Zach Lowe disrespects the Utah Jazz’s watchability and fun

It’s a joke to say the Utah Jazz won’t be fun to watch this year.

The Utah Jazz are being picked to finish relatively high in the NBA’s standings this year, just not among those who determine whether or not a team is “fun”. Despite being a fringe playoff-team, with loads of offensive firepower, and likable young stars, Zach Lowe of ESPN has named the Utah Jazz as the 25th most exciting team in the NBA.

And did so while knocking the “bumblebee look.” Rude.

And while he isn’t very high on them as an “exciting team”, he did give them plenty of respect, writing;

"Utah proved the league’s most adaptable team, turning the thrown-together bounty of two megatrades into a fast-paced, 3-point machine by maximizing each player’s strengths instead of getting hung up on their weaknesses. Lauri Markkanen’s ability to score in a variety of ways from anywhere on the floor made it easy for everyone else to find their comfort zones.…There is no traditional point guard. Markkanen is starting, again, as a gigantic “small” forward. John Collins, rescued from “stand around and watch Trae Young” prison, will again start next to a rim-rolling center — Walker Kessler — who does the thing Collins does best.…Will Hardy, will Voltron this into a coherent team. Collin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson attack the paint with the swashbuckling machismo of 10-time All-Stars. Sexton flies at giants, inviting collisions. Clarkson is a slippery, jump-stopping gunner — and bought into more of a distributor role last season. Talen Horton-Tucker’s arrhythmic diagonal slashing is hard to grasp. Keyonte George and Ochai Agbaji will stake claims. (Agbaji surged late last season.) Collins will rim run and power dunk when Kessler rests.To hit All-NBA, Markkanen has to improve his playmaking. To reach his next level — borderline All-Star, maybe — Kessler has to expand his offense, and he flashed the touch and guile to do it. Their progress will determine a lot of Utah’s medium-term trajectory.Kris Dunn at full throttle is the most destructive guard defender on Earth."

And while he’s right to hype up guys like Kris Dunn and Lauri Markkanen, and talk about what guys like Walker Kessler have to do, it’s still not right to think the Jazz are this “boring”. For lack of a better word.

The Utah Jazz are going to be fun to watch. All good basketball is fun to watch, and the Utah Jazz are going to play some really good basketball.

Markkanen is already looking like he’s in mid-year form, and Kessler will find his place among the NBA’s best defensive big men this year. It’ll be a shock if neither happens. And if you aren’t a fan of watching good basketball players, and doing good basketball things, then what are you even doing?

Lowe has the Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, and Indiana Pacers all ahead of the Jazz. To what end? It’s very likely all three teams aren’t very good this year, and while the teams have some good talent, why would you put them over better squads who look to have a better shot at making the playoffs?