The Utah Jazz are entering another NBA season, a season that will begin just 92 days after the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Phoenix Suns in the Finals.
Now, depending on how you slice it, the Jazz either exceeded or failed to reach expectations last season.
On one hand, they posted the best regular-season record the franchise has seen since John Stockon was on the court, finishing with 52 wins and 20 losses. On the other hand, the Jazz lost in the second round to an L.A. Clippers team that was without their best player.
I, for one, fully believe that the Utah Jazz exceeded expectations last year. I believe that Coach Quin Snyder put together a plan that let the team play better than the talent on their roster. They beat out a tough Western Conference during the regular season, and injuries hampered their ability to perform well in the playoffs. But, that is just my opinion.
This article isn’t about that though. This article is about the future, about this upcoming season.
Really, it’s about setting expectations.
What Will the Jazz Look Like?
There’s been a couple of new signings, and a couple of releases this year for Utah. It’s always a little weird seeing new players on a team, so here’s a quick rundown on who’s new, and who left.
Incoming Players:
- Jared Butler, PG: The youngest member of this Jazz squad, Butler comes in via the 40th pick of the NBA Draft. Butler played three years at Baylor, finishing his college career in the best way possible- winning the NCAA Championship.
The Riverside, California native is an excellent shooter, and his prolific scoring led to him being named a consensus All-American, a two-time All-Big 12 member, and an NCAA-All Tourney player. If that wasn’t enough, Butler is a legitimate perimeter defender, averaging two steals a game and being named a Big 12 All-Defense player during his senior year.
- Rudy Gay, SF: Long-time fans of the NBA will recognize this name, as Rudy Gay has been on several very good teams since he was drafted to the Houston Rockets in 2006. He didn’t stay with the Rockets, being traded to the Memphis Grizzlies before the season started.
Gay is mostly known for being a tough defender, a reputation well-earned during his years with the Grit-N-Grind Grizzlies. In Memphis, Gay played with Jazz PG Mike Conley for five years, from 2007-2012. The two have remained very good friends, which is a good omen for team chemistry.
- Eric Paschall, PF: Eric Paschall is the new addition that I am most excited about for this upcoming season. Paschall was traded from the Golden State Warriors in exchange for a 2026 second-round draft pick that the Jazz had secured from Memphis. In keeping with the theme of old friends reuniting in Utah, Paschall will be able to play with his neighborhood friend and childhood teammate Donovan Mitchell.
The two friends played on travel teams together in New York and lived right across the street from each other as they grew up. Paschall brings to Utah something that the Jazz desperately needed during the series against the Clippers: defensive versatility. Paschall, though young in the NBA, as this is only his third season, can defend 1-5. Expect him to see big minutes coming off the bench, especially when the team needs to guard smaller lineups.
- Hassan Whiteside, C: Whiteside signed this offseason as a free agent and is hoping to see a resurrection of his career in Utah. The explosive center was once considered to be the future of big men in the league, but issues with teammates and lackluster play saw Whiteside shuffled around the league.
This signing surprised me when I first saw it, but I can understand the logic: Whiteside is supposed to be a watered-down version of Rudy Gobert. You see, he provides a little bit of offense and some solid defense, meaning that the Jazz can rest Rudy during games without fearing that the entire defense will collapse.
Departing Players
- Ersan Ilyasova, PF: Ersan providing some shooting and defense for the Jazz, but never really made much of an impact on the court. Utah didn’t trade Ersan away, they just didn’t resign him, and he left as a free agent. No other team has picked him up yet.
- Derrick Favors, PF: Favors came to Utah for the second time last year after leaving for a one-year stint with the New Orleans Pelicans. The Jazz had resigned him to a three-year, $27-million dollar contract, but traded him this offseason to the Oklahoma City Thunder along with a future first-round pick. In return, the Jazz got a 2027 second-round pick and cash considerations.
- Georges Niang, SF: Niang became the scapegoat for many fans’ fury during this most recent playoff run. He wasn’t great on defense, and his shot selection left much to be desired. The Jazz let him walk as a free agent, and he has since signed with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Coaching a New Roster
The new roster that Coach Quin Snyder is working with is better than last year’s. That may just be my opinion, but my opinion (in this case) is right. Having a better roster doesn’t necessarily mean a better outcome this year, especially since other Western Conference teams have improved as well, but it certainly helps.
Quin Snyder finished third in Coach of the Year voting last year. Why does this matter? Because it shows he knows what he’s doing. This new roster adds depth and even more defensive versatility to the Jazz, arguably the two biggest failings of last season.
While you’re watching the Jazz this year, you can bet on three things to happen, especially early in the season. Three new coaching adjustments, you might say.
- A Small-Ball Lineup: The Jazz famously lost in the playoffs to the L.A. Clippers’ small-ball lineup, getting buried beneath an avalanche of threes. Well, since that happened, the Jazz have drafted a high-level perimeter defender in Jared Butler and snagged two 1-5 defenders in Rudy Gay and Eric Paschall. I’d bet all the money in Quin Snyder’s pocket that he will bring out a lineup of Donovan Mitchell, Joe Ingles, Jared Butler, Rudy Gay, and Eric Paschall several times during the first few weeks of play.
