazz guard Brice Sensabaugh (28) is interviewed by Seg Media reporter, Lauren Green following a game against the Orlando Magic at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Russell Lansford-Imagn Images | Russell Lansford/Russell Lansford-Imagn Images
One of the most intriguing developments on Sunday came from the Utah Jazz, where rookie Brice Sensabaugh has suddenly burst onto the scene with a scoring explosion.
Sensabaugh dropped 27 points against the Orlando Magic, following up a 34-point performance in his previous outing. That’s a staggering 61 points over two games for a player who had been largely off the fantasy radar. His usage rate has skyrocketed to over 30% in these contests, and he’s been scorching hot from beyond the arc, hitting 12 of 17 three-point attempts.
However, before we rush to add Sensabaugh in all leagues, it’s crucial to examine the context of his breakout. The Jazz were missing several key players, including Lauri Markkanen, John Collins, and Jordan Clarkson. This opened up a significant opportunity for Sensabaugh to showcase his scoring prowess.
The sustainability of Sensabaugh’s production is questionable. His three-point shooting percentage is bound to regress, and when the Jazz get healthier, his minutes and usage are likely to decrease. That said, he’s shown enough to warrant consideration as a streaming option in deeper leagues, particularly when Utah is shorthanded.
Click the button below for more insights, including another Thunder player to keep an eye on for your fantasy roster.
POSTCAST - Utah Jazz dominate Magic with second-half surge
David Locke, radio voice of the Utah Jazz and Jazz NBA Insider, breaks down the Jazz’s commanding 105-92 victory over the Orlando Magic. Despite both teams missing key scorers, the Jazz outplayed their opponents in the second half, with Brice Sensabaugh shining in his homecoming game. Walker Kessler dominated the boards with 17 rebounds, while Collin Sexton found his rhythm late in the game.
POSTCAST - Utah Jazz massive blow out of the Miami heat
The Utah Jazz delivered a stunning performance, dominating the Miami Heat in a blowout victory. David Locke, radio voice of the Utah Jazz and Jazz NBA Insider, and Ron Boone break down the game’s key moments, including the Jazz’s explosive second and third quarters where they outscored Miami 76-44. The duo analyzes the Jazz’s effective defensive strategy against Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo, as well as their impressive offensive execution.
Why would the Utah Jazz have wanted Brandon Ingram? What is Walker Kessler trade value and why?
David Locke, radio voice of the Utah Jazz and Jazz NBA Insider, explores the intricacies of NBA trade rumors and player development in this episode of Locked On Jazz. He dissects the Brandon Ingram trade speculation, offering insights into the Jazz’s exploratory talks and the challenges of attracting star players to Utah. Locke also delves into Walker Kessler’s potential, discussing his value as a defensive anchor and the complexities of his future contract negotiations.
