Just a few days after teaming up on Team Giannis for the All-Star game, Lauri Markkanen and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will be opponents tonight on the exact same court as the Utah Jazz return to action against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
There are a lot of parallels between these two teams. In the grand scope of things, both teams are not ready to compete for an NBA title - and likely are not even ready to compete for a first-round playoff victory - but both teams have promising young pieces, treasure troves of draft picks, and All-Star players enjoying the best season of their respective careers.