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Utah Jazz Receive High Praise in 2016-17 NBA GM Survey

By Jared Woodcox

Oct 17, 2016; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz players stand during the national anthem prior to the game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Vivint Smart Home Arena. The Jazz won 104-78. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 17, 2016; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz players stand during the national anthem prior to the game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Vivint Smart Home Arena. The Jazz won 104-78. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 17, 2016; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz guard Dante Exum (11) dribbles the ball as Los Angeles Clippers guard Austin Rivers (25) defends during the second half at Vivint Smart Home Arena. The Jazz won 104-78. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 17, 2016; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz guard Dante Exum (11) dribbles the ball as Los Angeles Clippers guard Austin Rivers (25) defends during the second half at Vivint Smart Home Arena. The Jazz won 104-78. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports /

Western Conference Rankings

Each NBA GM was tasked with ranking the top four teams in the Western Conference. The Utah Jazz ended up finishing in sixth place in terms of percentage of the total vote. This included 6.7 percent of GMs picking them to finish third in the West and 17.9 percent picking them to finish fourth.

These are pretty high marks, especially considering that Golden State received a whopping 96.7 percent of the first place votes. To think that several GMs had the Jazz finishing behind only the Warriors, Spurs, and Clippers speaks volumes to their heightened reputation around the league.

Ranked in order of the percentage of votes received for belonging in the top four in the Western Conference, the GM selections went as follows:

  1. Golden State
  2. San Antonio Spurs
  3. Los Angeles Clippers
  4. Oklahoma City Thunder
  5. Portland Trail Blazers
  6. Utah Jazz
  7. Memphis Grizzlies
  8. Houston Rockets
  9. Dallas Mavericks

In all honesty, I was surprised to see the Thunder ranked so high and while the Blazers will certainly be stiff competition, I can easily see the scenario where the 17.9 percent of GMs are correct in slotting the Jazz fourth. One could argue that the three-spot is also attainable, but then again sliding down to the sixth spot, as the final GM rating indicated, presents just as much of a case.

Regardless of where Utah ends up, the fact that a team that has missed the playoffs for four straight years is suddenly being projected by some to end up in the upper tier of the conference is a pretty meaningful compliment.

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