Jazz Found Near Rock Bottom of ESPN's Latest NBA Power Rankings

The Utah Jazz haven't gotten off to the hottest start for this NBA season.

Oct 29, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Collin Sexton (2) and guard Keyonte George (3) battle Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray (13) for a rebound during the first quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images / Rob Gray-Imagn Images

During their initial four games of the 2024-25 NBA season, the Utah Jazz have gotten far from an easy road to start. The team has started winless with a 0-4 overall record, saw their second-year starting forward Taylor Hendricks suffer a brutal year-ending leg injury, and still haven't gotten the most ideal production from their new rookie talent.

It's no secret that this team's rebuild process won't make a 180-degree turn overnight, but when taking a step back to look at how this season has started, it's far from an appealing outlook.

While it's a long season with plenty of time remaining on the schedule to flip the script, currently, the Jazz rank towards the bottom of the league in terms of team prestige-- and that was made apparent in ESPN's latest power rankings after one week of NBA games taking place.

Out of each of the league's 30 teams, ESPN insiders placed the Jazz at the 29th spot in the NBA for their newest set of power rankings, placing ahead of only the Washington Wizards, who actually has managed to win a game in their opening week, resulting in their 1-2 start.

"Cody Williams is the only one of the Jazz's three rookies to get significant playing time, and he's gotten off to a slow start as he adjusts to the speed of the NBA game," insider Tim MacMahon said when diving into Utah's ranking. "The No. 10 pick and younger brother of Oklahoma City star Jalen Williams, the rookie forward averaged 2.0 points and 3.7 rebounds while shooting 18.2% from the floor in 20 minutes per game during the Jazz's 0-4 start. But the Jazz are excited about the 6-7, 190-pound teenager's potential due to his excellent feel for the game and athleticism."

The Jazz's haven't quite gelled much across the board during their early sample size. The team ranks dead-last in the NBA for points per game, bottom three in three-point percentage, top five in turnovers, and are still among the top ten in the league for points allowed. It's a small batch of minutes to analyze, but regardless, it's easy to see how Utah has ended up where they're at now.

With such a young core, it's not too surprising to see this squad get off to a rough start early, but as with any youth movement, getting that aspired growth and development takes time. The Jazz have done an impressive job of stacking talent in their rebuild for the past three seasons, and while things may look ugly now, with patience, this group will have what it takes to turn the page in due time.

The Jazz will have an opportunity to get back on their feet for their first win of the season come Halloween night, when Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs travel to Delta Center at 7 PM MT.

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