National Basketball Association
Utah Jazz Preseason Preview: Four Reasons to Watch
National Basketball Association

Utah Jazz Preseason Preview: Four Reasons to Watch

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET
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Mar 25, 2015; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) dribbles the ball in front of Utah Jazz forward Joe Ingles (2) during the first half at EnergySolutions Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

Despite the idea that preseason games aren’t important, here’s a look at four reasons why tonight’s match-up is a must-watch for Utah Jazz fans.

The Utah Jazz kick-off their 2016-17 NBA Preseason tonight at 8:00 PM MT on the road as they take on the Portland Trail Blazers. While fans will undoubtedly be more excited for the next time the Jazz travel to Portland on October 25 to open the real season, there are still several reasons to be stoked about tonight’s match-up.

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But before diving into those, one reminder is that it’s important to remember that one can’t read too much into the preseason. Even if the Jazz go 0-6, it doesn’t mean the season is lost. On the flip side, if they go 6-0, it doesn’t mean that they’re going to take the NBA Championship this year.

It’s very common for the best and worst of teams to come out of preseason right around .500. And while the preseason is a fun precursor to the regular season and a great opportunity to shake off some of the offseason rust, there’s many different factors that make its results much less than indicative of how the actual season is going to go.

This primarily is because there isn’t much at stake considering that the games don’t count for anything record-wise. With this being the case, coaches often limit the minutes of their star players and let some of the training camp guys fighting for a roster spot play more than they ever would in a real NBA game.

The preseason is a testing grounds for the season and neither the coaches nor the players are going to pull out all the stops.

For example, a lot was made of the Warriors preseason loss to the Raptors on Saturday and Durant’s 2-of-9 shooting performance. Does this mean Golden State is doomed? Was the Kevin Durant acquisition just a huge mistake? More than likely the answer to both questions is a resounding, “NO!” This early look in limited minutes was not an accurate indication of how good the Warriors will be by any means.

So in other words, for better or for worse, the Jazz’s performance should be looked at in the same way; there will be no need for panic mode or over-celebration either way. In essence, Jazz fans shouldn’t let the preseason shape their overall opinion of the Jazz this early, instead they should just sit back, relax and be excited.

And why should you be so excited, you ask? Well, while the preseason might not be as highly anticipated as any regular season games, Jazz fans still have plenty to look forward to tonight.

Sep 26, 2016; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz forward Joe Johnson (6) during Media Day at Zion Bank Basketball Center. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

New Era For Jazz Basketball

While it’s easy to argue that preseason games don’t matter, at the same time there’s something thrilling about seeing a new team on the floor together for the first time. Especially considering the many new faces that the Jazz will be rolling out this year, it will be pretty awesome to see them all together to kick off the new season.

When the Jazz traded away their first round draft pick for George Hill this offseason, they sent a loud and clear message to the team, its fans and the league that the rebuild period was over. Utah was ready to make a push for the playoffs.

With this being the resounding theme for the upcoming season, the preseason certainly has a little more meaning. Regardless of whether you’re one of the faithfuls who has stuck with the Jazz through the painful playoff-less years or one of the less loyal supporters who is jumping back on the bandwagon now that the outlook appears somewhat better, this first preseason game indicates the beginning of a new chapter in Jazz basketball.

As we track their journey from rebuild to hopeful success, this first game will be the spring-board and starting point for a new era for the Jazz – one that hopefully leads to several playoff berths for years to come.

You can almost view tonight’s game and the preseason as a whole like a prologue to a great novel. While it may seem vague and insignificant in comparison to the whole story, for those of us who want a full understanding of the depth of the story, we read every last word of that prologue.

Similarly, if you want to keep tabs on the full Jazz “story”, tonight’s “prologue” will most definitely be a must-watch.

Not to mention, the pure excitement that comes from the fact that NBA talent is once again on display for our enjoyment. If you’re one of those fans who followed the summer league religiously and pulled up basketball games in the Summer Olympics on your second monitor at work (I plead guilty on both accounts), then chances are you’re stoked about tonight simply for the fact that the 2016-17 season, a.k.a. nightly NBA basketball, is finally back.

