Before I get this blog started, I will let it be known that my conclusions are based on preseason games. With that being said, preseason games are still basketball games, and when your team is as bad as the Jazz are every game is going to look like a preseason game. The Jazz are going to be horrible this season, and the thing is they can get even worse. They are the current frontrunners (in my opinion) in the race for Victor Wembanyama, the most important tank job in recent memory, and I am absolutely stoked.
pc: Deseret News
You want to know the minutes played leaders for the Jazz through their first three preseason games? Lauri Markannen, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Kelly Olynyk. How bout' that? There's a reason why they dropped games to the Spurs and Raptors. The game that they did win was over the Blazers, and it's mainly because Jordan Clarkson had a good night. That brings me to one of my major reasons for writing this blog, to explain how the Jazz can get far worse than they are now. If the coaching staff and front office agree to sit Jordan Clarkson and Mike Conley for the majority of the season (or at least until we find trades for them) the Jazz will definitely be the worst team in the league. If we do sit those two then I think the starting lineup will look something like this. PG: Collin Sexton SG: Jared Butler SF: Lauri Markkanen PF: Jarred Vanderbilt C: Kelly Olynyk. I don't see how a team could be any worse than this.
Now, since we are having fun, I want to share my ideal starting lineup, a starting lineup that would be even worse than the one that we will likely roll out. PG: Collin Sexton SG: Jared Butler SF: Ochai Agbaji PF: Jarred Vanderbilt C: Walker Kessler. This lineup would lose nearly every game, and would still get our young guys as many minutes as possible. There's no real reason for us to play veterans like Kelly Olynyk, Cody Zeller, Stanley Johnson, or even Lauri Markkanen. These guys aren't great, but it's possible they could win us more games. We shouldn't want to win games, therefore we should want to roll out lineups with as many rookies or younger prospects as possible.
Look, I know losing sucks. However, for people who don't understand the importance of it, allow me to explain. The Jazz have been mediocre for years now. Mediocre doesn't win championships, and at the end of the day winning a championship is the only thing that matters, the ultimate goal. Sometimes mediocre teams have to his the restart button, and that's where the Jazz are. Lucky for us, on the other side of our restart button is one of the best draft prospects we have ever seen. I want Victor Wembanyama, you should want Victor Wembanyama, your kids should want Victor Wembanyama. If we don't win a game all year so be it, if it puts us in a better position to get him then it's all good with me. That should be the end goal for everyone, so sit back, relax, and enjoy some losing basketball for a change.
pc: Getty Images
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