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    Utah Jazz Franchise Information

    Have a read on below at some quick stats and facts on the Utah Jazz to get you started:

    Established:1974
    Stadium:Vivint Smart Home Arena
    Colours:Navy blue, gold & green
    Hall of Famers:Pete Maravich, Walt Bellamy, Gail Goodrich, Adrian Dantley, John Stockton, Karl Malone, Bernard King & Spencer Haywood 
    Hall of Fame Coaches:Jerry Sloan
    Rivals:Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers & Denver Nuggets
    Legends:Pete Maravich, Adrian Dantley, Mark Eaton, John Stockton, Karl Malone, Andrei Kirilenko, Deron Williams, Carlos Boozer & Al Jefferson
    Retired Numbers:1, 4, 7, 9, 12, 14, 32, 35, 53 & 1223
    Conference: Western Conference
    Division:Northwest Division 
    NBA Championships:None

    Utah Jazz History

    The Utah Jazz started off in New Orleans in 1974, after the New Orleans Jazz was accepted as an expansion team. The Jazz traded six draft picks, including two first rounders, for star point guard Pete Maravich, who attended local college Louisiana State University, to be their franchise cornerstone. 

    Maravich played at a high speed and with incredible skills, which helped fill stadiums. Despite winning the scoring championship in the 1976-77 season, Maravich only helped the New Orleans franchise to a 39-43 record in their best season. 

    The Jazz had traded three first-round picks for Gail Goodrich, who injured his achilles early in his first season with the club and never amounted to the expectations surrounding him. The team then traded Moses Malone in an attempt to regain one of the picks used to get Goodrich, however trading for the wrong pick with the Los Angeles Lakers selecting Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson with one of the Jazz’s original picks. Malone and Johnson went on to have Hall of Fame careers, while Goodrich lasted three seasons with the Jazz. 

    With the New Orleans franchise facing high taxes and unable to draw in any local investors and support, the team struggled financially, eventuating in the Jazz moving to Utah, which had previously been home to the Utah Stars in the American Basketball Association. While there was no real Jazz heritage in Utah, the name remained due to the front office running out of time to file for a name change before the 1979-80 season, the first in Utah. 

    Utah’s front office brought in high scoring Adrian Dantley, but continued to struggle in the first year since the relocation, finishing with the 24-58 record. This poor performance allowed them to receive the second pick in the 1980 NBA Draft, where they selected Darrell Griffith, who went on to win Rookie of the Year. 

    The Jazz continued to struggle, seeing attendance drop with the continued on-court failures. Utah had the third pick in the 1982 draft and selected offensive star Dominique Wilkens, but he was avoided by the Lakers and Clippers due to his selfishness, which caused him to request a trade from the Jazz before even playing a game. Utah were again on the wrong end of a lopsided trade, with Wilkens going on to have a Hall of Fame career and the two players Utah getting in return never able to contribute. 

    With rumours circling of the team moving cities due to increasing financial troubles, the Jazz rallied behind Dantley, Griffith and 7’4 center Mark Eaton. Utah ended the 1983-84 season with a 45-37 record, allowing them to capture their first division title and finish second in the Western Conference. In their first trip to the playoffs the Jazz defeated division rivals 3-2 in the opening round before falling to the more experienced Phoenix Suns. 

    The 1984 offseason saw controversy, with Utah selecting little known guard John Stockton, which was met with boos from the Jazz fans in attendance. Stockton, along with the emergence of Eaton, who averaged an NBA record 5.6 blocks per game on his way to winning Defensive Player of the Year, helped the Jazz get back to the playoffs for a second straight season. Utah defeated Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets 3-2 in the first round, but were eliminated by the Nuggets in the second round. 

    In the 1985 offseason, 50% of the team was purchased by Larry Miller, who then went on to buy the other 50% when there was talk of other investors taking complete control and moving the franchise to Minneapolis. 

    Karl Malone was also added to the team that offseason, selected at pick 13 in the 1985 draft, and had immediate impact but with Griffith sidelined for most of the season the Jazz were unable to get out of the first round of the playoffs. 

    Dantley was traded from the team and Griffith lost his starting spot, with Stockton’s play increasing his minutes from game to game. Utah would go on to have their fourth straight 40 win season and playoff appearance, but were again ousted in the first round. 

    The 1987-88 season was where Stockton and Malone both established themselves as the stars of the team, with the Jazz improving to a 47-35 record, winning their first round match up with the Portland Trail Blazers, before taking the Lakers to seven games, going down in the decider. Utah continued to improve with Jerry Sloane joining as head coach and with Malone being named All Star Game MVP and Eaton winning his second Defensive Player of the Year award. 

