NBA: Ranking the teams in the Northwest Division for 2017-18

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4. Utah Jazz

The Jazz were victims to the most disappointing offseason decision — Hayward choosing to leave town and sign with the Boston Celtics. There’s really no getting over that loss, but they can do nothing but try.

In all other aspects, the Jazz had a good summer. They re-signed Joe Ingles to a pretty nice four-year, $54 million deal. Ingles had somewhat of a breakout year in 2016-17, averaging 7.1 points per game while shooting 44.1 percent from downtown and playing lockdown defense.

They are hoping for big minutes out of rookies Tony Bradley and Donovan Mitchell. Mitchell is more likely to contribute right away and was an NBA Summer League sensation. He has a long wingspan, great defensive potential and projects to be in the same mold of Avery Bradley. That would bode well for a team that values defense so highly.

They also acquired point guard Ricky Rubio to help fill the void of George Hill. Rubio may not be the outside shooter that Hill is, but he is superior on defense and as an overall playmaker. Look for lots of Rubio-Rudy Gobert pick-and-rolls.

Thabo Sefolosha is also a nice piece and will give them some much-needed depth. He will most-likely start right away until Mitchell proves he can handle the league. Sefolosha can occasionally stretch the floor, but mostly gives you solid defense.

Overall, if the Jazz want to defend their division title, Gobert is going to have to take on a larger role in the offense. He was extremely efficient last season in a very limited capacity. How well he plays offensively will determine how good this team can be.