In the calendar year, the Utah Jazz pulled off one of the biggest trades in the entire league when they acquired Jaren Jackson Jr. Even though he only played three games for them, JJJ's impact on the floor is not hypothetical. He's a multi-time All-Star, a former Defensive Player of the Year, and has plenty of playoff experience.
JJJ's counting numbers have always been impressive (for what he's good at). He's averaged as many as 22.5 points in an entire season and three blocks per game. Yeah, his rebounding's a problem, but the Jazz knew this going in and will try to cover that up as best they can.
More than that though, don't be surprised if JJJ's traditional numbers take a hit this season. Think about it. On paper, this Jazz team has the most offensive firepower he's ever played on, with the likes of Lauri Markkanen, Keyonte George, Darryn Peterson, Ace Bailey, and even Brice Sensabaugh on it.
For that reason, he probably won't put up the same numbers he did in Memphis. Don't be surprised if his scoring numbers are in the low teens simply because Utah will not ask him to score. He can, but there won't be as much demand for him to.
That may concern the fans, but if the Jazz are winning games, then no one should care.
Al Horford did this in Boston
Before he joined the Celtics, Horford was regularly putting up All-Star numbers with the Atlanta Hawks, who regularly got them into the playoffs, though they didn't really make much noise with the exception of 2015.
When he got to the Celtics, his counting stats took a dip, and that didn't stop with each passing year. It's not like they took a nosedive, but he wasn't putting up the numbers he did with the Hawks. That led to some early criticism, but after making two consecutive Eastern Conference Finals and stopping prime Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid in the playoffs, that died down.
From that, Horford was getting recognition he simply never got with the Hawks because they weren't regularly on the level the Celtics were. Even when Atlanta was making some noise, the credit typically went to esteemed Jazz alum Joe Johnson or Josh Smith.
In fact, when Horford left them in 2019, there was a bigger fuss about his departure than Kyrie Irving's. And when they brought him back two years later, they went to the NBA Finals. His traditional numbers never improved, but they won games. Boston didn't ask Horford to put up the same numbers they did in Atlanta. They asked him to help put them in the best possible position to win.
It's in Utah's best interest to do the same with JJJ. They don't want him to put up the numbers he did with the Grizzlies. They want to put him in the best position where he can play his part in creating winning basketball. He made it clear that he's about winning championships from the start. If he's serious, it's a transformation like this that puts his money where his mouth is.
It will probably annoy some if his numbers take a tumble at first, but if it's clear that how they are utilizing him is working, then Utah will have made the right choice.
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