SALT LAKE CITY — Are the Utah Jazz approaching 'team to hate' status?
The Ringer's Haley O'Shaughnessy believes so.
O'Shaughnessy called the Jazz one of the best teams in the NBA on both sides of the ball with their offseason moves to bring Mike Conley, Bojan Bogdanovic and Ed Davis to Salt Lake City.
That wasn't the end of flattering phrases from O'Shaughnessy, who also said "the franchise’s future is even brighter than it was during any of Gordon Hayward’s seven years with the franchise."
The article took it a step further, saying in assessing Utah's offseason moves, three questions will need to be answered — among them the potential of the team's backcourt, the last Jazz offseason this productive and the last time Utah was in the running to be Western Conference favorites.
"The answers to all three probably date back to when John Stockton was wearing those Utah throwbacks we all adore now—at the most recent," O'Shaughnessy wrote.
So, why the optimism? It's how well those three players are expected to fit inside Quin Snyder's system, O'Shaughnessy explains, and how they will complement the Jazz's current anchor pieces of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert.
"The Warriors dynasty has finally disbanded, more talent has moved East, and, depending on where Kawhi Leonard signs, Utah may be the favorite in the West. They just won’t be, you know, a favorite of yours any longer," O'Shaughnessy concluded.
Other links
- Jazz play-by-play broadcaster David Locke explains what Ed Davis brings defensively
- National sportscaster personality Dan Patrick says the Jazz, if Kawhi Leonard doesn't sign with the Lakers, could be the team to beat in the West
- ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Ryen Russillo sing the Jazz's praises during the latest edition of The Woj Pod
- BYU featured prominently in The Athletic's breakdown of the best of 1980s college football
And finally ...
Jazz forward Georges Niang showed off his sideline reporting chops along with Kristen Kenney during the team's summer league game against Memphis Monday night.