Utah Jazz: one goal for every player in the starting lineup

The Utah Jazz are fresh off the heels of an NBA best 52-20 regular season. They advanced to the Western Conference Semifinals, losing in unceremonious fashion to a sharpshooting Los Angeles Clippers squad. While the loss proved bitter, 2020-21 was still a generally successful season for the Jazzmen. Nonetheless, if the they wish to advance further into the playoffs in the 2021-22 season, there is undeniably work to be done.

General manager Justin Zanik and his colleagues in the front office have already done their share. The offseason additions of Rudy Gay, Eric Paschall and Hassan Whiteside go a long way towards enhancing the positional versatility that the Jazz were lacking in their playoff defeat against the Clippers. Now, the onus is on the players to work towards plugging any existing holes in their respective games.

Admittedly, thats a tall order for a veteran-heavy squad. Most of the key members of the Utah Jazz are fully formed NBA players: cliches about teaching old dogs new tricks may apply. Nonetheless, we’ve seen veterans add wrinkles or improve on shortcomings later in their career in the past, and improvement is always a goal, no matter how achievable, for professional athletes.

Here’s one goal every projected Utah Jazz starter could aim to achieve heading into the 2021-22 NBA season.