Utah Jazz Preseason Preview: Four Reasons to Watch

New Era For Jazz Basketball

While it’s easy to argue that preseason games don’t matter, at the same time there’s something thrilling about seeing a new team on the floor together for the first time. Especially considering the many new faces that the Jazz will be rolling out this year, it will be pretty awesome to see them all together to kick off the new season.

When the Jazz traded away their first round draft pick for George Hill this offseason, they sent a loud and clear message to the team, its fans and the league that the rebuild period was over. Utah was ready to make a push for the playoffs.

With this being the resounding theme for the upcoming season, the preseason certainly has a little more meaning. Regardless of whether you’re one of the faithfuls who has stuck with the Jazz through the painful playoff-less years or one of the less loyal supporters who is jumping back on the bandwagon now that the outlook appears somewhat better, this first preseason game indicates the beginning of a new chapter in Jazz basketball.

As we track their journey from rebuild to hopeful success, this first game will be the spring-board and starting point for a new era for the Jazz – one that hopefully leads to several playoff berths for years to come.

You can almost view tonight’s game and the preseason as a whole like a prologue to a great novel. While it may seem vague and insignificant in comparison to the whole story, for those of us who want a full understanding of the depth of the story, we read every last word of that prologue.

Similarly, if you want to keep tabs on the full Jazz “story”, tonight’s “prologue” will most definitely be a must-watch.

Not to mention, the pure excitement that comes from the fact that NBA talent is once again on display for our enjoyment. If you’re one of those fans who followed the summer league religiously and pulled up basketball games in the Summer Olympics on your second monitor at work (I plead guilty on both accounts), then chances are you’re stoked about tonight simply for the fact that the 2016-17 season, a.k.a. nightly NBA basketball, is finally back.