Utah Jazz (Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports)
The Western Conference has long stood as the more talented of the NBA’s two conferences, but last season, someone apparently forgot to inform the Utah Jazz. They steamrolled the conference en route to an NBA-best 52-20 finish. The Jazz established their dominance with an elite two-way presence, finishing atop the NBA in Offensive Rating (118.4) and Net Rating (9.48) while maintaining the league’s third best Defensive Rating (108.94).
That reads like the perfect formula for an NBA championship. Unfortunately, Utah’s regular season performance couldn’t quite translate to the playoffs, where they were hoisted by the Los Angeles Clippers.