NBA: 3 teams whose hot starts can be trusted through 10 games

Utah Jazz

After trading Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert — the two franchise cornerstones over the past half-decade — many NBA experts believed the Utah Jazz were all-in on tanking for 7-foot-2, 18-year-old sensation Victor Wembanyama who will be available in the 2023 NBA draft. In fact, in pretty much every pre-season “power ranking” heading into the season, the Jazz were routinely in the bottom five.

Fast forward to the present day — about a tenth into the season — the Utah Jazz are 9-3 and are in sole possession of the top seed in the West.

How was seemingly everyone wrong about the Utah Jazz before the season? Well, turns out the Jazz have one of the deepest rosters in the Association.

The Jazz has six players averaging ten or more points per game. The only other teams with more are the Denver Nuggets and the Cleveland Cavaliers who each have seven double-digit scorers.

Utah is top 10 in both offensive rating (114.1) and defensive rating (109.0). Only three other teams can say the same — the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Phoenix Suns, and the Toronto Raptors.

They are shooting lights out from distance. Utah averages 14.9 made three-pointers a game which is third in the league and shoots the long ball at 37.2% which is just outside the top ten (11th).

Utah is also great at attacking the offensive glass and sharing the basketball as they rank sixth in both offensive rebounds per game (12.3) and assists per game (27.8).

This team clearing has a chip on its shoulder. Looking at their roster, it’s easy to see why.

The Jazz’s roster is filled with “outcasts.” Lauri Markkanen, Collin Sexton, Jordan Clarkson, Kelly Olynyk, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Malik Beasley have all been traded once if not twice in their careers. All were afterthoughts in deals for “bigger-named” players.

Take Markkanen for example. He started his career in Chicago where he played four seasons, was then traded to Cleveland, and after one year with the Cavs was traded to Utah — a part of the Donovan Mitchell deal.

Now, at 26 years old, Markkanen is playing the best basketball of his career — averaging 21.8 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. The Finland-born product is on his way to his first All-Star appearance if he and the Jazz keep performing at such a high level.

And it’s not just Markkanen who’s playing exceptionally. It’s Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt who came over as part of the Rudy Gobert trade. It’s Jordan Clarkson who spent time with the Lakers and Cavs before finding a home in Utah where he has developed into more than just a scorer.

It’s Collin Sexton, who like Markkanen, came over in the Mitchell trade and has thrived in his new role in Utah. It’s veterans like Mike Conley, Rudy Gay, and Kelly Olynyk who have been through all the ups and downs and can instill wisdom and leadership in the young players.

This rag-tag bunch in Utah is certainly better than anyone expected. Will they be able to sustain it? Only time will tell, but it’s clear that Utah is not one of the worst teams in the league.