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Three Utah Jazz Players Named In SI’s NBA Top 50

By Lucas Falk

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This week, Ben Golliver and Rob Mahoney of Sports Illustrated have been releasing their rankings of the top 100 NBA players for the 2015-2016 season. In a sweet moment of recognition, not one or two, but THREE Utah Jazz players were ranked in the top 40. That’s right; Utah has a “Big Three.”

Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

Coming in at No. 39 is Rudy Gobert. Here’s what Mahoney had to say about the French big man–

"“According to a metric created by Nylon Calculus, no player saved more points at the rim in the regular season; Gobert was not only positioned well to contest a ton of opponent attempts but allowed a league-low 40.4% on those shots. No one in the NBA has yet figured out what to do with the 23-year-old eraser, who in two brief seasons has risen from prospect of intrigue to undeniable stalwart.”"

Going from unranked the previous year to cracking the top 40 is a pretty big accomplishment. While Hassan Whiteside may be rated higher in NBA 2K, Gobert slides in a cool 30 spots ahead of him in SI’s rankings. Of course, all of this recognition comes while Gobert is still fairly limited on the offensive end. Should he improve his offensive skill set, which I believe he will, Gobert could crack top 20 next year.

Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

Two spots later in the rankings, Derrick Favors lands at No. 37. Golliver explains why he ranked the Georgia Tech product in the top 40–

"“Grizzlies guard Mike Conley has been the NBA’s reigning “most underrated” player for two or three years now, a length of time that really should invalidate the title. So let’s nominate a new candidate: Derrick Favors…Favors, 24, was one of just nine players to average 16/8 last season; he was the second-youngest member of that group, behind Anthony Davis, and seven of his fellow members have been All-Stars during their careers. “"

Favors is not a flashy player–he just does his job. Year after year, he has continued to improve his game and we have yet to see the prime of his career. With the Jazz gaining more and more recognition, the nation will finally get a chance to see how good Favors is and it won’t be long before he too sheds the “underrated” label.

Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports

The third and final Utah Jazz player in SI’s top 40 is Gordon Hayward at No. 31. Golliver makes the case for Hayward in the top 40.

"“Gordon Hayward has blossomed into an efficient alpha scorer who is knocking on the door of All-Star status…Last season, he was one of just eight players to average 19/4/4, and the other seven were all All-Stars. Hayward’s per-game numbers and advanced stats compare favorably with Jimmy Butler (2015) and Paul George (2014), two-way wings who earned All-Star nods in the East. While the standard is always higher in the West, Hayward trails only Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard on the conference’€™s small forward pecking order.”"

It doesn’t seem that long ago that many believed Hayward’s contract was ridiculous. Nowl it’s ridiculous in the sense that it’s an absolute steal. Last season, Hayward was one of the top five small forwards in the league and this year he projects to be the same. While an All-Star selection in the Western Conference is always a dog fight, Hayward has a legitimate shot.

The Utah Jazz have one of the best frontcourts in the NBA thanks to The Stifle Tower and Derrick Favors and one of the best offensive players in the league in Gordon Hayward, all 25 or younger. While the Jazz look to piece together the point guard puzzle, fans can rely on Utah’s “Big Three” to carry them for the future.

Next: Jazz Notes: D-League Hire and OG Malone Release

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