2021-22 Utah Jazz Preview

2020-21 Record: 52-20 1st in the West

2021-22 Prediction: 50-32 4th in the West

Outlook

The Jazz had an absolutely fantastic regular season last year, finishing first in the West with a record of 52 and 20. However come playoff time, they were exposed hard by Terrence Man and the small ball Clippers. You would expect a thunderous offseason of sweeping changes but no, the Jazz’s offseason was the quietest across the league. Only signing buy-low players such as Rudy Gay and Eric Paschall while re-signing Mike Conley. The Jazz are poised for another strong regular season, with the same flaws that haunted them in the playoffs. 

Utah Jazz Depth Chart

Back Court (PG, SG)

Donovan Mitchell is the best player on the Utah Jazz. He averaged 26 points per game with five assists and four rebounds. He is “the man” in Utah, with usage rates rivaling Luka Doncic last year. He’s entering his fifth year and, at only 25 years old, he’s a lock for the second round of any 10-man league. I would compare him to players such as  Devin Booker and maybe even Luke Doncic in terms of fantasy value. 

Mike Conley is returning to the Jazz this season, signed to a three-year deal that expires when he’s 36. He averaged 16 points, a team-high six assists, and about three rebounds. Age is undefeated and will eventually catch up with Conley. However for now he’s a solid playmaker that fits in well with the Utah Jazz. From a fantasy perspective, Conley is a solid option but very limited. He’s a safe bet with a low ceiling. 

Reigning Sixth Man of the Year Jordan Clarkson will return to form next season. With Conley injured at the end of the season, Clarkson was thrust into the starting role where he struggled. His numbers took a dip in March and April from around 18 points and four assists to 15 points and two assists. With Conley returning to the starting role, look for Clarkson’s numbers to bounce back. 

The Jazz led the league in three-point attempts last season. This year looks to be much of the same with veteran shooters such as Joe Ingles, Rudy Gay, and young blood such as Matt Thomas. Ingles should get the most touches out of the three, considering he was in the running for Sixth Man of the Year as well. His splits were phenomenal last year too averaging six 3pt attempts, making about three of them for an astounding 45%.

Matt Thomas is a promising young shooter you may wanna keep an eye on. As a Raptors fan, I was very upset to see him cast away for roster space and a second-round pick. I believe the Jazz should focus on developing him as he could be a valuable asset.

This leaves veteran guard Rudy Gay as the odd man out. Brought in as a buy-low, bounce-back candidate, playing time may become an issue for Gay. But in that same light, the Jazz do lean towards veterans over young players, so Gay could see some significant playing time. 

Front Court (SF, PF, C)

Unlike the backcourt rotation, the frontcourt rotation is much simpler. Royce O’Neal at the three, Bojan Bogdanović at the four, and Rudy Gobert at the five. Royce O’Neal is one of the most underrated defenders in the NBA. Remember how players like Marcus Smart and Patrick Beverly went under the radar for so long then were finally recognized for their defensive talent? Well if the same thing doesn’t happen for O’Neal next year, it’s coming soon. This praise comes with a bit of criticism as well, as players like Smart and Beverly never truly make for great fantasy players. Also what inevitably comes with guarding today’s modern stars, O’Neal gets into foul trouble frequently. A team-leading three personal fouls per game last year. 

Bojan Bogdanović is a solid rotational bucket getter. He averaged 17 points per game along with two assists and about two rebounds. He shot 39% from 3pt range and 48% from the field. He’s a key player for the Jazz system and not a bad bench player in a standard redraft league. His ceiling is incredibly low, as he’s 32 years old and entering his seventh year in the league. He’s a viable bench asset, but safe to drop for a player on a hot streak. 

Eric Paschall is the largest wild card for the Jazz heading into the 2021-22 season. As a rookie, Paschall looked like an absolute steal averaging 15 points per game, about two assists, and five rebounds. Objectively solid numbers for a rookie, but playing time was boosted being on the awful 2019-20 Warriors. His second year exposed as much with his numbers dipping across the board to only 10 points, one assist, and three rebounds. Now, if the Jazz believe in Paschall and give him some quality playing time his numbers can bounce back to even greater heights than his rookie season. However, considering they only signed him to a one-year “prove it” deal it’s very unlikely. Keep an eye on him as the season develops, but he can be skipped for now even in the deepest of standard leagues.

Rudy Gobert is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. He’s an absolute cheat code in standard CAT leagues, averaging three blocks per game and a whopping 13.5 rebounds. The numbers are fantastic and if you can draft him in the second or third round absolutely do so! However, allow me to do a little speculation and theorizing about Gobert. The Jazz were exposed hard for their overreliance on him in the 2020-21 playoffs. Terrence Mann and the small-ball Clippers shot the Jazz out of the playoffs. I don’t believe the Jazz will change anything about their overall structure since they were the best team in the league last year, but if they were to it would be on their reliance on Gobert, thus lowering his ridiculous defensive statistics. In case you were wondering about Hassan Whiteside, Gobert just signed the largest contract extension for a center in history so don’t expect a big return to form or a huge boost in production compared to San Antonio last year. He’s injury insurance for the Jazz, 23not an asset to your fantasy team.