Everything changed for the Utah Jazz in a matter of months. Perhaps it was the poor showings in the playoffs versus the Dallas Mavericks, or perhaps it was countless postseason disappointments finally piling up. Either way, the Jazz are without their staple stars of the past and are moving towards a new path.
Utah Jazz 2022-23 Season Preview
Roster Changes
Let’s start out with the big ones: All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert are gone. This leaves major holes on both ends of the floor. Mitchell was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers whereas Gobert was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Besides countless draft picks, which will be extremely beneficial in the future, many players joined the fold such as Collin Sexton, Malik Beasley, Lauri Markkanen, Jarred Vanderbilt, and first-round pick rookies Ochai Agbaji and Walker Kessler.
Patrick Beverley also joined through the Gobert trade but was then traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson also joined Utah.
Sharpshooter and fiery scorer Bojan Bogdanovic, often the second-fiddle on offense to Mitchell, was traded to the Detroit Pistons. Kelly Olynyk is now a member of the Jazz.
That’s a lot of roster changes. There may also be plenty more to come.
An Intriguing Roster
Utah has a solid roster on paper. Perhaps it’s not good enough to be a true playoff competitor, but this team can rack up its fair share of wins.
Sexton can be one of the top scorers in the league on any given night. Beasley is a strong shooter and solid defender. Markkanen is also a top-tier shooter and scorer. Vanderbilt is a great defender. Horton-Tucker holds plenty of potential. Olynyk stretches the floor. Agbaji was a lottery pick and an absolute stud in college for the reigning champions Kansas Jayhawks.
Then, of course, Utah still has veterans on the team such as Mike Conley, Jordan Clarkson, and Rudy Gay.
This makes it difficult to project the state of the team. Should everyone stay, this team won’t be a bottom-feeder but also won’t be amongst the top in the league again. Should the Jazz further commit to their rebuild, their veterans of years prior will be attractive to many teams. Conley is a leader and can start at point guard for teams across the league. Clarkson remains one of the top bench players in the NBA. Gay is now more of a journeyman, but brings two-way talents off the bench.
Expectations for the Utah Jazz 2022-23 Season
This team won’t be great, but can also very well be better than other Western Conference teams, such as another rebuilding squad like the Houston Rockets. With all the compiled draft picks, however, it wouldn’t come as a surprise to see the Jazz tank and build a youthful team.
Conley and Clarkson will be very attractive trade assets throughout the season. Expect the Jazz to trade them at some point for future pieces.
Sexton may see a lot of the ball as he holds the most potential in this group. Horton-Tucker should also see more playing time in Utah than he did in Los Angeles. Finally, Agbaji should find a major role and Kessler will constantly rotate with Olynyk at the five.
This team doesn’t necessarily need as much development as other teams, but the rebuild is beginning now.
