Mark Eaton holds the top five spots as the single-season BPG leader for the Jazz.
The Utah Jazz have had a number of legendary rim protectors suit up for them throughout their 52 years in the NBA. This article will dig into the greatest shot-blocking seasons in franchise history, with the towering Mark Eaton filling out the entirety of the top five. Note that blocks did not become an official NBA stat until the 1973-74 season.
Mark Eaton – 1985, 5.6 BPG
At 7-foot-4 and 275 pounds, Eaton was a terrifying presence in the middle of the floor. He wasn’t much of a scorer, averaging no more than 9.7 points per game, but he more than made up for it on the defensive end. In 1984-85, the Westminster, California native started all 82 games en route to 9.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists and a league-leading 5.6 blocks a night, all of which represent career-best figures. He also led the NBA in defensive rebounds at 8.8 per contest, earning his first Defensive Player of the Year and All-Defensive First Team awards in just his third season. The 456 total blocks he recorded that year remains the most all-time in Jazz history, and by a healthy margin (87).
Mark Eaton – 1986, 4.6 BPG
The following year, at age 29, Eaton garnered a second consecutive All-Defensive First Team selection after he posted 8.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 4.6 blocks per game across 80 appearances (all starts) for the Jazz. He registered 18 double-doubles, one of which came in boards and blocks, and had 40 outings where he swatted five or more shots. Eaton beat out all-time greats Manute Bol (Second Team) and Hakeem Olajuwon for his All-Defensive award, and his 4.8 defensive win shares ranked first among centers and second behind only Larry Bird at 6.2 DWS.
Mark Eaton – 1984, 4.3 BPG
During his sophomore campaign in 1983-84, