This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated.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.
At the beginning of this season, Dennis Scott didn't think the Utah Jazz were going to be good enough overall. It wasn't one specific area that made Scott skeptical, but multiple little things that added to a whole.
Scott, an analyst with NBATV and TNT, was a part of Thursday night's broadcast featuring the Jazz and the Chicago Bulls at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Being around the Jazz for two days, he watched them practice. He attended the shootaround on Thursday morning. He talked to coach Quin Snyder and different players.
The experience changed his entire perspective.
"Now that I've seen them up close, Scott said. "They just have to get healthy. They have the athletes. They have the shotblocking. They rebound the ball, they can play small ball. They have a lot of luxuries they didn't have in the past."
It took Scott watching the Jazz personally over time to form a different opinion. But he's a microcosm of Utah's perception nationally. Thursday night represented the first time the Jazz have been on TNT since the 2012 season, the last time the franchise made the playoffs.
To many general basketball fans, the Jazz are still something of a mystery. Not everyone has NBA League Pass, which means Utah's start to the season may register as a surprise.
"I think since Quin has taken over, he and (Dennis) Lindsey have done an excellent job of mixing the veterans and the younger guys," Scott said. "The injury bug has really hit this team hard in the last few years. Because of that, it's still hard to say how good this team can ultimately be. But you see the work ethic, and you see the upside."
Thursday night served as something of a showcase for the Jazz, especially for players such as Gordon Hayward and Rodney Hood. Hayward last year put himself in a select group of players who were threats to score 20 points, grab five rebounds and hand out five assists nightly. He's been even better through six games this season, playing some of the best basketball of his career.
Hayward's never made an All-Star team. The way this season is shaping up, he might change that.
"No question," Scott said. "In this sense, he's very similar to Damian Lillard in Portland, someone who is a very good player in a small media market. If the Jazz can get healthy and stay healthy, and make the playoffs, they will be on a bigger stage. That way, everyone will see how good they can be."
On a streak
Jazz point guard George Hill missed his sixth consecutive game on Thursday night with a thumb he sprained against the New York Knicks. He's progressing toward a return, having partially practiced on Wednesday. He also took part in his normal pregame routine on Thursday night. In his place, Dante Exum made his fourth start of the season.
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