Ultimate 5: The best Jazz lineup since '95

While hoops remain on hiatus, theScore's NBA editors will be compiling the ultimate starting lineups for each team in the Association. The catch: Only players who've been in the league since the 1995-96 season can be included.

Although the Utah Jazz are far removed from their glory days in the mid-to-late '90s, Salt Lake City has been home to some of the game's greats over the past 25 seasons, including a couple of emblematic Hall of Famers who spent the majority of their careers with the team.

Having moved to Utah from New Orleans in 1979, the Jazz are the state's only representative in North America's Big Four leagues. They're still chasing their first Larry O'Brien Trophy, but the sheer talent that has passed through the franchise over the last 25 seasons is more than enough consolation.

Guard

John Stockton

Stockton, the best point guard in Jazz history, is also arguably the best pure playmaker of all time. It should be noted that his individual peak was far before the 1995-96 cutoff, but he still helped lead Utah to back-to-back NBA Finals appearances in 1997 and 1998.

Despite being in his late 30s at the turn of the millennium, Stockton stuck with Utah until retiring in 2003. From the 1995-96 season onward, he was thrice named an All-Star and averaged 12.6 points and 8.9 assists. His 15,806 career dimes still lead the league all time. Fun fact: He also ranks fifth in Jazz history with 4,051 rebounds.

Guard

Deron Williams

Remember the debate about who was the better point guard between Williams and Chris Paul? That seems baffling in hindsight thanks to Paul's longevity, but it serves as a stark reminder of just how good Williams was during his five-and-a-half seasons in Utah.

He was electric in his prime. Williams carved up defenders with one of the smoothest dribbles in the game, but was also explosive at the rim. His departure, preceded by an infamous conflict with Jerry Sloan that prompted the legendary coach's sudden resignation, angered Jazz fans in 2011. However, it doesn't invalidate Williams' incredible stint there.

Forward

Andrei Kirilenko

Kirilenko was a beast on both ends throughout a decade in Utah. "AK47" arguably peaked in his first season as a full-time starter in 2003-04, averaging 16.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 2.8 blocks. A broken wrist limited him to just half of the following season, but he played enough to qualify as the league-leader in rejections with 3.3 per game.

The Russian forward's two-way prowess is perhaps best illustrated by this stat: he and Hakeem Olajuwon are the only two players in history to register a 5x6 - at least six points, six rebounds, six assists, six steals, and six blocks - in one game. Olajuwon needed double overtime; Kirilenko did it in regulation.

Forward

Karl Malone

Like Stockton, Malone is a Jazz legend whose greatness transcends Salt Lake City. However, Malone was even better than his longtime running mate from 1995-96 onward.

While the Jazz never came close to another NBA Finals appearance after 1998, "The Mailman" remained one of the best power forwards in the game. In his final eight seasons with Utah, Malone averaged 24.5 points, 9.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.4 steals. He also missed just six out of a total of 624 games during that span.

His 36,374 points rank second all time in NBA history.

Center

Rudy Gobert

It was either Gobert or Mehmet Okur for the best Jazz center of the last quarter-century. But while Okur was the better offensive player, Gobert's recognition as one of the game's top defenders gives him the edge.

Nicknamed "The Stifle Tower," an onrushing Gobert is the last person any paint-penetrator wants to see. He's the reigning two-time Defensive Player of the Year and was named to the All-NBA second and third teams in 2017 and 2019, respectively. He's averaged a double-double since his 2014-15 sophomore year, and his 2.3 blocks per game rank third in the league in that span.

Just Missed

Donovan Mitchell

Make no mistake about it: Mitchell is Utah's bona fide franchise star. He's yet to average fewer than 20 points per game during his three NBA seasons and is fresh off of his first All-Star appearance. But the Jazz have won just one game in the conference semifinals with Mitchell, and he needs more time to imprint his legacy on the franchise.

Carlos Boozer

The only reason Boozer doesn't make the Jazz's best five is that he's blocked by one of the greatest power forwards ever. But he was remarkable in his own right, recording 19.3 points and 10.5 rebounds per game over six seasons in Utah despite being slightly undersized at the four.

Honorable mentions: Gordon Hayward, Mehmet Okur