1985-86 Utah Jazz record: 42-40, Lost Western Conference First Round 1-3 vs Dallas Mavericks
Like so many placements in an exercise of this nature, the decision between the 1984-85 Utah Jazz and the previous year is largely subjective. On the one hand, the Jazzmen won a playoff series in the 1984-85, but on the other, this iteration of the club actually finished the season with a winning record (in addition to playing in the postseason).
Ultimately, we ranked 1985-86 one spot ahead because of the future-focused implication of this group’s roster construction. Essentially, the presence of an extra Jazz icon gave this season a boost.
We think it’s fair to say that Karl Malone’s rookie season is a pretty significant one in Utah Jazz history.
The Mailman wasn’t an obvious superstar in his rookie campaign, but he did point to his immense potential with averages of 14.9 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. Meanwhile, his longtime counterpart John Stockton was on his way to Point God status, albeit not there yet. His 7.7 points and 7.9 assists don’t leap off of the page like the statistics from some of his prime years, but considering his limited minutes in 1985-86, they’re impressive. For added context, he averaged 11.7 points and 11.3 assists per 36 minutes.
Rickey Green was still blocking his path on the Utah Jazz depth chart, and deservingly so, as Green turned in a solid campaign with 11.7 points and 5.1 assists per game. Otherwise, the Jazz were still Adrian Dantley’s team in 1986-86. He averaged 29.8 points per game in what would be his last season with the club.
The Utah Jazz were in the dawn of the most successful era in their franchise’s history by 1985-86, and their fans largely had no idea it was coming.