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Utah Jazz: Replacing the label of underdog with alpha dog

By Michael Keenan

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - MARCH 17: The Utah Jazz huddle during the game against the Sacramento Kings on March 17, 2018 at vivint.SmartHome Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - MARCH 17: The Utah Jazz huddle during the game against the Sacramento Kings on March 17, 2018 at vivint.SmartHome Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Utah Jazz have experienced a lot of success as of late, which is leading to establishing a new norm within their franchise and around the league.

The Utah Jazz have defied their expectations the past few seasons and accomplished feats that many people around the NBA didn’t expect.

Nobody anticipated them making the playoffs the season after star forward Gordon Hayward left for the Boston Celtics in free agency. It surprised people that they earned the 4-seed in the competitive Western Conference.

Some predictions bet on Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder defeating them in the first round. Donovan Mitchell wasn’t supposed to develop so quickly, let alone finish runner-up in the Rookie of the Year voting and become a legitimate star in his first full season.

The list goes on and on. The Jazz were continuously doubted and labeled as the underappreciated, scrappy underdog.

Now begins their transition from “underdog” to “alpha dog.”

Following their second straight successful season and factoring in the young talent and coaching this team possesses, fans and analysts are beginning to appreciate how good this team is. Their days of being overlooked seem dead and gone.

Going into next season, ESPN already has the Jazz at No. 7 in their power rankings.

How about NBA.com’s power rankings? The Jazz are at No. 3 in the Western Conference.

Fans realize their team’s ascension, too. The team has sold out all season ticket plans for the first time in years. Recognition is starting to surface as their talent and potential is on notice.

Mitchell was a stud last season and is only going to get better following his first full season and offseason. He has room to grow defensively and can improve upon his efficiency. If he continues to progress as expected, he has superstar and franchise payer written all over him.

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Coming off last season as the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Rudy Gobert is looking the best he has ever looked. He also missed 26 games last season and saw his team go 11-15 during that span. At age 26, if he can stay healthy, the next few years are shaping up to be the best of his career.

The rest of the core is young and primed to make improvements too. Derrick Favors was re-signed and brought back as the team’s starting 4. Ricky Rubio and Joe Ingles, both experienced players, are peaking and enjoying some of the best basketball of their careers.

Dante Exum was brought back based on his potential and will assuredly serve as the team’s primary backup point guard next season. Jae Crowder, Alec Burks and the rest of the role players provide solid depth.

Grayson Allen, a rookie from Duke, was the team’s first round selection in this summer’s draft and appears ready to come in and make an immediate impact off the bench. Allen will look to provide scoring in bunches for a team that already boasts an elite defense.

Judging from the team’s roster and recent success, the Jazz are now expected to be good. If they finish in the top half of the Western Conference once again, it will surprise nobody.

While the Jazz didn’t make any vast improvements to their roster this summer, they really didn’t need to. They re-signed who they needed to re-sign, drafted an offensive-minded rookie and will allow their young talent to continue growing.

dark. Next. Complete 2018 offseason grades for all 30 NBA teams

The Utah Jazz’s rise to alpha dog status in the Western Conference may have been a surprise in the past, but in the present and for the future, it will come as the new standard.

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