The Utah Jazz play host to the Oklahoma City Thunder at Vivint Arena on Wednesday evening.

The Jazz are coming off a formidable yet at the same time disappointing season, as they finished the season as the top seed in the West, before getting bounced by the Clippers in the conference semi-finals. They will be returning with virtually the same lineup as last season, as they did not have much reason to look elsewhere from their solid lineup. With 2021 Defensive Player of the Year, Rudy Gobert patrolling the paint, the Jazz's defense will remain one to be reckoned with, while Donovan Mitchell will continue to lead the way offensively as one of the league's brightest young stars. Mitchell averaged career-highs of 26.4 points, 5.2 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game last season and one can only expect him to continue to improve as he gets set to begin the fifth season of his career. Another key part of the Jazz's success has been their depth, as guys like Bojan Bogdanovic, Jordan Clarkson, Joe Ingles and Royce O'Neale are all set to excel in their roles yet again.

Meanwhile, The Thunder are committed to their rebuild and the development of their young core, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has already shown he can compete among the league's best guards. Although, he was hampered by injuries last season and only able to play 35 games, Gilgeous-Alexander showed flashes of greatness, averaging 23.7 points, 5.9 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game. Luguentz Dort and Darius Bazley are both coming off solid sophomore seasons, where they showed much improvement and even flashes of greatness at times. Both players should be set to take further steps in their development and prove to be a hassle for opponents on either end of the floor. The Thunder are also looking forward to the debut of their first-round pick, guard/forward, Josh Giddy, whom they drafted sixth overall.