Jazz Have One 'Burning Question' to Answer

The Utah Jazz have had a season full of growing pains and ups and downs, which is normal for a team right in the middle of an extensive rebuild phase –– but in that process have come questions about the team's direction and overall timeline to return to contention.

Sure, the Jazz have brought in appealing young talent across the past two to three seasons, but nothing to truly push the needle forward much. Utah still remains in the early stages of building up this core to a competitive unit, and with a borderline league-worst record to show for it this year, it's fair to wonder what the front office's direct plan is to get to the next steps of the rebuild.

Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes is the latest to chime in on the Jazz's rebuilding process, asking one vital "burning question" for the team's future: "How long is this going to take?"

Hughes notes the positives shown by the Jazz's rookie talent added in this season but follows up by questioning their ability to become a true cornerstone of Utah's hopes to soon contend.

"Collier, for one, has overtaken second-year guard Keyonte George as the team’s starting point guard. Both he and George have displayed crippling inefficiency as shooters," Hughes writes. "Filipowski’s offense intrigues, but his defensive struggles make it hard to imagine him contributing to a winner. That’s all to say Utah, despite enduring its third straight rebuilding season, still has nothing approximating a foundation. That has to concern everyone from the front office to the fan base.

Two sides of the coin are presented for Filipowski and Collier. On one hand, they've proven to be much better than their initial draft stock near or in the second round of last summer, and have showcased solid upside for their future development. On another, both still need to grow in some areas of their game to truly rely on them as a driving force in the Jazz's rise to the top.

Then there's the case surrounding 10th-overall pick Cody Williams, and that's a conversation for another day. Regardless, the Jazz have stacked up a variety of young contributors around the roster, but none have been cemented as a strong future first, second, or even third option at their best.

For a team largely relying on the growth of their young talent, that shaky ceiling within their rookies and other youthful contributors could be an issue when trying to facilitate a contender as soon as possible. The Jazz's first and second-year talent might be strong pieces, yet when factored into a tough Western Conference competition, Utah might need to find a few more pieces to the puzzle.

An offseason ahead with a premier first-round pick on the horizon, along with another selection on tap from the Minnesota Timberwolves could provide the lift this team needs to ensure an extra dose of confidence. Perhaps a blockbuster trade could factor in as well tanks to Utah's immense assets.

But when drawing out an immediate timeline for the Jazz's ability to contend, we still could be a few years out from that transpiring.

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