Jazz Experiment with ‘Tall Ball’ Lineup, Featuring Jaren Jackson Jr.
The Utah Jazz showcased a potentially groundbreaking lineup in their game against the Orlando Magic on February 7, 2026, deploying a “Tall Ball” strategy that featured recent acquisition Jaren Jackson Jr. Alongside Jusuf Nurkic and Lauri Markkanen in the starting five. Coach Will Hardy opted to insert Jackson Jr., while maintaining his usual interior pairing of Nurkic and Markkanen, with the latter unexpectedly playing the small forward position.
The unconventional approach appeared promising early on. An example cited was Nurkic passing the ball to Jackson Jr., who exploited a mismatch against his former Memphis Grizzlies teammate, Desmond Bane, in the paint. Jackson Jr. Then quickly passed to Markkanen for a three-point attempt, demonstrating the fluidity of the new offensive scheme.
“There’s a lot to be excited about,” Hardy told reporters. “I thought Jaren, John [Konchar], and Vince [Williams Jr.] were great for their first night with us. The starting five, with Jaren, Lauri, Nurk, Ace [Bailey], and Keyonte [George], had some offensive hiccups, which is to be expected. But I think there’s a lot to build on.”
Despite a strong start that saw the Jazz build a lead of up to 17 points, the game ultimately slipped away due to 24 turnovers, resulting in 39 points for the Magic. Both Markkanen and Jackson Jr. Contributed to the turnover total, each losing the ball three times. Nevertheless, Jackson Jr. Made a strong first impression with his new team, scoring 22 points (9 of 17 from the field) in 25 minutes, adding 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals.
Dual Threat from Beyond the Arc
Hardy highlighted Jackson Jr.’s offensive versatility. “He’s a very good player and has shown a lot of different ways to attack. We tried to move him around a bit tonight, and we’re still figuring out all the different things we can do with him. He has an excellent touch. That little ‘push shot’ – somewhere between a floater and a roll – that he can shoot with either hand is a real weapon.”
Jackson Jr. Frequently utilized this shot during the game, often finishing with his left hand. “Having two guys of that size, both capable of shooting from the outside and putting pressure on the rim, even if they do it in slightly different ways, is going to force opposing teams to make some tough choices on who to guard,” Hardy explained.
Markkanen also contributed offensively, hitting three three-pointers and finishing with 27 points (12 of 21 shooting). He currently shoots 36% from three-point range this season, slightly below his career average of 37%.
Defensively, Hardy believes the combined size of the three interior players created challenges for the Magic, who were limited to 40 points in the paint compared to the Jazz’s 58.
“That’s why I expect there will be nights in the future where Jaren is the beneficiary of all that, and other nights where it’s Lauri. But I thought they worked well together on the floor, and Keyonte did a good job trying to get them both involved. Nurk continues to be a good playmaker for us. So, yes, those two actually form a pretty excellent duo on both ends of the floor,” Hardy concluded.
Further analysis of the game is available online.
