NBA: 5 most surprising teams 15 games into the 2022-23 season
1. Utah Jazz (12-6)
After trading Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, everyone was under the influence that GM Danny Ainge was going all in for consensus No. 1 pick Victor Wenbenyama. However, this team has achieved quite the opposite, holding first place in the western conference with a 12-6 record.
How this has been happening is a mystery to everybody, including me. Forward Lauri Markkanen has been playing out of his mind, averaging 22 points with eight rebounds per game. It’s no surprise that former six-man of the year Jordan Clarkson has been solid so far, averaging 18.5 points and five assists per game.
When you look at this roster, it’s surprisingly deep. The Jazz usually gives 10+ minutes to 10 different players. Think about it, this team is literally made up of decent role players that have been traded for elite talents like Mitchell and Gobert. The role players on this roster acquired from these trades make Utah weirdly deep with a plethora of scorers.
This team reminds me a little bit of the 2016 Celtics. It was a team that no one expected to have any success, consisting of a bunch of role players who were just thrown together. Isaiah Thomas became the leading scorer with 28.9 points per game. Can Markkanen lead this team to the postseason, or will they likely mail it in and settle for draft capital?
Why it will continue: If this team is consistent and continues to dominate night after night, why not keep the group together and see how they do in the postseason? Let’s remember, this team has a truckload of picks from past trades and is in an awesome rebuild spot right now. Plus, even if they tank it doesn’t guarantee them Wenbenyama.
Why it won’t last: Danny Ainge loves Victor Wenbenyama. Who doesn’t? At the deadline, Ainge can unload Clarkson, Markkanen, and Collin Sexton for some really good assets. This also puts them in a great spot for Wenbenyama or Scoot Henderson. After all, though this team is on fire, it’s not a championship roster.
Next. NBA: 1 thing that every team should be grateful for this Thanksgiving. dark
The smart thing to do would be to unload Clarkson and Markkanen when they reach their highest value, which is likely the course of action Utah will take this season. In turn, these potential moves will help accelerate the Utah rebuild.