Are the Utah Jazz a Younger Golden State Warriors?

The Warriors might see a lot of themselves in the Jazz.

I’d imagine the Golden State Warriors look at the Utah Jazz sort of like how I look at my younger brother: you see a lot of yourself, so you can’t help but compare.

The characterization of the Jazz as a “younger Warriors” is not that far off. They’ve largely built through the draft, and have a solid young core in Gordon Hayward, Rudy Gobert, Derrick Favors, and Alec Burks. If Hayward is their offensive star, their young Stephen Curry, say, (perhaps before Curry ascended to godly status), Burks is their Klay Thompson, their long, athletic shooting guard.

Their big, athletic frontcourt of Favors and Gobert has one of the highest ceilings in the league—both players are under 25—and has already been putting up big numbers. Favors is the bigger offensive threat, so he’ll probably draw Draymond Green; but Gobert—also known as the “Stifle Tower” or “French Rejection”—is already one of the elite defensive big men in the league, averaging 2.77 blocks per game.

The Warriors acquired established players Andre Iguodala and Andrew Bogut through trades (Iguodala was a sign and trade), and I think that’s what the Jazz need to get them to the next level. Their frontcourt is solid, but acquiring another playmaker to draw attention away from Hayward would further spur their offense. One rather under the radar guy who comes to mind is Evan Turner. Turner is surprising good with the ball in his hands, and he’s still young. I’m not saying he’ll be Iguodala, but he’s a good passer, and playing him as a point forward would allow Hayward to come off screens more often, like the Warriors do with Curry when Iguodala is on the floor (I know Hayward’s a small forward, and Curry a point guard, but go just with it).