2018-19: Western Conference playoff picture prediction

#5 Utah Jazz

Will Mitchell sustain his level of play from the playoffs last year?

We go from one of the worst defensive teams in Minnesota to a team who has the best defender in the game with Rudy Gobert.

The Jazz are going to be tough to play with Gobert hopefully playing the full season. He is a top 5 center in the league right now, some may argue he's top 3. He is the best defender in the game. Quinn Snyder was a coach of the year candidate and was able to coach his team to a surprise playoff run after many experts predicted the Jazz missing the playoffs before the 2017-18 season had begun.

Donovan Mitchell is going to be a star, and it's hard to predict how much of a jump he will experience between year 1 and 2 in the league, but should provide 20+ points for the team. After his big playoff run, he could average 23 to 24 points per game if he carries that same momentum for all 82 games. Joe Ingles is one of the best 3 point shooters in the league after he shot 44% from behind the arc this past season.

There are two questions that will be holding the Jazz back this season. Who is going to provide secondary scoring behind Mitchell and how Dante Exum will play next year. Exum just signed a big contract, that shows the team has faith in his ability.

However health has been a huge problem for the Australian point guard, his large size will be a defensive advantage when guarding smaller guards. Offensively we are still yet to see what he can contribute on a healthy and consistent basis.