MANILA, PHILIPPINES – SEPTEMBER 06: Kelly Olynyk #13 of Canada shoots the ball against Klemen Prepelic #7 of Slovenia in the third quarter during the FIBA Basketball World Cup quarterfinal game at Mall of Asia Arena on September 06, 2023 in Manila, Philippines. (Photo by Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images)
Team Canada’s Kelly Olynyk – Center/Power Forward
Per Game Average – 23.4 minutes, 12 points (44% overall, 46% from TWO, 41% from THREE, 88% FT), 5.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists, BPM +9.2, EFF 13.6
So, it’s not shocking that Kelly Olynyk is at No. 4, as the Team Canada and Utah Jazz big man was not seen as being as vital to his team as the other three men were ahead of him. That said, Olynynk may have done the most to prove his value to the Jazz with his FIBA World Cup run.
Olynyk and Jordan Clarkson are two of the oldest men on the team, and with Olynyk’s contract, many assumed that he would be part of a trade deal at some point going forward; and he still might be. But after watching Olynyk essentially morph into whatever Team Canada needed from him on any given night, it should give the Jazz pause to trade him.
Olynyk is likely looking at minutes off the bench with the Utah Jazz, and that might not be a bad thing. With his versatility and the fact the Jazz’s bench identity is up in the air, Olynyk may be able to come in and do for the Jazz what Kevin Love did for the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2021-2022; be a stable hand who can do a little bit of everything for a high-powered offense.
have long been eliminated at this point,</a> and are likely already back in their respective homes. They played just five games, as opposed to the six that everyone else from the Jazz played.</p>
<p>And because we’re looking at comparing them against one another, we’re only going to be comparing their first five games from the FIBA World Cup. So that’s what we’re going to do. We’re only ranking the five players based on their first five games, and not any of the single-elimination tournament games the teams will be playing.</p>
<p>We’re also not going to compare them anymore going further, as the number of games and the level of importance differs wildly, and it’s not fair to compare Fontecchio’s last game against a possible showdown between Olynyk and Kessler in the finals.</p>
<p>So with that said, let’s see who came in dead last.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #00265D" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://thejnotes.com/2023/09/06/ranking-the-utah-jazzs-fiba-5-after-the-first-two-rounds-of-the-tournament/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 5 </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-91649 size-full" src=https://thejnotes.com/2023/09/06/ranking-the-utah-jazzs-fiba-5-after-the-first-two-rounds-of-the-tournament/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1706,w_2560/https%3A%2F%2Fthejnotes.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1658136723-scaled.jpeg" alt="" width="2560" height="1706" srcset="https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1658136723-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1658136723-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1658136723-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1658136723-2048x1365.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px"><p class="wp-caption-text">MANILA, PHILIPPINES – SEPTEMBER 03: Ignas Brazdeikis #9 of Lithuania drives to the basket against Walker Kessler #14 of the United States in the second quarter during the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2nd Round Group J game at Mall of Asia Arena on September 03, 2023 in Manila, Philippines. (Photo by Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Team USA’s Walker Kessler – Center</h2>
<p>Per Game Average – 6 minutes, 3.6 points (57% overall+from TWO, 29%) 0.8 rebounds, BPM +2.6, 3.6 EFF</p>
<p>It’s sad to think about how Walker Kessler has been used for Team USA. Clearly, Team USA’s head coach, Steve Kerr, wanted someone with the size and defensive ability of Kessler; just in case. But if his last near-decade in Golden State is any idea of what we should’ve expected, he was likely to never really give Kessler minutes.</p>
<p>After all, the Golden State Warriors have tried to play without a real center ever since they traded Andrew Bogut. The Warriors like smaller, quicker lineups, and so far that’s played to Team USA’s benefit, especially behind the breakout skills of Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton, and Austin Reeves.</p>
<p>The score-first offense of Team USA has largely caused Kessler to be relegated to cleanup time when the game is out of hand, but even though that’s when Kessler’s called in, he still does his job at a high level. Clearly, the FIBA World Cup is not the avenue in which Kessler was going to break out like so many of us hoped.</p>
<p>He’ll just have to use the regular season as that time, as the Jazz will surely put him in the position to succeed.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #00265D" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://thejnotes.com/2023/09/06/ranking-the-utah-jazzs-fiba-5-after-the-first-two-rounds-of-the-tournament/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 4 </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-91648 size-full" src=https://thejnotes.com/2023/09/06/ranking-the-utah-jazzs-fiba-5-after-the-first-two-rounds-of-the-tournament/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1706,w_2560/https%3A%2F%2Fthejnotes.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1663609369-scaled.jpeg" alt="" width="2560" height="1706" srcset="https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1663609369-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1663609369-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1663609369-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1663609369-2048x1365.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px"><p class="wp-caption-text">MANILA, PHILIPPINES – SEPTEMBER 06: Kelly Olynyk #13 of Canada shoots the ball against Klemen Prepelic #7 of Slovenia in the third quarter during the FIBA Basketball World Cup quarterfinal game at Mall of Asia Arena on September 06, 2023 in Manila, Philippines. (Photo by Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Team Canada’s Kelly Olynyk – Center/Power Forward</h2>
