The Utah Jazz dropped their third game of the new season on Sunday against the Los Angeles Lakers in what was Walker Kessler's long-awaited homecoming matchup.
But it wasn't Kessler who stole the show between these two teams this weekend: it was Luka Doncic. The Lakers guard exploded for a dominant 52-point performance alongside eight rebounds and 10 assists to lead Los Angeles past this young Jazz roster, 123-132.
However, in the midst of the Jazz's home loss, there were a couple of winners on the roster who are worth highlighting even with a poor end result. At the same time, Utah did have a few disappointing performances that feel due for some discussion as well.
With that in mind, let's break down a couple of winners and losers who stood out in the Jazz's weekend loss against Doncic and the rest of the Lakers:
Winner: Keyonte George
Yes, George did struggle pretty heavily in the ball security department with a team-high six turnovers as the Jazz's lead initiator on the night. His 4.0 turnovers per game are going to have to turn around in the coming games for Utah to consistently rely on him as their top playmaker and highest-usage player in the lineup.
But outside of those woes in terms of ball control, it's really tough to hate what type of production George put together in order to combat Luka Doncic's own explosive night. George finished with 24 points while also logging nine rebounds and 10 assists for a near-triple-double.
While it's still super early in the season, it's becoming pretty clear that George does have another gear to hit after the big improvements he showcased throughout year three––which is awesome news for the Jazz knowing they just paid him $150 million a few weeks ago to stick around as a key franchise cornerstone for the next half-decade.
Loser: Darryn Peterson
This was another quiet game for the Jazz's No. 2 pick. However, it wasn't exactly a performance in which he struggled to get involved in the offensive plans.
Peterson did get 13 shots to come his way. But he turned those opportunities in for just eight points, an 0-4 clip from three point range, and also recorded five fouls over the course of the contest.
The good news is that Peterson did showcase some of his best flashes on the defensive end as he recorded one block, as well as a team-high three steals. If he can begin to pair that production with some better consistency on the offensive side, he'll start to adjust a whole lot better in Utah's lineup in no time.
Winner: Ace Bailey
This was an all-around strong performance for Ace Bailey, who managed to be in Utah's starting lineup for a second straight game after first being called up to those duties against the New Orleans Pelicans, and made the most of that opportunity on both sides of the ball.
Bailey shot extremely well from the field (8/11 FG), but he was also a menace on the boards by leading Utah's entire roster with 12 rebounds. Six of those rebounds came on the offensive end, which makes his presence in this lineup all the more valuable as long as the Jazz are struggling with size in their frontcourt.
If Bailey can continue to be a positive force on the glass, while also continuing to develop into a strong two-way player on the wing, his stock will only keep rising as one of the most important players within Utah's future endeavors.
Loser: Svi Mykhailiuk
This wasn't the most flashy game for the Jazz's veteran wing, who continued to carry a considerable role off the bench for Utah by logging 14 minutes, but end up with just two points on 1-4 shooting.
Even worse, Mykhailiuk sunk to the bottom of the Jazz's lineup in terms of plus-minus, as he finished with a staggering minus-16 in the limited minutes he participated in. The next closest was Keyonte George's minus-12.
The Jazz are going to have to get more out of Mykhailiuk moving forward this season, or else it'll be tough to keep his spot in the nightly rotation. Guys like Josh Okogie and Josh Green are certainly chomping at the bit to claim some of his playing time, and they tend to offer a whole lot more upside on the defensive side as well.
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