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The Utah Jazz are primed for a great season in 2016-2017. The team has never seen so much depth, their best players are in their primes. And everyone is focused on one thing: returning to the NBA Playoffs. After making a number of smart moves in the off-season that traded away assets and brought back players it looks like GM Dennis Lindsey is "all in." Quin Snyder and the coaching staff are as well. It's still Gordon Hayward's team, but with Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert getting his back, and the return of Dante Exum the sky truly is the limit. Pre-season polls and everyone from national writers to Las Vegas sports books are on the Jazz bandwagon this year. And with that comes expectations. Expectations the players are looking to surpass.
New faces like Joe Johnson, Boris Diaw, George Hill, and rookie Joel Bolomboy will be combining forces with the likes of Rodney Hood, Alec Burks, Trey Lyles, and Joe Ingles. Truly the sum of all of these parts will be greater than the whole as individuals. We're seeing glimpses right now, but as the weeks go by, other teams will be blinded by their polished brilliance.
The team has made more than just idle statements for this renaissance. The team has new primary and secondary logos. New uniforms, including that 'soccer kit' one that's flying off the shelves. The arena continues to go through upgrades, this time with a brand-spanking new floor. The on-air talent has improved. The social media presence has been bolstered for this great season to come. The efforts to improve the product on the court have been equaled by all of the people working off of it.
It's time to make some sweet music. It's time to make the rest of the Western Conference sing the blues.
It's time for Utah Jazz basketball to make enemies of other fanbases, but the grudging respect from their teams.
It's our time.