Making sense of the Utah Jazz's rebuild after 4 years, and why there's reasons for hope

SALT LAKE CITY — The current product the Utah Jazz are putting on display isn't great, but that doesn't mean the franchise is far off from where it wants to be.

There is no doubt it has been a rough couple of seasons for Jazz fans.

Despite multiple winning seasons in the Donovan Mitchell era, constant meltdowns in the postseason and a growing rift between Mitchell and Rudy Gobert forced Danny Ainge and the front office to enter a rebuild.

For a small market team in today's NBA, you can either choose to spend year after year in purgatory or leave it up to your luck in the NBA draft to try and build a contending team.

The Jazz have spent much of its franchise history in the cycle of being good, but not good enough, and failing to get over the hump to win an NBA championship during its best seasons.

The Jazz have accumulated an All-Star in Lauri Markkanen, a rising young star in Keyonte George, multiple first-round picks and increased cap flexibility. Alongside Markkanen and George, young players like Walker Kessler, Ace Bailey, Brice Sensabaugh and Isaiah Collier have given fans legitimate reasons for optimism.

A new NBA blueprint

Over the past decade, the NBA has crowned four first-time NBA champions — including Cleveland, Toronto, Denver and Oklahoma City — while teams like Milwaukee, Indiana and Phoenix came within a win or two of doing the same.

That matters for Utah because it shows how championship teams are built slowly, deliberately and without shortcuts. The reality is, success doesn't happen overnight.

It was less than three years ago the Thunder suffered its worst regular season loss of all time, losing to Memphis by 73 points, before winning its first championship this past season.

It took time, development and getting the right pieces around Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic for their respective teams to take advantage of their generational talent and win the NBA Finals.

Indiana's rise mirrors Utah's situation. The Pacers were stuck in the middle until the front office took a risk by trading Domantas Sabonis for Tyrese Haliburton. After two seasons of development and calculated roster moves, Indiana added All-Star Pascal Siakam and reached the NBA Finals.

The takeaway for Utah is clear: sustainable success requires patience and a capable front office.

"I can't really stress enough how this organization is good," Jusuf Nurkic said. "I don't know if it's the new owner or all the staff we have, but me and Kevin (Love) talk every day about the young guys. We have such a great thing here. It's such a great environment, and you have everything you need to succeed."

Kevin Love echoed those sentiments.

"From top to bottom, (the) organization is great," Love said. "I've had a really good time. I've spoken about that openly and talk about it with Nurk all the time, with Lauri all the time."

Finding the right pieces

During the franchise's most successful stretch, Jerry Sloan built his team on an identity that ultimately formed a team culture. Building around franchise pillars in Karl Malone and John Stockton, Sloan helped lead Utah to 19 consecutive winning seasons and two NBA Finals.

Both Malone and Stockton were Jazz draft picks, and were developed by the organization for nearly two decades.

Utah has added many young players through the NBA draft, and the development of some has come along well. George has taken the biggest leap this season and has blossomed into an All-Star caliber player alongside Markkanen.

George has averaged career-highs across the board, averaging 24.4 points, 6.7 assists, and 4.0 rebounds on 46/38/90 shooting splits. He scored a career-high 43 in a recent come-from-behind win over Minnesota.

"I think (George) really reminds me of that combo guard we had in Portland that time — CJ and Dame — just the way he moved and played, not necessarily the same style of play, but just how easy the game comes to him," Nurkic said. "I told him when I got here, I feel like you're a really good player, and just believe that I'm going to be by your side regardless."

The front office has been waiting for one of their young players to make a leap into potential stardom, and George fits the bill. George has the ability to take over a game late, showcasing a clutch gene that many great players wish to have.

One consensus that many believe is that Utah needs to trade Markkanen, as "he doesn't fit the timeline" of the Jazz; however, the emergence of George has created an elite duo that is perfect for Utah to build around.

Fans have criticized the team for "tanking" as they potentially look to hold on to their first-round pick in the upcoming NBA draft. The pick has top-eight protections, meaning they need to finish at the bottom of the NBA standings to keep it or else it would go to the Thunder.

Adding one more quality player in a draft loaded with talent could propel Utah next season.

The lottery luck wasn't kind to the Jazz this past June, but they were still able to draft Ace Bailey, arguably the second-most talented player in the class.

"He's super talented, Nurkic said. "I see a lot of athletes in my life, but he's one of a kind. Whatever he does on the floor feels natural. Even to us like a bad shot feels good for him. He learned actually what he needed to be on the floor, defensively. And when he started getting a little bigger NBA body, in a way, if I can say that, but he would be really good."

Bailey is starting to find his groove with an increase in minutes. Despite being one of the youngest players in the league, Bailey is finding ways to make winning plays and impact the game on both ends of the floor. That was highlighted in the Jazz's 127-122 victory over the Timberwolves.

"He has some nice back doors and dunks; and trust me, when he gets this stuff together, I don't think a lot of players can block his shot," Nurkic said. "He's super dynamic, he's amazing."

The role of development

The team isn't trying to win, that's clear, but the rest of this season is still pivotal for the organization. Utah has two great players in Markkanen and George. Now, the goal is to see what other young players are going to be a part of the future.

"(Utah) has a really good program," Nurkic said. "What they are doing to each of the young guys, giving them opportunities."

Another young player that is playing his way into more minutes and has a bright future is third-year guard Brice Sensabaugh.

In a road game against the Chicago Bulls, Sensabaugh scored 43 points off the bench, including an NBA record 21 points off the bench in the first quarter. He has averaged 25.6 points over his past five games, showcasing his offensive skills.

"I'm getting more and more opportunities, like starting and stuff like that, being able to impact games on both ends of the floor," Sensabaugh said. "So just trying to keep building that propaganda for myself and just be a solid player that plays the right way."

The NBA has moved away from super teams, and now organizations are focused on building a complete roster with players that can give you something on any given night.

"We've got 15 full roster spots, you need more than one of everything," Hardy said. "Some nights call for this, some nights call for that based on who you're playing against."

Utah finally has some clarity moving forward: a front office aligned with its coaching staff, a young core beginning to separate itself and veterans reinforcing the culture. The Jazz still have a lot of work to do and are not finished yet; it has been a long and tedious rebuild, but there is light at the end of the tunnel.

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