The 2017-18 Utah Jazz season was an overwhelming success in practically every way, particularly due to the rise of Donovan Mitchell. Nevertheless, that doesn’t change the fact that the year ended on a relatively depressing note. It wasn’t so much that the Jazz fell to the Houston Rockets in five games in the second round of the playoffs, but more that the injury bug struck at the worst possible moment.
Ricky Rubio was hurt in Game 6 against the Oklahoma City Thunder and missed the entire Houston series. Dante Exum went down in Game 4 against Houston.