The Wild, Wild West: A Team-By-Team Preview Of The NBA Western Conference
By Matt Packer
Jun 26, 2014; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Dante Exum (Australia) shakes hands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number five overall pick to the Utah Jazz in the 2014 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Utah Jazz (Northwest Division)
Last year’s result: Regular Season (25-57). Missed Playoffs.
Significant players added: Dante Exum (Rookie), Rodney Hood (Rookie), Steve Novak
Significant players lost: Brandon Rush
Projected starting lineup: Trey Burke, Alec Burks, Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter
Analysis: The Utah Jazz were one of the worst teams last season by any imaginable metric. They have been able to hold onto Gordon Hayward during free agency by matching the Hornets’ four-year $63 million offer for him.
With the fourth draft pick, the Jazz selected Australian PG Dante Exum. Perhaps no one was subject to more scrutiny than Exum as he’s played mostly overseas in his home country Australia. “Lack of elite competition” was the most commonly cited criticism which is a fair point, considering his counterparts played in nationally televised NCAA Division I games all year. Regardless, he’s made quite the impression in summer league so far, finishing strong an alley-oop from Burke after making a back-door cut. It’s interesting to note Utah has drafted point guards with their top picks in back-to-back years. We’ll have to see if Burke and Exum play alongside each other for significant minutes or if Exum will come off the bench as the sixth man.
They also gained an underrated small forward in Rodney Hood, who did a little bit of everything during his time at Duke. Losing Brandon Rush to Golden State hurts, but it was clear he didn’t fit in the Jazz’s rotations as he only averaged two points per game in 11 minutes. The Jazz’s future looks better than it did last year with Burke and Exum forming a dynamic backcourt, while locking up Hayward for the next four years.
Grade: B-