Utah Jazz report card: Updated grades for each Jazz-man at the 30-game mark

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - NOVEMBER 22: Derrick Favors #15, Joe Ingles #2, and Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz react during game against the Chicago Bulls on November 22, 2017 at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - NOVEMBER 22: Derrick Favors #15, Joe Ingles #2, and Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz react during game against the Chicago Bulls on November 22, 2017 at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images)
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LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 30: Alec Burks #10 and Jonas Jerebko #8 of the Utah Jazz celebrate pay during a timeout in a 126-107 win over the LA Clippers at Staples Center on November 30, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 30: Alec Burks #10 and Jonas Jerebko #8 of the Utah Jazz celebrate pay during a timeout in a 126-107 win over the LA Clippers at Staples Center on November 30, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Team GPA: 3.05 (B)

Overall GPA: 2.69 (B-minus)

Analysis:

Last time around, I had the Jazz at a 2.73. Utah’s last ten-game stretch, despite going just 5-5, has had enough positives to help improves this team’s overall grade.

Actually, no single player elevated his grade enough to take the majority of the praise for the team’s improvement. It has been a collective effort of role players stepping into larger roles and improving within those roles.

While you could argue that a team with a B average should be a playoff team, the Jazz are currently just three games out of the West’s fourth seed.

Next: Utah Jazz vs Boston Celtics: The revenge game that wasn’t… or was it?

Utah still lacks another one or two A-level talents before they can truly be taken seriously in a Western Conference that has the like of the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets. They do, however, boast an above-average core of players to start to build from. Combine that with their emerging star in Donovan Mitchell, and Utah’s future suddenly looks MUCH brighter.

Follow me on Twitter @TylerDThorpe for more Utah Jazz updates and analysis.