What to expect from the Utah Jazz’s position groups this season

While the center position may not be the deepest, it certainly can be game-changing for the Utah Jazz this year.

Walker Kessler has multiple pools of motivation to draw from this season – one is knowing how he performed as a rookie, beating nearly everyone’s expectations to be an All-Rookie First-Team performer. Another is from how he was misused on Team USA in the FIBA World Cup – he has to be eager to show he is a game-changer and not just another average big man in the NBA. The expectation for Kessler is to continue his growth and develop into one of the top 10 centers in the league. Year 2 is big for him, and he knows it.

Kelly Olynyk is a great guy to have on your team – willing to play any role, and a good teammate by most accounts. The interesting thing is that he’s a great sub, and a solid, if average, starter. Most NBA teams would love to have him in a reserve role, and that’s what he will play for the Utah Jazz this year. The expectations for him are simple – continue playing well across the frontcourt and help the team in any way he can.

Omer Yurtseven is one of the newcomers to the Utah Jazz, and the expectation for him in 2023-24 will be to provide solid reserve minutes behind Kessler and Olynyk, keeping the defense solid and continuing his growth as a shooter (he shot 42.9% from 3 in limited minutes a year ago). Unseating Olynyk as the primary backup to Kessler would be the best-case scenario for him.

With the talent assembled, the Utah Jazz have an opportunity to contend for the playoffs in 2023-24, barring injury or a fire-sale rebuild at the trade deadline. That should be the expectation for this team as a whole – return to the playoffs and be the team nobody wants to face in the first round.