Predicting the floor and ceiling for the Utah Jazz in the 2021-22 NBA season
The Utah Jazz quietly made their way to the top of the Western Conference standings while everyone in the NBA community was focused on how poorly the LA Lakers were performing without LeBron James and Anthony Davis. It was surprising as no one in the West expected them to make a top-four finish.
However, the Utah Jazz bettered their fifth-place finish in the 2019-20 season. They were one of the two teams in the league that had 50+ winnings in the 2021-22 NBA season.
It will be more of the same for the well-balanced Utah Jazz team as they look to make a deeper playoff run. They blew a 2-0 lead against the LA Clippers in the conference semi-finals, losing the series in Game 6.
Coming off a 52-20 regular-season display, the Utah Jazz did not need many changes to their roster. After re-signing All-Star guard Mike Conley, they traded for Rudy Gay to beef up their defense and signed Hassan Whiteside as a backup center for gobert" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Rudy Gobert.
Speaking of Gobert, he could earn a fourth NBA Defensive Player of the Year award in five years if he puts together another defensive masterclass throughout the season. Defensively, he has been the difference for the Utah Jazz while mitchell" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Donovan Mitchell directs proceedings offensively.
Having said that, things don't always go to plan in the NBA. While the Jazz could exceed expectations again, there's a scenario where they underperform too. On that note, let's look at three ways in which Utah Jazz can finish their 2021-22 NBA season.
Could a shocking turn of events see the Utah Jazz missing the playoffs?
The Utah Jazz have made the NBA playoffs for five consecutive seasons, and the 2021-22 season will be their sixth, but a top-four seeding is no guarantee. Nonetheless, the Jazz's floor for the 2021-22 season will be a first-round exit.
Make no mistake, the Utah Jazz are no walkovers. But finishing outside the top four might land them a Round 1 fixture against the dreaded LA Lakers. Trust that LeBron James will not be losing another first-round series.
Although the Utah Jazz are a great scoring team, they thrive on defense. Gobert has been a force in the paint, swatting away as many shots as possible. In the 2020-21 season, he led the league in total blocks with 190. The next best shot-blocker was Myles Turner with 159.
Rudy Gobert won his 3rd DPOY last season behind these incredible stats:
No. 1 in total rebounds (960)
No. 1 in defensive rebounds (720)
No. 1 in blocks (190)
No. 1 in defensive win shares (5.2)
No. 1 in defensive rating (100.6)
He checks in at No. 10 on our #NBAFantasy Top 50! https://t.co/71WfjLjAUV
As things stand, no scenario involves the Utah Jazz missing the playoffs, even if they have to go through the play-in tournament.
Can the Utah Jazz be considered legitimate championship contenders?
The Utah Jazz have failed to advance past the conference semi-finals since the 2007 playoffs, but things could be different this season. A conference finals appearance will be the farthest they can go in this campaign.
They are undoubtedly hungry and have elite talent on their roster to go all the way on paper. The Utah Jazz are so well-rounded with elite-level offensive and defensive players. Having said t, the West is simply too stacked and as cohesive as they might be, the Jazz simply don't match the star power of the LA Lakers or the technical savvy of the Phoenix Suns.
Jordan Clarkson, the NBA’s reigning Sixth Man of the Year is coming off a superb year where he averaged 18.4 points while leading the league in bench scoring.
He lands at No. 100 on the #SITop100 buff.ly/3CuAJEN https://t.co/QmkrFlGZGm
One player outside of Mitchell who could make or mar their hopes of a deep championship run is Jordan Clarkson. He registered career-high numbers in three of the five NBA stats parameters, earning him the 2021 NBA Sixth Man of the Year award. It will be exciting to see the role he plays in the Jazz's 2021-22 NBA campaign.
The Utah Jazz reaching the NBA Finals and beating the Eastern Conference champs is not beyond the realm of possibility. At the same time, it's not a highly-likely outcome either.