Last Seasons Record 48-34
Thus Seasons Record 48-34
How about this guy? Perhaps the real rookie of the year, but that is beside the point. When you lose your franchise player only to stumble onto something and someone truly special, it really feels like a miracle. Last year was kind of a rollercoaster for the Jazz. They came out the gate staggering but really found their true form around the midway of the year. They even won a playoff series against the Thunder. A team with two top 20 NBA players. Donovan Mitchell took the NBA by storm last season, and the Jazz and their fans are hoping he is in fact, the real deal.
Key Additions and Subtractions
The Jazz didn’t get a serious makeover this offseason, why would they? They went to the playoffs and drafted a potential superstar in the making. However, they did draft Grayson Allen, the Duke standout. He wants to make an impact on the league. He doesn’t want to become another bust. He has some of the right tools to really help a team but will need to become stronger and a better defender. I’m excited to see what kind of player he can become. Will he be JJ Redick or will become the next Jimmer Fredette? Only time will tell, but it should be an enjoyable ride. Dante Exum will next to take a leap this season and Joe Ingles if this team wants to build off last years success. If those two guys can step up, this team could make some serious noise. They should be one of the better defensive teams in the NBA.
Year Long Question – How good can they be defensively?
Rudy Gobert is coming off the defensive player of the year award and he wants another. This Jazz team prides itself on defensive and that is due to their head coach. They are chalked full of great defensive players and will need that all year round if they want to be a top tier team in the West. If they can try to hold teams to around 97-102 points per game, this team could do great things. They have enough firepower offensively that they can play with the best of them.
Fan Mindset
I know that last year Donovan Mitchell set the NBA world on fire last season, but in my opinon, he isn’t the most important player on the Jazz. That honour belongs to the Spanish Samauri Ricky Rubio. That’s right, ever since he has come over to the Jazz he has really turned it around. Ricky is a fantastic defender and distributes the ball better than almost anyone in the NBA. This team struggled last year when Ricky wasn’t in the lineup. He’s super important to getting everyone else involved and like I mentioned he isn’t a defensive liability on the court. He’s matured so much the last few seasons and has really figured out his identity in this league. If he goes down, expect fans to react the same way Cuba Gooding JR did in this iconic scene. I hope you don’t have to go through that painful experience.
Bold Prediction, Sponsored By Nate – Quinn Snyder wins Coach of The Year
He was on the brink of winning this award last season. He is a great young minded coach in this league. The Jazz are on the rise and if they keep improving and winning games, I don’t see why this award isn’t his for the taking this season. Now they would have to win more games this year than last and potentially get into that 3rd seed. That could be tough work, Denver looks like they are on a new level this year, and you can’t count out the Spurs. But it’s called bold prediction for a reason. This should be another fun season for Jazz fans, and I’m curious to see the development of Mitchell.
