Latest NBA Power Rankings Place Utah Jazz in Ugly Territory

The expectations are looking low surrounding the Utah Jazz.

Mar 4, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz head coach Will Hardy calls a play against the Washington Wizards during the second half at the Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images / Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images

While it's become clear that those around the league have pinned the Utah Jazz to be among one of the worst teams in the NBA across the 2024-25 season, that sentiment was made abundantly clear within the newest batch of power rankings ahead of this week's looming preseason.

Following the Jazz's media day showings, the staff and players made sure to emphasize the focus of their young talent, and while it generates some excitement about what the season ahead could have in store, that youth and inexperience may inevitably lead to some stumbling within the league standings, and many power rankings to follow.

The latest set of rankings coming into the preseason comes from Bleacher Report, who kept things honest on the Jazz, placing them at a lowly spot of 29th, only ahead of the Washington Wizards-- a team who secured 15 wins across their last campaign.

B/R's Andy Larsen added some insight on the Jazz's rank, noting that while Lauri Markkanen inked his long-term extension that prevents him from being dealt this summer, Utah will likely be among one of the bottom-tier teams in the league standings for the 2024-25 year:

"Because of how late into the summer he signed his extension, Lauri Markkanen isn't eligible to be traded this season. But that doesn't necessarily mean the Utah Jazz will be above the tank race... Utah can still improve its lottery position by moving one or more of Jordan Clarkson, Collin Sexton, or John Collins. And there are six first- or second-year players who could get meaningful rotation minutes. Expect to see plenty of Keyonte George, Taylor Hendricks, Brice Sensabaugh, Cody Williams, Isaiah Collier, Kyle Filipowski, and the losses that will come from playing them."

- Andy Bailey, Bleacher Report

Atop the rankings, B/R sees the Boston Celtics reclaiming the number one spot, followed up by the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Denver Nuggets. Clearly, the Jazz are still more than a way away from being within those conversations.

Still, there's a great deal of optimism surrounding the Jazz and their youth movement and what their outlook is for the season ahead. Utah and their staff look more motivated than ever to get their young players active and involved, and while the short-term success may be limited, giving the second and third-year guys more opportunities effectively accelerates their timeline to grow and move the needle of this rebuild forward.

Make no mistake, Markkanen will still be heavily involved and could still find his way into All-Star discussions if the Jazz exceed initial expectations in the first half of the season. However, when compared to the previous two campaigns in Utah, there's a strong chance that the surrounding veteran talent will take a step back while those 23 and under move to increase their roles further.

The Jazz will kick off their preseason on Friday, October 4th with the NBL's New Zealand Breakers travel to Salt Lake City, tip-off being scheduled at 7 PM MT.

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