The Utah Jazz Are Now The Best in the West

The Utah Jazz are relying on balanced scoring and ball movement to climb to the top of the Western Conference standings.

Nobody expected the Utah Jazz to be this good. Last summer, they traded away star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell and defensive-minded big man Rudy Gobert — two of their franchise cornerstones for the past several years. By shipping Mitchell and Gobert, the Jazz were essentially stripped of their identity, and they have to build a new character with their new personnel. This is a process called “rebuilding” in basketball, and many people expected the Jazz to rack up the losses and potentially tank for next season.

But the Utah Jazz are exceeding all expectations, compiling a stellar record of nine wins against three defeats to claim the top spot in the Western Conference. Just a day after defeating Paul George and the Los Angeles Clippers, the Jazz then turned in a masterful offensive display to cruise past Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers. Led by Lauri Markkanen’s 23 points and Jordan Clarkson’s 22, the Jazz saw seven of their players put up double digits in the scoring column. Utah shot a scintillating 55.8% from the field and moved the ball really well with their 30 team assists.

Through 12 games this season, the Jazz are currently ranked 3rd in offensive rating (116.2), bolstered by their unselfish play and balanced scoring. Markkanen has been very impressive on both ends of the floor, averaging a team-high 21.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 0.9 blocks per game. He has been the primary scoring option for the Jazz, and he also has to hold the fort on the other end of the floor. Markkanen may be on his way to an All-Star appearance if he keeps this up, but he also has his teammates to thank for. Clarkson, Collin Sexton, Mike Conley, Kelly Olynyk, and Malik Beasley are also taking turns putting up good scoring performances for the Jazz.