Utah Jazz: Three lineups that will be a ton of fun in 2019-20

Lineup #2: High Energy Extravaganza

Donovan Mitchell, Dante Exum, Royce O’Neale, Bojan Bogdanovic, Ed Davis

While it would be nice if a team’s best players had unlimited stamina and could play 48 minutes per night for 82 games, that’s of course far from feasible. That’s what makes depth so important and Utah boasts some formidable reserves.

This lineup would insert three of them, and I have a feeling it’s one that will be absolutely exhilarating to watch as a fast-paced, high-energy group. While it was a small sample size against lackluster competition, in Donovan Mitchell’s first summer league alongside Dante Exum, the two of them were prolific together. They had a phenomenal team chemistry and created a daunting one-two punch.

Now that Mitchell has two full years under his belt and he and Exum are both presumably healthy (remember that Mitchell was less than one hundred percent to start last season and Exum went down right about when Donovan was getting back healthy, which means they had limited effective time with one another last season), they could be a dynamic duo. Both are capable of playing minutes at the one and the two, and Exum has potential to be one of Utah’s best defenders, meaning they’d be great on both ends.

Exum, for all his shortcomings, also is adept at beating opponents off the dribble and getting into the paint. If he can improve his finishing and decision-making, then he could potentially allow the Jazz to still have someone capable of breaking down the defense even with Conley resting.

And what would perhaps be most exciting about this lineup would be their ability to get out and run. Royce, aside from being arguably Utah’s best perimeter defender, which would also make this group fun, is a relentless hustler unafraid of getting back on D or getting out on the fast break. Bogdanovic also was great for the Indiana Pacers in transition, and will likely carry that same trend in Utah.

Last of all, Davis is a known motor guy who’s excellent at rebounding and runs the floor well for a big. He’s a renowned spark plug off the bench who will definitely elevate the second unit and bring energy at all times. In all, this group will be high-tempo and exciting to watch. Their effort will never be lacking, even if at times their control might be a little questionable.

Staggering these second unit guys with starters in Mitchell and Bogdanovic will make for a well-rounded group as Quin works to give everyone, especially guys like Conley and Gobert, the rest they need.