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Consider This Utah Jazz Season A Success

Greg Foster|

Feb 25, 2015; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz players huddle prior to the game against the Los Angeles Lakers at EnergySolutions Arena. The Lakers won 100-97. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

The Jazz currently hold a 25-36 record and the 11th spot in the Western Conference. They’re third in the Northwest Division, and have a snowball’s chance in the Sahara of making the playoffs. Not a single player made the All-Star team and more than likely none will make an All-NBA team either. But please, don’t for a second think that this Utah Jazz season has been anything other than a complete success.

We all know the Jazz are in a rebuilding stage, but recent improvements and the momentum that continues to pick up steam has me believing they’re ahead of schedule. Quin Snyder and Co. has this team headed in the right direction and good things are on the horizon. The light at the end of this dark tunnel is no longer a mere flicker.

After a rough beginning to the season that saw the Jazz post a 6-19 record, the boys are back to playing winning basketball, going 19-17 in the meantime. Last night against the Philadelphia 76ers, they matched last season’s win total in 21 less games. What’s more, since dealing Enes Kanter to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Jazz have won seven of nine games and suddenly look as if they’re ready to play spoiler to the rest of the Western Conference.

Recent wins over the Portland Trailblazers, San Antonio Spurs, and Memphis Grizzlies are worthy of some eyebrow raises and prove just how far this team has come in a short amount of time. So much so in fact, people are starting to take notice.

The Jazz are right in the middle of playing their best basketball of the last few seasons. More importantly, they look comfortable and in sync. Ushering in a new coach and adopting a new system takes patience, and growing pains are inevitable. But as of late, the Jazz have taken their lumps in stride and look to have sharply turned a corner. Our boys are building some solid momentum that could slingshot into next season.

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So to what do we owe this huge shift in Utah Jazz play?

The most glaring reason is the insertion of Rudy Gobert into the starting lineup. A fan favorite, Rudy has immediately become the Jazz’s primary stopper on the defensive end, and the team is reaping the benefits of his prowess.

When Rudy’s in the game, the paint becomes a no man’s land. Players are avoiding it like the plague. Rudy’s length, athleticism and tenacity are proving to be huge obstacles for opposing offenses. Throw in Dante Exum—a fabulous young defender in his own right—Derrick Favors and Gordon Hayward and you have a young core that can play some pretty nasty defense.

Earlier this year, I lambasted the Jazz for their defensive ineptitude, but that’s now become a thing of the past. They’ve gone from the 29th defensive team in the league to its best in the month of February. Just take a look at the recent run and see if you don’t have to pick your jaw up from off the floor:

92-76 win over the Portland Trailblazers
90-81 win over the San Antonio Spurs
104-82 win over the Denver Nuggets
82-75 win over the Milwaukee Bucks
93-82 win over the Memphis Grizzlies
89-83 win over the Philadelphia 76ers

Awesome, just awesome.

Rudy isn’t the only player putting in work. A large amount of credit of the Jazz’s turnaround belongs to Derrick Favors and Gordon Hayward. Respectively, both players have stepped up their overall play in terms of scoring, rebounding and assists, and collectively they’ve become a formidable one-two punch that’s anchoring the team.

A little food for thought.
Hayward continues to improve and has been playing at an All-Star level all season, and no single player has thrived alongside Rudy more than Favors. Together, they’ve created a daunting frontcourt that swats shots into different hemispheres, gobbles rebounds, and dunks on everything in sight. Even better, it should be this way for years to come.

If all goes to plan, the Jazz will be starting three potential All-Stars next season.

Another factor is the emergence of Trey Burke. Since moving to the second unit, Trey’s been on a torrid pace, torching opposing teams and playing the best ball of his career. This is beneficial in so many ways. It’s giving Dante Exum the opportunity to start and gain essential experience playing against the league’s best. It’s also allowing Trey to anchor the bench while still playing starter-like minutes and be a vocal leader.

Trevor Booker had this to say about Trey’s recent play, “Since he’s coming off the bench, we’ve been scoring a little more off the bench and had a little more leadership on the court.” And with Rodney Hood back from injury and Elijah Millsap playing well, the Jazz have built a robust second unit—something they haven’t had previously.

Trey looks more confident; he’s found both his stride and his shot, and overall seems to have his swagger back. He’s carried the Jazz multiple times over their hot streak and has become an instrumental piece of the team. So much so that’s it’s not overly far-fetched to think that if he keeps up this recent play, he could be in the running for next year’s Sixth Man of the Year Award.

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Despite the recent upswing, the Jazz are still far from a finished product. They lack depth, especially at the wing positions. It’s a reason why I’ve been such a big fan of the Enes Kanter trade. After buying out Kendrick Perkins’ contract, the Jazz have some spending money to chase free agents this summer. Names like Aaron Afflalo, Khris Middleton and Danny Green are all intriguing. Add one of them alongside a healthy Alec Burks and you have the kind of depth that poses big problems for other teams.

I’m also a big fan of the recent Ante Tomic news, with all signs point to him being in a Jazz uniform next season. This gives the Jazz another skilled seven footer who can run the floor, pass well and hopefully fill the scoring void left by Kanter.

Even though a playoff push isn’t happening this season, Jazz fans should be stoked out of their minds. With the recent roster moves and improved play, there’s no reason to think the Jazz shouldn’t have a winning record next season. The best is yet to come, and soon enough, the ESA will be packed to the gills once again for a playoff showdown. My advice is to hop on the bandwagon now, because with how fast the momentum is picking up, it’s going to be pretty damn hard to do in the future.

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