The Utah Jazz travel to Portland on Tuesday night to christen their 2016-17 season with a matchup against the Trail Blazers.
The upstart Jazz turned quite a few heads with their late-season playoff push last season, and have all of the same pieces in place plus a key offseason acquisition in an attempt to elevate themselves to the next tier of contention in the West. In starting all but one game for Utah last year, Gordon Hayward led the team in scoring, putting up an average of 19.7 points, 5 rebounds and 3.7 assists. Rudy Gobert proved a crucial element to the team’s second-ranked defense (one which allowed only 95.9 points per game), hauling in a team best 11 rebounds a night and recording 2.2 blocks, third best in the NBA. This past summer saw former Indiana Pacer George Hill land at the club as part of a three-way deal with Atlanta, and should bolster the unit with a veteran floor presence and an 11.3-point, 3.3-rebound career average. The Jazz face a tough opening slate of games, hosting the Mavericks and Spurs and visiting the Clippers and Spurs all within the next ten days.
Viewed by many as a unit that would take a step back in 2015-16 following the departure of LaMarcus Aldridge to San Antonio, the Blazers forged into the playoffs as the fifth seed on the back of a driven Damian Lillard. The 26-year-old, carrying a chip on his shoulder following another All-Star Game snub, finished the season with 25.1 points, 4 boards and 6.8 assists. C.J. McCollum enjoyed a career coming out party last season, and his 20.8-point and 3.2-rebound averages were rewarded with a four-year contract extension in July. The team also spent the summer securing some roster depth with the addition of former Celtics swingman Evan Turner at the cost of $70 million over four years. Turner’s 46 percent field goal average last year was the best of his eight-year career.
