No. 1. Utah Jazz

They have been the best team in the league all season long record wise, yet the Utah Jazz are still a highly disrespected team in this league and are not receiving the recognition they deserve. Donovan Mitchell has emerged as a true superstar in this league, Jordan Clarkson is likely to be the 6th Man of the Year, Rudy Gobert seems like the favorite to win his third Defensive Player of the Year award and head coach Quin Snyder seems like the favorite to win Coach of the Year. 

Up and down this roster, the Jazz have guys that can not only knock down clutch three-point shots, but can play defensive at a high-level as well. Utah currently ranks 2nd in the league in offensive rating and 4th in the league in defensive rating which is why they have held the top spot in the Western Conference all season long. 

Unless these guys are missing their shots or unless some of their key starters are out of the rotation due to rest or injuries, there is really no way to beat the Jazz, as they are such a solid group of guys. The one thing that makes them the top contender in the Western Conference though is that they all play with a “chip on their shoulder.” 

RELATED: NBA Trade Rumors: Julius Randle wanted to leave the Lakers when LeBron James signed in 2018

The Jazz have some first-round picks on their roster and a lot of guys that were thought to be great players entering the league, but everybody on this team, including the coaching staff, have been doubted on and questioned throughout their careers or early on in their careers. 

This team reminds me a lot of the Miami Heat team we saw make the NBA Finals last season due to the fact that they played so well together and that they all had something to prove. The Jazz are a small-market team that has never really received the recognition they deserve, but that is all about to change, especially if Mitchell can take this team to their first NBA Finals appearance since 1998.