Do the Utah Jazz need to make a trade to contend this season?

Utah Jazz vs Western Conference

Earlier this season, we published pieces comparing the Jazz to the Suns and the Warriors. We thought they had a lot of advantage over the former, without coming to a solid conclusion in a comparison with the latter.

On the surface, it looks like we were wrong about the Jazz in comparison to the Suns. They’re 2.5 games ahead of the Utah Jazz in the standings. However, a deeper dive suggests that if anyone has an upper hand in this matchup, it may be the Jazz.

The Jazzmen’s Offensive Rating of 119.27 ranks them at the very top of the NBA. Their Defensive Rating of 107.43 ranks them fifth. That’s good for the league’s second best net rating at 10.42. Meanwhile, the Suns have a better Defensive Rating than the Jazz at 105.8 (second best in the league), but their 11th ranked 111.10 Offensive Rating is sub-elite. Overall, their Net Rating of 6.02 is third in the NBA.

Inquiring minds may have noticed that the Suns have the second best Defensive Rating, and that the Jazz have the second best Net Rating. More informed readers may have already realized that yes, the Golden State Warriors rank at the top of both categories. If the Utah Jazz have a need to make a trade in order to improve their odds of reaching the NBA Finals, it’s because the Warriors stand in their way.

The Phoenix Suns may not, as both rosters are currently constructed.

It’s worth noting that the three best teams in the NBA in terms of Net Rating all reside in the Western Conference. While the Jazz sit below the Suns in the standings, this team has really hit its stride of late. We’re betting on the standings to catch up with the Net Ratings. Having said that, it seems fair to conclude that they don’t need to broker a trade to best the Suns in a playoff series.

On the other hand, a marginal upgrade could pay dividends against the Golden State Warriors.