Post-Mortem: 2022-23 Utah Jazz

[ElectricMayhem]

Danny Ainge's dream of missing the playoffs this year has come to fruition.

Here is the data from previous years' Post-Mortems:
2020-21:

Spoiler:

Post-Mortem Results I: GM Confidence Meter
Post-Mortem Results II: Coaching Confidence Meter
Post-Mortem Results III: Performance Compared to Expectations
Post-Mortem Results IV: Rising/Treadmill/Waning

2021-22:
2021-22 Post Mortem Final Summary

Team Name: Utah Jazz
Record at Time of Death: 36-44 (.450)
Head of Front Office: Justin Zanik (2019-) (Danny Ainge, CEOOBO, 2021-)
Coach: Will Hardy (2022-)

Offensive Rating: 8th
Defensive Rating: 25th
Rebound %: 5th
Turnover %: 28th

Front Office: Change or keep?
Coach: Change or keep?
Relative to expectations, how did they fare this year?
Rising, falling, or treadmill?
If you were in charge, what would you do this offseason?

Notes:
Players under contract next year:
Collin Sexton ($17m)
Lauri Markkanen ($17m)
Kelly Olynyk ($12m) (Partially Guaranteed)
Ochai Agbaji ($4m)
Simone Fontecchio ($3m)
Walker Kessler ($3m)
Kris Dunn ($3m) (Partially Guaranteed)

Team Options:

Player Options:
Jordan Clarkson ($14m)
Talen Horton-Tucker ($11m)
Rudy Gay ($6m)
Damian Jones ($3m)

Free Agents:
Udoka Azubuike
Juan Toscano-Anderson
Johnny Juzang
Micah Potter
Luka Samanic

Dead Money:


Previous Post-Mortems:
30. Houston Rockets
29. San Antonio Spurs
28. Detroit Pistons
27. Charlotte Hornets
26. Portland Trail Blazers
25. Indiana Pacers
24. Washington Wizards
23. Orlando Magic
22. Utah Jazz

[pace31]

Traded 2 all stars, still won
Dumped key role players at trade deadline, still kept winning
Traded everyone and made the whole roster “injured” finally resulted in losses

Will Hardy wont get coach of the year, but you could argue he did the most impressive job of any coach this season. A fantastic year with a ton to look forward to. Lauri legit all star, Kessler DPOY material, a few potential nice young pieces, and picks galore.

[BostonCouchGM]

exactly as I predicted. Danny and his hubris would rather surprise people and win when everyone thinks he is tanking then tank. He's never tanked. He never will. What Ainge does is pick up underutilized and under appreciated assets via trade, develop young players, trade for future picks, and be competitive with try hard role players. He uses team's desperation on draft night against them to acquire picks. With as many chances as possible armed with all these picks, 3 first rounders in this year's draft, he's hoping to land a bonafide #2 if not #1. I can see Anthony Black being a great fit and if he's there when they're on the board that's who I think Ainge will take . He's like a taller, smarter Marcus Smart. Maybe draft and stash Coulibaly (if he comes out) or trade out. Use the third pick on a guy like Jalen Wilson. Jazz fans should be very optimistic.

[ElectricMayhem]

I agree with the sentiment that Will Hardy did a COTY-level job. This team, which looked dead in the water on paper, would be in the playoffs if the front office had not shut that down with the Vanderbilt/Conley/Beasley trade. Markkanen and Kessler have thrived and the Jazz are flush with picks from the Gobert and Mitchell trades. They have all the materials necessary and some good pieces, but they still have a lot of building to do.

[baldur]

Trade markkanen for Evan mobley and another 4 first rounders.

[CallMeKahn]

I agree with the sentiment that Will Hardy did a COTY-level job. This team, which looked dead in the water on paper, would be in the playoffs if the front office had not shut that down with the Vanderbilt/Conley/Beasley trade. Markkanen and Kessler have thrived and the Jazz are flush with picks from the Gobert and Mitchell trades. They have all the materials necessary and some good pieces, but they still have a lot of building to do.

Yeah, that pretty much sums it up. I think injuries did them in a point as well. Utah's acquired their assets. Need to start making it into something.

[ArtMorte]

The easy part is done (trade half the roster and miss the playoffs), now comes the hard part of trying to turn assets and cap space into a good team.

[MTJazzv3]

Jazz signed Luka Samanic to a 2023-24 contract after last night and he got high praise from Hardy. Gonna be intense competition for the bench roster starting this summer. Fully expect Ainge to wheel and deal on draft night - snag a promising rookie and parlay other pieces/picks into another vet starter.

