NBA Pretenders or Contenders: Utah Jazz
ORTG: 115.7 (4th)
DRTG: 107.4 (3rd)
NetRTG: 8.4 (2nd)
After an offseason in which many were quick to doubt this team, especially after they gave Rudy Gobert a sizeable contract extension, the Utah Jazz has quickly become one of the biggest surprises to start the season.
While many might’ve expected this team to be a playoff team to some extent, I’m not sure many expected this team to be leading the Western Conference standings. Utah has a top 5 offense, defense, and net rating. There’s nothing fluky about how dominant this team has been to start the year.
What has been the biggest change for this team, however, has been the play of Mike Conley. After somewhat of a disappointing first season in Utah, Conley has bounced back in a big way. He’s averaging 16 points and six assists (both up from last year), on 45 percent shooting from the field and 40 percent from 3-point range (also both up from last year). If his play is sustainable, it gives the Jazz a strong top 3 without even mentioning Bojan Bogdanovic or Jordan Clarkson, who have been great for the team this season as well.
Perhaps the Jazz are this year’s Nuggets? I believe.
Verdict: Contenders