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Ever since the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade happened in February, Utah Jazz fans knew that the rebuild was coming to an end. It's been a painful four years (really two when you think about it), but there's hope in Utah again.
The Jazz don't just have an exciting youth movement, highlighted by the likes of Keyonte George, Darryn Peterson, and Ace Bailey, but also have an infusion of veteran talent, like JJJ, Lauri Markkanen, and Jusuf Nurkic.
The expectation was that Walker Kessler was going to be back in Utah, but evidently, the Jazz believed the better route was to trade him for assets for someone better down the line or bring in more young talent.
With all the unexpected offseason chaos, this is what the Jazz's depth chart looks like with their offseason likely done.
Point Guard
Early Projection: Keyonte George, Isaiah Collier
To think that there were questions about who would get the starting spot between the two of these Jazzmen at this time last year. Now, it's laughable to think this could be in question because George not only has it down, but he likely will for the foreseeable future.
That's nothing against Collier, who should settle in quite nicely as Utah's back-up point guard of the future. George simply played like someone who likely would have gotten All-Star consideration it it hadn't been for the fact that he was playing for a tanking team.
The talent between these two is undeniable, but because Utah is now playing for keeps, what remains in question is how good they will be defensivly. George proved he was the whole package as a guard last season, but now the Jazz will expect him to keep that same intensity on defense. How he and Collier ares could determine how high Utah's ceiling will be.
Shooting Guard
Early Projection: Darryn Peterson, Jon Konchar, Svi Mykhailiuk, Tamar Bates (Two-Way), Trey Alexander (Two-Way)
This will actually be an interesting dynamic because, by all accounts, talent-wise, this isn't even a discussion as far as who will get the start. Peterson is the Jazz's most talented prospect in seemingly decades, where he showed off his rare talent in the Summer League.
But will he be ready for the NBA from the jump? If not, Utah luckily has some solid backup options in case Peterson needs a minute, like Konchar and Mykahiliuk. Peterson will likely hit a rookie wall, but it would take quite the anti-miracle for him to be so bad that Utah would put him in a bench role.
Besides him, Konchar and Mykhailiuk are batte-tested veterans who know exacly what they're doing and should be calming influences in the second unit when Will Hardy calls their name.
Small Forward
Early Projection: Lauri Markkanen, Ace Bailey, Brice Sensabaugh, Josh Okogie, Cody Williams
This is where things muddy a bit. Markkanen can and likely will play small forward because he ranks as just an okay rebounder at best while JJJ is a terrible one, meaning Utah needs a rebounder to cover for them, meaning Bailey will be a super sub off their bench.
The question will be for how long though. Bailey proved towards the end of last season that he truly was a franchise player in the making for Utah. It may not be tomorrow, but his time is coming. He may prove almost immediately that he's too good to be in the second unit.
The depth in their wing rotation is actually pretty impressive, as Sensabaugh looked more and more like the perfect microwave scorer for Utah towards the end of last season. Okogie is coming off a solid campaign in which we saw him take strides toward becoming a legitimate 3&D wing instead of just a defensive specialist.
Williams is an interesting case where he also showed some improvement last season. His ceiling might not be a star, but he could be a jack-of-all-trades wing that gives Utah an edge, but the only way he can do that is if he plays, and playing time might not be available for him.
Power Forward
Early Projection: Jaren Jackson Jr., Kyle Filipowski
After all these months of anticipation, at least we are finally inching closer and closer to seeing the shackles come off JJJ. A two-way big who defends at an elite level, spaces the floor at an elite level, and is capable of creating his own shot, by himself, Jackson is truly a one of a kind player.
Utah has made it clear through their moves that they have no intentions of playing him at center. If you saw how the Grizzlies played him, you'd see that there's a reason why they always made sure he was playing next to a center. JJJ not oly should be just what the doctor ordered, but is a prime candidate for Comeback Player of the Year if all goes right in Utah.
Then there's Filipowski, who now becomes a lot more important after the Kessler trade. Filipowski has shown in the rare moments when Utah had no leash how important he can be to their success. He projects more as a Naz Reid-type than a Markkanen-type, but that's just perfect for a second-round pick.
Center
Early Projection: Jusuf Nurkic, Jaxson Hayes, Mo Bamba
We've already delved into the Jazz's center-by-committee approach, so without repeating ourselves, this will definitely be a deciding factor in how Utah does this season. After Nurkic surprised everyone with a resurgent season, plus with Kessler gone, he suddenly becomes quite vital to their success.
As the starting center, Nurkic will be depended on for his rebounding and passing abilities. He definitely found a groove playing next to George, Bailey, and Markkanen last season. His rim protecting is nowhere close to what it was, so we'll see how long Utah will be comfortable starting him.
With the limited time he has left, Utah can turn into Hayes, who has morphed into a rotation center, though a limited one. A long, hyper athletic lob threat, Hayes gives Utah a play finisher, though his defense is quite limited. If Nurkic can't quite make the same magic he did last year, Hayes may be depended on more, which could be a problem.
No one's saying the Jazz are title contenders, but no one's ruling that out. Very rarely have we seen teams turn their fortunes around that swiftly to go from one of the NBA's worst teams to the best. The Jazz's talent as a roster is undeniable, but there are certainly some questions about how this rotation will work.
It wouldn't be surprising if we saw some mid-season trades to compensate, either because the Jazz lack talent in one certain area and/or because they're too talented in another. Because this is their best-assembled roster since the end of the Donovan Mitchell-Rudy Gobert era, they are very much entitled to shoot now and ask questions later.
Today's best reads
- 5 Things we learned about Darryn Peterson during Summer League
- Ideal Walker Kessler replacement could find his way to the Jazz
- Walker Kessler & Collin Sexton get golden chance with Lakers they never got with Jazz
- Jazz believe center by committee approach can replace Walker Kessler
- Scout sets the bar astronomically high for Darryn Peterson
This article was originally published on thejnotes.com as Jazz's revamped depth chart boasts unquestionable talent, but still begs questions.