- A Two-Center Lineup: A brief glance at the Jazz roster shows some serious size in Rudy Gobert and Hassan Whiteside. The two centers are defense-oriented shot-blockers who can catch incoming lobs on a regular basis. Not too many teams in the league have the size to guard two centers at a time, and teams like the Lakers and the Nuggets have shown how it can be used to slow down a game, stopping opposing teams from getting easy buckets at the rim.
- Donovan Mitchell as a shooting guard: Donovan has been an All-Star guard while bearing a significant rep load at point guard, especially while Mike Conley was injured. That being said, he plays his best when he is playing as a 2-guard. Mitchell’s growing shooting ability draws defenders towards him, which in turn allows him to cut off-ball, slashing to the rim. Quin Snyder has a couple of solid ball handlers on this team, particularly after drafting Butler. Letting the ball handlers like Butler, Conley, and even Ingles bring the ball up the court will let Donovan explode.
Can the Jazz Compete in the West?
The Western Conference has been the better of the two conferences for the past two decades, really. The Jazz have had to play against Kobe’s Lakers, Duncan’s Spurs, KD’s Thunder, Steph’s Warriors, Harden’s Rockets, Dame’s Blazers, and now, Lebron’s Lakers. Honestly, it can be rough playing in the West. Teams are better over here.
Understanding that, the Jazz could repeat as the top seed in the Western Conference. This is one of the weaker Western Conferences in recent history. I believe the Lakers are built for the playoffs, but they probably won’t battle for more than a four-seed during the regular season. The same holds true for the Clippers, who have rested their stars more than just about anyone lately. The Phoenix Suns, despite making the Finals last year, will most likely see a regression to the mean during this season. Aspiring teams like the Grizzlies, Pelicans, and even the TrailBlazers are still too incomplete to be real threats.
The two teams that I believe pose the greatest danger to the Jazz are the Nuggets and the Warriors. Call me crazy about the Warriors, as they barely scraped into the playoffs last year, but I am scared of a healthy Klay Thompson and Steph Curry. The two greatest shooters of all time still are terrifyingly good at what they do, and if they stay healthy, I can see them leading their team to a surprisingly good run through the West. As far as Denver goes, Nikola Jokic will return as the reigning MVP, and the injuries they suffered through the year, like Will Barton and Jamal Murray, will be returning to form during this season.
Utah is just too complete of a team to not succeed in the regular season, barring injuries. They have the coaching, the stars, and the role-players to make a big splash this year.
Playoff Potential
The Utah Jazz have had their fair share of post-season woes. Last year especially felt sour, watching as the Clippers bested the Jazz without Kawhi Leonard, by far their best player. Donovan Mitchell played injured, as did Mike Conley, but the series felt within reach.
So, will the Jazz be a playoff disappointment again?
Ultimately, I fear, the Jazz will fall short of championship dreams. The Jazz are a great team, don’t get me wrong, but so are the Nuggets, Lakers, Clippers, and Suns. I believe that the Jazz will make it to the second round of the playoffs again with a legitimate shot to move onto the Western Conference finals, depending on the matchup. However, I don’t believe that the Jazz will fall short to the Lakers, who I believe will be the best playoff team in the West.
Even if the Jazz make it out the West, which is unlikely, they’d probably face the Brooklyn Nets or the Milwaukee Bucks, two teams that simply have more star power than Utah does.
All that being said, Utah could prove me wrong. It would be incredible for the sport to see two different small-market teams win the Finals in back-to-back years, and this Jazz team will be fun to watch in the playoffs.
Consulting the Crystal (Basket) Ball
Word has gotten out that I’ve got a crystal basketball that feeds me hot takes. Well, it’s true, and that ball is gonna make regular appearances during this Jazz season. However, before the season starts, I’ve asked it to make some season-long predictions regarding this Jazz squad, and here’s what it told me.
- Utah ends up with the first seed, again. The crystal ball believes fully in the depth of the roster and the ability of Coach Snyder to put together a complete season. Watch as the Jazz have one of their most fun seasons yet, winning more than any team in the West.
- Donovan Mitchell has a career-high scoring year. With Snyder’s coaching and the shooting from players like Jared Butler, Joe Ingles, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Jordan Clarkson, Mitchell will have all the space he needs to get to the rim. Mitchell will average 28.5 points a game.
- Rudy Gobert reaches his second All-Star Game. Gobert reaching the All-Star Game will be more due to the success of the Jazz as a team than to his own play, but he will make it nonetheless. Gobert defends and rebounds too well to be neglected, even if his offense isn’t at the same level as other bigs in the West.
- Jared Butler makes All-Rookie Second Team. Butler will be enough of a part of Utah’s success to get recognition. He is a great shooter and defender, and stat nerds will love his efficiency going into the season. Butler won’t start for the Jazz, which will keep him to the second team, but his minutes will be high enough for the award.
If you enjoyed this article, thank you. You’ll find more content like this every week as I give my thoughts on Jazz basketball, so come back often to StadiumSportzz!
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