How Do the Utah Jazz Compete With the Best Team in the Western Conference?

The Utah Jazz are back on the path of righteousness, shedding their coats of tanking and leaning into a brighter future -- one of hope, competition, and star power dwelling within the confines of the Delta Center.

And not just from the visiting teams!

But to be the best, you've got to beat the best, and that's what really concerns me about Utah's chances of reaching the NBA Finals in the next five seasons or so.

Darryn Peterson could be a superstar. The type of player that other teams covet, and the level of talent that could hoist him to becoming the franchise savior the Jazz desperately need. Championship contenders almost always feature a player who can be the best player on the court at any given moment -- just take a look at the previous two champions.

The New York Knicks have Jalen Brunson, a player who shifted into 6th gear and outperformed everyone during New York's run through the Eastern Conference Playoffs and into the NBA Finals.

The Oklahoma City Thunder, the reigning number-one seed in the Western Conference a season ago and the NBA Champions two seasons ago, feature back-to-back MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

On top of that, they have a starting lineup reminiscent of Space Jam's Monstars -- an untouchable wall of invincibly beefy intergalactic basketball talent.

They have the aforementioned SGA, who will score 30 points at will in the playoffs and spend 40 minutes at the foul stripe. In a PG-vs-PG comparison, Keyonte George is not the type of player capable of defending an MVP point guard. Perhaps Darryn Peterson could be, though.

Peterson was an outstanding defender at Kansas. A high-motor, unfeeling nightmare who is omni-present and constantly searching for a moment of weakness, a poor decision, and a stray dribble or jump shot. He was a menace at that end during the Summer League, and that should project at the NBA level.

Matching up against Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren could be difficult. Utah doesn't have the bulk to match Hartenstein, and if JJJ is defending him, Holmgren could be a challenging matchup for Markkanen, who is a mediocre defender for his position. On the offensive end, it's the same story, with both Hartenstein and Holmgren being long and pesky rim protectors.

The unfortunate truth is this: Utah's young stars are a few years from being able to stand toe-to-toe with the very best teams in the NBA. For this reason, a top-six finish would be a fantastic goal for this team just one season removed from the lottery chase.

Still, the pieces in place leave me curious just how far the Jazz really are, and whether they're just one star or one hot streak away from making their own case atop the league ladder.