SALT LAKE CITY — With the start of the 2019-20 NBA season just days away, the new-look Utah Jazz are in the final stages of preparation for what they hope to be one of the more promising campaigns in recent memory. With a roster full of new faces combined with the talented veterans returning from last year’s squad, expectations are high. What makes things even more intriguing are the number of versatile players that will make up this year’s squad.
For the past several seasons, the NBA has transitioned from a league of clearly defined roles on the court — guards, forwards, centers — to one where players are asked to play numerous positions during games. And while for years, the league was dominated by big men named Chamberlain, Russell, Abdul-Jabbar, Malone, Olajuwon and O’Neal, today’s NBA has become a league dominated, to some degree, by mostly smaller players with speed, agility and shooting prowess as well as some with more size and exceptional athletic gifts that allow them to handle the ball and score on offense and guard multiple positions on defense. Those players don’t always have traditionally defined positions as had been the standard in years past.
Gone are the days when most players were assigned just as the point guard or shooting guard, the small forward or power forward singularly. Now, players often man various positions depending on the opponent or game situation.
This season the Jazz have assembled a roster of athletes that can play in much the same uptempo style that has become so in vogue leaguewide and resulted in championship success for the likes of the Golden State Warriors with Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, the Cleveland Cavaliers of LeBron James and Kyrie Irving and most recently, the reigning champs — the Toronto Raptors, who were led by two-way standout Kawhi Leonard and Kyle Lowry.
In changing the composition of the team with the addition of several new players, Jazz coach Quin Snyder said the goal was to create lineup flexibility by acquiring well-rounded players.
“The thing about this group that makes them unique is you have that kind of versatility,” he said. “To me, what position you are at a given time is what position you can defend. So if you can’t defend a point guard, then it’s hard to say that you’re a point guard.”
He said some players may assume one position on offense and play another on defense.
“It’s more for us about how guys fit together,” Snyder added. “If we have a (point guard) and a (shooting guard), how do they interact with each other?”
He said good examples are Bojan Bogdanovic and Royce O’Neale, who traditionally are considered small forwards, but who have the skills to play power forward as well.
“In this day and age, there really isn’t a small forward or a power forward,” he explained. “You have a lot of guys that will guard either position depending on matchups and size and (other factors).”
Snyder noted that the position on the Jazz that is most “defined” is center, where Rudy Gobert, Ed Davis and Tony Bradley will primarily fill that role. However, he said Jeff Green could also see some time at center, having played there before during his career.
At 6-foot-9, Green has been lauded for this ability to play virtually every position on the floor, particularly on defense, where his athleticism and high basketball IQ make him a tough matchup for opponents. Green said being so versatile has been a blessing and curse during his career as teams have struggled to find a steady role for him.
“I’m willing to do whatever it takes. I’m always a guy who puts the team first and taking responsibility in whatever the coach tells me to do,” he said. “Whatever he tells me to do is what I have to put on my plate to help this team succeed.”
Green somewhat jokingly said he prefers playing “all five” positions on the floor, which he explained means he wants to do whatever is necessary to play meaningful minutes.
Meanwhile, in examining Utah’s potential for making a run at the NBA title, he reiterated his belief that the Jazz have a legitimate championship potential even with so many new players on the roster. He said that in time, the team will begin to show the rest of the league just how well they can play collectively and how strong a contender they can be this season and into the future.
“I know firsthand that it takes time to (gel) when you add a lot of guys to a team,” Green said. “When I was in Cleveland, to start the season we added at least five new faces, then we made a trade in the middle of the season which added another five. That season we made it to the finals.
“We went through our ups and downs, but at the end of the day we got to our main goal,” he said. “I know that’s what this team is about. We’re going to fight to get to where we want to be and we want to be playing in the finals and all that takes time.”