Utah Jazz Are Finally Beginning to Show Their True Colors

When Utah ushered out Deron Williams, any chance of contending for a title in the near future went with him. Devin Harris is a former All-Star, and his performance thus far has been disappointing, but no one ever expected him to be able to lead the Jazz closer to the promise land.

But then the season started, and Utah was rolling. Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson were dominating the low post, Earl Watson was picking apart opposing defenses, C.J. Miles was an asset and Gordon Hayward was a sophomore sensation. With these surprises came higher expectations, as the playoffs didn’t seem out of reach after all.

Here we are though, 27 games into the season, and the Jazz are sitting on a 14-13 record. And should the playoffs start today, they wouldn’t be a part it.

No one expected Utah to play above .500 basketball, implying that the team’s current record is an achievement and not a disappointment. While this is true to some extent, the fact is the Jazz have yet to commit to a direction.

Utah has a plethora of low post talent in Jefferson, Millsap, Enes Kanter and Derrick Favors, but if they were serious about contending in the near future, Kanter or Favors would be a means to obtain help on the perimeter. But they haven’t been utilized in that regard.

That must mean the Jazz are committed to rebuilding, right?

Wrong. If that were the case, either Jefferson or Millsap, or perhaps both, would be getting actively shopped. Aside from a brief shower of rumblings back in December though, nothing to this end has been explored.

So, what’s the deal? Why are the Jazz creating a false sense of hope within Utah?

This squad has been playing above its head for the better part of the season, and have begun their steady descent back to earth. The truncated schedule has created an opportunity for lesser teams, like the Jazz, to shine brighter, but not on a consistent basis.

From here on out, the Jazz will be able to relish in the occasional victory over a better than average team, but their postseason hopes will be all but obliterated by the season’s midway point. This was never a team capable of making a strong postseason push, but rather a team operating on borrowed time after the departure of its best player.

The Jazz team we watched fall behind by almost 20 points to the lowly New Orleans Hornets is indicative of the team they truly are; Utah’s true colors are finally beginning to breach the surface.

And once again, the Jazz are left with a decision to make: Do they move their best players and commit to rebuilding, or do they stand pat, or sacrifice youth by the deadline, and hold out hope that this team makes a meaningless playoff run?

Holding out hope is never a solid course of action, just ask the Cleveland Cavaliers.

It’s time for Utah to face reality. And the reality is the Jazz are built on future potential, not proven production, rendering their postseason aspirations not only unrealistic, but damaging to their team dynamic.

Let’s hold out hope that Utah comes to this realization as well. No pun intended.