The Jazz have an extremely annoying team to deal with on a night-to-night basis. So far, they’ve undermined everyone’s expectations for them, perhaps even their own, and have done it without superstar talent.
The NBA is in an unpredictable time where there are more viable title contenders from season to season. More teams are betting everything on the present to win a title, while there are more rebuilding teams willing to oblige them.
Access to the frenetic, physical, hyper-communicative disruption and coordination Draymond Green offers on the court has long required dealing with all the storm and fever he brings off it.
Deandre Ayton has played the role of a thankless big man and given finite room to flourish. The bill has seemed to come due on the good will he’s shown during his subjugation into such a blunt instrument role.
