To make matters even more challenging, the Jazz are now in what looks like the toughest division in the NBA. It seems like half the Eastern Conference all-star team migrated west during the offseason, all of which makes it more difficult for the Jazz. The Denver Nuggets signed Paul Millsap in free agency. The Minnesota Timberwolves traded for Jimmy Butler. The Houston Rockets traded for Chris Paul. But the Oklahoma City Thunder fortified itself by trading for Paul George and Carmelo Anthony. Obviously, the Golden State Warriors are the bully of the block, winners of two of the last three NBA titles. (Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Jazz head coach Quinn Snyder, during the Utah Jazz media day, at the Zions Bank Basketball Center, Monday, September 25, 2017. It won’t be easy because the Western Conference may be as difficult and challenging as it’s been in years. Making the postseason in what amounts to a rebuilding year simply makes the taste of losing Hayward a lot less bitter. The Jazz want nothing more than Hayward to be a galvanizing experience for the organization, a positive turning point that leads to better things down the road. “I truly believe we did everything in our power to present the situation - I think a very, very attractive situation - and as you were going through it, you were affirming for yourself that good things are going on here.” “The whole process itself has actually been unifying for the organization,” Snyder said. If Mitchell and Rodney Hood can do that, the ceiling for the Jazz improves. But the biggest need coming into training camp was perimeter scoring to make up for Hayward’s loss. The Jazz know Mitchell will have his growing pains, as all rookies do. He displayed a dynamic ability to get his shot off from anywhere on the floor, and against the Lakers he closed the game out with five consecutive points down the stretch. He scored a preseason high 26 points against the Los Angeles Lakers. More importantly, Mitchell, the prized rookie guard out of Louisville, looks ready to contribute on Day One. The changing of the Jazz Key departuresGordon Hayward (signed with the Boston Celtics)George Hill (signed with the Sacramento Kings)Boris Diaw (signed with Levallois Metropolitans in France)Trey Lyles (traded on draft night for the rights to Donovan Mitchell)Jeff Withey (signed with the Dallas Mavericks) Key additionsDonovan Mitchell (acquired on draft night for Trey Lyles) Ricky Rubio (acquired in a trade with Minnesota for a first round pick)Thabo Sefolosha (signed in free agency)Ekpe Udoh (signed in free agency)Jonas Jerebko (signed in free agency) The Jazz scored at least 100 points in all five of those games and displayed a kind of depth that’s not all that common in the NBA. Utah won all five of its preseason games, including two away from Vivint Smart Home Arena. At the same time, Lindsey and Snyder came away hopeful about what they might build together.Īnd very early returns suggest the Jazz may not struggle as some pundits think. Jazz officials were no doubt hurt by Hayward’s decision. “We have more depth, quality depth, with guys like Ekpe and Jonas and Donovan and Joe Johnson. “I think one thing we got better at this summer is having a good bench,” Gobert said. And with Gobert, whom the front office believes is a top 10 overall NBA talent, the expectation is to challenge for the postseason, even with Hayward’s defection. They were able to secure franchise cornerstone Rudy Gobert to a longterm contract. But even if the Jazz know they have to retool, they clearly hope to do so on the fly. When Hayward left, he took hopes of a deep postseason run with him. Will this be enough to make the playoffs in the rugged Western Conference? That’s the big question. The result is a deep roster, an athletic roster, and a roster full of defenders on the perimeter and in the paint. He brought in long-armed defenders who in the past have thrived in ball-movement type offenses: People like Thabo Sefolosha, Ekpe Udoh and Jonas Jerebko. By the time Hayward made the decision to leave the Jazz for the Boston Celtics, that market looked more like a scrap heap. Lindsey knew he wasn’t going to recover Hayward’s scoring and playmaking on the free agent market. What the Jazz look like now, heading into the regular-season opener against the Denver Nuggets, is largely the result of those hours on the plane. Regular season opener Nuggets at JazzWednesday, 7 p.m.TV
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