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SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Jazz fell to 0-3 Saturday after a 104-93 loss to the Rockets, and yet the season couldn't be off to a better start. The L's are just beginning to pile up, and yet the guys are looking, well, pretty good. They're playing competitive games, suffering narrow defeats and they exude a spark that was absent last season. In a couple years, with the addition of a new piece or two, this team could be special.
But, of course, to add that necessary extra piece, the Jazz will need to be terrible in the win-loss column this year. Stinking it up worse than they've ever stunk before is the Jazz's only path to becoming a contender. And isn't that what fans ultimately want? Or are they satisfied with the status quo: 8th seeds, early playoff exits, or worse, not even making the playoffs despite going 41-41 (last year's predicament).
Fans, I suggest you take a new approach to this season in an effort to enjoy yourselves and to preserve your sports-related mental health. Let's say it together now: "It's OK if the Jazz lose." How did that feel? Now say it again.
Losing is what's best for the team in the long run. So when the Jazz stumble to a 22-win eyesore of a season, smile to yourself because you'll know your team is positioning itself for a potentially amazing future. Wasn't it four straight bad seasons that catapulted the Oklahoma City (smaller market than ours!) Thunder into the championship picture? Sometimes you gotta be bad to get good. In 2008-2009, the Thunder won a pathetic 23 games. The very next year? 50.
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Luckily, the Jazz won't need three or four bad years. Thanks to the Deron Williams trade, the Jazz already have two No. 3 picks on the roster in Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter. They've also got two No. 9s in Gordon Hayward and Trey Burke, and a No. 12 in Alec Burks. At this point, the Jazz are just one or two bad seasons away from potentially being reeeally good.
So, come over to the dark side, which ultimately, as I've outlined, is the path toward the bright lights of success. When the Jazz lose a heartbreaker — and there will be many — don't spit in anger. Don't grit your teeth and kick your melted Dippin' Dots across ESA's lower bowl in disgust. Smile smugly. Grin because you know it's all part of the master plan. As everyone else trudges out of the arena in post-loss despair, try to conceal the spring in your step.
And when Hayward rims out that last-second 3 that would've forced overtime, don't grimace and hang your head. Be comforted: That's exactly what the Jazz needed to have happen, especially with the organization failing to sign the talented swingman to an extension. Think about it: If Hayward leads the Jazz to the playoffs or to the near-playoffs (9th or 10th place), the Jazz of the future will be harmed. A) An early playoff exit and mid-first round draft pick will be the Jazz's reward, and B) Hayward's July 2014 price tag will inch upward into the Paul George range.
I'm not calling for mutiny. Not in the least. Jazz fans should keep right on cheering for their dudes. Jazz Nation should continue to strut around City Creek in their Favors jerseys, and they should continue causing a ruckus at home games. At the same time, it's important to keep an eye on the ultimate prize: Winning an NBA championship.
In the past 30 years, the Jazz have posted the fewest losing seasons out of any team in the entire NBA: an impressive two. TWO! Undeniably, it's something the Jazz and their fans should be proud of. Somehow the team has managed to stay above .500 for nearly three decades. In an incredibly competitive league, the Jazz have almost always, at the very least, as goes the saying: been in the conversation. For the most part, they've avoided the shame of lottery balls and locker cleanouts in April.
But guess what. No one hangs a banner for least losing seasons no matter how impressive the run. A carefully stitched "Almost Always Average or Better" sign can't be found in ESA's rafters. True glory is about winning championships.
So, enjoy this season. Accept what comes. Watch your team like a proud parent observing her wobbly-footed toddler attempting to take its first steps.
And when the losing streaks drag, remember: The Jazz have a proud history, a legacy of stacking winning season atop winning season. But let's also not forget: The Jazz will never get a parade down State Street for being "pretty good."