<p>Per Game Average – 23.4 minutes, 12 points (44% overall, 46% from TWO, 41% from THREE, 88% FT), 5.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists, BPM +9.2, EFF 13.6</p>
<p>So, it’s not shocking that Kelly Olynyk is at No. 4, as the Team Canada and Utah Jazz big man was not seen as being as vital to his team as the other three men were ahead of him. That said, Olynynk may have done the most to prove his value to the Jazz with his FIBA World Cup run.</p>
<p>Olynyk and Jordan Clarkson are two of the oldest men on the team, and with Olynyk’s contract, many assumed that he would be part of a trade deal at some point going forward; and he still might be. But after watching Olynyk essentially morph into whatever Team Canada needed from him on any given night, it should give the Jazz pause to trade him.</p>
<p>Olynyk is likely looking at minutes off the bench with the Utah Jazz, and that might not be a bad thing. With his versatility and the fact the Jazz’s bench identity is up in the air, Olynyk may be able to come in and do for the Jazz what Kevin Love did for the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2021-2022; be a stable hand who can do a little bit of everything for a high-powered offense.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #00265D" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://thejnotes.com/2023/09/06/ranking-the-utah-jazzs-fiba-5-after-the-first-two-rounds-of-the-tournament/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 3 </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-91647 size-full" src=https://thejnotes.com/2023/09/06/ranking-the-utah-jazzs-fiba-5-after-the-first-two-rounds-of-the-tournament/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1778,w_2560/https%3A%2F%2Fthejnotes.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1639865201-scaled.jpeg" alt="" width="2560" height="1778" srcset="https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1639865201-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1639865201-768x534.jpeg 768w, https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1639865201-1536x1067.jpeg 1536w, https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1639865201-2048x1423.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Philippines’ Jordan Clarkson gestures during the FIBA Basketball World Cup classification match between China and Philippines at Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City on September 2, 2023. (Photo by SHERWIN VARDELEON / AFP) (Photo by SHERWIN VARDELEON/AFP via Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Team Philippines’ Jordan Clarkson – Point Guard/Shooting Guard</h2>
<p>Per Game Average – 35.9 minutes, 26 points (41.1% overall, 48.5% from TWO, 29.3% from THREE, 83.3 FT) 5.2 assists, 4.6 rebounds, -3.4 BPM, 19.2 EFF</p>
<p>Credit where it’s due,<a href=https://thejnotes.com/2023/09/06/ranking-the-utah-jazzs-fiba-5-after-the-first-two-rounds-of-the-tournament/3/"https://thejnotes.com/2023/09/03/jordan-clarkson-came-out-of-the-fiba-world-cup-with-an-all-time-high-in-stock/"> Jordan Clarkson delivered</a>. While no one should be happy with his shooting from behind the arc, some of the best three-point shooters in the NBA struggled to put up good numbers all tournament long. This is possibly due to the FIBA three-point line being closer and players not being accustomed to the change.</p>
<p>You’d think it’d be easier to shoot if the line was closer to the rim, but you have to change up your shooting motion so much that it can in fact be challenging, especially in a truncated amount of time.</p>
<p>Still, Clarkson played well, and even showed off an ability to pass the ball as the primary ball handler that many fans of the Utah Jazz have wondered about. Clarkson, like Kelly Olynyk, is one of the bigger trade assets the team has, but should they opt to keep him, he may make it possible to delay Keyonte George’s ascension to starting point guard, should the Jazz go in that direction.</p>
<p>The Philippines only won one game, but their star showed that he was more than capable of a bigger role with the Jazz.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #00265D" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://thejnotes.com/2023/09/06/ranking-the-utah-jazzs-fiba-5-after-the-first-two-rounds-of-the-tournament/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 2 </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-91646 size-full" src=https://thejnotes.com/2023/09/06/ranking-the-utah-jazzs-fiba-5-after-the-first-two-rounds-of-the-tournament/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1707,w_2560/https%3A%2F%2Fthejnotes.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1639441766-scaled.jpeg" alt="" width="2560" height="1707" srcset="https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1639441766-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1639441766-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1639441766-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1639441766-2048x1366.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Finland’s Lauri Markkanen drives to the basket during the FIBA Basketball World Cup group O game between Finland and Venezuela at Okinawa Arena in Okinawa on September 2, 2023. (Photo by Yuichi YAMAZAKI / AFP) (Photo by YUICHI YAMAZAKI/AFP via Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Team Finland’s Lauri Markkanen – Power Forward</h2>
