Previewing The 2023-24 Utah Jazz
September 12th, 2023
by Alan Lu
The Utah Jazz had a pleasantly surprisingly solid season last year. Last season, it was expected that Utah would be one of the worst teams, but they surprised people and were competitive throughout the year.
This season, they are expected to compete for a play-in spot while still developing their young talent, so they should be an entertaining group that could surprise some teams next year.
Lauri Markkanen and Jordan Clarkson will play pivotal roles to help lead the Utah Jazz into the 2023-24 NBA season.
(Photo: Hakim Wright Sr./The Associated Press, via The New York Times)
Star Players:
Markkanen is a very skilled, All-Star forward that had his best season last year with the Utah Jazz. He’s a gifted scorer that can make shots from anywhere on the floor, and he will team up with Walker Kessler and John Collins to create a strong frontcourt for them once again this season.
Additions:
F-C John Collins, F Taylor Hendricks, G Keyonte George, C Omer Yurtseven, F Brice Sensabaugh, and F Joey Hauser
The Jazz were able to get a slew of talented players, but the player that could help them the most this season is former Atlanta Hawks big man, John Collins. He is an athletic, skilled offensive-minded big man that has excelled as a versatile scorer, but a finger injury prevented him from being effective as a long-range shooter last season. He’ll need time to heal his hand, but if he can get back to where he was, he could prove to be a very good addition to the Jazz this season. In addition, the Jazz also added some talented players that could be pivotal to their team’s success in the future.
Subtractions:
G-F Juan Toscano-Anderson, C Damian Jones, and F Rudy Gay
The Jazz lost several role players in the offseason, and while the they combined to give the Jazz some valuable experience, in terms of talent, the Jazz didn’t really seem to lose that much, and they were able to get talented players in the offseason to make back their losses.
Rookies:
F Taylor Hendricks, G Keyonte George, F Brice Sensabaugh, and F Joey Hauser
The Jazz have a slew of talented rookies, and George played really well in the Summer League in Las Vegas. Hendricks is an athletic, versatile forward that can impact a team in a positive way on both ends of the floor, and George is an athletic guard that can score and make plays on offense. Sensabaugh and Hauser also could project to be 3 and D players in the NBA. Amongst the rookies, Hendricks and George are the most likely to contribute and play right away for the Jazz this season.
Expected Rotation:
Walker Kessler had a terrific rookie year, and he will enter the season as one of the best players on Utah’s team for the upcoming 2023-24 NBA season.
(Photo: Ben B. Braun/Deseret News, via KSL Sports)
The Jazz have an interesting group of players. They have some talent and they should be competitive, as they have an efficient offensive group that can shoot and score the basketball.
Projected Starting Lineup:
Key Bench Players:
Collin Sexton has emerged as one of the NBA’s best sixth men in the league.
(Photo: Francisco Kjolseth/The Salt Lake Tribune)
They have some guys that can score. They may not be all the way proven because they are counting on rookies to compete, but they could show some promise and make some contributions for the upcoming season.
F-C Kelly Olynyk
The Rest of the Roster:
F-C Luka Šamanić
F-C Micah Potter (Two-Way)
G-F Johnny Juzang (Two-Way)
F Joey Hauser (Two-Way)
Others in Camp:
G Romeo Langford (Exhibit 10)
G Taevion Kinsey (Exhibit 10)
C Nick Ongenda (Exhibit 10)
F Keshawn Justice (Exhibit 10)
Head Coach:
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Will Hardy had a solid rookie season as the head coach of the Utah Jazz, and he will look to build off of that to help his team this year.
(Photo: Ron Jenkins/Getty Images, via SB Nation’s SLC Dunk)
Will Hardy
2022-23 (UTA): 37-45, missed the playoffs
Coaching Career: 37-45, 0-0 in the NBA Playoffs
He had a very good season last year, and he surpassed expectations. He built a high-powered offense built around three-point shooting. They could be a pretty good offensive team this season.
Outlook:
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Lauri Markkanen (in the middle, wearing #23) and Walker Kessler (far left) will lead the Utah Jazz into the 2023-24 NBA season.
(Photo: Alex Goodlett/Getty Images, via SB Nation’s SLC Dunk)
They will be a competitive team, but they may not have enough high-end talent to earn a playoff spot in the West.
Projected 2023-24 Finish:
Projected Regular Season Finish: 12th in the Western Conference
Expected Playoff Finish: Projected to miss the playoffs
2023-24 Preseason NBA Power Ranking: 22
I went to Basketball-Reference and No-Trade Clause to look up some information for this write-up. It will be an exciting basketball season this year, and I’m looking forward to seeing the in-season tournament to see how that will unfold. Anyways, that is my write-up on my preview of the 2023-24 Utah Jazz. Thanks for reading.
