Will the Utah Jazz ever get it turned around?

[thebigabd]

PG: Dante Exum/Trey Burke
SG: Alec Burks/Elijah Milsap
SF: Gordon Hayward/Rodney Hood
PF: Derrick Favors/Trevor Booker
C: Rudy Gobert/Tibor Pleiss

They are pretty awesome defensively and on the boards with Favors and Gobert.... They just signed 7'3'' Tibor Pleiss out of Germany, who is more of an offensive player. Apparently he is a great jump shooter, but he will probably be pretty raw.

Between Exum (6'6''), Hayward (6'6''), Burks (6'6''), and Hood (6'8'') they look pretty good in the backcourt too. Hayward is obviously a star player, and Hood has a lot of potential, as does Exum.

Is this a playoff team? Or are they missing more firepower?

 

[Smash Williams]

After the all-star break: best defensive rating in the league, fourth in net rating (off. efficiency - def. eff.)

They should be one of the top defensive teams in the league this season, but yes, offensive firepower is an immediate concern. I think playing Gobert and Favors will always be an issue offensively.

Long-term, I think they expect their offensive improvement to come from the development of those young perimeter players. Most of those guys are 25 or under. Exum just turned 20.

One thing to keep in mind is that Burks missed most of last season, including that post-all-star break run. He's no superstar, but his ability to create offense was sorely missed for a team that was so short on that type of player.

It'll be tough for Utah to jump these seven teams...

Warriors
Rockets
Clippers
Thunder
Grizzlies
Spurs
Pelicans

...but the Jazz could battle the Suns and Mavs for the eighth seed. I have a ton of respect for Carlisle, but that roster is a mess. The Mavs couldn't stop anyone last year, and now they're replacing Chandler with Zaza Pachulia.

I don't know what to make of the Suns. My gut says they should make a run for the eighth seed, but they've had so much roster turnover since February. They're rebuilding one minute and signing a soon-to-be 33-year-old starting center the next minute.

Jazz have a decent shot at the playoffs, so jump on that bandwagon now if you wish.

 

[sperry]

They need Exum to turn into a star. That's a roster with a lot of nice players, but you aren't winning a championship with a lot of nice players and no stars.