Can the Jazz contend for a championship?

Last season was incredible. The Jazz exceeded expectations and had one of the most memorable runs in the history of the franchise. But now with all of that behind us, the Jazz want more. You’ve heard multiple players, coaches, and front office members say it: the Jazz want a championship.

So after last season, and the current developments of the offseason, just how close are the Jazz to being a true contender? Do they really stand a chance against some of the leage’s best teams, especially the Golden State Warriors? Rudy Gobert thinks so.

In case you missed it, Rudy sat down with ESPN’s Zach Lowe on the Lowe Post podcast, and discussed several topics. When talking about the Jazz’s season and expectations for next season, Lowe asked Gobert if he thought the Golden State Warriors were unbeatable, and then asked specifically if he thought the Jazz could beat them. Rudy’s response? No less epic than you would ever expect from our fearless leader. Rudy paused for emphasis, and said as confident as ever “Of course, it’s basketball”, giving the impression that in sports, anything can happen.

If there is anything that we’ve learned over the last few years, it’s to listen to Rudy Gobert. He’s made a living off of proving people wrong, and living to his word. He knew he was much more of a player than the 27th pick in the draft. He knew he could prove those people wrong that said “he can’t lead a team”. He knew the Jazz would be fine after living through the dreadful low point of the season last year. Rudy Gobert just knows stuff. Could he be up to something else here?

There’s so much that goes in to be a legitimate contender in the NBA. You have to have the right players, coaches, scouts, general manager,fans, injury luck, timing, etc. Can the Jazz really do it? They have shown that they are a good team, but can they be a great team? Can they become a championship contender?

So much of that depends on Donovan Mitchell, and his continuing development as an NBA star. He has the keys to the city, and can take the Jazz to the next level if he truly becomes one of those generational players that he showed signs of being last season. In the glory days of NBA super teams, it seems the Jazz are still one player away from making some serious noise towards an NBA championship. But maybe, just maybe, the wizardry of Dennis Lindsey can shine through enough for the Jazz to rally with their current players and make a run. Like Rudy Gobert said himself, anything can happen in sports.

We all knew this was coming. Grayson Allen might not have been selected in the top fifteen, but everyone knew he was going to be one of most controversial picks/rookies in this class. All it took was a few summer league games, some minor scuffling, and some really sweet dunks to land him all over the internet.

If you aren’t rooting for Grayson Allen, then we can’t be friends. I’m just kidding, we’re cool. But there is something about rooting for players that everyone wants to see fail. So many people want Grayson Allen to fail in the NBA, mostly because of his personality and some things he did as a college kid. But this dude is a competitor. Jazz fans are already starting to fall madly in love with him, and I’m so here for it.

Sort of piggybacking off the last DB item, but just hear me out.

Did the Jazz just become one of the most watchable teams in the NBA? Shea Serrano, one of the kings of NBA twitter, gave a shoutout to the Jazz for being one of the most entertaining prospective teams going into this season. How did we get here? I guess that’s what having Donovan Mitchell, the DPOY, international demigod Joe Ingles, Ricky “Juan Stockton” Rubio, and now Grayson Allen will do for you. No matter how you put it, the Jazz are fun- for maybe the first time ever, and everyone is starting to realize it.

Has it really been 20 years since Karl Malone and DDP joined forces in the ring? This great piece surfaced in honor of that great event, and can you talk about nostalgia?

Never in the history of the world will there be a greater duo than Karl Malone and Diamond Dallas Page. This occurence was so perfect and rare, and today we honor it. Can’t believe it’s been 20 years.

You know it’s a slow day in the Utah Jazz and NBA world when your writing about a Samsung tweet, but here we are.

It’s actually a pretty cool little tribute to the technology in the newly renovated Vivint Arena, which was AWESOME last season by the way. It’s little things like this that make the difference for the fans and those attending games.