Mar 25, 2015; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) dribbles the ball as Utah Jazz guard Dante Exum (11) defends during the first quarter at EnergySolutions Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

The Mystery Man – Dante Exum

OK, so maybe it’s a little dramatic or theatrical to refer to Dante Exum as “The Mystery Man,” but at the same time, that’s essentially what he is. After a slow start in his rookie season, Exum picked things up towards the end of the year and was one of the players that several Jazz fans were most looking forward to watching last year.

But of course, that all came unraveled during the offseason following his season-ending ACL injury. Now that Exum is back and reportedly healthy, it will be absolutely thrilling to see how he looks.

Will those flashes of superstar potential be back? Will he have the speed, quickness and lock-down D that fans expect of him? Just what exactly can we expect out of this mystery man? Those questions alone should be enough to get Jazz fans stoked about watching the match-up tonight.

Much like pretty much every player across the league, I expect Exum to have quite a bit of rust, especially considering that he missed the entirety of last season. But if he can put in some threes, finish some quick drives to the hoop and reasonably contain opponent Damian Lillard, there will be great reason for optimism among Jazz fans.

While we don’t know exactly how much playing time he’ll get, simply seeing the flashy guard back on the court and getting an idea of how much he’s improved since we last watched him will be one of the most exciting facets of the night.

Feb 9, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) and forward Trey Lyles (41) celebrate in front of Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki (41) during the game at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Chemistry Among Both New and Old

Not to beat a dead horse (which I probably already accomplished back on slide 1), but one shouldn’t expect a team to be completely gelled by preseason. Nevertheless, watching veteran newcomers in George Hill, Joe Johnson and Boris Diaw taking the court for the first time alongside Jazz regulars such as Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert will be a blast.

Not one guy on this Jazz roster stands out as anything other than a “team-first” player and to witness their first contest against a true NBA opponent should be fascinating. How will the Blazers defend such a talented team? What will the first unit look like with an actual seasoned point guard calling the shots? How will the veterans and young guns mesh on the court?

While it might be somewhat unrefined, we should be able to get a good idea about how this team is going to fit together by the end of the night. Watching their reactions in how they encourage one another, play with one another and handle mistakes as a unit will be an intriguing first look at how the team will mesh over the long haul.

I imagine the first time George Hill makes a dish to Rodney Hood or Gordon Hayward for a wide open three or the first time Derrick Favors or Trey Lyles converts a big dunk in a pick and roll with Joe Johnson will be thrilling moments as the Jazz newcomers start to show that they can jive with the young Jazz “old-timers.”

Getting a glimpse of how this team will come together and compete with the best in the West is high on the list of reasons to watch.

Feb 21, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) reacts after dunking over Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) in the second half at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports

High Competition

While a win or loss won’t do anything to boost or mar either team’s regular season record, there is still several factors that could make tonight’s showdown highly competitive.

First of all, the Jazz and Blazers are divisional foes that honestly have a lot of similarities in their make-up, their mantra and their realistic aspirations for this upcoming season. It’s not a stretch by any means to say that, come April, these two teams could be vying for playoff position. Slotting them as the potential 4th and 5th seeds in the West seems very plausible at this point.

So while a victory tonight won’t help in that playoff push, it certainly could help a team gain a mental edge and knowing that the two will see each other one more time in the preseason, then four times in the regular season might bring a little extra intensity. As they say, familiarity breeds content.

That should be especially true among two teams that, as I mentioned, will likely be in a close battle in the standings all season long.

But the competition between the two teams won’t be the only reason why tonight could be a heavily contested bout. While there isn’t much at stake for the teams, per se, there’s certainly a lot at stake for some of the players who will be out there fighting for their very careers.

For the Jazz, for instance, guys like Chris Johnson, Raul Neto, Jeff Withey and Joel Bolomboy will be depending on a solid preseason to prove that they deserve to be on this Jazz squad. While the outlook is good for at least Neto, Withey and Bolomboy, other training camp players such as recently signed Henry Sims and Eric Dawson will have to play exceptionally well to prove they even belong in the league at all.

With a compelling match-up between the two opponents, Portland and Utah, and with lower-tier players on both squads having so much to fight for, this preseason match-up has all the elements of having a more regular season type feel in its intensity and effort.

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    So while on the outside it might not appear to count for much, Utah Jazz fans should truly be excited for tonight’s contest. With so many new faces and so many questions surrounding this high potential Jazz team, this first look at the 2016-17 squad absolutely cannot be missed.

    This article originally appeared on

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