Via the Salt Lake Tribune:
When the Utah Jazz traded Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Royce O’Neale this offseason for a collection of mostly young players and a haul of future draft picks, it was presumed the team would be pretty bad this season.
Some fans were fine with that, viewing the strategy of maximizing draft position as a means of potentially landing a future superstar as a pragmatic and even prudent approach. Others, however, perceived such a tactic as an affront to those who spend their money on tickets, expecting to see a quality product.
But a funny thing happened on the way to the tankathon …
The Utah Jazz have not only not been one of the worst teams in the NBA, they’ve actually been … well, good. Even after Wednesday’s 103-100 loss to the Mavericks in Dallas, they’re now 6-3 this season. They already have victories over multiple 2022 playoff teams, including the Grizzlies (twice), Nuggets, and Wolves, plus one over the much-hyped Pelicans.