    The Jazz had their first 50 win season, winning their second division title and finishing second in the West, but were swept by the Warriors in the opening round. The following two seasons saw the Jazz dominate the regular season, finishing with 55 and 54 wins, but were eliminated in the first and second rounds respectively. 

    The 1991-92 season saw big changes for the Jazz, moving to a new arena that allowed an extra 7,000 fans to attend, with the team continuing to play at a high level. Utah won their third division title and were able to fix their playoff woes, defeating the Clippers and Seattle Supersonics on the way to their first Western Conference Finals berth. Utah were eventually undone by Portland for the second straight season, losing 4-2 in the Conference Finals. 

    Despite slight decreases in performance, Utah remained among contenders in the West, with Stockton and Malone being named co-MVPs of the 1993 All Star Game, but they weren’t able to overcome the Supersonics in the first round of the playoffs. 

    Utah looked to provide help for Stockton, Malone and Eaton, adding sharpshooter Jeff Hornacek. The Jazz made the playoffs again for what was the 11th straight season, beating the Spurs and the Nuggets before falling again in the Conference Finals, this time to the eventual Champions in the Rockets. 

    In 1994-95, the Jazz finished with their first 60 win season, showing their star power and depth, but faced the Rockets in the first round of the playoffs, and weren’t able to overcome them for a second straight year. 

    Utah remained near the top of the West, finishing the regular season third with a 55-27 record and making the Conference Finals for a third time. Things were looking too familiar when facing a 3-1 deficit, but the Jazz managed to crawl back against the Supersonics to force a game 7, but were unable to win the decider and just missed out on that elusive first Finals berth. 

    The season of 1996-97 marks the best season in Utah Jazz history, finishing with a 64-18 record, another division title and the 1-seed in the West for the first time. The Jazz, led by Stockton and 1997 MVP Malone, only lost one game in the first two rounds against both of the Los Angeles teams before coming up against a familiar foe, the Houston Rockets, in the Western Conference Finals. 

    The Jazz were finally able to overcome their rivals, securing their first trip to the NBA Finals in franchise history, facing Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. Stockton and Malone were no match for Jordan and Pippen, losing in six games to the defending champs. 

    Utah finished on top of the Western Conference standings for the second straight season. Facing the Rockets again, this time in the first round, the Jazz continued their winning ways 3-2 in the first round, before going on to defeat the Spurs and the Lakers easily to set up another match up with the Chicago Bulls in the Finals. 

    Stockton and Malone were again unable to match the firepower of Jordan and Pipped, losing 4-2 for the second straight season, with the Bulls claiming their third Championship in as many years. 

    The lockout shortened 1998-99 season saw Malone win his second league MVP and the Jazz finish with the best record in the West for the third straight season. After beating the Kings 3-2, Utah fell to the Blazers in the second round, marking a severely disappointing season after the last two years. 

    Utah continued to dominate the regular season behind Stockton and Malone, but were never able to reach their previous heights, being eliminated in the second round by the Blazers again. 

    Hornecek retired following the 2000 playoffs and the Jazz went on to three straight first round eliminations from the playoffs. During this time they added young stars DeShawn Steveson and Andrie Kirilenko but it wasn’t enough to push Utah back to where they once were. Following the third first round exit in 2003, Stockton retired and Malone left for the Lakers in free agency, marking the end of a 20 year streak of making the playoffs. 

    Utah signed Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur as free agents during a three year lull, adding to their breakout All Star Kirilenko as part of the next phase for the franchise. The next phase appeared to be complete when they traded three draft picks for the third pick in the 2005 Draft, selecting point guard Deron Williams. 

    This core, led by Williams, saw a 15 game improvement on the previous year, just missing out on the playoffs, but were able to make it the following season in 2007, winning another division title. 

    The 51 win Jazz beat the Rockets and the Warriors on their way to their first Western Conference Finals since Stockton and Malone were on top, losing to eventual champion the Spurs in 5 games. Williams led the Jazz to the playoffs the following three years, but the team was never able to make it past the second round, losing to the Lakers in all three playoffs.

    The 2010 offseason saw another change, with Boozer signing with the Bulls, Utah selecting wiry forward Gordan Hayward in the draft and trading for big man Al Jefferson. After starting the season 27-13, the Jazz would drop off and miss the playoffs and Jerry Sloan, the longest tenured head coach after starting in 1988, would resign. Utah then traded star point guard Deron Williams, and after missing the playoffs the year before, would only make them once over the following five years. 

