The biggest “what ifs” for the Utah Jazz this season

The Utah Jazz are entering this season after an eventful, yet successful, offseason. What seemed like a disaster on lottery night turned into an elite prospect in Ace Bailey with help from Omar Cooper. Even though the Jazz have a potential cornerstone piece, they still have a lot of questions this season. Or, even more interesting, some really fun “what ifs”. Here are three of the biggest “what ifs” this season.

What if Ace Bailey is great?

Omar Cooper tanking Bailey’s draft stock was part of it, but Bailey also fell in the draft because of some question marks with his offensive game, specifically his handle and getting to the rim. So what if Bailey figures that all out and improves those weaknesses in his game? On top of that, summer league (insert grain of salt) showed us some serious defensive potential, along with other elements of his game that he brings to the table. Bailey rebounded the ball much better than expected. There’s a world where Bailey ends the season with impressive numbers and works his way into the Rookie of the Year race. My best-case scenario is something like 18/8/3 on solid percentages. If he does that, Utah has a special player on their hands.

What if Taylor Hendricks is great?

It was just three games before Hendricks went down with a terrible leg injury. In those three games Hendricks showed real flashes. He already has shown real defensive potential, the question is can he impact on both ends of the floor more consistently? Hendricks thinks he has the potential even to be the best defender in the league. If that’s what the Jazz have on their hands, things get pretty exciting with Hendricks.

Not only would this mean the Jazz have a high-impact player, Utah would need to think about making some potential trades to clear space for Hendricks.

As a fan, it’s hard not to dream of a duo of Hendricks and Bailey as high-level defenders on the perimeter. There is serious potential for this team, and that’s probably the most exciting part of this season.

What if Cody Williams’ play from summer league translates

There were some big disappointments last season, and one of them was the play of Cody Williams. Yes he was a rookie but he was unplayable for most of the season.

The good news? Cody Williams was consistently the best player for the Jazz in summer league. Maybe it was from building up strength? Maybe he found more confidence in his game? Whatever it was, Williams showed why the Jazz were willing to pick him at #10. There’s so much potential with Williams, including length, defense, and shooting. The question is whether he can put it all together. If he can, the Jazz will potentially have another high-level two-way player on their hands.