Utah Jazz: Projected 2014 Starting Lineup

Photo Credit: Kelley L Cox -USA Today

UTAH- After another season of disappointment, the Utah Jazz are looking to rebuild. They seem to be rebuilding with young talent, especially their backcourt. The Jazz drafted two guards in the last two NBA Drafts in Trey Burke and Dante Exum; these players look like they will have a tremendous upside and could help lead the Jazz to the playoffs in the future. Burke has already seen action in the NBA but Exum is still a mystery. The Jazz believe that those two are the future of their team. They also resigned Gordon Hayward to a big contract after he proved that he is the strongest and most reliable scorer on the team. Here is a look at the Utah Jazz projected 2014 starting lineup:

Point Guard – Trey Burke: Trey Burke is heading into his sophomore year and it appears he will be the future of the Jazz at the point guard position. Burke proved doubters wrong last season, showing that even with his ‘small’ size, he can play against some of the top guards in the league. He will continue to improve and with Dante Exum as his partner; they can improve together and learn how to play at the pro level. Burke can score and pass, but his determination to win is what the Jazz are looking for. He can become a player like Kyle Lowry or Kemba Walker with the chance he becomes even better. With the right coaching and the right teammates, Burke can be a great player in the NBA.

Shooting Guard – Alec Burks: It remains unknown whether or not the Jazz will play a two point guard back court or if they will play a true shooting guard. If they play the two point guards Exum will take the starting spot ahead of Alec Burks. So this prediction is made mainly based on who on the team is an actual shooting guard. Burks is the obvious choice as last season he proved he can be productive scorer for the Jazz. He scored 14 points per game but he doesn’t do much when it comes to rebounding or assists. He wasn’t drafted to do those things and as a shooting guard his main goal is to put the ball in the basket which he has done. Burks is a good shooting guard but if Exum gets the starting role, he can improve much faster and build better chemistry with Trey Burke. For now it looks like Exum will be the sixth man with Burks starting at the two.

Small Forward – Gordon Hayward: Gordon Hayward is easily the best player on the Jazz and was given a big contract this offseason just to keep him in Utah. Hayward contributes in every way and is the best scorer on the team. He averaged 16.2 points, 5.2 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game. Those are strong numbers and if the Jazz even want to get close to he playoffs, they will need Hayward to remain healthy the whole season. He that can play with the best small forwards on offense and defense and is the key piece to the Jazz’s offense with all the new talent on the team. He will have to be patient but he will focus on improving his production and become a 20 point scorer along with being an elite defender.

Power Forward – Derrick Favors: Derrick Favors is an athletic beast and a double-double machine. He finally got his chance last season after Paul Milsap signed with the Hawks and showed he can be a strong starting center in the NBA. He can score, rebound and protect the rim which makes him such a valuable asset on any team. He needs to improve some parts of his offensive game but overall he plays well and does his part for the team. Favors will improve and looks like the best option for the starting power forward position.

Center – Enes Kanter: Enes Kanter had a disappointing season last year compared to expectations and he will look to redeem himself. He finally got a chance to start with the loss of Al Jefferson – also to free agency – but he didn’t capitalize. Kanter showed promise at the start of the season but midway through something happened and he just couldn’t produce as well as expected. Near the end of the season he began to rebound from his recent struggles but it was too late. The Jazz don’t have many other options at center and the Jazz want Kanter to be their starting center. He can be really good but it seems like he just needs that extra boost of confidence.

The Jazz aren’t expected to make the playoffs, mainly because they are rebuilding. They do have a bright future ahead of them and if they have another lottery pick in next year’s draft, they could become a top team in the future. Jazz fans need to be patient but they can be excited about the future of their team.