Jazz Media Day turnout sheds light on harsh reality

The Utah Jazz held their Media Day on September 30. There were quite a few notable instances during their Media Day, which is pretty normal, all things considered.

Jordan Clarkson supported Lauri Markkanen in the most vulgar way possible, Will Hardy voiced his support for the Jazz's rookie class, and Markkanen called out one of Utah's biggest myths. Needless to say, it was far from boring.

But what was also newsworthy was the turnout at Jazz Media Day. The Salt Lake Tribune's Andy Larsen revealed how many reporters attended the event.

Larsen then revealed who attended Media Day for Utah Hockey Club by comparison.

In short, yikes. While it's not surprising that the Jazz didn't have a big turnout, given their expectations going into the season, it demonstrates a harsh reality for them.

Small market teams don't get much attention if they're not expected to be good

In this situation, the problem isn't so much that the Jazz are not expected to be good. The problem is that being a small market team with little expectations generates little to no buzz, meaning few reporters attend their Media Day. Little expectations affect small market teams a lot more than big market teams.

Compare the Jazz to, say, the Lakers and Knicks. Since the turn of the 21st century, the Lakers and Knicks have dealt with a lot of turmoil for the past two and a half decades to the point where both have become the league's biggest laughingstock at multiple points.

Did that deter national attention away from them? Of course not. Not only do they come from big markets like New York and Los Angeles, but they are also two of the most storied franchises in the NBA. In fact, that turmoil still generated a lot of buzz, specifically because they were the Lakers and the Knicks. Such would not be the case with the Jazz unless they came into the season with high expectations.

The other harsh reality is that big-name players like LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo also drive the league. While Markkanen has impressively climbed the ladder to becoming a star, he does not hold a candle in terms of brand recognition compared to LeBron and Giannis.

Pay specific attention to Giannis in this instance because he, too, plays for a small market team. The Bucks are in the same boat as the Jazz, but they currently get plenty of national attention because of the Greek Freak. He's an all-time player and fun to watch on top of it. They didn't get anywhere near that kind of attention before he came to town, and when he's done, expect them to be right where the Jazz are now.

Sadly, this is all unfamiliar territory for the Jazz. The limitation of playing for a small market has always existed, but they've always managed to be a good team despite that getting in their way. Doing that has made them maintain their relevance across the league. With a low bar and no player on the roster considered among the best of the best, the Jazz won't generate that same level of attention.

Even if their current plan may be best for the team long-term, they won't grab the public's eye until they become a playoff team again, however long that may take.