Was the Utah Jazz’s worst season ever a success?

The Utah Jazz’s 51st year was their worst ever.

Far eclipsing the previous record set by the inaugural 1974-75 New Orleans Jazz (who held a 23-59 record by the season’s final game), this 2024-25 team broke new ground for how poorly the Jazz could play on the court.

Nevertheless, in the topsy-turvy NBA, that may actually be a good thing. The losing was, after all, on purpose.

Did the Jazz achieve their goals in the 2024-25 season? Let’s look at three key categories.

Did the team tank effectively?

To begin the season, oddsmakers generally put the over-under for the number of Jazz wins this season at 28.5. Management, though, pushed the team to underperform even that relatively low total.

Throughout the season — but especially after the All-Star Break — the team sat veterans like Lauri Markkanen, John Collins, Jordan Clarkson, and Collin Sexton, even when they were frequently healthy enough to play. Collins and Clarkson especially saw the pine; they’ll finish 2024-25 sitting more games than they’ll play. (Markkanen, after signing a $220 million extension, was asked to play 47 games.)

For most of the year, the tanking flew under the radar, but eventually, the sitting became notable enough that the NBA decided to step in and take action. In March, the team was fined $100K for sitting Markkanen in a violation of the league’s player participation policy.

Veterans, while somewhat frustrated, kept their public grumbles to a minimum. They supported their younger teammates during the season.

The team also changed its rotations in some games seemingly to maximize the chances of losing, avoiding playing its best players for as many minutes, or for as long in clutch time, as they would if the Jazz were trying to win games.

But it’s a tank that has paid dividends in terms of the upcoming NBA lottery. For the first time in franchise history, the team will go into lottery day on May 12 with the highest odds at the No. 1 overall selection.

If they win it, it would mean drafting Duke’s Cooper Flagg, a potential franchise player who was among the best players in college basketball at just 18 years old this season.

Did the youth develop?

Coming into the season, the Jazz defined a core of seven young players that they wanted to see real growth from: third-year center Walker Kessler, second-year players Taylor Hendricks, Keyonte George, and Brice Sensabaugh, and rookies Cody Williams, Isaiah Collier, and Kyle Filipowski.

Kessler shone brightest. After a down sophomore year, the 7-footer responded with an excellent third campaign. He holds the league’s highest offensive rebounding percentage and its second-highest block percentage. Improved core strength and a higher level of mental discipline were the improvements Kessler credited for his leap in performance, and he looks like a real building block for the team.

The second-year players had a tumultuous season.

Hendricks broke his leg in the season’s third game, slipping on a wet spot while running down the court.

George found himself moved to the bench, as head coach Will Hardy battled for a way to get through to him the importance of the defensive end of the floor. He is visually giving more effort there these days than he did early in the year, but to limited effect. The offense, though, has become more efficient, with George’s shooting percentages jumping about 1%, and George getting more assists and fewer turnovers.

Sensabaugh found a niche: 3-point marksman. After shooting under 30% in his rookie season, Sensabaugh shot 42.6% in his second year, returning closer to his reputation as a player. It’s a role that gives him a foothold in the league.

Among rookies, Williams struggled badly. He finished last in the league in many advanced metrics, shot just 32% from the field, and caught a case of mononucleosis to end the year. He desperately needs a bounce-back 2025-26.

Collier had many of the same struggles to begin the season, but came on mid-year to become the Jazz’s best point guard option. With a pass-first approach, he became the Jazz’s rookie-season assist record holder, taking that title from Hall of Famer John Stockton. The poor shooter will still need to improve his shot moving forward to stick.

Filipowski, the second-round pick, had a bright rookie campaign that showed off the variety in his offensive game — he can shoot, drive, and pass in the half-court and in transition. Defensively, he needs to improve in the interior.

In the end, the 2024-25 season’s developmental record was mixed.

Did the team keep its fans?

With the franchise-worst performance, it’s fair to wonder: Did the team keep its famously rabid fans engaged?

In some ways, yes, and in some ways, no.

The Delta Center remained largely full for the 2024-25 season, with only pockets of seats empty. While tickets were still available for purchase at halftime of many of these games, the team continued its official sellout streak. Ticket prices declined, though, with tickets available at game time on the secondary market for as little as $4 in some cases.

Still, the high attendance mark can be considered a success, as many teams with better records than the Jazz couldn’t fill their buildings to the same degree.

On the other hand, interest overall was unequivocally down. A February report from Sports Business Journal said that viewership for Jazz games was down 44% year-over-year, the fourth-largest such decline in the NBA.

The fan base looks next to the May 12 lottery date as it looks whether or not to “Join The Climb,” as the Jazz’s season-ticket sales department has named their campaign for the upcoming year.