The Utah Jazz improved into one of the best teams in the league last season. They have carried that level of dominance over to this season so far, posting a 20-7 record. Donovan Mitchell spearheads the NBA's best offense and remains one of the league's better shooting guards while Utah posts a top-five defense and the league's best net rating.
Rudy Gobert, the team's defensive centerpiece and one of its key players, explained what he loves most about the team. Per Kyle Ireland of KSL Sports:
“The competitiveness is there,” Gobert responded. “We all want to win but the level of maturity that we’re able to reach as a team.”
The center added that each player is trying to help the “guy next to him” improve.
“The level of talent that we have, you know, it’s something’s pretty special,” Gobert said. “We want to win a championship. I think that with this mindset, we know we can achieve everything.”
The Jazz still need more firepower to be true title contenders but they have a strong foundation in place. The organization added Danny Ainge to a high-ranking position in the hopes of bolstering the front office. Mitchell and Gobert each excel on one side of the ball and have several skilled supporting pieces, but they need to find a way to translate their regular-season success to the postseason.
Despite Utah's success, opposing players refuse to give them the utmost respect. In order to earn it, Gobert and the Jazz will have to show that they can truly compete for a title.
