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Deseret News - Jazz
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Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell (45) is guarded by Houston during Game 5 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series in Houston on Wednesday, April 24, 2019. Laura Seitz
SALT LAKE CITY — Now what?
That's what most Utah Jazz fans are thinking about after a successful, but not a breakthrough campaign.
The Ringer's Paolo Uggetti has some ideas. The most important thing the Jazz need to do is to build around Donovan Mitchell, who "needs to find consistency to enter the superstar conversation."
Mitchell's first order of business is to "get in better shape". His buddy Dwyane Wade is already making plans.
@spidadmitchell great season lil bro. We got more work to do i can't wait to get into the lab with you this summer.
— DWade (@DwyaneWade) April 25, 2019
Uggetti said the Jazz need better scoring options to put next Mitchell, who will be in his third year in the league next season.
"If Khris Middleton decides to leave Giannis and Milwaukee (unlikely, but possible) the Jazz would be a good spot for him, and he'd be a perfect scoring option next to Mitchell," Ugetti said. "So would Tobias Harris, who could be even better, given that he can create his own shot. But he seems like a pipe dream, too, since Philly will likely retain him. The non-point-guard options — including Malcolm Brogdon and Jeremy Lamb — drop off after that and largely elicit more of a shrug emoji than tangible excitement."
Read the whole story.
Schedule lookahead
Althon Sports recently took a quick look at Utah's and BYU's 2019 football schedules. The two teams meet up in the season opener on Aug. 29.
The Utes will have to take on the role as defending champions of the Pac-12 South. The key to the season could be a Week 8 showdown with nemesis Arizona State.
"A loss to Arizona State last season served as a rallying point for Utah in its successful run to a divisional title," John Coon writes. "Can the Utes snap a two-game skid against the Sun Devils?"
For the Cougars the season is going to hinge on the the first four weeks of the season where they take on Utah, Tennessee, USC and, finally, Washington on Sept. 21 in LaVell Edwards Stadium.
"Last year Washington annihilated BYU in Seattle when the Cougars were nationally ranked," Mitch Harper writes. "It wasn't a contest. This year's game should be closer, but the Huskies are still the class of the Pac-12 and college football out west. Jacob Eason vs. Zach Wilson should make for one entertaining quarterback battle."
Other links
Utes' Cody Barton among overlooked players who could sneak into NFL draft.
Here's where 7 mock drafts from national outlets have Utahns being drafted.
And finally ...
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