NBA Season Preview 2019-20: Every team’s biggest question

Utah Jazz: Can they finally conquer the Houston Rockets?

In the post-Gordon Hayward era of their franchise, the Utah Jazz have been undoubtedly successful. They’ve won 98 games combined in the past two seasons behind the efforts of two-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert and exciting young guard Donovan Mitchell.

And yet, the Utah Jazz have a boogeyman. His name is James Harden.

Each of the past two seasons, the Jazz have followed up promising regular seasons with disappointing five-game playoff humiliations at the hands of the Houston Rockets. The formula that has proven so effective for them in the regular season — slow, methodical offense, complemented by all-world defense — has deserted them in the postseason. For all his brilliance, Gobert has struggled to adapt to the way he’s attacked in the playoffs; he simply hasn’t been able to handle small-ball lineups featuring 6-foot-6 P.J. Tucker as the ostensible center, and the Rockets have feasted on the mismatches they’ve been able to create.

As such, Utah’s 2019 offseason feels like a direct response to its playoff struggles. Gone is effective-yet-redundant center Derrick Favors, ostensibly replaced by scoring forward Bojan Bogdanovic, fresh off a career season with the Indiana Pacers. Similarly, incumbent point guard Ricky Rubio departed in free agency after the acquisition of Memphis Grizzlies icon Mike Conley, who will add an experienced, veteran presence in Utah’s backcourt alongside Mitchell.

In other words, these aren’t going to be the Jazz you remember from recent seasons. That might well be for the best. The Western Conference is as competitive as it has ever been, but the top spot is arguably more wide open than ever. If the Jazz can conquer their bearded boogeyman, they might just play their way into the NBA Finals next June.