What did we learn from the Utah Jazz's preseason loss to Toronto?

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Jazz opened up their preseason slate in less-than-competitive fashion with a 114-82 loss to the Toronto Raptors in Edmonton on Sunday.

Yes, preseason games are meaningless in the grand scheme of things, but with so much mystery surrounding the Jazz this season, Sunday's blowout loss did start to provide some answers to some questions many have had about this team.

The rotation

Here was Will Hardy's initial 10-man rotation:

The Jazz started Mike Conley, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Lauri Markannen and Kelly Olynyk; with Collin Sexton, Jordan Clarkson, Rudy Gay, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Walker Kessler getting heavy minutes off the bench.

So any surprises there?

Sexton not starting was a bit of an eye-brow raiser considering the contract he received from the Jazz. That said, a Conley-Sexton backcourt always projected to struggle defensively, so it does makes sense Hardy didn't go with it to start — or at all. The two guards never shared the court together on Sunday. Will that always be the case? Time will tell.

Here are some other notables from the rotation:

• Alexander-Walker got time over Jared Butler, Simone Fontecchio and Ochai Agbaji. Hardy and Conley mentioned how Alexander-Walker has stood out in training camp, signalling this may be more than a one-game things.

• Agbaji not getting run until late in the fourth quarter. The Jazz are a rebuilding team and Agbaji is the lone recent lottery pick on the team — it feels like he should be playing.

• Saben Lee, Stanley Johnson, Leondro Bolmaro and Udoka Azubuike all didn't see action on Sunday. Azubuike is still injured, but if you're looking for players in danger of getting cut, that's probably the list to start with.

What was good from Sunday?

• Markannen was outstanding in the first two quarters, scoring 17 of his 20 points in the first half. He scored the first Jazz points on a turnaround fadeaway free-throw jumper; he scored on drives and got to the free-throw line; and he was a perfect 6-of-6 from inside the arc in the first half. Markannen is an early favorite to lead the Jazz in scoring this season.
• Markkanen may have had the most points, but Kessler may have had the most impressive night — at least relative to expectations. Kessler finished with 11 points and four rebounds in his first NBA action. He's just a guy that knows how to play — reading cuts and space well, and knowing how to finish. There were times where things moved too fast for the rookie (Toronto's Precious Achiuwa had a wicked poster on him), but Kessler looked like he could contribute early. And that's good news for a Jazz team lacking size.
• Vanderbilt will have lots of fans in Salt Lake City. He was advertised, flying around and trying to cause havoc on the defensive end. Add in the team-high six assists and he's well on his way to fan-favorite status.
• Oh, and Sexton's first minutes in a Jazz jersey was an eventful one. It was full speed ahead when he checked in midway through the first quarter. In near succession, he threw an over-the-head outlet pass for a Markkanen dunk, recorded two steals, and drained a corner 3-pointer. Not a bad start. He had 11 points, shot 3-of-4 from deep, and had two assists in 18 minutes.

What was bad?

• The entire second half. The Raptors opened the third quarter on a 17-3 run, and the game could have been called right then. The Jazz shot 24% in the second, including going 4-of-18 from three, and scored just 32 points in the final two quarters. What made it even more uninspiring? Toronto didn't play OG Anunoby, Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet or Precious Achiuwa after halftime.
• Beasley said he thought he could be an All-Star this season. Well, he shot enough to be one — he just has to work on the making part. Beasley finished 2-of-12 from the field and 1-of-8 from 3-point land.
• The offense, in general, had a major lack of cohesion. That shouldn't be too surprising considering the team has 14 new players. Still, for a squad that has much more offensive firepower than defensive strength — at least on paper — shooting 32% from the field and 25% from three isn't a good start. Utah has had just four practices together; it stands to reason things should get better from here.

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