After a shocking trade ahead of the February 5 deadline, the Utah Jazz have become one of the NBA's most interesting teams and, quite possibly, a rising threat to the OKC Thunder.
In a deal involving eight players and three first-round picks, the Jazz acquired two-time All-Star and recent Defensive Player of the Year winner Jaren Jackson Jr. from the Memphis Grizzlies.
Despite their 15-35 record, Utah has shown significant bright spots, including the sixth-highest scoring offense and a legitimate Most Improved candidate in Keyonte George.
With JJJ now a part of this young core, they have plenty of pieces to form future playoff pushes and even threaten Oklahoma City's budding dynasty moving forward.
The Jazz's electrifying offense this season
As noted, Utah has quietly had one of the top offenses in the NBA this season. The faces of this stellar scoring punch are Keyonte George and Lauri Markkanen.
George has been one of the premier offensive point guards in the league, as he's one of eight players in the association to average over 24 points and 6.5 assists per game. Although only 17.0 percent of his shots come from this range, he is a 96th percentile rim finisher to go along with a 69th percentile short-mid-range shooter, where he takes 32.0 percent of his shots.
His inside game is a remarkable change of pace for a team that shoots over 37 threes per game.
With the third-highest pace (102.7) in the NBA, the Jazz are constantly running, whether it is into a behind-the-arc shots or trying to maximize their transition opportunities.
George and sophomore guard Isaiah Collier have done a commendable job at setting up opportunities for their teammates, with Markkanen often on the other end of these plays.
The one-time All-Star is having a career year, averaging 27.4 points a night, placing him tenth in the league in points per game.
He is the ultimate off-ball star -- among 25-point-per-game scorers, he has the second-lowest usage percentage (27.7%). With his good screens, low on-ball volume, and three-level scoring, Markannen is a seamless fit in any offense.
With Markkanen and George on the floor together, Utah has a 120.3 offensive rating, which would place them third in the NBA. The impressive duo's future will be one to behold.
But as good as this offense has been, the Jazz have been severely lacking on defense without Walker Kessler, an area where JJJ could help.
Jaren Jackson Jr.'s two-way impact
The former DPOY paired with Kessler will make for a formidable defensive frontcourt. Triple J brings top-tier rim protection, holding players roughly 5.0 percent below their average field goal percentage, and averages 1.5 blocks per game.
His constant aggressiveness and tremendous mobility have always made him stick out on the defensive end.
One of the most critical aspects of this deal is that Jackson Jr. can always play his natural position: power forward. With Walker Kessler beside him, it will allow JJJ to be a roam defender, along with partially masking his rebounding weaknesses.
On offense,the big man is one of the more fascinating players around.
He is constantly mismatch hunting, attacking smaller defenders with hook shots and pull-up jumpers in the paint. His ambidextrous ability unlocks the entire paint at all times.
Although this is a down year for him on offense, he is a good fit with Utah. He is a superb off-ball player, with only a 24.8 percent usage rate, and he comes from the 11th-highest-paced team.
With this addition, it's clear that the Jazz are ready to win, and are shaping up to be an excellent matchup for the reigning champs, the OKC Thunder.
What are the strengths and weaknesses in Jazz v. Thunder matchup?
There are a few significant reasons why the Utah Jazz can threaten OKC.
One is their newfound size.
With JJJ, Kessler, and Markkanen all starting, Utah will have one of the tallest lineups around and would be an interesting foil to the Thunder's superb athleticism.
Another, more prominent, rationale for a potential upset is Utah's shooting.
The Jazz will have the ability to stretch the floor, and one flaw in OKC's defense is its open-shooter problem. The Thunder allow the second-most open three-point attempts in the league, allowing over 16 a game.
With a younger core and these two newfound strengths, it shouldn't be a surprise if the Oklahoma City Thunder find themselves on the losing end of a playoff upset to the Utah Jazz at some point in the not-too-distant future.
Though in the immediate future this trade could actually be beneficial for OKC, in the long-term, it could very well create yet another threat for them out West.