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Utah Jazz
Overall: 43
Title track: 103
Ownership: 22
Coaching: 34
Players: 40
Fan relations: 41
Affordability: 19
Stadium experience: 68
Bang for the buck: 58
Change from last year: -3
Utah must have liked improving by 28 spots from last year's franchise rankings. This year, however, was a reminder of how far the Jazz have to go: They finished third in the Northwest Division, missed the playoffs for the fourth straight year and fell three spots in these rankings.
What's good
The Jazz continue to be one of the more affordable franchises in the country (19th in sports in these standings). The average cost of a game at Vivint Smart Home Arena is $66.02, the ninth-lowest among NBA venues and $15 less than the league-wide average. Team ownership (ranked No. 22 overall) isn't falling into the tank-and-pray trap, either, despite Utah's inability to sneak into the playoffs the past three seasons. CEO Gail Miller announced $110 million in renovations to the arena that will be completed before the 2017-18 season, and the Jazz gave a lengthy extension to coach Quin Snyder, one of the best in the business since he arrived in Utah.
What's bad
The Jazz are in an unenviable position, both in their division and in their conference, which might explain a 103rd-place title track ranking. Only seven NBA teams scored worse when fans were asked if their teams would win a title in their lifetimes (even the Knicks scored better than the Jazz). That said, this season, the team has enough talent that it might be able to turn in its first playoff appearance since the 2011-12 season. Four Jazz players are among the top 100 in the NBA in player efficiency rating, and Dante Exum's return might be an X factor for Utah. Still, the team has gone nearly a decade without a conference finals appearance, and this isn't likely the year it will break that streak.
What's new
Remember that whole renovation thing? Well, in the meantime, Smart Home Arena remains a quarter-century-old building that has had very little done to it, other than some cosmetic and tech improvements. That pushed Utah down 20 spots in stadium experience this year, into not only the bottom half of the NBA in this metric but also the bottom half across sports. Construction on the arena is scheduled to begin when the 2016-17 season ends and finish before the start of 2017-18. That's a tight window for completion, but if Utah can get it done, its ranking might wind up as rejuvenated as its arena.
Next: Portland Trail Blazers | Full rankings