The Rest of the Roster
Here’s a quick snapshot of the rest of the guys on the team. While some may still make significant impacts, others could very likely see diminished roles this season, if they’re still with the team at all.
Joe Ingles:
Ingles is one of the more underrated players on the Jazz roster and honestly could see himself in the thick of the rotation depending on how the cards fall. His solid 38.6% three-point percentage from last season cannot be ignored.
Best Case Scenario: Improves his shot from deep and sneaks into the 10-man rotation ahead of Alec Burks
Worst Case Scenario: Shooting and defense decline and he becomes nothing more than an injury insurance policy
Shelvin Mack:
Mack was incredible for the Jazz last year and absolutely deserved to have his contract guaranteed despite the logjam at the point guard position.
Best Case Scenario: Finds a way to contribute despite being third on the depth chart at his position, in case of any injuries fills in as a seamless replacement
Worst Case Scenario: Becomes frustrated with being once again relegated to third-string status and fails to make an impact
Jeff Withey:
Like Ingles, Jeff Withey was very much overlooked and underrated and could easily find himself in the consistent 10-man rotation as Gobert’s back-up and ahead of Boris Diaw.
Best Case Scenario: Solidifies his defense and proves he’s far from a liability even with extended minutes
Worst Case Scenario: Can’t keep up with opposing centers and finds himself out of the rotation and warming the bench
Raul Neto:
It’s crazy to think that Raul Neto was the starter for the majority of the season last year and now he may not play at all. He’s no doubt a talented player but a once weak position for the Jazz has now become fortified.
Best Case Scenario: Has an impressive offseason and finds a way to move up the depth chart to log meaningful minutes
Worst Case Scenario: Finds himself too deep on the depth chart and spends the entirety of the 2016-17 season with the Salt Lake City Stars
Tibor Pleiss:
Tibor Pleiss may still have some value in the NBA, but he’s a long way from being a contributor for the Utah Jazz.
Best Case Scenario: Impresses at training camp, earns a roster spot and logs minutes in garbage time for the Jazz or if there are significant injuries
Worst Case Scenario: Gets waived from the team
Chris Johnson:
With the improvements the Jazz made over the offseason and Chris Johnson‘s poor play last season, his fate is all but sealed.
Best Case Scenario: Improves his shot drastically over the offseason, impresses in training camp and makes the team
Worst Case Scenario: His contract is not picked up
Joel Bolomboy:
Joel Bolomboy was impressive to close out the Summer League and the Jazz shouldn’t let go of him too quickly.
Best Case Scenario: Impresses in training camp, makes the team and shows positive potential for the future
Worst Case Scenario: Struggles in training camp and the Jazz ultimately decide not to sign him
Marcus Paige & Tyrone Wallace:
It would take a miracle for either of these two to be on the Jazz roster on opening day.
Best Case Scenario: Impress during training camp and somehow have a roster spot opened up for them
Worst Case Scenario: The Jazz ultimately decide not to sign one or both
Next: Utah Jazz: Strange Trade Rumors Making Rounds
As is always the case in an NBA offseason, so much is up in the air in terms of how successful or disappointing the upcoming year will be. If they have enough internal improvement, the Jazz truly have the potential to produce a couple of All-Stars, put out an impressive starting lineup and perhaps have one of the best benches in the league.
However, a million factors could cause an opposite result. If players take a step backwards, if injuries are overwhelming once again or if the Jazz newcomers just don’t fit in well with the team, the heightened expectations could very well be too much.
For the sake of Jazz fans everywhere, hopefully the former will be the case and this year will finally be the turning point for a Utah team whose return to relevance is long overdue.
All stats courtesy of NBA.com/stats