Expectations sky-high as Jazz look to break playoff drought
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Joe Johnson had options of where to chase a ring in the twilight of his career and the seven-time All-Star chose to sign a two-year deal with a Utah Jazz team that hasn't reached the playoffs since 2012.
Johnson, 35, bought into the widespread belief that the Jazz will improve from young up-and-comers to a competitive playoff team.
"It was the talent level and knowing from talking to (coach) Quin (Snyder), they wanted some veteran guys around these young guys and help lead the way," Johnson said. "That was probably the biggest part."
That's the story on the Jazz entering the 2016-17 season: a team no longer on the cusp, but one with postseason expectations.
Snyder and general manager Dennis Lindsey have tried to temper those expectations, but the offseason moves to add veterans spoke volumes. The Jazz traded for George Hill and Boris Diaw and signed Johnson - ending the slow rebuild. The league, however, won't see what this roster looks like at full strength for some time.
Gordon Hayward is out for an unknown amount of time with a broken finger on his non-shooting hand. Derrick Favors played just one preseason game due to a knee issue. Key reserve Alec Burks still hasn't returned from arthroscopic surgery to his knee and ankle in June.
So the Jazz didn't get to fully integrate the new veterans with the established players during the preseason.
"I feel like we've got a lot done in spite of (injuries)," Snyder said. "(Diaw, Hill and Johnson) have probably played more preseason minutes than I intended. ... It has given them a chance to get acclimated. Their roles, particularly Joe's, will probably change and evolve when Gordon comes back. Outside of that, there's challenges. You just don't know. Certain players, certain lineups. ... I don't think we were able to build quite the connectivity that we'd like at this point. But I felt like this was a team that was going to take a while to develop, too. Hopefully it doesn't set us back too much."
The Jazz begin the season on the road against the Trail Blazers on Tuesday. Eight of their first 11 games are on the road.
Things to watch as the Jazz prepare to tip off the season:
STIFLING TOWER: The 7-foot-1 Rudy Gobert has already established himself as one of the best defensive centers in the game, averaging 2.27 blocks over the last two seasons, but he's shown off a little more offense this preseason. He seemed to catch and finish better than in the past and averaged 14.8 points in six games. The most notable improvement has been Gobert's free throw shooting. He shot 56.9 percent last year and 74.5 percent this preseason.
RETURN OF EXUM: Dante Exum is back for regular season games for the first time since tearing his ACL in the summer of 2015. The No. 5 overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft is fully healthy and still an upper echelon defender on the perimeter with his 6-foot-6 frame. He looks to become more active on the offensive end with a better floater in the lane and improved 3-point shooting. The point guard showed the ability to log minutes at shooting guard next to Hill during the preseason.
GROWTH AREAS: The Jazz hope the additions and another year of growth will affect three areas in particular. The Jazz were No. 28 in the league with a scoring average of 97.7 points per game. That must improve. Johnson, Hill and Diaw already improve the depth. The team also struggled in close games, finishing 14-28 in games that were within five points with five minutes or less left.
IMPRESSION TIME: Not making the playoffs could not only be disappointing, but a detriment to the future. Hayward has a player-option on his contract after this season and is expected to use it to become a free agent. There will be a large market for his services, so the Jazz need to prove they're an organization that can compete for championships in the near future. Gobert will become a restricted free agent in July if he doesn't sign an extension by Oct. 31. Favors is set to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2017-18 season.
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