SALT LAKE CITY, UT – JANUARY 30: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz looks to shoot in front of the defense by Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors during the first half of a game at Vivint Smart Home Arena on January 30, 2018 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images)
How do the Utah Jazz currently stack up against the best squads in the Western Conference? Will the same roster yield better results?
August is upon us and the NBA’s free agent frenzy is in the rear-view mirror. Of course, if you’re a fan of the Utah Jazz, there was never any frenzy to speak of.
In the end, the Jazz band stood pat. Derrick Favors, Dante Exum, Thabo Sefolosha, Ekpe Udoh and Raul Neto will all be back next season. In fact, the only new face on the team’s 15-man opening night roster figures to be rookie Grayson Allen. Clearly, continuity was the keystone for the team’s offseason plans.
Meanwhile, the rest of the West saw some major changes; none bigger than the Los Angeles Lakers’ move to bring LeBron James into the fold. Elsewhere, in San Antonio, the Kawhi Leonard situation came to a close with the Spurs moving the former NBA Finals MVP to the Toronto Raptors for DeMar DeRozan.
So, given the new landscape of the conference, where do the Jazz sit among the West’s pantheon of teams? For my money, their spot is right near the top.
Here’s how the Western Conference looks to me in the wake of all that went down last month…
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<h3>2) Houston Rockets</h3>
<p>I’m definitely higher than most hoops pundits on <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2018/08/14/utah-jazz-j-notes-post-free-agency-2018-rankings/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/a/anthoca01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Carmelo Anthony</a> at this point in his career. In the right situation, I still think he can add major value offensively.</p>
<p>That said, swapping out Ariza and <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2018/08/14/utah-jazz-j-notes-post-free-agency-2018-rankings/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/mbahalu01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Luc Mbah a Moute</a> — a couple of defensive stalwarts with 3-point ability — for a 34-year-old Anthony is probably a net negativeloss. Anthony was never known for playing lockdown ball and his defense has deteriorated with his aging body. Bringing him in could end up being a net negative.</p>
<p>Still, I can’t take the Jazz over the Rockets just yet. <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2018/08/14/utah-jazz-j-notes-post-free-agency-2018-rankings/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/hardeja01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">James Harden</a> is the best isolation player in the league and CP3 continues to do his thing (when he’s healthy).</p>
<h3>1) Golden State Warriors</h3>
<p>The rich get richer.</p>
<p>If you ask me, the Warriors’ inking of <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2018/08/14/utah-jazz-j-notes-post-free-agency-2018-rankings/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/couside01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">DeMarcus Cousins</a> to a one-year, $5.3 million contract was the ultimate low risk/potentially high reward move. If Cousins can be 80 percent of the player he was before rupturing the Achilles, it’s a major coup to have acquired his services.</p>
<p>And you can be sure that <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2018/08/14/utah-jazz-j-notes-post-free-agency-2018-rankings/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/curryst01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Stephen Curry</a>, <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2018/08/14/utah-jazz-j-notes-post-free-agency-2018-rankings/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/d/duranke01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Kevin Durant</a> and the rest of the crew won’t suffer any foolishness should Cousins’ less-than-savory personality quirks rear their ugly heads.</p>
<p>Regardless of what happens with Cousins, Golden State remains the clear favorite in the race for the 2019 NBA title, not to mention the Western Conference.</p><!—pageview_candidate—>">