After falling one game short of the 2016 playoffs, the retooled Utah Jazz are now considered front-runners for this season's Northwest Division crown. Such bullish expectations are due to rejuvenated health, and a superlative influx of free-agents.
Joining mended defensive stalwarts Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors will be summer acquisitions George Hill, Joe Johnson and Boris Diaw. While veterans Johnson and Diaw provide on court and locker-room stability, Hill's addition is paramount to a diverse Utah collective.
Last season, 30-year-old George Hill joined MVP Stephen Curry as the league's only other player to average at least 12 points, four assists, and three rebounds while shooting better than 40 percent from three.