Clearly, the NBA hasn't gotten the memo about the reborn Utah Jazz.
In the world of professional sports, great teams are rarely created overnight. The process of transforming from a bottom-feeder scraping the base of the conference standings takes place throughout seasons of change, growth, and evolution. So I don't take it personally when I see the Utah Jazz planted outside of the playoff picture by major media outlets' preseason NBA projections.
But I will call them out for their ignorance.
Though they finished 15th in the Western Conference last season (out of a possible 15, yes), the true identity of the Utah Jazz is not what you'd find on the surface if you had the displeasure of witnessing Will Hardy's roster in full-tank mode. Resting stars, burning 10-day contracts, and rarely running out their starting lineup, the Jazz tumbled to the bottom of the standings for fielding a non-competitive team.
But that team was not the Jazz.
Keyonte George finally broke out as a star in the Jazz's backcourt behind season averages of 23.6 points, 6.1 assists, and 1.1 steals on 46/37/89 shooting splits.
Lauri Markkanen was back in All-Star form with 26.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, but he only played for half the season.
Jaren Jackson Jr. played just four games before undergoing season-ending surgery.
Ace Bailey emerged as one of the most exciting young players in his class toward the end of the season.
And this year, they add a potential franchise centerpiece and superstar, Darryn Peterson, who Utah took with the 2nd overall pick.
That is a starting lineup that can compete with nearly any in the West, and should be a lock for a top-8 finish in the standings, right? Yet major media outlets still project the Jazz to fall outside the playoff picture in the Western Conference.
ESPN listed the Jazz as a 34-win team -- 10th in the Western Conference -- but praised them as a team ready to compete out the other side of their mouth.
"And the Jazz, winners of a combined 70 games over the past three seasons, finally appear primed to compete next season with No. 2 pick Darryn Peterson added to a core of Lauri Markkanen, Keyonte George, Ace Bailey, and former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr., who was acquired in February via trade with Memphis."
Baffling.
The Athletic took it one step further, describing the Jazz as the 22nd team in the NBA and a "bad passing team with serious widespread issues on defense."
Overall, preseason predictions will not impact the actual product on the court, and I'm glad if this gives the Jazz a chip on their shoulder. But looking at the team's size, versatility, and proven track record of on-court performance, it's just a matter of putting the pieces together for coach Will Hardy.
I look forward to seeing the Jazz prove a lot of people wrong this season. This isn't a good team created overnight, you just haven't been paying attention.
