3 Reasons why the Utah Jazz are legitimate contenders this season

With the first half of the 2019-20 regular season almost wrapped up, several teams have laid strong foundations for a deep playoff run. But one of the most unexpected storylines has emerged from the Salt Lake City, as the Utah Jazz have picked up steam and made the whole league take notice.

Overlooking their most recent loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, the Jazz had won won 15 of their last 16, with the their last 10 wins being in a row. Their dramatic surge to the upper echelons of the Western Conference standings is unprecedented, yet it serves as a testament that the league is much more than just super-teams.

In this piece, we will try and analyse whether Utah have a legit shot at the gold, based on their imposing 28-13 (0.683) win-loss record to start the season.

#1 Utah's collective offensive prowess is on a whole different level

The Jazz had the 24th best offense through the first 24 games

Over the last 11 games, the Jazz have been posting an NBA-best offensive rating of around 122.0 (beating Lakers to the first spot), along with leading the league in shooting from the field as well as from beyond the arc.

Bojan Bogdanovic had a detailed breakdown of why his team is doing so well,

“Our unselfishness,” said the 30-year-old shooting forward. “A lot of good ball handlers — guys that are really willing passers — and then we got a lot of good shooters on the perimeter. So, then Rudy (Gobert), one of the best rollers in the league, gives us space and an opportunity to attack.”

Despite a 13-11 start to the season, Coach Quin Snyder made sure to work on the spacing on the floor. That resulted in the Jazz shooting over 35 uncontested triples during their winning run.

Their crisp passing has led to open looks on the perimeter, and when the shots aren't falling, the individual talent on the court takes over.

#2 The imminent return of Mike Conley to the lineup will provide a veteran boost

Conley played his last game on 18th December.

Dealing with a hamstring injury for almost a month now, Mike Conley hasn't really been able to assert his will in a Jazz uniform. Coming off a 21.1 ppg and 6.4 apg year in Memphis, his season-high 20 points - which came against the Toronto Raptors in December - is the only bright spot he has been able to provide in his newest venture in Utah.

However, the 32-year-old point guard has built a reputation strong enough to hold fort until he is back on the court.

Conley's ball handling abilities and decent long-range shooting skills are a bonus to any roster he is part of. And considering how well the current Jazz lineup is regulating traffic to create easy shots, the return of Conley into the rotation is only going to force the issue further.

Having observed Quin Synder's system from the sidelines for quite some time now, Utah's highest-paid player would fit right into the scheme of things.

#3 The Jazz's recent uptick in bench production is sustainable

Utah were 29th in bench scoring before the Clarkson trade.

When the Jazz traded Dante Exum away to Cleveland for Jordan Clarkson, they were looking for a sharp scoring boost off the bench. It's no mere coincidence that their 10-game winning streak started with Clarkson's inclusion into the lineup.

Although six of the 10 wins came against some of the worst defensive squads in the NBA right now, Utah's bench has seen a surge in offensive production of late.

With Clarkson averaging 15 ppg, this team's bench production has spiked to 37.8 points per game from previously being the second-worst in the league. Royce O'Neale, Jeff Green and Emmanuel Mudiay have all been effective coming off the bench, and are part of the reason for this team's extended winning run.

The Jazz starters have been solid throughout the course of the season. But now that they have a reliable support crew at their disposal, their 2019-20 season is only going to get longer.