Out stuck in the middle of the western conference is the Utah Jazz. Salt Lake City has to pick up its stride if they want to compete in the western conference.
The Jazz have been a mediocre team the past few years. Don't get me wrong, they're not bad but they're definitely not good either. The Jazz got lucky and drafted Donovan Mitchell 13th overall in the 2017 NBA draft. Mitchell has a lot of upside and potential but lacks a good supporting cast to help him deep in the playoffs.
Mitchell can be an absolute scoring machine at times. He has a quick first step that allows him to beat defenders off the dribble, has major hops to dunk and even block shots and can come clutch in tight situations when his team needs a score.
Video: Utah Jazz - The next move
Mitchell has been paired up mainly with Utah's starting center, Rudy Gobert. Gobert, 7'1 with a 7'9 wingspan has the ability to block and alter shots due to his intimidating presence in the paint. Gobert has won multiple defensive player of the year awards and lives up to it. He is his team's defensive leader and can also contribute on offense when needed.
Now one of the other role players that the Utah Jazz have on their roster is Boban Bogdanovic. A 3 D player, who mainly excels at shooting threes and playing defense. Another similar type of forward they have is Joe Ingles who's become the team's 3point specialist. An absolute knockdown shooter if you make the mistake of leaving him alone on the floor. And the last one is their starting point guard, Mike Conley. Conley has spent most of his career with the Memphis Grizzlies and is more than experienced to know how to run an offense, all the while adding some veteran presence in the locker room.
The last time Jazz fans had high hopes was when they had drafted Gordon Hayward, a 6'7 small forward who showed signs of potential and was seen as someone you could build your franchise around. Unfortunately after spending 7 years with the Utah Jazz, Hayward decided to leave and join the Boston Celtics later on.
Now if we talk about the history of the Jazz, two prominent names come to mind; John Stockton and Karl Malone. Stockton the leader in all time steals and assists, Stockton played the point position better than anyone else during his era. And Karl Malone was just a juggernaut on both offense and defense. A strong 6'9 power forward who not only had finesse to his game but had the ability to overpower his defensive matchup on a nightly basis. These two formed a great one-two punch combo and will definitely go down as one of the best dynamic duos in NBA history.
Coming back to recent times and having a look at what the future holds for the Utah Jazz, they have a lot of work to do if they want to be a contender for the title. The weakest position the Jazz have right now is the Power Forward position, so adding a good scoring forward who demands attention on the floor would be a great addition to the team. And I think it might be time to shift Mike Conley to the bench and bring in a new point guard for the Utah Jazz. Until then, expect the Jazz to be out of the playoff picture for a while.
Current Superstars - Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert.
Past Superstars - Gordon Hayward, Deron Williams, Carlos Boozer.
Past legends - John Stockton, Karl Malone, Darrell Griffith.
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