Tanking teams can find it challenging to find and develop players who can be pillars of the next generation. The Utah Jazz are certainly tankers, but since they blew up the team in 2022, the groundwork had been laid, even if they didn't know it.
At the forefront is Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler. Before coming to Utah, Markkanen was an underwhelming former lottery pick who found himself in Utah. Kessler was a throw-in in the Rudy Gobert trade. Since then, it's been clear that they can be part of something special, even if developing something special may take a minute for the Jazz.
What further reinforces this notion is that Markkanen and Kessler showed up on FanSided's NBA 99. Markkanen was ranked No. 52 among NBA players (ninth among forwards), while Kessler was ranked No. 87 (19th among centers).
Disagree or not, it shows that the Jazz's rebuild started the right way. Teams that tank for talent usually start completely from scratch, and there's no telling if they find the right guys. Part of a successful rebuild is also finding the right supporting cast.
At the top of his game, Markkanen is a star who could be a matchup problem for opponents that come the Jazz's way. He's just not the best player on a title contender. However, he's a start, which is why the Jazz were more than comfortable giving him a Brink's truck without even blinking this past offseason.
Kessler might not be a star, but his ceiling is being one of the most high-impact role players in the league. Role player may sound like selling him short, but Kessler is quite the obstacle as a rim protector. This may not show up much because, despite his efforts, the Jazz's defense is pretty lousy. Nonetheless, he's rewarded the Jazz for their faith in him.
It also shows that they've got a ways to go
The fact that the Jazz had two players show up on a list like this shows that they are on the right track. However, only having two alumni show up on the list also demonstrates that while they have the start of something special, building a winner will require much more than that.
It will require drafting the right talent, which is why the Jazz have embraced the tank this season. Who they get in the NBA Draft this season could affect their long-term prospects. The one thing they're missing is the centerpiece of a playoff contenders.
Outside of Markkanen and Kessler, Utah has some solid talent supporting them, too, such as Isaiah Collier, Kyle Filipowski, and Keyonte George. Utah hasn't whiffed on anyone yet, and that's because it hasn't necessarily been given the chance to do so, though they have been criticized for not choosing a direction in 2023 and 2024.
They have been excellent at assembling talent around the edges. Now, all they need are the power hitters. Markkanen and Kessler may not be the main course, but they are guys Utah can put around their next franchise player. Success may not come immediately, but that doesn't mean the Jazz aren't doing their rebuild the right way.