This past off-season, the Utah Jazz lost their longtime head coach, Quin Synder, and traded away their two star players in Donovan Mitchell & Rudy Gobert. All signs pointed towards a rebuild, with Utah looking like prime candidates to tank their way to projected no.1 overall pick Victor Webanyama in 2023. But instead they've made the best start in the entire Western Conference. The Jazz are 10-3 to start the year but is it time to take this team seriously?

Usually when a team trades away their star players for draft capital and role/young players, a rebuild starts. Which often involves multiple years of losing seasons before a talented core is rebuilt into a competitive team. However, that is not really what happened in Utah's situation.

Yes, they traded away their stars (Mitchell & Gobert) for draft capital and role players but they still had Mike Conley & Jordan Clarkson, two of the most valuable veteran role players in basketball. They added Lauri Markkanen & Colin Sexton, two former top 10 draft picks, once predicted to be stars in this league, with their best years ahead of them. Alongside solid role players like Malik Beasley & Jarred Vanderbilt. And with the added additions of veteran Kelly Olynyk, former Laker guard Talen Horton Tucker and a young determined head coach in Will Hardy, the Jazz had themselves a group that could not afford to tank but instead prove the rest of the league wrong for doubting them. ‍

Utah Jazz 2022/23 season facts:

• 10-3 record (1st in the West)
• No.1 in Points Per Game (118.8)
• 4th in Offensive Rating (116.6)
• 10th in Defensive Rating (110.6)
• 193 three pointers made (Leads League)

This may be a rag-tag team of misfits but they are a group who believe they have been disrespected by their previous teams and the NBA media, and they are going to make sure they make everyone notice them night on night.

Their veterans are delivering as per usual, Jordan Clarkson - 18.6 pts, 5.2 ast - 41% 3pt. Mike Conley- 12 pts, 8 ast, 1 stl- 41% 3pt. Kelly Olynyk- 12 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast- 57% 3pt. Jarred Vanderbilt is averaging 9/8 and providing quality defense, with Malik Beasley putting up 11.5 pts off the bench, while shooting 42% from deep.

Players coming into their own:

Collin Sexton & Lauri Markkanen were the two major players the Jazz got in return for their summer trades. Sexton is still getting back to the pace after missing almost all of last season with a knee injury but is averaging 13.7 points off the bench on shooting splits of 50/38/84, expect that ppg to rise as the season goes on, with more starts to follow in turn.

The major difference maker for Utah has been Markkanen however. He is playing with the biggest chip on his shoulder after feeling like he had found a home in Cleveland, and looks like the player the Bulls thought they were drafting back in 2017.

Markkanen is averaging 23 points & 9 rebounds, while shooting 65% on his 2's & 34% on his 3's. So far this season he has had five double-double's and three 30pt games, last season he had three double-doubles and one 30pt game for the entire season.

The 25 year old has always had potential but his size, athleticism and scoring ability are all coming together for the first time in Utah.

The rag-tag Jazz have been the surprise package of the season so far, beating some very notable conference rivals across their 10 victories- Denver, Memphis x2, Lakers x2, Clippers, New Orleans & Minnesota have all suffered at the hands of Utah.

No, the Utah Jazz will not finish the season as the number one seed in the West. But they won't roll over against anyone and they certainly won't be tanking, as was expected before the season started.

If this is a level of performance Markkanen can consistently produced & Collin Sexton becomes the potentially elite scorer he was expected to in Cleveland, then Utah arguably have a good core to build around- Markkanen (25), Sexton (23), Vanderbilt (23), Beasley (26), Horton-Tucker (21), Clarkson (30), Walker Kessler (21), Ochai Agbaji (22). With the draft capital to be able to add more pieces and work trades in the future.

Maybe tanking would be the smartest option with the potential franchise changer Webanyama available next year and while the Jazz are a team with nothing to lose, they also have plenty to prove and it's showing this season.

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(PHOTO CREDIT- Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports)