Salt Lake City has been lucky in acquiring great talent over the years. Beyond the flashy likes of Donovan Mitchell or the old legends such as Karl Malone and John Stockton, the Utah Jazz has had a plethora of notable players that have donned the navy blue and gold.
Here are the 5 best players who played for the Jazz that you forgot about.
5. Kyle Korver (2007-2010)
With all the teams that absolutely love his three-point shooting, it's hard to keep track of how many teams have availed of Korver's services. Of course, the Jazz was one of them, twice as a matter of fact. In his first stint, he averaged 9.8 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game. While these numbers don't stand out as much, it was his accuracy that was simply astounding as he shot 53.6 percent from three-point range. This set an NBA single-season three-point field goal accuracy record. Therefore, it's well deserved that he is regarded as one of the best shooters in NBA history. To put it into perspective, Korver currently ranks fourth on the league's all-time list of 3-pointers made—behind only Ray Allen, Reggie Miller, and Stephen Curry.
4. Al Jefferson (2010-2013)
When someone plays for a team for just three seasons, it's hard to remember any lasting impact they may have left. Be that as it may, that shouldn't be the case for Al Jefferson as he was one of the best statistical players in franchise history. His 18.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game simply don't tell the full story. His dominance can be further praised when you find out that he made it to the top 10 in 12 statistical categories, including minutes, points, rebounds, blocks, and player efficiency rating. In hindsight, it's actually crazy to think that he accomplished all this in only 3 seasons.
3. Mehmet Okur (2005-2010)
Championships are always much easier to remember than personal accolades as Mehmet Okur got his ring with the Detroit Pistons back in 2014. But when he signed with the Jazz, the 6'11” versatile starting center averaged 16.2 points and 7.8 rebounds. Beyond the stats, he was one of the few big men who could knock it down from deep way before it actually became mainstream. He also made it to the top 10 in team history in both three-pointers made and total rebounds. You can absolutely bet that that he would be all the rave in the NBA today if he were still playing.
2. Carlos Boozer (2004-2010)
Most folks remember Carlos Boozer and his disappointing stint with the Lakers in 2014. Some also remember him as one of Derrick Rose's sidekicks back in the day with the Chicago Bulls. However, Carlos Boozer could best be remembered as a walking double-double in his time with the Jazz as well as the controversial circumstances that got him there. He averaged 19.3 points while shooting 54 percent from the field. In addition, he was also one of the league's best rebounders for a time as he grabbed 10.5 rebounds per game and placed top 10 in the league three times. He also ranks top five in Jazz history with regards to points, rebounds, and player efficiency rating. Not bad at all.
1. Deron Williams (2005-2011)
Nowadays, it seems like Deron Williams is just remembered as the player who got paid by the Brooklyn Nets not to actually play. However, he was quite the spectacle 9 years ago with the Jazz. He was in a footrace with Chris Paul with regards to the conversation of the best point guard in the league. To some degree, others regarded him as the best especially considering that he edged him out with a record of 12-4 as well as beating him in points, field-goal percentage, and three-point percentage. He also averaged 18.2 points and 10.2 assists per game and led his team to four straight playoff appearances. While D-Will was riddled with injuries and he only spent 6 years in Utah, he was still able to make it into the top 10 in franchise history in 19 categories, including points and assists. It's easy to forget about how good he was as he spent the majority of the latter portion of his career as a journeyman, but put some respect on this man's name.
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