Warriors success can give Jazz hope

Estimated read time: 5-6 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

SALT LAKE CITY — One year ago the Golden State Warriors were a joke. They finished 23-43 in a lockout shortened season. It was their 16th losing season in 18 years.

Many couldn't help but wonder if first-time head coach Mark Jackson should have stayed in the broadcast booth.

Stephen Curry's ankle problems led many to question not how great he could become, but how long he would be able to play basketball.

They traded their leading scorer, and arguably their best player, Monta Ellis for a 7-footer, Andrew Bogut, that needed micro fracture surgery on his ankle and would miss 75 games.

They lost 17 of their final 20 games, causing many to accuse them of tanking in order to keep their first round draft pick from going to the Utah Jazz.

What a difference a year can make. The Warriors are one of the biggest surprises of the NBA season and are now just three wins away from the Western Conference Finals. Think about how crazy that would have sounded back in October before the season began.

Mark Jackson is proving that he can coach in the NBA and finished seventh in the Coach of the Year balloting.

Steph Curry missed just four games this season and has emerged as a star player with incredible individual performances in the playoffs.

Andrew Bogut has given the team the post presence they desperately needed on both ends of the floor and has stepped up his play in the absence of all-star David Lee.

The Ellis trade also made room for another young guard Klay Thompson to shine. All he did was score 34 points and 14 rebounds in a Game 2 victory against the Spurs — the Warriors first win in San Antonio in 30 tries.

They added veterans Jarrett Jack and Carl Landry, who made the team better without disrupting the development of the young players they believed in.

That lottery pick they (tanked for) kept from the Jazz turned out to be Harrison Barnes, who has had a nice rookie season for the Warriors and is averaging 15 points and six rebounds per game during their current playoff run.

That last fact really stings for Jazz fans who can't help but be jealous of what the Warriors are doing right now while the Jazz miss the playoffs for the second time in three years.

The truth is, the unexpected rise of the Warriors can give Jazz fans hope that things can turn around quickly here in Utah. The parts may be in place for the Jazz to make a similar turnaround next season.

Like the Warriors, the Jazz have young players on the roster, lottery picks, who may be on the verge of breaking out next season.

Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors, like Steph Curry this year, will enter their 4th year in the NBA.

Hayward wants to be an All-Star and will be asked to be a leader on this team next season. If Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap leave via free agency — as many expect — Hayward will become the longest tenured Jazz player on the roster. The opportunity to become that leader and emerge as a star will be there for the taking. It's up to him to make it happen.

#poll

Derrick Favors has shown the ability to be an elite defender and shot blocker. Imagine how good he could become if he develops the offensive game to match? This will be a crucial offseason in his development, but if he comes back a better offensive player than the Jazz may have something special in the post.

Enes Kanter improved dramatically in his second year, and if he continues to improve at the same rate, he could become a dominant offensive force in the paint allowing players like Hayward and Burks to thrive on the perimeter.

This group of players dubbed the "Core Four" will have a chance to prove just how good they are next year.

Perhaps the most important thing the Jazz must do to turn things around is improve defensively. I failed to mention above that one of the most important factors in the Warriors turnaround was their improvement defensively. They were eighth in the NBA this season in effective field goal percentage and first in defensive rebounding percentage. They were 14th overall in defensive rating, up from 27th out of 30 teams the year before.

While Curry and Thompson bombing away from three is fun to watch, the Warriors success is due to their improvement on the other end of the floor.

The Jazz were in the bottom third of the league in defensive rating and defensive rebounding percentage. That has to change moving forward.

That brings us to Jazz head coach Ty Corbin. He is also a former player and first time head coach like Mark Jackson. Many critics among media and fans aren't sure Ty is the right guy for the job. He has one year left on his current contract and it could be a make-or-break year for Corbin in Utah. It's time for him to quiet the critics and prove he is the right guy for the job. He needs to establish an identity with this team and get them to improve defensively.

It would help Corbin if he has a talented roster with players who are willing to buy-in and play better defense.

His success will be tied to the success of general manager Dennis Lindsey and the Jazz front office this summer. This is a chance for Lindsey to put his stamp on the franchise. He has $30 million in cap space and two first-round draft picks.

The Warriors trusted that they drafted the right guys in Curry, Thompson and Barnes and gave them a chance to prove it with playing time. They weren't afraid to make a bold move via trade and they added the right veterans through free agency. They established an identity and became one of the best defensive teams in the league.

If the Jazz can follow the same model, the rebuilding process in Utah will be far less painful and the franchise can soon break free of its current state of mediocrity.