Utah Jazz
The 2022-23 Utah Jazz can be defined as a Young Surprise Team that shocked the world but eventually faded out.
What did we learn?
A new era of Jazz basketball could not have started better.
This Jazz team was the perfect blend of a random assortment of castaway players with something to prove.
Three weeks into the season, the Jazz were 10-3 and sitting perched atop the Western Conference Standings.
Turns out, Lauri Markkanen just needed to get to Utah all along. Markkanen, with the highest usage of his career as Utah’s No. 1 option, put up by far and away career-best numbers that earned him a first-time All-Star selection and the NBA’s Most Improved Player.
2021-22 Cavs Markkanen: 14.8 ppg, 5.7 reb, 35% from 3
2022-23 Jazz Markkanen: 25.6 ppg, 8.6 reb, 39% from 3
He was absolutely vital to Utah’s success this season. When Markkanen scored 18+ points, the Jazz had a record of 30-26. In all other games, the Jazz were 7-19.
In the beginning, Mike Conley was still here to steer the ship. He averaged 12 points and 8 assists over those first three weeks. Then Conley got injured and the Jazz immediately lost five games in a row.
Conley was eventually shipped out at the trade deadline, which left Jordan Clarkson as the last vestige of the previous era of Jazz basketball. Like Markkanen, Clarkson put up career-best numbers, averaging 20.8 points and 4.4 assists, running some de facto point guard after Conley’s departure to Minnesota.
Speaking of Minnesota, let’s check out the per-36 numbers comparison between Rudy Gobert and Walker Kessler this season:
Gobert: 15.7 points, 13.6 rebounds, 1.6 blocks
Kessler: 14.4 points, 13.1 rebounds, 3.7 blocks
Per-36 numbers are not everything, but this is as good of an indicator as any that Danny Ainge once again pulled off an absolute HEIST. Kessler is a 7-foot-1 shot-blocking monster who even posted a higher Player Efficiency Rating than Gobert and swatted the fourth most blocks in the NBA. The average annual salary for Kessler ($3.3 mil) is currently $38 million LESS than Gobert’s $41 million.
Ochai Agbaji, another rookie that the Jazz recouped from trading away their stars, did not play that much at the beginning of the year, but he played well when given the opportunity. Over the last month of the season, Agbaji had four games with 20+ points while averaging 14.7 points per game and 31 mins a night.
Speaking of the last month of the season, Talen Horton-Tucker started 20 straight games after the All-Star break while averaging 17 points and 6 assists, also dabbling in some de facto point guard duties for the Jazz.
The Jazz eventually threw in the towel for their play-in bid over the last five weeks. On Feb. 26, the Jazz were still a .500 team and the 8-seed in the West. Utah’s record the rest of the way was 6-14. The plug was pulled and the tank emerged.
But between the assets collected and the talent already on this roster, it’s safe to say that Danny Ainge has done it again.
This, THIS RIGHT HERE, is how you rebuild on the fly.
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Additional Notes
Not only does Utah have a dynamic frontcourt duo in Markkanen and Kessler, but it sure looks like they have a smart, young players coach in Will Hardy. (Lord knows the Celtics missed him dearly.)
Collin Sexton’s YOUNG BULL charge at the beginning of the season where he hunted the reigning 2-time MVP in Jokic by stomping his hooves before driving right at him was wild and entertaining as hell.
Out of the NBA for a year, the Jazz took a flier in February on former 5th overall pick Khris Dunn. Dunn played really well. In 22 games, he averaged 13-5-4.
It would not be a basketballin.net Jazz Rev-U without mentioning Simone Fontecchio! The 6-foot-8 Italian can light it up and is not afraid to let it fly. Fontecchio played sparingly, but he still had five games with four made 3s.
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Did our preseason Over/Under prediction hit?
More than any other team besides maybe the Spurs, the Jazz have the biggest incentive to win the great Tank Wars of 2022-23. Under 24 wins.
Jazz 2022-23 record: (37-45)
NOPE. Not even close. The Jazz got their 25th win on Jan. 23.
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What’s Next?
The No. 9, 16 and 28 picks in the draft. It would be absolutely shocking if the Jazz don’t make at least one trade on draft night.
Word on the street is that Cason Wallace from Kentucky has received a draft promise from the Jazz at No. 9. Wallace is precisely who KOC has in his latest mock as well, saying that a defensive-oriented point guard is exactly what Kris Dunn previewed for the Jazz.
Jordan Clarkson has a player option that will most likely be declined. Keeping Clarkson in Utah seems like the right move for both parties.
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Favorite Jazz Highlight of the 2022-23 Season:
The Return of Power Dunk City. Coming Soon!
