It is that point of yr. With lower than every week till opening night time, the media releases their NBA preseason rankings. As a substitute of assigning particular person rankings to groups, Fox Sports activities has divided groups into tiers, and it isn’t fairly for the Utah Jazz.
In keeping with Fox Sports activitiesthe Jazz have been grouped with the Brooklyn fillets, Charlotte Hornets, Portland Path BlazersAnd Wizards of Washington. All 5 franchises have been tagged beneath “Cooper Flagg Watch” and Fox Sports activities is assured that Jazz CEO Danny Ainge is aiming to maximise Utah’s lottery possibilities of drafting the projected No. 1 total choose.
“Alas, Danny Ainge, the crew’s prime govt, has made it clear that he’s not able to enter the subsequent section. Ainge has all the time been about huge modifications and discovering huge expertise. Cooper Flagg is a good expertise, and Ainge goes to do every little thing he can to amass him.
That may very well be the case, however Utah might want to shed a few of their veterans to make sure they’re a backside 5 franchise. The Jazz revealed their 10-man rotation in Tuesday night time’s 117-114 win over the Sacramento Kings, and it is shaping as much as be a repeat of Utah’s final two years.
Jazz veterans Lauri Markkanen, Colin Sexton, Jordan Clarkson and John Collins obtained beginning minutes in a victory that resembles what an everyday season recreation would seem like. It is also value noting that rookie Kyle Filipowski hasn’t discovered his footing within the competitors, which may counsel he’ll start his skilled profession within the G-League.
There may be additionally the emergence of Keyonte George and Walker Kessler. To date, each males seem to have taken their recreation to a different stage within the preseason. In Tuesday night time’s win, George scored 24 factors on 7-of-14 capturing whereas Kessler recorded 10 factors, together with some elite rim safety. Kessler blocked 4 photographs in 28 minutes of motion.
That provides as much as one other season wherein the Jazz are too good to tank however not ok to make the playoffs — and the oddsmakers agree.
DraftKings Utah is projected to win 29 video games this season, which might put Utah on the backside of the lottery. So, except luck shines on Utah when it is time to choose ping pong balls, the Jazz may very effectively select between the 8-12 vary.
A commerce would change every little thing. We all know offers are coming based mostly on Utah’s free agent signings this offseason. New Jazzmen Drew Eubanks, Patty Mills and Svi Mykhailiuk obtained contracts wherein solely the primary yr is assured. These are all engaging contracts for groups trying to relieve the wage cap subsequent yr. Nevertheless, these exchanges solely start to take form when the buying and selling associate has a clearer thought of how their season is progressing.
It might be too little, too late for the rebuilding Jazz except they discover a method to transfer Sexton, Clarkson, Kessler or Collins throughout the early levels of the season. The primary match of the yr will happen on Wednesday towards Memphis Grizzlies in Salt Lake Metropolis.
