Utah Jazz: Regular Season Team Award Predictions

With the Utah Jazz’s regular season looming, let’s preview the upcoming 2017-18 season and hand out some team-specific awards for the upcoming year.

So close, yet so far…

We are just over one week away until the Utah Jazz season opener against the Denver Nuggets. What better way to pass the time than with some premature predictions for regular season awards that don’t actually exist?

With an offseason full of speculation and four preseason games under our belts, let’s take a look at the upcoming season while also handing out some team-specific awards along the way.

Sixth Man: Joe Johnson

According to a tweet from Tony Jones, Utah Jazz Head Coach Quin Snyder believes Joe Johnson should be right in the thick of things for the NBA’s version of this award.

Hard to argue with Coach Snyder. The ageless Johnson has made a living off his uncanny ability to score in isolation. That was as prevalent as ever in the Jazz-Clippers first-round playoff series last season. While he may not get much more than about 20 minutes per night, Johnson always seems to make the most of his time on the floor. He should also see an increased role near the end of the season, especially if the Jazz are making a push for a playoff spot or positioning.

Runner-up: Donovan Mitchell

With Dante Exum out with a potentially season-ending shoulder injury, Mitchell should benefit as much as anyone from an increased role (See: Three silver linings to the Dante Exum injury).

The 13^th overall pick in the draft looks ahead of schedule and could be a contributing member of the Jazz rotation from day one. Mitchell has had an up and down preseason, but his performance last night against the Suns (17 points in 23 minutes) looks promising.

While preseason must be taken with a grain of salt and Mitchell is destined to have his fair share of rookie mistakes, I fully expect him to be an integral part of Utah’s bench rotation this season.

Most Improved Player: Derrick Favors

The competition for the title of “Most Improved Player” on the Jazz will be up for grabs this upcoming season.  With the departure of two All-Star caliber talents in Gordon Hayward and George Hill, this team will be desperate for players to step up and fill the void.

I imagine the Jazz will approach this by using more of a “by committee” approach instead of expecting one player to pick up all the slack. However, if any one player can carry the burden left this offseason it is Derrick Favors.

 Runner-up: Rodney Hood

Since the day Gordon Hayward left, the spotlight has seemed to be on Rodney Hood to become a premier offensive weapon. I initially thought that Hood, at best, would be a 14-16 point per night kind of guy. However, his performance this preseason has led me to second guess those assumptions.

Rodney has looked smooth on the offensive end and seems to be able to score at will. Again, the competition has been sub-par at best (looking at you Phoenix), but the ease with which Hood has been able to score from various spots on the floor has been more than promising. I still think the lofty expectations on Hood may be a little high this year. Crossing my fingers that I am wrong.

Game of the Year: Utah @ Portland (April 11, 2018)

Many will peg Gordon Hayward’s return to Salt Lake City as the game of the year, however, in a strictly basketball sense, I could see Utah’s match-up against Portland in April having HUGE playoff implications.

In many cases, the last game of an NBA season has very little significance. In this case, though, both teams could be playing for playoff seeding or a playoff spot. I believe the Jazz will have clinched a spot in the postseason before these two teams meet in April, however, a divisional game like this could hold a lot of weight when it comes to tiebreakers in the Western Conference. The Trail Blazers could also be fighting for their playoff lives.

If both teams’ fates are set by tip-off, this game will probably be more about rest and working out a few kinks before a playoff run. I just have a gut feeling that we could be in for a very exciting final game of the regular season.

Runner-up: Boston @ Utah (March 28, 2018)

For obvious reasons, this will be the popular pick for the game of the year. Can you possibly put a price on the opportunity to boo someone you believed wronged you? It appears that you can and it will cost you at least $62. According to TicketMaster.com on October 10, $62 tickets are the cheapest available to the return of Gordon Hayward. Compare that to just $28 per ticket when the Thunder come to town on December 23^rd.

History aside, the Celtics should feature one of the Eastern Conference’s premier lineups. They should pose a great challenge to a Jazz team that will be in the middle of an extremely tough December schedule. I personally cannot wait to see the posters that Jazz Nation comes up with for the game.

Surprise of the Year: Alec Burks

Alec Burks should benefit this year for a couple of reasons. (1) He finally looks to be healthy again. If you don’t believe me just watch the video below…

(2) The Dante Exum Injury, much like the effect on Donovan Mitchell, will give Burks the opportunity to step up. Burks has always shown that he can get to the rim almost at will. Despite his quickness, he tends to play out of control and has had an extremely difficult time finishing at the rim.

This year, Burks looks to be a much-improved passer and is also consistently knocking down his 3-point attempts. Burks is 8-of-10 from downtown this preseason. I believe that the Jazz will be conservative with rolling out Mitchell into a large role so soon. Expect Alec Burks to have a comeback year and help remind people why he was nicknamed Houdini in the first place.

Runner-up: Ricky Rubio

Ricky Rubio has already claimed his place among the league’s elite passers. Rubio has shown that he is one of a dying breed of “true” point guards. His occasional ability to score in bunches leaves us wondering if there still is hope for him to develop that part of his game. Not many people seem down on Rubio, however, there doesn’t seem to be much buzz surrounding him having much more than an average year by his standards.

While a nearly 10 points and nine assists per night clip (Rubio’s career averages) would be great, I expect Rubio to be one of the pleasant surprises this season. I predict Rubio increases his points per game to 15 per night.

Team MVP: Rudy Gobert

No snub here for Rudy Gobert. Gobert has fixated himself as the team’s leader heading into the season. There are few players in the league that are so obviously competitive. The thing that separates Gobert from other potentially dominant players in the league is that he uses his competitiveness to drive his desire to improve himself and help his team win. Gobert is the team identity and the Jazz will only go as far as he can take them this year.

The good news for Jazz fans is that Gobert could take them farther than many outside the organization expect. This pick was by far the most cut and dry of the list.

Runner-up: Ricky Rubio

While Gobert’s spot as the team’s MVP seems like a lock, that leaves the spot as Rudy’s right-hand man up for grabs.  Rubio has had an up and down preseason on the offensive end, especially over the last three games. In his first three preseason games, Rubio had struggled immensely with his shot. He was a combined 2-of-16 from the field against Sydney, Maccabi and Phoenix.  That was until his offensive explosion last night against the Suns.

As I stated above, I wouldn’t expect these sorts of numbers from Rubio to continue as the regular season begins. As he becomes more familiar with Coach Snyder’s system and his new teammates, I predict he will average right around 15 points per night and be a major factor to Utah’s success this season.

Next: 10/10 Utah Jazz at Los Angeles Lakers: Keys to the Game

Without a doubt, we are in for an exciting 2017-18 season.