It’s now four seasons since the Utah Jazz traded Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, initiating the current team rebuild. The three seasons before this, Utah has made some interesting decisions. In the first
two seasons, there was an obvious lack of a plan on how to move forward. With Lauri Markkanen having a breakout season, the Jazz were better than people expected, including the team itself, starting off hot to begin the season. But after a 10-3 pyrite-start, they finished the season 27-42. At the trade deadline, they finally pulled the rug out and moved the necessary players to lose enough games to secure their pick. They ended up drafting 9th and picked Taylor Hendricks after multiple failed attempts to move up in the draft. With the Wolves pick, Keyonte George.
It was a predictably disappointing lottery finish for the Jazz, who waited too long to make the trades that would help them improve in the draft. Now, the Jazz are still trying to figure out what Taylor Hendricks will be, while players like Amen Thompson and Victor Wembanyama lead their teams to the top of the Western Conference. The good news is that the Jazz appear to have found a starting-level guard in Keyonte George, and he might be more. However, because the Jazz lacked a clear vision for the future, they waited too long to move players like Mike Conley, until it was too late.
The following season, in a strange aversion to trying for high draft picks, Utah again avoided giving minutes to its young players earlier in the season. It was more important to give development minutes to players like Talen Horton-Tucker, Jordan Clarkson, and John Collins, rather than Keyonte George and Taylor Hendricks. Utah won six fewer games than the previous season, finishing 31-51. There was an argument to start that season with the goal of winning enough games to convey their top-10 protected pick to the Thunder, given a very unheralded draft. Then the Jazz could have avoided worrying about conveying their pick like they are now, but Utah went with the “not having a plan” route. Utah ended up winning enough that to keep their pick, they’d have to make some rug-pull moves at the trade deadline, which they did. Utah nearly lost its pick to OKC regardless when two teams from late in the lottery jumped into the top-3. Utah ended with the 10th pick, narrowly not giving it to the Thunder.
Finally, the Jazz made a decision last year to actually tank the season. But instead of doing things the right way and making the trades necessary to lose games while “trying to win,” the Jazz decided to spend the entire season strategically resting players like Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler, John Collins, Collin Sexton, and Jordan Clarkson so they’d end up with a top pick. The plan did work, and they ended the season with the worst record in the league.
Unfortunately, they lost the lottery and ended up with the 5th pick. Obviously, the Jazz were trying to do a quick turnaround by drafting Cooper Flagg and combining him with Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler. That was when the infamous Ryan Smith temper tantrum happened, and changes were made. It was important for Utah to return to the rudderless approach of those first two “rebuild” seasons.
Personally, I’ll never understand the level of frustration with that ending to the season, but being seemingly fine with the seasons before. It’s strange to me how a front office doesn’t seem to understand what it takes to win a championship. You’d think that Austin Ainge would understand what top picks like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown did for the Boston Celtics. More likely, he probably got the position by being willing to do the bidding of Ryan Smith and go after meaningless wins to end up in the late lottery again. On top of this, there seems to be an absolute delusion that a team out there would be willing to trade their superstar players to the Jazz. Remember big game hunting? Remember how that turned out to be a bid for Mikal Bridges? Just typing out that sentence is frustrating. I can only imagine what it would be like if they’d actually done it.
Obviously, after trying something just once, Ryan Smith had to make big changes. Austin Ainge was the guy to keep the Jazz on the path of aimlessness. In the press conference to announce Austin Ainge, they triumphantly announced that they wouldn’t be tanking anymore. I mean, who wants to do something like that when you have a three-point specialist like Lauri Markkanen shooting 34% from three that season? The next day, they did backtrack somewhat to say “they wouldn’t manipulate lineups” to lose. The closest resemblance to the Jazz has been the Sacramento Kings’ model of massively overpaying borderline all-star players, which leads to mediocrity year after year. To Austin Ainge’s credit, they did FINALLY trade John Collins, Jordan Clarkson, and Collin Sexton, and it’s cleared the way for Keyonte George to play. With the confidence of the team behind him, George has been very good at point guard. He’s at the top of the league in assists and has improved his numbers across the board. It’s shocking what happens when the team shows belief in a player. Somehow, they end up playing with more confidence.
Ironically, after all that bluster, the Jazz got lucky and Ace Bailey fell to them at the #5 pick because of his player manager, Omar Cooper. All that bluster for things to work out. Although, just like they did with Keyonte George and Taylor Hendricks, it’s been more important this season to develop Svi Mykhailiuk than Bailey. In the same quest for aimlessness, they’re making sure to play Lauri Markkanen and his albatross of a contract instead of working towards a top pick in the draft. A draft that has three #1-pick-quality guys at the top. In two games this season, the Jazz have squeaked out wins against Boston and Phoenix. Had the Jazz been more focused on player development, we’d have seen the development of Bailey and the continued development of George, while working towards acquiring a generational talent. Instead, they’ve chosen … vibes?
The point of this whole thing is to say that this Utah Jazz ownership and front office deserve much more scrutiny. They act as if there’s some secret they have that no one else understands. As if there’s some Utah exceptionalism that the smartest GMs out there wouldn’t understand. If that’s the case, then Taylor Hendricks and Cody Williams better turn out to be something because otherwise they only have Keyonte George, Walker Kessler with bursitis, and that one year Lauri Markkanen was a replacement for Zion Williamson in the All-Star game.
Funnily enough, this may all work out for them anyway. Walker Kessler is now out for the season because of shoulder surgery, and that’s probably enough to keep their pick in this upcoming draft (it’s top-8 protected). But if the Jazz have learned anything these last three seasons, they should be more proactive this season to make sure they get a top pick in the draft, even if they don’t win the lottery. Look what happened with Ace Bailey. Had they not been at the #5 pick, Bailey would not have been in a Jazz jersey this season. With Kessler out, the Jazz can move players like Svi Mykhailiuk to ensure their rookies get as much run as possible. But hey, these are the types of moves that teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder have done, and what would they know?
