Now tell me something
Is there a point to this?
Or are we living for the feeling
When we look back
On what we did and reminisce?<\/p>\n
\u2014 Maybe You\u2019re the Reason<\/a>, by The Japanese House<\/p>\n These lines from Amber Bain of The Japanese House feel particularly appropriate as we approach what is broadly accepted to be the dying moments of the Utah Jazz<\/a> tanking era. By all appearances, Utah\u2019s management seems to hold zero intention of posturing for draft position in the near future. An injection of veteran talent inserted into Utah\u2019s ripening young core, plus next year\u2019s planned installation of a brand-new draft lottery system, only solidifies the inescapable truth that the Jazz already knew: the era of the tank is over and done.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n So here we sit on this refraction point. Inside the Pink Floyd-esque prism, facing a brighter future, while holding to one final moment when winning didn\u2019t matter, and patience was a virtue valued above all else. Now, staring down the barrel of the final draft of the tanking age, we\u2019re forced to self-reflect.<\/p>\n Did slamming the glowing crimson self-destruct button on the Mitchell-Gobert era deliver the reset that the Utah Jazz felt was necessary? Did the blast leave behind a fertile ground from which a new, better future could sprout? Will the reward be worth the sacrifice?<\/p>\n Or is Utah doomed to stumble back into obscurity, collapse into mediocrity? Was there a point to this after all?<\/p>\n That answer likely won\u2019t arrive in full for a while, and I\u2019m not talking about 3-5 business days. It\u2019s time to take one last look back at what once was. Absorb it. Understand it. Accept it. And finally release it.<\/p>\n \u2026the era of the tank is over and done.<\/p>\n With the 2026 NBA Draft looming, the Utah Jazz will be afforded a pick somewhere in the 1-8 range. This draft pick is the team\u2019s final opportunity to add a future star through organic means (non-trade, non-free agency); a final relic from the tanking age. We can fantasize over the heroics and golden age ushered in by demigods like AJ Dybantsa, Caleb Wilson, or Darryn Peterson \u2014 it\u2019s perfectly healthy to smile over what could be. But it would be emotionally irresponsible to brace for the likelihood of slipping from the fourth spot down to five, six, seven, or eight.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n It could happen. If Utah\u2019s lottery history is any indication, then it probably will happen. But a disappointing lottery doesn\u2019t have to mean a disappointing rookie, am I right, Ace Bailey<\/a>?<\/p>\n If the Jazz stumble below their current slot in the draft order, what\u2019s the game plan, and how can they come out of this as a winner?<\/p>\n The answer to that is simple: pick up Arizona\u2019s Brayden Burries.<\/p>\n Brayden Burries 2026 NBA Draft Profile:<\/p>\n Measurables:\u00a06\u20194\u201d, 205 lbs, 20 years old Advertisement<\/p>\n Look, I\u2019ll be the first to admit that I\u2019m higher on Burries than most.<\/p>\n In a recent article,<\/a> I made a wishlist for the Utah Jazz, listing the five best fits in the current NBA Draft that, if available, should be stuffing their poorly-fitting hairstyle into a Utah Jazz cap as they step up to shake hands with Adam Silver (no hair, no cap) on draft night. Behind the general consensus of Dybantsa, Peterson, Wilson, and Boozer<\/a> (not necessarily in that order, but these four are clearly distancing themselves from the field), I stated and believe that Brayden Burries is the best worst-case scenario for the Jazz. If the top four just isn\u2019t in the cards, Utah can maximize its draft pick\u2019s value by snagging the gritty guard from Arizona.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s the blurb I wrote on Burries and his value to the Jazz:<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026if the Jazz intend on building a well-rounded competitive team, they need a defensive presence in the backcourt. And after a very impressive freshman season that saw him post 1.5 steals per night (not to mention 16.0 points, 2.4 assists, and 5 rebounds). Utah needs a defensive cushion for Keyonte\u2019s \u2014\u00a0*ahem*\u00a0\u2014 shortcomings on that end, and Burries is a solid pickup if Utah drops from their 4th spot.\u201d<\/p>\n As star upside dwindles down the draft order, go for the player that will help you win: Brayden Burries.<\/p>\n The Jazz roster is practically complete, with Keyonte emerging as a scoring dynamo, Lauri remaining a Finnish force of nature with a scoring sweet tooth, and JJJ pairing up with Kessler to become perhaps the best shot-blocking front court in the NBA. Even Ace Bailey, Utah\u2019s favorite rookie from last season (apologies to Walter Clayton Jr.<\/a>, you were gone too soon), is beginning to find his footing as a bendy straw with scoring pop and an unnatural affinity for punishing the rim. As star upside dwindles down the draft order, go for the player that will help you win: Brayden Burries.