The NBA Draft is coming up on October 16, which means The Game Haus will be doing draft profiles for each NBA team. Each day, a new team will be analyzed for their past season, their team needs and projected targets. Today, the Utah Jazz will be evaluated.
Last season, the Utah Jazz made a big move for a point guard the night before the draft. They traded away Grayson Allen, Jae Crowder, Kyle Korver and a protected pick for Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley, Jr. Conley was to be immediately paired with superstar Donovan Mitchell to immediately improve the offense.
Rudy Gobert and the Jazz played a pivotal role in the stoppage of the NBA. Rudy Gobert was the first NBA player to publicly test positive for the virus, followed shortly by Donovan Mitchell due to close quarters. A game was in progress when the test results came back, which suspended the game, then the entire NBA.
Utah was one of the teams invited into the NBA bubble when it restarted in July. After making the playoffs, the Jazz fell to the Nuggets in seven games. After being ousted, their focus is on the 2020 NBA Draft
The Utah Jazz have one pick in the 2020 NBA Draft
First Round: Pick No. 23
Playmaking- The Jazz finished in the bottom five in terms of assists per game. This may be partly due to the fact that Mitchell is a one-man offense, but the entire team could benefit from some great passing. It will open the offense up and take Utah to another level if they can take a pass-focused point guard in this draft.
Steals– At 6.1 per game, the Jazz were dead last in steals this season. The guard they take needs to possess great on-ball defense with a predilection for stripping it away. Just a few more steals per game to get the Jazz out of the basement will make a difference on the scoreboard.
Projected Targets
Kira Lewis, Jr. is a raw, but promising NBA prospect that would be well-suited to the Jazz offense right away. Even if it might take him a few years to reach his full potential.
Lewis, Jr. is a raw, but interesting prospect. (Photo by Michael Wade/Getty Images)
His assists last season sat at 5.2 per game, while his steals sat at 1.8. Those numbers can definitely hold over to the league and rise quickly in the next few years. Also, he averaged 18.5 points per game, meaning he can create his own shot.
Lewis is essentially the prototype for what the Jazz need. Their statistical holes will not be completely remedied by one player, but a ball-focused point guard like him could send their already great offense into the stratosphere.
Featured image courtesy of Utah Jazz
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