The season debut for the Utah Jazz ended in a 123-117 win over the Sacramento Kings, but it wasn’t a first impression you want to remember.

Ricky Rubio tallied a single point while backcourt mate Donovan Mitchell went 3-for-12 in the first half. There were 18 total turnovers for Utah and some ugly, empty possessions along the way, too. After destroying the Kings in the a preseason game a week ago, Utah found themselves in a surprising 18-4 hole early.

Yet, eventually, the Jazz got win #1 out of 82.

Utah’s depth and focus kept the Jazz afloat, at it will throughout the season, as the reserves gave them the surge to take home a victory. Jae Crowder popped off the bench for a plus-19 performance. Dante Exum was exceptional in picking up the slack on Rubio’s off night, as the Australian added 13 points, four rebounds, four assists and a plus-21 on the scoreboard. Not to be outdone, Alec Burks delivered an astounding plus-25 along with his own 13 points.

Thanks to these three, plus the experience to simply will their way to a win, the Jazz went on a 40-17 run after the initial hole to make a win doable when the second half started.

Mitchell ended up with 24, albeit on an 8-for-21 shooting night. Joe Ingles paced the Jazz with 22, while Rudy Gobert (19 with 15 boards) and Derrick Favors (18 & 9 on a steady diet of pick-and-roll) both came up big.

Ultimately, a win is a win. And, despite the shaky start, Utah’s win wasn’t all that unexpected given that Sacramento is still on a decade-long search for talent.

The Kings & Jazz : Disparate Draft Results

While the Jazz have a track record for retaining draft picks, maximizing talent, and finding diamonds in the rough, the Kings’ recent draft history is, um, less impressive.

In 2010, the Kings drafted both DeMarcus Cousins (5th overall) and Hassan Whiteside (second round). Whiteside would flourish only later, long after his 19 games in two years with the Kings. That makes him a “could have been” story for the Kings. As for Cousins, many are familiar with his story. Boogie was Sacramento’s superstar-caliber player, yet never got the Kings out of the lottery and into the playoffs. And now, he’s gone.
In 2011, they selected Bismack Biyombo at #7 who never dressed in a Kings uniform. They traded the big man for journeyman John Salmons and for #10 pick Jimmer Fredette, whom they would waive in his third season.
In 2012, they selected Kansas’ Thomas Robinson 5th overall. Robinson played 51 games before getting shipped to Houston and beginning his bounce from team-to-team-to team carousel.
They used the 7th overall pick in 2013 to name Ben McLemore their guy. He lasted four seasons, topping out at 12 points per game in 32 minutes a night in his sophomore season until everything dipped dramatically in the years that followed.