Utah Jazz: 5 reasons to be excited for 2019-20 NBA season
By Dean Hasan
2. Several players can make their first All-Star appearance
Even though this Utah squad has zero All-Star appearances thus far between its players, it’s possible for them to have two (or more) this season.
With Klay Thompson recovering from a torn ACL, another guard spot will be up for grabs in the competitive Western Conference, which could easily be filled by one of Mitchell or Conley.
If the team comes out of the gate hot, and both players can improve their stats from last season, it’s even possible for both to make it.
Granted, Mitchell will need to make another jump in both his scoring numbers and efficiency, and Conley will likely need to maintain his scoring while improving his assist numbers, it’s certainly not outside the realm of possibility.
If Mitchell can improve to a 25-point per game scorer on roughly 45 percent shooting from the field, he’ll have a solid chance to take over one of the All-Star guard slots.
Furthermore, if Conley can bump his assist totals to around eight dimes per game to go along with 18-plus points per game scoring, while leading the Jazz to a top-three spot in the Western Conference at the All-Star break, he could potentially claim a spot as well.
Of this year’s team, the most likely to make his first All-Star team is Gobert, who won Defensive Player of the Year and made Third Team All-NBA last season.
Given that Gobert is one of the top centers in the league and the fact that he’s a two-time All-NBA player and two-time DPOY, voters will presumably give him another a better look this season.
Gobert can improve his chances by increasing his scoring to 18-plus points per game, which is a definite possibility with a Mike Conley to help both stretch the floor and feed him open looks down low.