What the Utah Jazz's All-Time Starting Five Might Look Like

While the past few years of the franchise's history have been a bit turbulent, the Utah Jazz have had some talented players put on their jersey throughout their five-plus decades in the NBA.

Between multiple All-Stars, All-NBA talents, and even a league MVP, even without a championship to their name across their time in the league, this Jazz roster has seen some special players.

But who might be the best five players to ever lace up for the Jazz? More particularly, what would Utah's all-time starting five look like if you rounded up the best five players throughout their franchise history?

A handful of names immediately stick out as worthwhile candidates to get the call-up to the roster. A couple of them tend to be a little more obvious than others––and Jazz fans could probably take a wild guess as to who the most notable shoo-ins might be.

With all of that in mind, let's dive into what that all-time starting five would look like:

PG: John Stockton

Dec 16, 1992; Charlotte, NC, USA; FILE PHOTO; Utah Jazz guard John Stockton (12) is defended by Charlotte Hornets guard Mugsy Bouges (left) at the Charlotte Arena. Mandatory Credit: USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There's little question as to who the greatest point guard is in Jazz history. You can determine that just by looking at the NBA's all-time records for both assists and steals, both of which are held by John Stockton with no other player even close to touching either mark.

Stockton was an anomaly of a player: he was one of the most productive passers and playmakers in league history, played a total of nearly 1,700 combined games between the regular season and playoffs, and made the postseason in each of the 19 seasons he played in Salt Lake City from 1985 to 2003.

It'll be hard for any guard that puts on a Jazz uniform to best what Stockton did during his time with the franchise, even if he didn't manage to come away with his long-coveted championship that those Utah teams were striving for in the late '90s.

SG: Pete Maravich

Unknown date; New Orleans, LA, USA; FILE PHOTO; Utah Jazz guard Pete Maravich (7) in action against the Chicago Bulls at the Louisiana Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Manny Rubio-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Some may argue that Donovan Mitchell has a slight case to be included here at the Jazz's shooting guard spot. However, even in Pete Maravich's similar short tenure with the franchise that lasted five and a half seasons, he feels well deserving of that second nod in the backcourt as one of the most talented guards in his respective era.

Maravich was a true pioneer for the New Orleans Jazz as one of the standouts on their first-ever roster back in 1975, who was traded from the Atlanta Hawks, and went on to post the best numbers of his career for that five-season stretch with splits of 25-4-5 throughout his tenure.

Three All-Star selections, two All-NBA nods, and even a third-place MVP finish in 1977 when he averaged north of 31 points for the season. The only way Maravich's tenure looks any better? If the Jazz made the postseason once throughout his time with the team, considering their first appearance as a franchise was in 1984.

SF: Adrian Dantley

Unknown date and unknown location; USA; FILE PHOTO; Utah Jazz forward Adrian Dantley (4). Mandatory Credit: Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Network. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Dantley essentially acted as the bridge between Maravich's Jazz era and the next chapter in their franchise history that tends to look a bit better.

He spent seven years in Utah after bouncing around between three teams in three years, and undoubtedly made the most of his time there as one of the most talented scorers of his time.

Dantley finished as the Jazz's third-leading scorer of all time, had five All-Star nods, two All-NBA selections, led the league in scoring twice while he was in Utah, and helped lead this team to their first-ever playoff appearance in 1985.

Dantley has a special place in Utah's franchise history, and certainly sticks out as the best player to slot into the three-spot in the Jazz's all-time starting five.

PF: Karl Malone

Mar 18, 1994; Charlotte, NC, USA; FILE PHOTO; Utah Jazz forward Karl Malone (32) in action against the Charlotte Hornets at the Charlotte Arena. Mandatory Credit: USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Just like the choice was easy for who's most worthy of the Jazz's all-time point guard spot, the same can be said for Karl Malone and Utah's power forward position. Nobody else comes close to the consistency, production, and tenure that Malone showcased through 18 years spent with the franchise.

Besides Malone being the third-highest scorer in league history, he also has double the amount of rebounds and free throws that any player has totaled throughout the Jazz's franchise history, and ranks second for Utah in total assists and steals behind none other than Stockton.

That leaves little doubt for the verdict here at the power forward spot: Malone is an obvious pick, and is right there with Stockton as being deemed the best player to ever put on a Jazz uniform.

C: Rudy Gobert

Dec 27, 2021; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) looks to pass in the first half against the San Antonio Spurs at the AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

While Mark Eaton may hold the Jazz record for most blocks in franchise history, Rudy Gobert certainly can't be overlooked for the best rim protector this team has ever had on the roster, but also their best talent at the center position.

The proof is simply in the impressive resume that Gobert racked up throughout his nine years spent with the Jazz. He won Defensive Player of the Year three times while in Utah, was top five in voting in all but two seasons, added three All-Star appearances, and was a key part of the six-year playoff run this team saw from 2017 to 2022.

Gobert has seen many critics throughout his NBA career. Even still, there's no better player to slot in as the Jazz's all-time center.

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