Are the Jazz the Most Slept on Contender in 2019?
August 2, 2019By: Matt Lippe, Basketball Analyst
In what will go down as one of the craziest NBA off seasons, there were so many different storylines to take away. While the Clippers, Lakers, and Nets may have made the biggest news that does not mean that other teams did not improve immensely as well. One such team, the Utah Jazz, did not make any ground shaking moves but drastically changed their team for the better, by adding experienced players to a young team.
Their first move occurred before free agency even began. On June 19, the Utah Jazz made a move that did not garner much of any attention: they traded away Kyle Korver, Grayson Allen, Jae Crowder, and a 2019 first round pick for Mike Conley. While the 31 year old Conley is not a headline stealing name he is a solid veteran point guard, who is very consistent. Armed with plenty of playoff experience, Conley will not only be a plus on the floor, but also off it as well. He is a great “locker room guy”, who can help bring a team closer together. And even though Conley has never been selected to an All-Star game, Conley definitely plays at that level.
Conley will also be key to the development of Donovan Mitchell. Entering his third season, Mitchell should benefit well from Conley’s presence and decision making in the backcourt. Along with this, Conley has a high basketball IQ and always plays team first, so whenever there is room for an extra pass to be made, he will find it.
The Jazz also made a move that went completely unnoticed because of all the Kawhi Leonard drama: they signed forward Bojan Bogdanović. However, unlike Conley who has already reached his peak, Bojan has not. Last year, he averaged a career high in almost every statistical category, including points, assists, steals, rebounds, and field goal percentage. Bogdanović is also a capable three point shooter which will help to spread the floor and leave the lane clear for Rudy Gobert.
The final two key moves to Utah’s successful free agency was adding veterans Jeff Green and Ed Davis. Both of these players are unselfish, will help challenge the younger players, and add depth. As showcased in this past NBA Finals, a team can have the best players, but if they don’t have guys ready to step up if they get injured, then it doesn’t matter. The Jazz now have a loaded bench, so if injuries were to occur, they could easily fill the gaps.
A successful team most also play great defense. The Jazz were phenomenal on defense last season, as they were 4th in the league in opponent’s points per game allowed and 2nd in the league in terms of defensive rating. The acquisition of Conley should only help these ratings, as he is known as an extremely tough defender.
The Jazz have made the playoffs for the last 3 years, but have not been any further than the second round. Now with no clear favorite in the West, the Jazz have an improved roster that is poised to make a deep playoff run. So, while the major markets may be stealing all the news now, don’t be surprised if the Jazz are the ones making headlines come May.
