This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Two years ago during media day, many in attendance chuckled when Trey Burke suggested with a straight face that the Utah Jazz were a playoff team.
The skepticism wasn't quite as prevalent last year. There was hope that the Jazz could make it to the postseason, but injuries and inexperience didn't allow it. Utah won 40 games, went into the final week in a heated competition for the eighth and final playoff spot, but ultimately fell short with losses to the Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers.
There are no doubters this time around. Only praise and high expectations. From national media outlets to the Jazz organization itself, almost everyone expects Utah to break through and make the playoff leap.
Not surprisingly, Jazz veteran Gordon Hayward wants to pump the brakes. Just a little bit, though.
"We don't want to get ahead of ourselves because we haven't accomplished anything as a group yet," Hayward said Monday during the team's annual media, marking the opening of training camp. "But we think we've turned a corner a bit as an organization. We added a lot of nice pieces, and we're excited. But we have to go out there and do it."
This media day felt a little different for the Jazz. There's a calm and an air of confidence that hasn't been present in previous seasons. There are no secrets with this roster. It's deep. It's talented. It's versatile, capable of going big or going small and fast, depending on the competition.
In Joe Johnson, George Hill and Boris Diaw, the Jazz have added experienced veterans, each with differing skills and each possessing the shooting touch from the perimeter needed to mesh into Quin Snyder's offense. And the younger guys — Hayward, Derrick Favors, Rudy Gobert and Rodney Hood — are rounding into the primes of their careers.
Which is why so many are jumping on the Jazz bandwagon. Some of the rosier forecasts call for Utah to win as many as 50 games, or at least come close to that number. Many expect the Jazz to challenge for home-court advantage in the first round of the postseason. Some even think Utah can infiltrate the top three of the Western Conference.
"We're certainly looking forward to seeing how it all meshes together," Jazz general manager Dennis Lindsey said. "We had some specific objectives going into the summer. We wanted to add experience and add size and physicality, and I think we were able to do that. Playoffs or not, I think we would've gone about the summer the same way. We think the acquisitions were a natural step, so we weren't skipping steps by any means."
Recent NBA history is littered with teams that have faltered under the weight of heightened expectations. Last season's Houston Rockets could be deemed exhibit A. Coming off a Western Conference finals appearance, a seemingly deep Houston team imploded in the locker room, saw the front office fire its coach early in the regular season, limped into the playoffs and was dispatched quickly by the Warriors in the first round.
That's why Jazz players, while conveying a sense of excitement about their potential, also tried to tamp down the playoff talk.
"You can definitely see the potential," Diaw said. "But you have to do it on the court, and transfer that potential to the culture of winning. That culture, it's something that has to be built. Once it's there, it's a great thing, but the toughest part is to build it up. Looking at the team, I think it's a good combination of youth, talent and experience."
Sports Illustrated recently named all five of the Jazz's projected starters — Hill, Hood, Hayward, Favors and Rudy Gobert — to their list of the NBA'S top 100 players. But Utah's depth is what has people excited. With Dante Exum and Alec Burks both back following injuries, and Trey Lyles headed into his second season after a productive rookie year, one can make the argument that the Jazz have one of the best second units in the league. With Johnson expected to come off the bench, the Jazz have one of the better players in the league at getting baskets in the last five minutes of games.
The Jazz lack a superstar. In fact, Johnson is the only player on the roster who has made an All-Star team. But Snyder and Lindsey are counting on the team's depth to carry it through the season — and hoping to avoid the rash of injuries that slowed Utah's coming-out party last season.
"We're very aware of the challenges of improvement," Snyder said. "But we don't want to set a ceiling on ourselves, either. Guys have to remember that winning and the team are paramount. There are going to be a lot of factors that go into lineups and matchups. Our group understands that."
@tribjazz —
Offseason moves
• Drafted Joel Bolomboy and Marcus Paige.
• Traded for George Hill, a starting point guard, and big man Boris Diaw, who will come off the bench.
• Signed Joe Johnson in free agency.