Take a couple of wins away from the Utah Jazz and give them to the Golden State Warriors and the Jazz end up with two lottery picks in a deep 2012 draft class. Instead, they shocked even themselves by qualifying for the playoffs, where they were swept by the San Antonio Spurs in the first round. Their trip to the postseason cost them their first-round pick.

As much honor and respect comes from finishing in the top eight, the long-term outlook on the Jazz would be a lot different if they had two rookies picked in the top 14 on their roster. They would have fit in perfectly with their already-potent young core. Now, they’re pushing forward with a squad much like the one they had last year and a future that is full of uncertainty.

HOOPSWORLD takes a look at the 2012-13 Utah Jazz:

Five Guys Think…

Not even the Utah Jazz knew what they wanted to do last season. They bounced back and forth with fully embracing a youth movement before they found the playoffs within reach. They went from potentially having two lottery picks in the 2012 Draft to getting swept in the first round with no first round selections at all. This offseason they added veterans Mo Williams and Marvin Williams while getting rid of Devin Harris. Both are solid pickups, but the Jazz will still find themselves stuck in the same position as last season. This time, though, the best decision may be no decision. They are set to have significant cap room if they let Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap, and Mo Williams’ contracts expire. Those contracts will garner some offers across the league, though, giving the Jazz some options if they don’t want to get involved in trying to pursue max-level free agents. As currently assembled, the Jazz are poised to fall a spot in the Northwest.

4th Place – Northwest Division

– Yannis Koutroupis
 

One of the hardest teams in the NBA to predict for the 2012-13 season is the Utah Jazz. They have great depth and talent in the front court, they upgraded the point guard position by trading Devin Harris and acquiring Mo Williams in separate moves, and they have a new x-factor type of player in Marvin Williams. They need young players like Gordon Hayward, Alec Burks and Enes Kanter to have standout seasons if they’re going to be in the playoff mix, but it seems very likely that at least two of those players will. The Jazz aren’t as good as Oklahoma City or Denver in the division, and if Minnesota is healthy they are probably ahead of Utah, as well. But if the Jazz get it together quickly and show marked improvement, they could be a playoff team this season.

4th Place – Northwest Division

– Bill Ingram
 

The Utah Jazz were one of the pleasant surprises of last season, exceeding expectations and sneaking into the playoffs despite being one of the younger teams in the league. They’ll certainly be in the playoff hunt once again this season, but they’ll have competition from teams like the Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors, who made significant additions this offseason in an effort to make playoff pushes of their own. The additions of Mo Williams, Marvin Williams and Randy Foye make this group better than last year’s squad, but it remains to be seen if they can duplicate last year’s success and grab one of the final seeds in the Western Conference. Either way, there’s no question that Utah’s best basketball is ahead of them. In a few years, when their young talent has developed, they’ll be scary.

4th Place – Northwest Division

– Alex Kennedy

 
The Jazz were one of the feel-good stories of the season last year, sneaking into the Western Conference playoff picture when no one really expected them to. However there’s no questioning that this organization overachieved last year, and it’s not a given that the addition of Marvin and Mo Williams are necessarily enough to keep them in the playoffs again in the spring of 2013. There’s a lot to like in regards to the young guys on this team—Alec Burks, Derrick Favors, Gordon Hayward, and Enes Kanter all have shown flashes of brilliance early in their careers – so there’s a good chance this group impresses again, but only if those young guys continue to mature. I personally think they’re still a year or two out, but there’s no question that the future is glaringly bright for the Utah Jazz.

4th Place – Northwest Division

– Joel Brigham
 

The biggest knock on center Al Jefferson was that his teams couldn’t break into the postseason although his individual numbers always looked stellar. It’s time to put that notion to rest. The next goal is advancing past the first round of the playoffs. The Jazz made some very quality moves this summer that flew under the mainstream radar. Veterans such as Marvin Williams, Mo Williams and Randy Foye possess significant league experience which was sorely missing from last year’s youthful team. Another playoff appearance should be expected in 2013, but advancing past the first round would probably be a stretch.

4th Place – Northwest Division

– Lang Greene

Top Of The List

Top Offensive Player: Now a seasoned veteran at 27 years of age with eight years of experience under his belt, Al Jefferson has proven to be one of the most reliable low-post scorers in the league. Possessing a soft touch with advanced footwork, there’s nobody who Jefferson can’t score against. At times the Jazz can force feed him and become too predictable, but he produces and shoots 49 percent from the field.

Top Defensive Player: This superlative also belongs to Al Jefferson. Jefferson leads the team in defensive rebounds (7.4) and blocks (1.66). He rates as one of the top low-post defenders in the league, never requiring help. Derrick Favors warrants mention here, though, because he has the potential to be even better than Jefferson on the defensive end.

Top Playmaker: This looks to be a major area of weakness for the Jazz. They traded away Devin Harris, their leading assist man from 2011-12 with five a game, for Marvin Williams. Mo Williams was brought in to be his replacement, but his assist numbers have been steadily declining since 2010-11. The Jazz will desperately need him to recapture his playmaking abilities as they sorely lack other shot creators.

