Utah Jazz Ranked Among NBA’s Worst Starting Fives

The Utah Jazz, to no surprise, likely won't be eyeing any playoff appearances next season.

The team is a bit different in a few notable ways from how it entered last year. They're younger, more inexperienced, and even more invested in this youth movement. Outside of Lauri Markkanen, every notable rotation piece will be 24 years old or younger, setting the stage for a year of learning, and likely a few growing pains in the process.

And when it comes to the starting five's outlook for this coming season, it doesn't look much be tter. In fact, it could be one of the worst the NBA has to offer.

Bleacher Report's Greg Swartz recently drew up a list ranking the best and worst projected starting lineups for the next NBA season, where the Jazz found themselves just one spot above the bottom of the barrel at 29 of 30.

Here's B/R's projected starting five for Utah: PG Isaiah Collier, SG Walter Clayton Jr., SF Ace Bailey, PF Lauri Markkanen, C Walker Kessler

For Swartz, between the removal of productive veterans and the implementation of inexperienced young guys, it could be a bumpy road ahead for the Jazz this season... even with Lauri Markkanen.

"The Utah Jazz are going to give the Brooklyn Nets a real run for their money for the worst starting lineup (and maybe team) in all of basketball next season, regardless if they trade Markkanen or not," Swartz wrote. "Utah had a net rating of minus-8.6 with Markkanen, Kessler and Collier last season. Take away the minutes played by Collin Sexton, Jordan Clarkson and John Collins who have all since been traded or bought out, and this number plummets to minus-30.4."

"Adding two rookies isn't going to help, either. Bailey was too high of a draft pick to not start and Clayton, 22, may get the nod based on his impressive college career. Still, offensive creation is going to be a problem for this group, as will growing pains from giving big minutes to four players still on rookie deals."

The exact logistics of who rolls out for the Jazz on day one can be debated. Maybe Keyonte George gets elevated over Walter Clayton. Perhaps Utah starts a bit more conservatively with Ace Bailey in the starting five from the start. But, regardless, it's hard not to see this team gunning for another top spot in the lottery come next summer with the current landscape in place.