Jazz fans vindicated after Utah's pivotal lineup changes

The Utah Jazz are in no-man's land again. While it's clear everyone's going to see what this team is truly made of over the next few weeks, they have come up victorious. However, what made last night's win over the Dallas Mavericks special is that they won while mostly playing their youth.

Many have questioned Utah for playing veterans like Jusuf Nurkic and Svi Mykhailiuk as much as they have this season, while players like Brice Sensabaugh, Kyle Filipowski, Taylor Hendricks, and Cody Williams all wait in the wings, needing development.

Well, it seemed as though the Jazz listened to the fanbase, as they rested Nurkic, slotting Filipowski into the center spot, while Mykhailiuk was a healthy scratch, slotting in Brice Sensabaugh as the two-guard.

So, not only did they get the win, but the young guys all played a part in making it happen. Sensabaugh was a bit of a bust, but that's okay. Filipowski had his best game of the season, Cody Williams and Taylor Hendricks had their best games in a while, and Isaiah Collier did his job as the backup point guard.

Fans have a legitimate gripe about them winning with their veterans when they want to see how their young talent will do. Well, nights like last night prove why they believe in the rest of the Jazz's youngsters, which also gives the team more reason to play them.

Of course, none of this would have been possible without Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George doing their usual thing, but at this stage of the season, Jazz fans should expect this level of play from them. Seeing their other young guys do their part is a massive headline, though.

But there is still one red flag

No, believe it or not, this isn't about the potential of tanking, though there are fans who will definitely hate wins against the Mavericks. No, this is more about the fact that Utah's defense is still downright terrible.

The offense looks like its in good hands for the foreseeable future with all the talented personnel they have, but if they want a long-term title contender, they need two-way players all-around. No Walker Kessler certainly plays a hand in this, but he is only one man, and the Jazz know from the Rudy Gobert days that it will take more than one man to form an elite defense.

Because it seems Utah is serious about showing progress, don't be surprised if they try to add more defensive-minded personnel before the NBA Trade Deadline passes. Even better, they may try to add some young, defense-first players to solidify their route going forward this season.