Top Clutch Player: Al Jefferson is unquestionably the go-to guy on the Jazz, whether it’s the first quarter or the fourth. His ability to get easy buckets makes him ideal to go to with the game on the line. For Jefferson to truly be regarded as one of the best players in the clutch, though, he’s going to have to continue to improve as a passer. He averaged a career-high 2.2 assists per game last year, but the scouting report on him clearly states that he’s a reluctant passer.

The Unheralded Player: Paul Millsap is almost more respected across the league than he is by his own team. At one point, Jazz head coach Ty Corbin tried to convince him to come off the bench, which Millsap was understandably opposed to. Millsap makes a modest $8.6 million considering he put up 16 points and eight rebounds a game last season. Come the trade deadline, the Jazz should field plenty of offers for him as his deal is expiring. If he somehow remains on the team past then, bank on him going somewhere he’ll be properly appreciated.

The Best New Addition: This was a quiet offseason for the Jazz. They wanted to preserve cap space for next summer and give their young players an opportunity to play this season. Randy Foye, Mo Williams and Marvin Williams, their only new additions, will all have a chance to contribute and be a part of the nightly rotation. It looks like Williams will be depended on the most. The last couple years have not been the highlight of his career to say the least, but he has a chance to bounce back in Utah right as his contract is set to expire.

– Yannis Koutroupis

Who We Like

1. Alec Burks: In limited minutes last year, Burks showed the scoring touch that made him a lottery pick out of Colorado. The depth chart has thinned up a bit with the departures of C.J. Miles and Josh Howard, creating the opportunity for Burks to likely start this season. He really stood out at the Orlando Summer League and looks poised to breakout as a sophomore.

2. Derrick Favors: It’s not officially Favors’ time yet because Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson are still on the roster. One of them is bound to be traded by the deadline, though, and after that the Favors era will officially begin. At 21 years of age, Favors is full of untapped potential. He’s learned the ropes over the last two years, and we should be finding out over the next two seasons just how good he really is.

3. Paul Millsap: The Jazz and Millsap were very good for each other early on. They gave him a chance as a second-round pick to prove he belonged and he did exactly that. They rewarded him handsomely, but all good relationships come to an end. The Jazz have a lot invested in Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter and Millsap is too good to come off the bench. Their time together is almost undoubtedly coming to an end, but Millsap will play hard until his final day with the franchise because he doesn’t know how to play any other way.

4. Al Jefferson: Like Paul Millsap, you can’t help but feel like a breakup is inevitable with Al Jefferson as well. Jefferson is a top-end starting center who can score with the best of them. His time with the Jazz has simply run its course. They’re moving in a direction that he’s not going to be a part of. He’s still in his prime, though, and should be receiving another big contract next summer.

5. Gordon Hayward: As a sophomore, Gordon Hayward saw his minutes almost double from 16.9 a night as a rookie to 30.4. He’s set to play at least that this upcoming season, possibly even more if he shows that he can handle it. The young, athletic swingman has shown a lot of promise. What will be key for him going forward is believing in himself as much as his teammates and the organization does. They view him as a potential star and he has to have that mentality night in and night out this season.

– Yannis Koutroupis

Strengths

With Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap, Enes Kanter and Derrick Favors, the Jazz have a four-man interior rotation that makes most teams in the league envious. They complement each other well as none of them really have the same sets of strengths and weaknesses. Together they combine to make the Jazz one of the best rebounding teams in the league. They’re also very formidable when it comes to blocking shots. As a team, the Jazz were top-10 in points scored last year and they should be potent once again this season.

– Yannis Koutroupis

Weaknesses

The Jazz  lacked the three-point shooting to keep defenses from packing in against their big men last year. That’s an area they have to improve in this season. They also are lacking playmakers. They’ll be relying heavily on Mo Williams and Gordon Hayward to do the bulk of creating for others. How they respond to that need could determine whether or not they stay in the playoff mix or return to the lottery. As a team they gave up 99 points a game last night, an area they have to improve on.

– Yannis Koutroupis

What Needs To Be Said On Opening Day….

Expect to hear a lot of people talk about this as a transition year for us in Utah. We can’t be distracted by the flies, however. Our singular focus has to be on putting the best possible team out on the floor, and on all of us, individually and collectively, getting better each game. We have some pieces that should scare people – our frontcourt is productive and deep, and we have some overlooked pieces in the backcourt. However, how we integrate with one another will be a huge deciding factor in our level of success. Gordon, I want you to take advantage of the opportunity being presented to you – embrace it and squeeze the life out of it. I need our whole group to understand something: Don’t be surprised if there is a fair amount of gossip about roster movement and potential trades. We can only control what we do on the floor, and let the rest take care of itself. Let’s try to improve on last year and continue rebuilding the right culture.

– Anthony Macri and Brett Koremenos

The Burning Question

Will management try to make a big trade at the deadline or try to sign a max player next summer?

The Jazz are in a position where the decisions they make this season will determine where they are at for the next several years. With over $35 million in expiring contracts, teams looking to clear cap space for this summer are going to be blowing their phone up at the trading deadline. The Jazz have to decide whether or not they want to try and get the most out of those expiring deals then or simply let them expire and try to be players in free agency themselves. What it really comes down to is how confident they are in their ability to land a max-level free agent. They’ll have the money, but will the situation they’re offering with it be attractive enough to give them the advantage over their competitors? We’ll know come February.

– Yannis Koutroupis