With a record of 15-49 and just under 20 games to go in the regular season, it's no surprise that the Utah Jazz will not be making a playoff appearance this year. It's the third consecutive season of no postseason play following the decision to trade Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, ultimately opting to rebuild the team from the ground up.
However, this year feels different and better than the previous two.
During the previous two seasons, the Jazz finished with 31 and 37 wins, giving them the 8th and 9th best lottery odds. This year, the Jazz are on pace to win less than 20 games –– which would be the fewest in franchise history. As of today, Utah would go into the lottery tied for the best odds at landing the first overall selection.
It’s no secret that the Jazz need a star. They need someone who can elevate those around him and outduel other great players in April, May, and hopefully June. It's something the team hasn’t had since Karl Malone in the '90s. Both Deron Williams and Donovan Mitchell flirted with it during their time in Salt Lake City, but neither could get the Jazz over the hump.
By tearing this team down to the studs, the hope is that the Jazz can find that person in one of the next two drafts. This year, headlined by Cooper Flagg, the team is currently buying as many lottery tickets as the league allows through their play. While the new lottery odds have made it a long shot for any team to land in the top four, someone has to, and maximizing your chance is wise.
Flagg absolutely looks the part of a future NBA star. Drawing comparisons to versatile wings like Kawhi Leonard, Jayson Tatum, and Scottie Pippen, landing him would give the team a clear franchise cornerstone.
He’s not alone, though; high schoolers like AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer (yes, Carlos Boozer’s son), and Darryn Peterson will all be draft-eligible next summer and could give the Jazz their guy. To land one of these players, the Jazz have to be in the mix, though, and they finally are.
It’s refreshing and should give the fanbase hope going forward. If they can land one or multiple high-level prospects over the next couple of drafts, the future starts looking bright. Armed with a war chest full of theirs and other teams’ draft picks, the Jazz would have all the assets to maximize their roster around the young talent, including the exciting pieces Utah already has on their roster.
So, while the Jazz did not make the playoffs in either of the last two years, they ended up winning an extra 15-20 games and took themselves out of the running for a player like Victor Wembanyama. The hope is that Taylor Hendricks and Cody Williams will still turn into nice players, but it’s fair to recognize that they’re not going to alter your franchise the way a top-three pick could.
At the end of the day, losing isn’t fun, and the Jazz are likely going to finish with their worst record in franchise history this season. Despite this, by truly bottoming out and trying to add talent the organization hasn’t had since the ‘90s, the team has a clear direction.
Hopefully, it results in the level of success the team hasn’t ever experienced either.
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