How the Philadelphia 76ers stack up against the Northwest Division
Utah Jazz
Utah Jazz’s Projected Starting Five:
- Mike Conley
- Donovan Mitchell
- Joe Ingles
- Bojan Bogdanovic
- Rudy Gobert
- Other Notable Players — Jeff Green, Ed Davis, Royce O’Neal, Emmanuel Mudiay, Dante Exum
The Jazz restocked over the summer, replacing Ricky Rubio and Derrick Favors with Mike Conley and Bojan Bogdanovic. As a result, the starting five went from good to great, adding another All-Star talent and a much cleaner fit on the wing.
While Favors was a consistently solid presence for Utah, his lack of shooting hurt in conjunction with Gobert. Bogdanovic adds versatility next to Joe Ingles — another high-end shooter who led the Pacers in scoring after Victor Oladipo‘s injury last season.
In Conley and Bogdanovic, the Jazz now have two players beside Donovan Mitchell who can create offense and put pressure on the defense. It takes a burden off Mitchell’s shoulders, which should in turn boost the Louisville product’s efficiency.
As Mitchell continues to blossom, Conley is the perfect accompaniment in the backcourt. A talented playmaker and scorer, Conley also functions well off-ball. He can cut, move around screens and gravitate to open spot-up 3s, meaning Mitchell can still handle primary duties when necessary.
The Jazz are an intriguing matchup for Philadelphia. The new lineup will force Al Horford to guard the perimeter, which could swing some matchups in Utah’s favor. Gobert is also a unique interior presence, with length even Embiid can’t ignore.
While the Sixers have gotten the better of Utah in recent seasons — and yes, Ben Simmons is better than Donovan Mitchell — expect a couple hard-fought battles. Series split.