Ranking every season in Utah Jazz franchise history

1978-79 New Orleans Jazz record: 26-56, missed playoffs

The 1978-79 version of the New Orleans Jazz are reminiscent of several iterations of the club that we’ve already covered: heavy on star-power, light on wins.

Pistol Pete returned for another season at the helm, and he delivered to the tune of 22.6 points and 5 assists per game. The Jazz also featured one NBA history’s most underrated stars in Truck Robinson. If you’re not familiar with that (amazing) name, familiarize yourself with the following stats: 24.2 points, 13.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game.

Those were the numbers the former second round pick produced in the 1978-79 season. These Jazz also featured two more legendary players in Spencer Haywood, who accounted for 24 points and 9.6 rebounds a night, and Los Angeles Lakers legend Gail Goodrich, who was admittedly past his prime at 35 but still contributed 12.7 points and 4.8 assists per game.

For those of us who weren’t born yet, it’s hard to account for how this team only managed a mere 26 wins, especially factoring in support from Jim McElroy (16.9 points, 5.7 assists) and Rich Kelley (15.7 points, 12.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists). It has every appearance of a deep, talented playoff team.

Appearances can be misleading, and this team fell short enough to warrant a move to Utah in the following season.

2004-05 Utah Jazz record: 26-56, missed playoffs

If the 1978-79 Jazz’s failures left you scratching your head, the 2004-05 Utah Jazz’s are more likely to induce yawning. Matt Harpring was a solid role player throughout his career, but third-leading scorer is not a role most associate with him in their memories.

That’s exactly what Harpring was for these Jazzmen, with an average of 14.0 points per game. The club’s top two scorers, on the other hand, would both go onto become cornerstones on better Utah Jazz teams in the future. Unfortunately, both Carlos Boozer and Andrei Kirilenko were only 22 heading into the 2004-05 season.

Both young stars showed flashes of potential that we know, in hindsight, they would go onto actualize. Boozer’s 17.8 points and 9 rebounds per game were solid, and Kirilenko’s remarkably well-rounded stat line was indicative of a player entering into an early prime: 15.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 3.3 blocks and 1.6 steals per game.

Wings who block 3.3 blocks per game don’t grow on trees: in fact, you can’t even engineer them in a lab. AK-47 was a singular force of unprecedented nature on the defensive side of the floor. The 2004-05 Utah Jazz simply couldn’t capitalize on his dominance.