The pandemic hit the Utah Jazz really hard, especially with Rudy Gobert being the first NBA player to test positive for the virus back in March 2020 and then ending up giving the virus to All-Star Donovan Mitchell.
Tension in the Jazz organization was high at that moment and while some players were butting heads with one another, differences were settled and Utah went on to have one of their best seasons in franchise history last year.
They finished the 2020-21 season with 52-wins, their most wins in a season since the 2009-10 season, and the Jazz finished with an astonishing home record of 31-5, leading them to have the best record not just in the Western Conference, but in the entire NBA.
Utah handled the Memphis Grizzlies pretty convincingly in their first-round series, beating them 4-1, but then they hit a roadblock in the Western Conference Semifinals against the Los Angeles Clippers.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Utah Jazz Star Backcourt Finding Great Synergy Together
After winning the first two games of the series on their home court, the Utah Jazz dropped the next four games of this series, resulting in them losing to the Clippers in six games.
Knowing what they were capable of achieving and having guys in the primes of their careers, the Utah Jazz made it a priority to not only get Donovan Mitchell some more help this offseason but continue to build on the success they have been having on the defensive end of the floor.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Utah Jazz Star Backcourt Finding Great Synergy Together
Rudy Gobert won his third Defensive Player of the Year award in a four-year span last season, Mike Conley has proven to be a tough perimeter defender and with the additions of Rudy Gay, Hassan Whiteside, and others, this Utah Jazz team made some tremendous strides in terms of roster construction this offseason.