Jaren Jackson Jr. will be the talk of the town for the Utah Jazz for most of the calendar year going forward. Utah only got a sample of what he can do, and the returns were nothing short of monumental. Among those who recognized how big a deal it was that the Jazz got their deal done for JJJ was Dwyane Wade.
During his appearance on Shaquille O'Neal's podcast, Wade openly gushed when he gave his thoughts on the JJJ trade.
"When I heard about... the potential and opportunity, I was (ecstatic) because (we're) talking about a kid who has a lot of untapped potential and he's already an All-Star and Defensive Player of the Year, and he's a great kid... When we're in a space where we're trying to find the right pieces to build around the pieces that we have, and also keep the flexibility and all the things you need to get to that place where you're fighting for one of those, you need a piece like Jaren Jackson Jr., so, great move.
Shaq then asked Wade about how Jackson would fit specifically with Markkanen given that they are both seven-footers who play the same position. Wade answered directly.
"This is called 'positionless basketball' era... He can play the three, he can play the four, he can play the four, he can play the five... It's positionless."
Nothing Wade says here is wrong, but it's for now, it's unproven
Everything Wade says about JJJ and what basketball strategy the Jazz will deploy next season is correct, but it also is mostly abstract. Yes, the Jazz have seen what they look like with their prized acquisition, and it looks beautiful. Even scarier is that next season, Walker Kessler should be added into the equation.
It's exciting to think of what the Jazz could turn into next season. In fact, making it more exciting is that it's hard to really think of what their ceiling could be. Everyone must remember that Utah did this not just on the belief of how good JJJ is as a player, but how strong of a core he will be added to.
But for the time being, it's all merely an idea. A brilliant idea, but an idea nonetheless. There's a solid chance, better than a non-zero chance, that, should this experiment work out, the Jazz might see an era of basketball that doesn't just match the days of the Malone/Stockton era, but exceeds it.
Sadly, we won't know for sure until we see the final product on hand next season. It's even crazier to wonder if their core next season is the final product.