Utah Jazz: Ranking the 5 best potential lineups in 2021-22

Utah Jazz 4th best potential lineup:  PG: Mike Conley Jr. SG: Donovan Mitchell SF: Jordan Clarkson PF: Royce O’Neale C: Rudy Gobert

This lineup sees Quin Snyder going with a look that is both a throwback lineup and a modernized attack all at once. It’s an old school formation in the sense that it features traditional big man Rudy Gobert in the middle, but a modernized lineup in the sense that it’s a 3-guard line.

In other words, the Utah Jazz have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to positional versatility heading into the 2021-22 season.

If Quin Snyder used this lineup at all last season, he didn’t do so enough for it to qualify for statistical measurement on CleaningtheGlass. We’d suggest that this lineup could be like an NBA equivalent of sushi: he may not think he’s going to like it, but he should at least give it a try.

Critics may counter that this lineup stands to test Rudy Gobert’s rim protection in a manner that it’s never been tested.  Count us among the faithful that the Stifle Tower can handle it. Besides, he’ll have multi-positional defender Royce O’Neale and his career 2.0 Defensive Box Plus/Minus (DBPM) offering assistance on the perimeter.

Meanwhile, this offense projects to hum. The collective shooting, dribble penetration and playmaking chops of Conley Jr., Mitchell and Clarkson should be an overwhelming force for any defense looking to mitigate its effectiveness. Each of the 3 Utah Jazz ball-handlers will also have peak optionality in pick-and-roll or pick-and-pop sets between their two front court mates in O’Neale and Gobert.

Similarly to the small ball formation in the previous slide, this lineup is likely to be one that Snyder would lean on in small bursts (if at all). Here’s hoping he’ll keep an open mind to it: the doses opposing defenses receive of this lineup could be lethal.