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n My favorite part of his game? Brayden Burries is a well-versed scholar on the ancient, dying art of \u201cgiving a crap\u201d on the defensive end. He just cares. He dives for loose balls. He pokes at errant dribbles. He trespasses in the passing lanes. His 2.8% steal percentage was 11th in the Big 12. He gives a crap, and he has the physical strength to match the best guards in any league \u2014 that includes the NBA.<\/p>\n As much as I promise to produce endless word vomit over Utah\u2019s amazing interior defense this upcoming season, the backcourt could use some beef. Burries fills that need.<\/p>\n On the offensive end, he\u2019s not the most athletic, speedy, or shifty player on the floor, but he\u2019s far from lacking in any of those departments. Utilizing the ball security of a golem in his rock-solid dribble, he keeps the ball close to his body and away from the swiping fingers of his defender. He\u2019s more than comfortable initiating offense off the dribble and will happily attack the paint when the window opens. He takes smart shots, doesn\u2019t force the issue, and his 49.1% field goal percentage (which was top 10 in the entire Big 12 Conference. Absurd for a guard).<\/p>\n It\u2019s the three-point shot, though. It\u2019s always been the three-point shot. It\u2019s beautiful. A repeatable and comfortable snap of the wrist, and the basketball always lands softly at its final destination \u2014 the delicate embrace of the net. He torched the season\u2019s gauntlet for nearly 40% three-point shooting.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Take a look at his highlights in the NCAA Tournament, and you\u2019ll find yourself agreeing that this kid is a killer.<\/p>\n Issues about his fit alongside George and Collier in the back court are valid, of course. At 6\u20194\u201d, Burries stands like a point guard, but his off-ball nature and skill set are a bit more suited for a 2-guard. That\u2019s an issue on offense. On defense, in George\u2019s stead, Burries is a perfectly servicable on-ball defender for the opposition\u2019s point guard. Off the bench, this Wildcat could provide chaotic, ferile minutes for a Jazz<\/a> team desperate to plug the leaks of its perimeter defense.<\/p>\n Picking a backup guard with the fifth, sixth, or seventh pick could be a tough pill to swallow if that\u2019s truly Burries\u2019 long-term fit in Utah. But I see him as the perfect complement to Keyonte George<\/a>\u2019s weaknesses on the defensive end, and he can keep the offense flowing when he takes the driver\u2019s seat.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Praise for Burries<\/p>\n The ancient art of \u201cgiving a crap\u201d on defense<\/p>\n No-waste off-ball scoring torch<\/p>\n Assets conducive to winning<\/p>\n Relatively impressive rebounding chops<\/p>\n Pause for Burries<\/p>\n Limited explosion, athleticism on the ball<\/p>\n Play style leans SG, body leans PG<\/p>\n Played a secondary role at Arizona<\/p>\n Not much of a playmaker, though far from hopeless<\/p>\n Is Brayden Burries the final, grand prize that Utah hoped to collect when they began their tanking journey? No, of course not. Obviously, the goal was to snag a can\u2019t-miss superstar like Victor Wembanyama<\/a>, Cooper Flagg<\/a>, or AJ Dybantsa. With or without the MVP-caliber celestial body, however, the Jazz have matured into a dangerous team ready to compete for the playoffs in a year\u2019s time. If the Jazz climb up through the lottery for the first time ever, don\u2019t hesitate to pick Dybantsa, Peterson, etc., but if the likelihood of sliding becomes reality, pick the player that will make your team better without demanding an oversized slice of the pie.<\/p>\n Was there a point to the tank? We might find out sooner than later.<\/p>\n Calvin Barrett<\/a>\u00a0is a writer, editor, and prolific Mario Kart racer located in Tokyo, Japan. He has covered the\u00a0NBA<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0College Sports<\/a>\u00a0since 2024.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Now tell me somethingIs there a point to this?Or are we living for the feelingWhen we look backOn…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":722739,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3785],"tags":[224,1982,7,10759,52247,7146,225,17641,423,955,6,5592,422,427,3972,693,2130],"class_list":["post-722738","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-utah-jazz","tag-ace-bailey","tag-arizona-wildcats","tag-basketball","tag-boozer","tag-brayden-burries","tag-caleb-wilson","tag-cooper-flagg","tag-darryn-peterson","tag-jazz","tag-keyonte-george","tag-nba","tag-the-jazz","tag-utah","tag-utah-jazz","tag-utahjazz","tag-victor-wembanyama","tag-walter-clayton-jr"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/116498423061082748","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/722738","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=722738"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/722738\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/722739"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=722738"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=722738"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=722738"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
2025-26 Stats:\u00a016.0 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.5 SPG
2025-26 Shooting Splits: 41.9% FG, 39.1% 3PT, 80.5% FT
Position on the SLC Dunk Big Board:<\/a> 10<\/p>\n