11. Utah Jazz
X-Factor: Rodney Hood
The Utah Jazz did everything in their power to retain star-SF Gordon Hayward. The 27-year-old instead chose Boston over Utah this offseason, leaving the Jazz to pick up the pieces. Apart from losing their best player, Utah also lost their second-leading scorer in George Hill to the fellow Western Conference Kings.
Ricky Rubio was brought in via trade just before Hayward’s departure, likely giving him another reason to stay. While the plan didn’t work out, he’ll still be a formidable starting PG. The 2 and 3 spots will once again be Joe Ingles and Rodney Hood, both underrated wings in the NBA. Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert are the frontcourt duo for the Jazz, which gives opposing offenses nightmares when getting in the paint.
Utah’s bench includes Dante Exum, Raul Neto, Donovan Mitchell, Joe Johnson, Thabo Sefolosha, Jonas Jerebko, and Ekpe Udoh.
After locking up the 5-seed in 2016-17, expect a hard fall for the Utah Jazz this season. Even if Hayward never gets the Celtics past Cleveland and Golden State, what he meant to Utah cannot be understated. He was a fan favorite who averaged 20 PPG as an elite NBA wing. While playoff basketball is still a possibility, it’s not likely.
Final Record: 35-47