    During this time, Utah selected French 7’2 center Rudy Gobert, in 2013, who paired with Hayward, helped the team make the playoffs for the first time in five years in 2017. Utah won their 9th division title and made it to the second round of the playoffs before being swept by eventual champions, the Golden State Warriors. 

    Despite their success, Gordon Hayward left Utah that offseason for the Boston Celtics, but the hole he left was filled by the 13th pick in the 2017 draft, Donovan Mitchell. While the team’s win tally decreased by three games in the 2017-18 season, the team saw great individual success. 

    Gobert won Defensive Player of the Year, Mitchell came second in Rookie of the Year voting and Quin Snyder came second in Coach of the Year voting. Utah again won their first round playoff series before being defeated in the second round, this year by their old rival, the Houston Rockets. 

    Mitchell and Gobert continued to lead the way during the 2018-19 season, with Gobert picking up his second consecutive Defensive Player of the Year award. Finishing 5th in the West for the third straight year, the Jazz came up against the Rockets again, unable to overcome MVP James Harden, being eliminated in the first round.

    The 2019 offseason saw massive roster changes, in an attempt to better support their two young stars. As many as six players were added and seven players removed from the previous year’s roster, with additions including Mike Conley, Bojan Bogdanovic and Jordan Clarkson. 

    Mitchell and Gobert were both selected for the All Star Game and the Jazz made the playoffs for the fourth straight year. Rudy Gobert was the first NBA player to test positive for COVID-19, and his jovial attitude towards the issue caused tension between himself and Mitchell, with reporters thinking that one would have to be traded in the offseason for the welfare of the team. 

    Donovan Mitchell would announce himself as a true star of the league in this series, scoring 57 points, the third highest in a playoff game in league history, in game 1 of the series and 51 in game 4 of the series, being the third player in history to have two 50 point games in the same series. Utah would have a 3-1 lead over the Denver Nuggets, but unfortunately lost the last three games to be eliminated in the first round. 

    Utah suddenly became regular season specialists and that rang true in the 2020-21 NBA season. The Jazz were the top team in the league almost all season, finishing with the league’s best record. This was despite Mitchell and Conley missing 19 and 21 games respectively. They were grounded by Gobert, who won Defensive Player of the Year, again, as well as Clarkson and Joe Ingles, who came 1st and 2nd in Sixth Man of the Year voting respectively.

    Unfortunately for Utah, it was a case of a disappointing postseason yet again. A 4-1 victory over Memphis was expected but then the Jazz lost to the Clippers in six games, despite Kawhi Leonard missing the last 2, which LA both won. They are a great team, but Gobert is marginalized in the playoffs and the age & injury-prone nature of Conley is worrying moving forward.

    The Utah Jazz had a decent campaign in 2021-22 as they made the playoffs and finished the year with a record of 49-33 and in 5th place in the Western Conference.

    Expert 2022-23 Picks & Preview on Utah Jazz

    If you are a fan of the Utah Jazz, then you know that the only thing that matters right now is how they are expected to perform in the 2022-23 season. Do the Utah Jazz have the star power to make it all the way to the playoffs and win The Finals in 2023?

    Have a read on below at SportsTips expert picks & preview on the Utah Jazz:

    Front Office

    Will Hardy is the head coach of the Utah Jazz, and this upcoming 2022-23 National Basketball Association season will be his first season in charge of the franchise. He has been coaching in the league for one year overall as this will be his first season as the head coach of the Utah Jazz. He spent time as an assistant for the San Antonio Spurs and Boston Celtics. He is also a former college basketball player.  

    Justin Zanik is the general manager of the Utah Jazz and he has held that position within the franchise since 2019. This upcoming 2022-23 National Basketball Association season will be his third season as the decision maker for the franchise. 

    Key Players

    Mike Conley is the best player on this team’s roster and he is sure to make a huge impact during the 2022-23 National Basketball Association season. This upcoming season will be his 16th season in the National Basketball Association. Last season he put up some impressive numbers as he averaged around 14 points per game. He set up his teammates as well as he averaged around five and a half assists per game. He also managed to do some work on the boards as he averaged around three rebounds per game. 

    The second key player on this roster is Rudy Gay and this upcoming season will be his 17th season in the National Basketball Association. Last season he put up some decent numbers as he averaged around eight points per game. He set up his teammates as well as he averaged around one assist per game. He also managed to do some work on the boards as he averaged around four and a half rebounds per game.

