Because they had the fourth-worst record in the NBA, the Utah Jazz don't have the same odds they did last year. Even so, last year they got the worst possible outcome, but it's fair to suggest that they were pretty okay with it in the end. They have had pretty consistent bad luck with the lottery, but if they win, it might be just the best thing to ever happen to them!
The Athletic's Sam Vecenie wrote up his most recent mock draft where he projects the Jazz to win the lottery, which is something they've never done before and they would win it in a loaded draft. Who would the Jazz take if they won? Vecenie projects them to take AJ Dybantsa.
He didn't elaborate much on Dybantsa's fit in Utah, but explained pretty succinctly why the Jazz would take him.
"He plays with serious bend mixed with explosiveness, allowing him to consistently get into the teeth of the defense as a straight-line driver. In transition, he’s a menace. His midrange game has become a serious weapon. He’s also not a finished product. It’s clear where the improvement areas are for him. His jumper will get better as he ages. He improved drastically as a passer this season but has even more room for growth there when he plays next to more talented NBA players. And defensively, Dybantsa is not nearly as impactful as his measurements suggest he could become," Vecenie wrote.
The Jazz already have an excellent young core that's blossoming before our very eyes, even without Dybantsa, but adding someone like him into the fold? They would basically have their franchise cornerstone, and Utah's future would be set for years to come. Especially with someone who was basically a homegrown talent for the Jazz.
It would effectively start an era scarier than Karl Malone & John Stockton
There was some temptation to say that Utah would become the NBA's next dynasty with Dybantsa, but we have to remember that Oklahoma City has only started their dominant run and San Antonio is quite literally right behind them. It's be drastic to suggest the Jazz would be better than them.
No, but it would be practical to suggest they'd be on the same level. Even if it wouldn't be right away. Dybantsa is that good. He is a multi-faceted, high-ceiling star in the making going to a team that will take immense pride in how jumbo-sized they will be across the roster.
No, he's not Victor Wembanyama, but with the win-now squad he would join in Utah, the future would be now. Granted, betting on that would require hoping something that has never worked out for the Jazz, but there's a first time for everything.
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