[PlatinumState]

Overachieved insanely with role players and much improved Lauri and a great future center in Kessler. Plenty to build on, lots of cap space

[Nate505]

Other than being irritated with how Ainge gutted the team's depth in the middle of the season (which I at least get as a long term strategy, mostly for getting out of Conley's contract), it's hard to complain about this season and have anything but a ton of hope for the future.

Talent? They have some good pieces to work with (Lauri, Kessler, Agbaji) and a few wildcards that I'm not sure how will pan out but I like (Sexton, THT)
Draft Picks? They have a ton of them. They can very well have two lottery picks this year.
Cap Space? Looks like they'll have a lot of that as well. Utah isn't exactly a good free agent destination (some might call it the worst), but eventually money does attract talent, especially guys who are really good but not quite top tier
Coaching? Hardy isn't perfect, but he's really good and will only get better.

Again, hard to not be excited about the future.

[FJS]

This team should be in playoffs, but Ainge was thinking in the future. Without trading Vando, beasley, Conley and Naw this team would be above 50%.

We have pieces for the future, a promising young coach and a lot of 1st pick. Sooner than later jazz will be another time a top team

[MoneyTalks41890]

It was a good season, but without a high pick the Jazz are a bit in no man’s land going forward. Will be interesting to see if Lauri gets moved for a pick or if they otherwise try to move up for a difference maker.

[pillwenney]

Feels like they have their starting bigs. Most ideal thing for them would be if they got lucky and moved up for someone like Scoot, as a dynamic superstar playmaking perimeter player is their biggest need IMO. If they don't, I could see them trying to package assets to acquire one when one becomes available.

[Ballerhogger]

It was a good season, but without a high pick the Jazz are a bit in no man’s land going forward. Will be interesting to see if Lauri gets moved for a pick or if they otherwise try to move up for a difference maker.

I think jc will be moved fire but lauri seems like fan favorite and with Kessler makes decent 1-2 punch

[Pointgod]

I have a feeling they’re going to pull an OKC and tank again for a top pick next year. They have two foundational pieces in Walker Kessler and Lauri. I think Ainge goes looking for an elite wing. Maybe Ainge tries to trade up for a top 5 pick.

[jazzfan1971]

I think the Jazz found a #2 in Markkanen. And a starting 5 in Kessler. After that it is a bunch of questions for me.

Is agbaji good: I don't know.
Can sexton run a team: I'm leaning towards no.
Is Clarkson part of the next good Jazz team: again leaning towards no.
Is THT worth paying: I don't know.

For me more questions than answers. Jazz need to find the next Spider to be Markkanens running mate. And that is very hard to do. Ainge has tons of assets and flexibility so I guess we will have to see what he can do. If he can't find a #1 option the Jazz will be somewhere between treadmill and also rans for a long time to come.

[HiRez]

It's pretty crazy, I honestly expected them to have the worst record in the league this year.

[thelead]

Performed way better than expected and Hardy seems like a keeper. What picks do they own over the next 2-3 years?

My only concern for them is that they gutted some quality players to tank but will end up with the 9th worst record. What are their expectations for next year without those players for the entire season? Are they a .500+ team next season?

[jazzfan1971]

Performed way better than expected and Hardy seems like a keeper. What picks do they own over the next 2-3 years?

My only concern for them is that they gutted some quality players to tank but will end up with the 9th worst record. What are their expectations for next year without those players for the entire season? Are they a .500+ team next season?

I expected them to tank hard this year. They didn't. I expect they will be bad next year. I guess we have to see.

[Catchall]

I think the Jazz found a #2 in Markkanen. And a starting 5 in Kessler. After that it is a bunch of questions for me.

Is agbaji good: I don't know.
Can sexton run a team: I'm leaning towards no.
Is Clarkson part of the next good Jazz team: again leaning towards no.
Is THT worth paying: I don't know.

For me more questions than answers. Jazz need to find the next Spider to be Markkanens running mate. And that is very hard to do. Ainge has tons of assets and flexibility so I guess we will have to see what he can do. If he can't find a #1 option the Jazz will be somewhere between treadmill and also rans for a long time to come.

Jazz need to find an elite on-ball player, a big guard or dynamic wing, that will go a long way to defining the future of the franchise. Could be a draft prospect. Could be a trade. I'd love for them to pick up one of the Thompsons in the draft.