The Utah Jazz have been rebuilding for the last few seasons, stockpiling draft picks and young players in order to build a contending roster. Last year was the first time in a few seasons that they showed they were ready to contend in the near future.
Keyonte George broke out and showed All-Star point guard potential, the team acquired Jaren Jackson Jr. in a blockbuster trade, and drafted Darryn Peterson with the second overall pick in this past draft.
Alongside established All-Star forward Lauri Markkanen, and last year’s fifth pick Ace Bailey, Utah now has a great all-around roster. It could lead to an outcome that might surprise many.
The Jazz are setting themselves up to be sneaky West contenders this season
Outside of the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs, there are no sure things in the Western Conference. There a lot of teams with a lot of questions and flaws, and we could see some teams rise up and take advantage of that. Utah could be one of those teams.
George and Peterson are set to be a dynamic backcourt duo that will score a lot of points and put constant pressure on defenses for 48 minutes. George had a legit case to be an All-Star last season and Peterson was arguably the best player in this year’s draft class. George’s point guard skills along with Peterson’s two guard skillset will allow them to play off each other very well.
Markkanen and Jackson Jr. provide veteran presence for a young squad and also steady offensive production. In the case of Jackson Jr., he is not far removed from winning Defensive Player of the Year and will provide the Jazz with elite rim protection.
Bailey really came out of his shell to end last season and could be the key to unlocking the team’s potential, as he has the skillset to be the perfect modern wing in today’s NBA. Then there are young guys like Isaiah Collier, Brice Sensabaugh, and Kyle Filipowski who will fortify the bench unit.
For the first time in awhile, there is a lot of excitement surrounding Utah basketball. With head coach Will Hardy finally being able to coach a winning roster, the Jazz could really climb up the Western Conference ladder faster than people expected. They have the talent and with a dynamic backcourt leading the way, don’t sleep on Utah this coming season.
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