Did the Utah Jazz pass on better players from the 2023 NBA Draft?
Who should the Jazz have drafted? What bullets did they dodge?
Buyer's remorse is a feeling that haunts me daily. No matter how minor the purchase, if it wasn't essential or I feel that I might have spent too much, the idea that I could have done something different can be paralyzing. For Danny Ainge and the Jazz's front office, buyer's remorse could come in the form of bad selections on draft night. Utah is building its future, and a legitimate title contender won't be made in an afternoon.
Midway through the season, and I'm still very high on the Jazz's rookies. Rebuilding takes time, so keeping perspective is important when evaluating young players, especially this early on. Having said all that, I'd like to take a look at the players the Jazz passed on with their three first-round picks of the 2023 NBA Draft, to see if Utah could have gotten more value out of a pick, or to see if they made the right picks.
Before I get into specifics about players who were picked around the same time, it's important to note that Utah was in talks to trade up a few spots to pick up a player who seemed just out of reach with the 9th pick. San Antonio wasn't going to part with the top pick, but anywhere from the 5th pick and beyond could have conceivably been traded. Who were some draft-day steals, and who is giving their front office cause for regret?
Something to keep in mind: sometimes, a player's fit with a team is more important than talent alone. Just because a player looks like a bad pick today, that doesn't mean that's because they don't have the talent to play in the NBA. On the other hand, a player could be doing very well because the system their team has built around them brings out the best in that player that other teams couldn't have seen coming. I'm going to focus on players that I think could bring great value to the Jazz.