The Utah Jazz may be a team poised for a big 2023-2024 season.
The Utah Jazz had a successful 2022-2023 NBA Season. They not only started the rebuilding process but found themselves ahead of the curve for that rebuild. The team is now set for a big 2023-2024 season, that is if they figure out the point guard situation ahead of things.
With the Jazz winning 37 games to close out 2023 and just missing out on the play-in tournament, many believe that the Jazz is set to take the next step in 2023-2024 and make the playoffs after just a year removed from their last playoff appearances.
Yet, despite some like Zach Lowe thinking the Jazz may take a step back, others don’t think the Jazz are quite there yet. According to the Athletic’s Zach Harper (via Sports Illustrated), The Jazz do not make the Top 15 or even the Top 16 of the pre-season power rankings.
Harper has the Jazz at 19, or on the edge of contention, saying;
"The Jazz refused to tank last season, and they still ended up with a great haul in the draft…Acquiring Collins was a weird addition, but he’s someone they’ve been eyeing for a while and it ensures Lauri Markkanen stays at the three. This team’s competitiveness waned in the final weeks of the season, but they have more than enough talent and depth to ruin someone’s season as they hope to at least make the Play-In Tournament."
The Jazz as a whole seem better than they were last year. There’s an influx of young talent, some good young vets like John Collins, and the players they had last year mostly took a step forward. So is the 19th spot a fair one?
Honestly, yes. The Jazz did fall off near the end, but that was due to injuries and resting Lauri Markkanen. If those injuries don’t happen, who knows if the Jazz make the postseason? But that’s not the situation this year. The Jazz have to prove that last year wasn’t a fluke, and more specifically, have to prove that they can compete without some key guys from last year.
On top of all that, they have to find out if a guy like Collin Sexton or Jordan Clarkson can become the team’s true point guard going forward. There’s uncertainty (and hope) surrounding the Jazz, so the 19th spot seems fair as late-July.