    Breakout Player

    Ochai Agbaji will be the breakout player on this team’s roster and he is sure to make a huge impact during the 2022-23 National Basketball Association season. He is a former 14th overall pick in the 2022 National Basketball Association Draft. This upcoming season will be his rookie season in the National Basketball Association after attending Kansas. He was originally drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers but was traded for Donovan Mitchell. Last season he put up some impressive numbers as he averaged around 19 points per game. 

    He set up his teammates as well as he averaged around one and a half assists per game. He also managed to do some work on the boards as he averaged around five rebounds per game. He put in some work on the defensive end of the court as well, averaging around one steal per game and one block per game. His list of accolades is impressive as he is a former All-American.

    Utah Jazz Betting & Odds Preview 2022-23

    The Utah Jazz campaign during the 2021-22 National Basketball Association season went about as you would’ve expected. They finished the year with a record of 49-33 and in first place of the Northwest Division. However, they are sure to decline after trading away their best two players over the offseason. 

    There is a lot of optimism surrounding the franchise heading into the 2022-23 National Basketball Association season. If they want to improve or keep up their current level of play they will certainly need a ton of production from their stars over the course of the 2022-23 National Basketball Association season. The most important thing in any season is how a team starts out of the gate, and then how they look when the all-star break approaches. 

    In the National Basketball Association, a lot can change over a single off-season. It will be interesting to see how their offseason moves translate onto the basketball court over the course of the 2022-23 National Basketball Association season. Based on their odds to win some hardware headed into the season it is clear how the oddsmakers in Las Vegas feel about them heading into the year. 

    Their odds to bring home the Northwest Division championship this season currently sit at +1800 heading into the 2022-23 National Basketball Association season, which puts them fourth in the Northwest Division out of five teams. 

    While their odds to win the Western Conference currently sit at +10000 heading into the 2022-23 National Basketball Association season, which puts them 11th in the Western Conference out of 15 teams. Their overall odds to bring home the championship are currently sitting at +50000 heading into the 2022-23 season, as they rank last out of all 30 teams in the National Basketball Association.

    Utah Jazz FAQ

    Still got some burning questions about the Utah Jazz? Well, we have answered some of the most common questions people have, hopefully you will find the answer you are looking for below! 

    Where do the Utah Jazz play?

    The Utah Jazz play their home games at the Vivint Smart Home Arena. 

    Who owns the Utah Jazz?

    Ryan Smith is the owner of the Utah Jazz. 

    Have the Utah Jazz won an NBA Championship?

    The Utah Jazz have won 0 NBA championships. 

    Who is the Utah Jazz coach?

    Will Hardy is the head coach of the Utah Jazz. He was announced as the new head coach prior to the 2022-23 season, replacing Quin Snyder who was hired following the 2013-14 season, after being assistant coach of the Atlanta Hawks.

    Do the Utah Jazz play tonight?

    Are you wondering if the Utah Jazz are playing tonight? Well, SportsTips has all the details you need about upcoming Utah Jazz games! Make sure you check this page at the top for all the details you are looking for.

    What is the Utah Jazz record?

    The Utah Jazz had a 49-33 win-loss record for the 2021-22 NBA season. 

    Did the Utah Jazz win last night?

    Fans of the Utah Jazz are all wanting to know if they won the game last night. You can find more information in relation to the team’s recent form in games on the page at the top.

    How much are the Utah Jazz worth?

    According to Forbes Magazine, the Utah Jazz are worth $1.75 billion.

    Who do the Utah Jazz play tonight?

    Like a lot of things in the NBA, things change pretty quickly. So, if you are looking for more information about who the Utah Jazz play tonight, you have come to the right place. We have all this information for you in detail, you can find these details for upcoming games at the top of the page.

    How to watch the Utah Jazz?

    You can watch the Utah Jazz on TV channels like ESPN, ABC, TNT, NBA TV or AT&T SportsNet, or subscribe to NBA League Pass. 

    Will the Utah Jazz make the playoffs this year?

    The Utah Jazz made the playoffs in the 2021-22 season. They finished the regular season in fifth place of the Western Conference with a 49-33 record. 

    Will the Utah Jazz get the 1st pick in the NBA Draft?

    The Utah Jazz did not receive the top pick in the 2022 NBA draft. 

    When do the Utah Jazz play?

    Utah Jazz fans are always looking for more information about when their team plays the next game. For all the information you have been craving and more, be sure to check the top of this page. Here at SportsTips, we list all the information you need like the tip off time, location of the game and the all important NBA odds.

    Where did the Utah Jazz finish the season?

    The Utah Jazz finished the 2021-22 NBA season in 5th place in the Western Conference. 

    How many games did the Utah Jazz win?

    The Utah Jazz won 49 games during the 2021-22 NBA season.