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SALT LAKE CITY — Monday night, Jazz fans got to relive the greatness of Deron Williams, as the former Jazzman contributed 23 points, four rebounds and six assists for the Dallas Mavericks en route to a 101-92 victory over the Jazz. The loss likely means the Jazz will once again find themselves falling short of the Western Conference playoffs.
When the Jazz traded Williams after a locker-room spat with Hall-of-Fame head coach Jerry Sloan, the team began a rebuilding era in Utah.
That was in February 2011. More than five years later, the rebuild is still in progress.
Derrick Favors, acquired from New Jersey in the trade, albeit hobbled late in the season, is a centerpiece in the Jazz efforts to rebuild. As is Gordon Hayward, who was handed the keys to the organization when the Jazz moved on from veterans Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap in a single offseason. That summer marked the second iteration of the Jazz rebuild, further stripping down the roster in an effort to avoid skipping steps in the rebuilding process.
The Jazz have since added Trey Burke, Dante Exum, Rudy Gobert, Rodney Hood and Trey Lyles through the draft. All except Burke appear to be key cogs in the Jazz future. Add in Alec Burks, and the Jazz appear to have a core of seven players designed to get them back into the playoffs, if not this season, then next.
With the salary cap on the rise next season, the Jazz could potentially have upwards of $25 million in cap space this offseason to finish the rebuilding process.
But will the Jazz spend it?
Jazz general manager Dennis Lindsey left nearly $7 million on the table this season that could have been used to add depth to the roster, but instead trusted in a depth chart featuring rookies Trey Lyles and Raul Neto — both asked to start more than 30 games for the team — and some lower-level roster players asked to play significant minutes in a playoff push.
If the Jazz fail to make the playoffs, it will mark the fourth consecutive season the Jazz have failed to make the postseason, and the sixth season since the team last won a playoff game.
If the Jazz once again find themselves in the lottery, Lindsey and the Jazz must abandon the skip-no-steps approach in rebuilding, as they’ve revealed that despite building chemistry within the locker room, they’ve failed to build a playoff team.
The Jazz are close to being a playoff team, as a win over the hapless Brooklyn Nets or talent-depleted Los Angeles Clippers likely would have guaranteed a spot in the NBA’s postseason. But close doesn’t count in the standings, nor does it allow Jazz fans to experience the playoffs that were once a given in Utah with John Stockton and Karl Malone.
If the Jazz fail to overtake the Houston Rockets in the standings in the final game of the season and once again find game 82 as the final of their season, it’s not a lack of identity in the core that is to blame for another regular season exit. It’s a lack of talent and depth on the roster.
Rebuilding is a novel idea in the NBA and something the Jazz needed after Jerry Sloan and Deron Williams left the team within a week of one another, but five years is a more than reasonable length of time to form a roster capable returning to the playoffs.
Skipping steps is unwise in the NBA, as it can further setback a mediocre roster and force multiple rebuilds spanning several seasons. As the Jazz have avoided shortcuts, results have fallen short. Better play from the Jazz will perhaps be better served this summer through the addition of talent, rather than another long season of chemistry building.
Ben Anderson is the co-host of Gunther and Ben in the Afternoon with Kyle Gunther on 1320 KFAN from 3-7, Monday through Friday. Read Ben's Utah Jazz blog at 1320kfan.com, and follow him on Twitter @BenKFAN.
