The Utah Jazz‘s disastrous season continues to get worse! The 7th-year guard, Collin Sexton, remained the only shining light in the team’s journey while the others struggled with injury, especially Lauri Markkanen. However, tonight, in the regular season match-up against the Indiana Pacers, the 26-year-old point guard sustained a painful ankle injury and exited the court only three minutes after the tip-off.

During the 9th-minute mark in the first quarter, heavily guarded by two Pacers defenders, Sexton muscled his way into the paint. The star attempted a layup through which he scored a bucket ago, but before that, he severely strongly rolled his ankle. Following the unfortunate occurrence, the baller checked out of the game and sophomore guard Keyonte George replaced him on the court.

Moments later, the team announced Collin Sexton wouldn’t return for the rest of the game. Above all, the severity of the injury would reveal how long the guard would be away from the game. Right from the tip-off, Sexton showed he was the primary offensive unit on the team. He was literally everywhere on the floor during these three minutes. He dropped 2 points in 3 shot attempts, collected a rebound, and importantly, he even conceded a turnover, losing the ball to the Pacers’ Andrew Nembhard.

In a disappointing season from Lauri Markkanen, Sexton emerged as the leading scorer in the Jazz unit, averaging 18.7 ppg this season. Moreover, he has also emerged as one of the most reliable players for the side, missing only two games this season. That too on the grounds of rest.

So, it’s a costly miss for the Jazz on their rebuilding journey. In the guard’s absence, Jordan Clarkson and Keyonte George will have to pick up the slack.

Will Collin Sexton’s prolonged absence affect the Jazz’s rebuilding journey?

Depending on the severity of the impact, the injury can be classified into three grades. So, a minor strain would keep the star out of action for 3-7 days. However, Sexton will have to miss around 2-8 weeks if it ranges from moderate to severe. It’s indeed a tricky situation for the Jazz fold.

Nevertheless, there’s a blessing in disguise as well. The Jazz surely aren’t looking to win the championship this season. To be precise, the team would be more than happy if they could land a suitable lottery pick that will enable them to rope in Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, Egor Demim, or even Ace Bailey in the upcoming draft.

So, Collin Sexton, who brought a little dignity to the side this season, may also bring in some fortune in his absence. At the same time, looking to grab a better draft pick doesn’t mean the team would just lose all their games. It also allows the franchise to develop its existing roster and make gains from the small victories achieved throughout the game.

This is the opportunity to shine, especially for a player like Keyonte George. What do you think? Let us know in the comments.