The 2020-21 Utah Jazz enjoyed a tremendous regular season, leading the NBA in both win-loss record (52-20) and net rating (+9.0). Donovan Mitchell furthered his breakout from the Orlando Bubble, with Mike Conley performing at a very high level and Rudy Gobert anchoring an elite defense with DPOY-level contributions. However, the Jazz fell short in the second round of the NBA Playoffs against the Los Angeles Clippers, leading to an offseason full of questions and murmurs on whether Utah can take the next step in a postseason setting.
Roster:
Udoka Azubuike
Bojan Bogdanovic
Jared Butler
Jordan Clarkson
Mike Conley
Trent Forrest
Rudy Gay
Rudy Gobert
Elijah Hughes
Joe Ingles
Justin James
Donovan Mitchell
Royce O’Neale
Miye Oni
Eric Paschall
Hassan Whiteside
Projected Vegas Win Total: 51.5 wins
Biggest Addition: Rudy Gay
It was a quiet offseason overall for the Jazz in terms of high-profile transactions. Utah did add an interesting element with Rudy Gay, though, and it could unlock some lineup flexibility. One of the major uncertainties with the Jazz last season was a virtual inability to play small, and Gay can help to do that as a power forward option with flexibility. He isn’t the athlete or defender that he used to be, but Gay gives them another forward-sized piece that can potentially be trusted in high-leverage situations.
Biggest Loss: Derrick Favors
As noted above, there wasn’t a lot of turmoil in terms of the transaction wire, and Favors was the biggest name that headed out the door. Utah now has more uncertainty at backup center than they have in quite a while, but Favors also didn’t play at a particularly high level for most of last season. He is younger than you think (30), and perhaps Favors can find himself in Oklahoma City, but the Jazz can probably piece something together for a much smaller cost.
Biggest Question: Perimeter Defense
Utah’s playoff exit got a lot of attention, particularly since they were the No. 1 seed. Rudy Gobert got a lot of blame in struggling against the small, speedy lineups for the Clippers, but the biggest issue was the Jazz’s perimeter resistance. Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley were both less than 100 percent from a health standpoint, making it much worse, but Utah has long been void of high-end defers outside of Royce O’Neale. The Jazz didn’t really button it up in terms of their offseason activity, so they will need an uptick from Mitchell and Conley must stay healthy as well.
What Makes This Season A Success
The Jazz had the best record in the league last season but fell short of the Western Conference Finals. It isn’t as if that was terribly shocking, but Utah’s public comments have pointed to a sense of urgency. As such, a deep playoff run would be the way to describe a successful season for the Jazz. That’s the nature of an established, expensive team with lofty expectations.
What Makes This Season A Failure
Regular season success can only do so much for the Jazz at this point, especially after last season. Utah could repeat as the No. 1 seed but, if they lose in the first two rounds, it will probably feel like a failure on some level. On one hand, there are other teams (Lakers, Suns, etc.) with similar playoff expectations, but the Jazz need to break through and now is as good of a time as any.