It may seem ridiculous to suggest that in an upcoming season where the Utah Jazz are still expected to be pretty bad, they could have players capable of playing much better than they did last season. But we have to remember than even last season, one of the worst watches in Jazz history, featured multiple players bouncing back.
The most prominent Jazz bouncebacks from last season came from Walker Kessler, John Collins, and Brice Sensabaugh. After the 2023-24 season did not go as well for them as the Jazz had hoped, the three of them experienced a noticeable turnaround last season, to the point that the Jazz sold one of them off without sacrificing assets and have high hopes for the other two this season.
The point being, if it happened last season, it can happen again this season. In a year with no expectations, that will mean players will get a more than fair shot. Especially since Austin Ainge promised that the Jazz wouldn't repeat what they did last season - rest guys who could get in the way of the tank - these four Jazzmen are prime candidates to bounce back.
1. Lauri Markkanen
Yeah, let's get the most obvious one out of the way. Markkanen may have been bad last season, but anyone who was watching knows that his lackluster performance can be mostly attributed to the Jazz making it clear from the get-go that, in their efforts to play as badly as possible, that would come at the expense of his production.
This season, that shouldn't be the case. In doing so, Jazz fans should see Markkanen play more like his old self from 2022 to 2024 than the version they saw last season. With hopefully nothing holding him back next season, the Jazz getting another spectacular performance from Markkanen is an easy bet to make.
2. Keyonte George
George was once the Jazz's darling child, but his struggles in Year 2 have basically made him forgotten one year later. While George didn't get better, he didn't necessarily get worse, so it's easy to look at the glass half-full for next season.
Even if George didn't take the step Utah hoped he would, he should still get another fair chance to prove he can be the electric scorer they thought he would be. The flashes are still very much there, and it's all a matter of whether he can do it on a nightly basis. If he can bounce back, he could be the mid point between Donovan Mitchell and Jordan Clarkson.
3. Taylor Hendricks
To a certain degree, this is cheating because, well, you know why. Regardless, Hendricks has the ample opportunity to demonstrate he should be part of the Jazz's future frontcourt. The athleticism is undeniable, and it's all a matter oc an he harness it to become the player the Jazz envisioned when they picked him at No. 9 two years ago.
The Jazz already have big men who can shoot and protect the rim. The one big man archetype they don't have is an athletic rim-runner who could be a perimeter stopper, and that's what Hendricks can be if all goes well. He will definitely have some psychological hurdles to overcome, but the potential is still tantalizing with Hendricks.
4. Cody Williams
When his rookie season ended, there was near-universal pessimism regarding Cody Williams' future as an NBA player. Even though the Jazz knew he would be a project, they thought he'd show something in the past year. Well, a year later in his second Summer League, he showed it. For the first time, Williams looked like he belonged on an NBA court, and now, the pessimism has turned into cautious optimism.
That doesn't mean Williams will suddenly look like the Jazz's most promising player next season, but there's just enough current optimism to believe Williams can look much better next season. If he shows that he's got some adequate NBA-caliber skills, that will be a huge step up for him, and if that happens, who's to say it would end there?