r/UtahJazz • u/anothersheep29 • 4h ago
Hello from Perth, Australia!
Gday everyone, I've decided to start following NBA this year. I've gone with Utah Jazz to follow because I absolutely adore jazz music. And my favourite colour is purple. Which also works out well because my AFL team is the Fremantle Dockers who are also purple.
I know next to nothing so what do I need to know about this team? Historical wins? What players should I be keeping an eye on during games? I'm excited to get into this sport!
Thanks all!
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u/MegaAltarianite 3h ago
Aussie Joe Ingles is our GOAT, so good choice. The Jazz just exited tank mode, so this season is going to have a lot of eyes on a lot of players. All-Star Lauri Markkanen, rising star point guard Keyonte George. Rookie Darryn Peterson. Second year guy Ace Bailey. Seven assists per game off the bench Isaiah Collier.
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u/menghis_khan08 3h ago
I’m sure you know Joe Ingles from his many years with the Australia national team? Long time jazz player and a three ball merchant.
Dante exum and patty mills too. We’ve def had our share of aussies on this team
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u/Late_Ad_9742 2h ago edited 2h ago
Welcome to the Jazz! They are a really great team to follow with a strong and loyal following in terms of their fans.
I am also in Australia, living in Melbourne and have followed the Jazz for the past decade or so. I started following the Jazz when they drafted Dante Exum and also picked up my favourite Aussie player, Joe Ingles, in the same off season. Dante turned out to be a bit of a bust in Utah but Joe was and still is a Jazz legend. It was wonderful following in those early years for me, then we had the Donovan Mitchell years teaming with Rudy Gobert to make us a regular playoff team and title contender.
Those two superstars were traded away as part of a decision to reset the franchise and we got a stack of draft picks and Lauri Markkanen, and since then the past few years have been tough for Jazz fans as we had to endure a number of seasons with very few wins and it was more about tanking for draft position. Thank God that is now over and the Jazz pivoted last season to trade for Jaren Jackson Jr and also got the number 2 pick in the draft which became Darryn Peterson (a player who a lot of people had as the top pick in the draft). In the intervening years we also drafted and developed Keyonte George who looks like being a fantastic player and with him and DP will be a young dynamic backcourt for the Jazz for many years to come.
Just another fun fact but the Jazz have often had strong links to Aussie basketball. I mentioned Dante and Jingling Joe already but in addition to these two we had Patty Mills for a little while and now Josh Green. So as a fellow Aussie they are a great team to follow. Much like your Dockers they have also not yet tasted the ultimate success having been to the NBA Finals twice back in the nineties with teams led by John Stockton and Karl Malone, but lost both times. Similar to Freo who only just lost (agonisingly close).
But things are looking up for the Jazz now. They have a smart front office and have a good young team with good balance. They also still have some good draft assets in future years to enable them to add to their young core of Keyonte, DP and Ace Bailey.
So glad to see another fellow Aussie picking the Jazz to follow. For context my AFL team are the Western Bulldogs, and I likewise see many similarities to following the Jazz. They aren’t a big market team like the Lakers or the Knicks. They are often derided by other fans but they are well run, have had long periods of success without getting the ultimate prize. They play hard, and fun basketball. A good bunch of players to root for.
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u/anothersheep29 23m ago
Thanks for your comment and hello fellow Aussie! I love watching the Bulldogs play, will be even more exciting now with Butters.
It's awesome to learn the links Jazz have to Aussie basketball. It makes my choice feel right tbh. I remember watching Joe Ingles play he was an absolute superstar.
I find young teams on the rise fun to watch so this is amazing news to me
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u/ChaseBank5 3h ago
What part of Perth do you live? I lived is Australia for a few years. I was down south in Busselton for a while before moving to Rockingham
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u/anothersheep29 3h ago
I live in Serpentine, about 10minutes south of Byford! Busselton is gorgeous hey.
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u/YoGabbaG4bb4 1h ago
Holy shit, there might be 2 of us now!!! I’m also a big fan from Perth Australia :)
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u/Upset_Umpire3036 3h ago
Good time to jump on the bandwagon. This is a young team with potential who begins their ascent now.
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u/iscreamsunday 4h ago
Welcome. We now have one Aussie on our team - Josh Green, known for his perimeter defense (which we will need a lot of this season)
I’d argue our top three players right now are Lauri Markkanen, Triple J (former Defensive Player of the Year), and Keyonte George. We also just drafted Darryn Peterson who has potential to be a future franchise leader and offensive superstar.
It’s a good time to be a Utah Jazz fan!