Utah Jazz · Franchise era 5 of 7
The patient bridge: the Utah Jazz story
Franchise era
2011–12—2016–17
The patient bridge
Utah Jazz
The story in one sentence
The Jazz accumulated young talent and developed an elite defense, returning to the second round before Hayward left.
01
Defense grows around Hayward and Gobert
02
Gordon Hayward, Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors gave the era its recognizable core.
03
Its ending created the conditions for mitchell and gobert.
Timeline
How it unfolded
Before 2011–12
What came before
Utah missed the playoffs only once before a new pick-and-roll core reached the 2007 conference finals.
2012
Western Conference First Round: Utah Jazz vs San Antonio Spurs
2017
Western Conference First Round: Utah Jazz vs LA Clippers
2017
Western Conference Semifinals: Utah Jazz vs Golden State Warriors
After 2016–17
What came next
Mitchell's instant scoring and Gobert's defense produced six straight playoff trips and the league's best 2021 record.
The core