News broke this week that the Indiana Pacers may be considering a rebuild. This means that many of their best players may become available via trades in the coming months. Specifically, NBA journalist Shams Charania reported that Indiana would be receptive to trade talks surrounding big men Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner, and guard Caris LeVert. No doubt if one of these players does wind up on another team, it could change the fabric of the NBA, and dramatically impact the race to a championship.
All three players are on semi-reasonable contracts and will surely be enticing to contending teams looking to bolster their roster with talent. Whether one of these players were to wind up on the Jazz or another Western Conference contender, it could have an impact on Utah’s title aspirations this season.
The Jazz currently sit 3rd in the Western Conference with a record of 17-7 about a quarter into the season. The team’s offense has been impressive as of late, boasting the league’s number one Offensive Rating (116.1), and as of today, they find themselves in the top ten for Defensive Rating as well.
This success should not come with surprise either, as the Jazzmen have found relevance in the regular season in the past few years as well. They finished 44-28 in the shortened 2020 regular season, and last year boasted the best record in the entire league, 52-20.
The regular season has not been where the Jazz have struggled. However, like it or not, Utah’s struggles have been most apparent in the playoffs. In the bubble, they collapsed in the first round, falling to the Denver Nuggets after leading 3-1 in the series. Even more heartbreaking, however, was the unfortunate loss to the LA Clippers in the second round last year. We all remember the unfortunate game 6 loss in which Terance Mann notables scored a career high 39 points.
I bring this up only to explain why some still doubt the Jazz, even after their excellent start to the current NBA season. Until sustained playoff success is displayed, it is hard for some to take the Jazz as a serious threat for a title.
Depending on how the Pacers’ looming rebuild shakes out, that could change, for better or worse.