The Utah Jazz have quite a few new faces this year and you need to know that it is all good news.
The Additions
Mike Conley Jr. – Conley is an elite point guard with an elite floater from either his left or right hand. He is a near dead eye from 3. He is going to be a key piece in taking attention and pressure off of Mitchell so that he can take the next step. Great addition to the team.
Bojan Bogdonavic – Unless you follow the NBA closley you probably don’t know Bojan. He can play ball! He is a great 3 point shooter and can dribble, drive and all the rest. The only concern with Bojan is his defense. The Jazz will slide defensively this year but they will be a top 3 offensive NBA team. Bojan will turn some heads this year and quickly become a Jazz favorite.
Jeff green – Jeff Green came at a crazy low cost. He is earning just over 2 million dollars this year and for someone who will be a crucial piece off the bench for this squad, that’s about as cheap as they come. He will sign a larger contract next summer but I’m excited to see him in a Jazz uniform this season. He is a stretch 4/athletic 4. He can shoot, drive, and get UP. I’m excited to see his contributions to the team.
Emmanuel Mudiay – Mudiay is a combo guard that was born to score. He isn’t afraid to find and take his shot. I think the aggressive mind set he brings coming off the bench, as long as he is successful at finding his shot, is going to be a big addition. Mudiay will quickly become an X factor on the Jazz roster.
Ed Davis – Ed Davis is a big body that will struggle to fill Favors shoes but is still a formidable back up center in this league. He won’t win the Jazz any games but he won’t be the reason for any losses either.
The Jazz went into the offseason with two glaring problems that needed correcting.
Problem #1
3 point shooting. The Jazz got the most corner 3 point shots in the NBA last year and had the worst percentage. No one could make a shot from behind the arc consistently. Defenses didn’t need to guard Rubio outside of 15 feet and the made it difficult.
Solution
Bojan, Conley, Green, & Mudiay are all additions that solve this problem. Last year, the struggle was real to hit from behind the arc. This year, teams will have to pick their poison.
Problem #2
Regretfully, you can’t play Favors and Gobert together. The league has evolved and your power forward needs to be more capable at guarding multiple positions on the defensive end as well as have the ability to stretch the floor consistently on the offensive end.
Solution
Bojan/O’Neale/Ingles/Green all fill this role. We will not be top defensively anymore but we will be top 5 and as a result of the change the Jazz will be a top 3 offensive team in the league. UNABLE TO GUARD. That good.
The Jazz accurately diagnosed their issues and solved those problems with the best possible solutions. You are looking at a 54 win Jazz team finishing 3rd in the West and have a real chance to go to the NBA Finals.
The Ramblings of a Sports Mind - @Turnbow_JT 