Do the Utah Jazz Need a Superstar to Win?

Teams have tanked for years to get a superstar in the draft since very few ever become available. Do the Utah Jazz need to have a superstar to win?

Basketball is the one team sport that is influenced the most by a superstar. The Indianapolis Colts have arguably the best QB prospect since Peyton Manning. But with a terrible offensive line, we end up watching him scramble around trying to save his own neck while losing games. And as good as Mike Trout is for the Anaheim Angles, the other guys just aren’t cutting it.

It’s no secret that having one of the legitimate game-changing stars in the league can transform an average NBA team into a contender if the makeup of the team is right. The most obvious example is the Cleveland Cavaliers finishing the 2010 season 61-21; the following year LeBron loaned his talents elsewhere and they finished 2011 with a sad 19-63.

The biggest knock on the Jazz is they don’t have a bona fide superstar. But do they really need one to accomplish their goals?

Recently on ESPN’s “The Lowe Post,” Zach Lowe spoke with Jeff Van Gundy and said that he had been asked by members of NBA front offices about Gordon Hayward. The question was whether or not he could be the second or third best player on a championship team. After initially being offended as a Hayward apologist, I came to realize that is less a diss on Hayward and more of an indication on how stacked a team needs to be with talent in order to win a title in the modern NBA title.

Chris Bosh, Draymond Green and Kevin Love are all All-Stars who fit into incredible teams to win titles. All three have led their own teams — just like Hayward — but ultimately fell short of the end goal.

So the discussion needs to change from what can Utah do to get a superstar, to how do they overcome the superstar(s). Very few players of All-NBA caliber are moving teams and the ones that do aren’t all that willing to move to SLC. It’s their loss, it’s beautiful there, but it’s also something the Jazz have to cope with.

The option available to Utah is to capitalize on the fact that they have above average players at every position and they are a threat on both sides of the ball. They have three players capable of playing at an All-Star level (the West is STACKED, so I’ll just say their numbers will be good enough for consideration, not that they all make it).

While Utah doesn’t have the clear number one, they don’t have the steep drop off with secondary talent that other, more top-heavy teams have.

The example people most often cite for comparison is the 2004 Detroit Pistons. The L.A. Lakers super team they beat in the Finals had four rotation players with PER numbers greater than 15 (league average) if you include the injured Karl Malone (so no, I don’t). The Pistons were deeper; they had five.

This past season, the Cavs had four and the Golden State Warriors had five, but one we all know what happened there.

Hayward and Derrick Favors are already playing at above average level at their positions. Rudy Gobert is primed for his breakout season. His Olympics weren’t great, but the preseason has been. And hey, he’s making free throws now!

Meanwhile, Rodney Hood is now the guy every team says they just missed out on as he progresses from draft-night slider to an elite scorer.

Teams have overcome one or two superstars to win titles before with incredible depth and great chemistry. These are both things the Jazz now have.

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So is Hayward the best player or second-best player on a traditional title team? Probably not. But as part of a team that has above average talent at every position? Don’t rule it out — it’s up to Quin Snyder to find out exactly how good this group can be.

I’m not predicting a Parade in SLC this summer; I’m just saying it’s possible eventually. I know what you’re thinking, the 2004 Pistons had success before winning it all by making the Eastern Conference Finals in 2002 and 2003.

But in 2001? They didn’t make the playoffs. It sounds familiar. Not saying, just saying.