Here is something few people expected when the NBA season started: the Utah Jazz currently have a 4-1 record and sit at the top of the Western Conference standings.
Perhaps even more surprising is the fact that another 4-1 team in the West is the Portland Trail Blazers.
There were plenty of people who thought the Jazz would throw the entire season, especially after the summer they had and the big changes they made.
Just look at Danny Ainge watching Will Hardy ruin all his tanking and Victor Wembenyama plans😂💀 pic.twitter.com/oKyX22l6u0
— NBA Memes (@NBAMemes) October 28, 2022
Obviously, the team isn’t done fighting hard and trying to win.
A funny NBA meme making the rounds online shows Danny Ainge seemingly staring down Jazz head coach Will Hardy.
Meanwhile, the caption reads “Just look at Danny Ainge watching Will Hardy ruin all his tanking and Victor Wembanyayma plans.”
We don’t know how the rest of the season will go for Utah but they are off to a banner start.
No Gobert, No Mitchell, No Problem
During the summer, the Jazz got rid of quite a few assets from their roster, most notably Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, two legitimate superstars who led the team for years.
The Jazz received a lot in return for those two, including multiple young players and a bunch of draft picks.
Still, it was assumed that the team would be tanking this year as it began its long rebuilding process.
Maybe not?
It is true that the team’s early success makes the chance of them landing Wembanyama in the next draft less likely.
But Ainge, Hardy, and the team don’t seem to mind that because they are insistent on winning, no matter what fans of the league expected.
It’s unlikely that the Jazz’s win record will stay as impressive as season long.
Still, no one saw this amazing start coming.
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