5 NBA teams on the rise that will surprise everyone in 2023-24

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Walker Kessler, Utah Jazz – Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Utah Jazz

The Utah Jazz started off last season surprisingly well before fading back as the year went on. That hot start set the blueprint of what could be an emergent year for the Jazz, which are still only one year removed from sending away Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert.

Several key additions paced last year’s gains. The first was the head coach. Will Hardy is young, but he quickly proved adept at shaping a rotation to the ability of his players. He’s one of the game’s brightest young minds and should be a Coach of the Year contender down the line.

From a player perspective, it felt as if Collin Sexton would be the major get in the deal that sent Mitchell to Cleveland. Instead, it was former lottery pick Lauri Markkanen, who finally broke out in a big way. He was named Most Improved Player in the league, averaging 25.6 points per game.

Utah also hit on a gem in Walker Kessler, selected 22nd overall in the 2022 NBA Draft. The big man only started for about half the season but averaged 9.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks en route to finishing third in Rookie of the Year voting.

The Jazz also have a hive of young players who could turn out to be major contributors down the road. Keyonte George, Taylor Hendricks, and Brice Sensabaugh were all selected in the first round this year and have boom potential.

After last year’s successful flyer on Markkanen, Utah doubled down on its desire to take chances on power forwards who haven’t hit their peak, acquiring John Collins from the Atlanta Hawks for pennies on the dollar. If he starts to live up to the hype, the Jazz are primed to surprise in 2023-24.