Utah Jazz: 3 Keys to Success in the Upcoming NBA Season
With the announcement that the NBA will start their season on Christmas Day, fans of the Utah Jazz are excited to start a new year and get the ugly memories of last year behind them.
Although last season marked one of the most difficult to endure in many years, the potential for a good season this year is one that has Jazz fans very excited.
While the lack of a good training camp and preseason will not help the young Jazz, the following three things must go well this season if the team is to avoid a repeat of last year and take steps towards once again being competitive in the league.
Player Development
With the young team that the Jazz will have this year, player development will be the most important factor to the team's success. The sooner that Tyrone Corbin and his coaching staff can get all of the players to come together as a team the sooner the team will win.
The Jazz will rely heavily on young players like Enes Kanter, Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors and Alec Burks, but also must work to develop the veteran players.
It is not just the young guys that need the work, but the older players need to improve defense and team chemistry if this team is to succeed.
With the injury problems that the team had last season and the fact that only a few of the players have been with the team for more than a season, the Jazz have not had the time on the court together that is needed to learn to play well together.
The accelerated start to this season and the faster pace at which games will be played may hinder the development of the team who needs valuable practice time.
The teams record will depend largely on how quickly the individual players and the team can learn to work together and polish the skills needed to compete in the NBA.
Avoid Injuries
Although this is the most difficult thing to plan for and avoid, the Jazz need some amount of luck to avoid the injuries that caused players to miss so many games last season.
It remains to be seen how the shortened season will play into the injury problems, but hopefully the overall youth of the team will help to minimize them.
For a young, developing team it is crucial that the team stay on the court together.
The team cannot afford to be forced into using multiple lineups and being shorthanded as it was on so many occasions last year.
Building the Right Team
The Utah Jazz currently have nine players under contract, and will add two more with Enes Kanter and Alec Burks as soon as they can sign their rookie contracts.
The team has multiple options of how they can build this team, and to sit back and not try to bring in other players would be a mistake. The Jazz are not going to win a championship with the players they have, and must do all they can to improve the team.
Recent reports have indicated that fan-favorite Paul Millsap is currently on the trading block and no player can be seen as untradeable if the right deal comes along.
Perhaps the team will trade for expiring contracts that they can match with that of Mehmet Okur to clear salary cap space to try to land a free agent in the stronger group of free agents who will be available after this season.
The team currently has assets that will interest other teams, and it is crucial that team general manager Kevin O'Conner and Jazz management make the right calls.
The decisions made during this shortened free agency period and regular season will have lasting repercussions for the team for years to come.
If the Utah Jazz are able to have success in these three areas, the team will be in good shape and the excitement that many fans feel over the potential of this team will be realized.
If the team continues to struggle like they did last season, the Jazz could be in for another long season.
