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After missing the playoffs the past two seasons, the Utah Jazz head into the 2024-25 season still in a rebuilding phase.
Utah hasn’t had much success since the departure of Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, but a young core centered around star Lauri Markkanen has potential. How quickly the Jazz live up to that potential could be determined this year.
It’s been a quiet offseason for Utah, with its biggest additions being draft picks Cody Williams, Isaiah Collier and Kyle Filipowski, so the Jazz seem intent on working with who they have.
Much of the offseason revolved around whether the Jazz would trade Markkanen, but they ultimately kept him as they look to continue building around the All-Star caliber player.
Ahead of Utah’s campaign, here’s a look at the Jazz’s schedule, some key matchups and a glimpse at how the year could unfold.
2024-25 Jazz game schedule details
Season opening: Wednesday, October 23: 9 p.m. ET vs. Memphis Grizzlies
Championship odds: +100000 (bet $100 to win $100,000) by FanDuel
Full program: The full program is available on NBA.com.
The Jazz developed a competitive rivalry with the Rockets in the 1990s when the two teams faced off in the Western Conference to decide who would face (and lose to) Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the NBA Finals.
The game rekindled its flame when Utah faced the James Harden-led Rockets in the playoffs multiple times, when both teams were upper-tier teams in the Western Conference.
A few years later, the two teams are far from what they once were, but the rivalry has reignited last season. The Rockets’ Jabari Smith Jr. and the Jazz’s Kris Dunn faced off twice this season, one of which was so heated that it was left both players suspended.
Beyond the on-court drama, this game could be a deciding factor in the playoff race. The Rockets and Jazz finished 11th and 12th in the Western Conference last year, respectively, and it’s likely they’ll be in similar positions this year.
If Utah and Houston are in the running for a spot in the play-in tournament, head-to-head matchups could come into play.
It’s always nice to beat the best team in your division, isn’t it?
The Minnesota Timberwolves will have a target on their backs after reaching the Western Conference Finals a year ago, and the Jazz will be looking to pull off a few upset wins.
While this game likely won’t be a top-tier matchup given the talent gap, Utah will treat it as such.
There don’t seem to be any hard feelings between Wolves center Rudy Gobert and his former team, but Jazz fans are probably hoping to prove they’re doing just fine without him. A win could help.
While the Jazz have a chance to sneak into the playoffs, this year should be viewed more as a developmental season. Utah has a historically good track record of developing young players into a playoff-contending group, and this season could be a step in that direction.
The Jazz are hoping Markkanen has a good season, as he averaged 23.2 points and 8.2 rebounds per game last season, a slight decline from his All-Star season two years ago. If he can improve his game to an All-NBA level, that could be enough for Utah to clinch a playoff spot.
From there, the Jazz pretty much know what they want from forwards Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton. Both were reliable second and third options last year and should be this year as well, barring injury.
One of the biggest question marks will be what kind of jump third-year center Walker Kessler makes. The former first-round pick emerged as one of the best blockers last season, averaging 2.4 shots per game, and was also a pretty reliable rebounder, averaging 7.5 rebounds. If Kessler can round out his offensive game this year, he could be dangerous.
Another promising young player, Keyonte George, could be poised for a sophomore leap. The 16th overall pick in the 2023 draft recorded 13 points and 4.4 assists per game while acclimating to the league. He needs to work on his efficiency as he shot just 39.1 percent from the field, but expect a big year from George.
Last season, Utah had its lowest win total in a decade, but the same shouldn’t happen this year. The Jazz won’t be a Finals contender, but some minor improvements should be in order.
