Utah Jazz: The 50 greatest players in franchise history

Utah Jazz (Photo by Daniel Lippitt/Getty Images)
Utah Jazz (Photo by Daniel Lippitt/Getty Images)
6 of 50
Utah Jazz
Utah Jazz (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images)

All-time greatest Utah Jazz players: No. 45 Ben Poquette

  • Seasons with the franchise: Four (1979-80 to 1982-83)
  • Regular-season games played: 321
  • Averages as a Jazzman: 9.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.7 steals, 1.6 blocks
  • Shooting percentages: 50.7 from the field, 30.4 from three, 78.8 from the foul line
  • Playoff games with Utah: None

Gentle Ben.

A former second-round pick out of Central Michigan by the Detroit Pistons back in 1977, Ben Poquette arrived for the Jazz’s first season in Utah a few years later and then saw his four best seasons as a pro with the franchise.

The 6-foot-9 forward twice finished among the top 10 in the NBA in blocked shots per game (1979-80 and 1980-81).

However, despite also reaching 11.0 points per game across his final season in Salt Lake City and serving as a durable defensive specialist in the paint in each of his Jazz campaigns, none of the Utah teams he played for reached the playoffs. Therefore, Poquette’s limit here is No. 45.