<p>Per Game Average – 26.7 minutes, 24.8 points (50% overall, 67.3% from TWO, 25% from THREE, 89.5 FT) 8 rebounds, -4 BPM, 24 EFF</p><div class="widget fs_ads"> <div class="fs_ad_widget-ad" style="margin:0 auto; width: 300px;"> <div class="fs-ll-ad" data-ad-type="minutemedia_slideshow_inline_300x250__desktop__tablet" data-vendor="minutemedia">
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<p>Lauri Markkanen had arguably the best all-around scoring performance for anyone on the Utah Jazz, and maybe in the entire FIBA as a whole. No one, through the first five games, had as many points scored and at a rate of success that Markkanen had. To shoot nearly 70% from inside the <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2023/09/06/ranking-the-utah-jazzs-fiba-5-after-the-first-two-rounds-of-the-tournament/3/"https://thejnotes.com/2023/09/03/2-utah-jazz-players-dominated-fiba-world-cup-scoring/">line is a huge feat</a> and one that shouldn’t be dismissed so easily.</p>
<p>Yes, Finish only won two games, and the Finnisher didn’t shoot great from three, but everything about Markkanen’s run in the FIBA World Cup should give fans of the Utah Jazz some serious optimism. He was on arguably the worst roster of any of the 32 teams in the tournament, and he somehow still carried them to two wins in the Classification Group Play round.</p>
<p>Had he not been on the team, it’s likely the Finnish wouldn’t win a game, let alone make the tournament. Markkanen showed that he’s an elite scorer and he should be in line to repeat his success from the prior year with the Utah Jazz this year.</p>
<p>Another All-Star nod shouldn’t be the goal, it should be the expectation.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #00265D" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://thejnotes.com/2023/09/06/ranking-the-utah-jazzs-fiba-5-after-the-first-two-rounds-of-the-tournament/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 1 </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-91645 size-full" src=https://thejnotes.com/2023/09/06/ranking-the-utah-jazzs-fiba-5-after-the-first-two-rounds-of-the-tournament/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1067,w_1600/https%3A%2F%2Fthejnotes.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1646443252.jpeg" alt="" width="1600" height="1067" srcset="https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1646443252.jpeg 1600w, https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1646443252-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1646443252-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><p class="wp-caption-text">MANILA, PHILIPPINES – 2023/09/05: Josh Hart (R) of the United States and Simone Fontecchio (L) of Italy seen in action during the second round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 between the United States and Italy at the Mall of Asia Arena-Manila. Final score; United States 109:63 Italy. (Photo by Nicholas Muller/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Team Italy’s Simone Fontecchio – Small Forward</h2>
<p>Per Game Average – 30.8 minutes, 18.4 points (43% overall, 61% from TWO, 23% from THREE, 81% FT), 6.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, BPM +6, 16.4 EFF</p>
<p>Just with everyone else on the Utah Jazz, and seemingly from across the FIBA World Cup Tournament, shooting threes was<a href=https://thejnotes.com/2023/09/06/ranking-the-utah-jazzs-fiba-5-after-the-first-two-rounds-of-the-tournament/3/"https://thejnotes.com/2023/09/05/simone-fontecchio-cant-lead-team-italy-against-juggernaut-team-usa/"> not something Simone Fontecchio</a> did well. That said, he shot over 60% from inside the three-point line during his run through the FIBA World Cup’s first two rounds.</p>
<p>He was Team Italy’s driving force and because of him, they were able to get a birth in the Elite Eight of the tournament, aka the Quarter Finals. Granted, Team Italy got smashed by the Americans, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that they had a great run and showcased what Fontecchio could really do.</p>
<p>In fact, the reason why Fontecchio made it to number one solely has to do with how high his stock jumped in the tournament. Yes, Lauri Markkanen and Jordan Clarkson are the better players, but Fontecchio was able to lead his team to more wins than both Markkanen and Clarkson could combine.</p>
<p>His performances were stable and reliable and those should give him more minutes come the 2023-2024 season. No one else on this list will see fewer or more minutes due to their performances, but Fontecchio absolutely should.</p>
<p>That’s why he takes the top slot.</p>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="Bleacher Report names the 3 players the Utah Jazz should trade for" data-url="https://thejnotes.com/2023/08/31/bleacher-report-names-the-3-names-the-utah-jazz-should-trade-for/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background: #00265D" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://thejnotes.com/2023/09/06/ranking-the-utah-jazzs-fiba-5-after-the-first-two-rounds-of-the-tournament/3/"https://thejnotes.com/2023/08/31/bleacher-report-names-the-3-names-the-utah-jazz-should-trade-for/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> Bleacher Report names the 3 players the Utah Jazz should trade for </a> </div>
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