Much of the talk around the NBA this offseason has been due to the FIBA Basketball World Cup.
It has been great to see each player represent their country.
One NBA team that has two players dominating the World Cup is the Utah Jazz.
Both Jordan Clarkson and Lauri Markkanen have played great.
Each is averaging over 24 points per game.
According to StatMuse, they are the only two players in the tournament with 120+ points scored.
Jazz duo in the FIBA World Cup:
Clarkson — Lauri —
26.0 PPG 24.8 PPG
4.6 RPG 8.0 RPG
5.2 APG 50.6 FG%The only players with 120+ points in the tournament. pic.twitter.com/sLqDkI6SXU
— StatMuse (@statmuse) September 2, 2023
Clarkson is leading the way for the Philippines while Markkanen is representing Finland.
These two each had great seasons last year in Utah.
So it should not be a surprise to see them continue their success in the World Cup.
Clarkson’s 26 points per game rank second in the entire tournament.
While Markkanen ranks third with his 24.8 points per game.
There is a reason for optimism surrounding the Jazz entering next season.
These two players are a big reason why.
After they traded away Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert it seemed like the Jazz were headed towards a long rebuild.
But, the emergence of Markkanen has kept them competitive.
It will be interesting to see what the Jazz look like next season.
They can certainly fight for a play-in spot, if not more.
But, they are still a star away from being true contenders in the conference.
This FIBA World Cup has been a ton of fun to watch.
Jazz fans who have been following should be happy with what they have seen from their players.
NEXT:
Fans React To Jordan Clarkson’s Remarkable Performance Against China
