Jazz Top-3 Concerns Heading into 2023-24 Season Revealed

The Utah Jazz are no lock to trump last year's win total.

The oddsmakers have spoken. Despite winning 37 games last year and tanking games post-All-Star break, the Utah Jazz are projected to win only 34 games this season. 

ESPN NBA insider Zach Lowe seems to agree as he wrote that repeating last season's win total would be a "heavy lift" for Utah.

“My gut on them is they’re at risk. They’re at major risk for a step back in the West next season," Lowe wrote. "Their guard play, and their playmaking, specifically with [Mike] Conley now long-gone, makes me nervous, the lack of perimeter passing talent...37 wins feels like a big lift for this group."

Certainly, taking a step back is plausible, but I’m not sold on losing Mike Conley being a big issue. Conley only played in 41 games in a Jazz uniform last season, and his best days are behind him as he’ll turn 36 years old during the 2023-24 campaign.

But what are some troubles Jazz fans should be concerned with as we approach the 2023-24 season? Let’s take off our rose-colored glasses and examine the top three concerns.

John Collins' Lingering Finger Injury

Collins shot a career-low 29.2% from long distance last year. It’s safe to say that his lingering finger injury was a major contributor to that. How the finger heals will be important as we inch closer to the regular season.

The injury is called a "boutonnière deformity." Dr. Deepak Chona, an orthopedic surgeon at Stanford University, gave some insight into exactly what that is in a piece written by Chris Kirschner of The Athletic.

"It’s related to a sprain but involves the structures that hold the tendons in place, so, essentially, the person has trouble straightening the middle joint of the finger,” Chona said.

Jazz fans may have gotten a peek at Collins’ finger at this year's Summer League, and it appears it hasn’t healed yet. Stretching the floor at the power forward position will be crucial, considering Walker Kessler will be the starting center. 

Can Collins get back to being the efficient three-point shooter he was prior to the injury? It’s something Jazz fans should be keeping an eye on.

Lauri Markkanen Staying Healthy as No. 1 Option

Markkanen has had injury issues in the past, but now that he’s the No. 1 option, there should be increased concern about remaining healthy for a full season. As last season progressed, teams focused more attention on slowing down Markkanen, which resulted in more wear and tear on his body. 

It was noticeable by year's end that Markkanen wasn't 100% and, as a result, ended up missing 11 games post-All-Star break. Whether that had more to do with tanking games is unclear, but Markkanen making it through an entire year as the No. 1 has to be in the cards if Utah is going to trump last year's 37-win total.

Western Conference on the Rise

With the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes behind us, there will be more teams playing for keeps this year. The Houston Rockets,  San Antonio Spurs, and Portland Trail Blazers should put up more resistance than they did last year with their eyes on being in the playoff conversation.

With fewer teams tanking, one can certainly make an argument that Utah could be a bottom-five team out west, which would most likely put them at under 37 games this year. 

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