NBA Power Rankings Week 5: How good are the Utah Jazz?

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - JANUARY 21: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz in action during a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Vivint Smart Home Arena on January 21, 2021 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. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - JANUARY 21: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz in action during a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Vivint Smart Home Arena on January 21, 2021 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. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
(Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images) /

The NBA season has almost reached the quarter mark and it seems each week comes with more questions than answers. The hottest team in the league is the Utah Jazz. Rather than being celebrated, the story swirling around them is how Shaquille O’Neal decided to disrespect Donovan Mitchell on national television.

If there is any story rivaling that in the NBA zeitgeist, it is the back-to-back losses the Cleveland Cavaliers handed the newly-minted Brooklyn Nets. Hot take artists all over the internet decided to crack their jokes about how the Nets were failing but that is putting the focus in the wrong place, much like O’Neal did on TNT.

As the NBA season rolls beyond the one-month mark two teams have jumped into the national attention. How good are the Utah Jazz and Cleveland Cavaliers?

The Cavs are finally getting health and Collin Sexton looks like a blossoming All-Star abusing a team who refuses to play the few defensive options they employ against him. Donovan Mitchell brushed O’Neal right off and is making his case as the player who dropped 50 in the bubble last season.

No matter what the case old talking heads want to make, the casual fans think the young talent in the NBA is providing countless highlights on a nightly basis and they should be celebrated. Rather than using these players as a way to get your name trending, analysts should be applauding them for their growth and continued domination.

Other than the shadow of COVID-19 that looms over every facet of daily life, the NBA is in a golden age of talent. The parity in the league almost goes all the way through. With that, let’s start the rankings.