Latest rankings show how shockingly far away the Jazz are from contending

Even though it's been two years since the Utah Jazz started their newest chapter, it's really been Year One of them truly embracing a rebuild. Because of that, it would come as no surprise that their top three players don't compare too well to other teams' top players.

With a season a month old, ESPN's Tim Bontemps ranked every NBA team's Big 3. Out of 30 teams, the Jazz were ranked No. 25. The three listed were Lauri Markkanen, Keyonte George, and Walker Kessler.

Bontemps explained why the Jazz ranked so low.

"Utah's core is led by an All-Star in Markkanen, who inked a five-year contract extension to remain the face of the franchise. But there's plenty of work to do beyond that, as Utah is embarking on a lengthy rebuild and hopes to land one of the top five picks in this year's draft. Until then, it will focus on the development of George and Kessler, and hope forward Taylor Hendricks can make a full recovery after a season-ending injury last month."

Markkanen is the only proven player out of these three, and even he hasn't had the best start of the season. George has had a rough start and is only starting to heat up a bit. Kessler remains out with injury, which could be a problem since there's no timetable for his return.

It's not like the Jazz are completely deprived of talent. They could have a worse trio than them, but these rankings highlight something about their process of becoming a playoff contender again.

It might take a while

As good as Markkanen is, the Jazz knows what he brings to the table. He's definitely a complementary star, but he's not a centerpiece. The Jazz have assets to add a centerpiece via trade, but they will likely try to find one in the draft. Even if they do, it will surely take a few years before it turns into any team success.

The uncertainty surrounding George's growth and Kessler's future in Utah also contributes to why the Jazz will take a while to contend again. In fact, it's not too crazy to suggest that they may not be considered among the Jazz's three best players in a few years.

These next few years will have frustrating losses like the one they just had at the hands of the Spurs. That may not be a fun watch, but it is one that will likely be worth it in the end.

That said, a lot can change in a few years. The real question will be when the Jazz assemble their next playoff contender, who from this current roster will still be on the team?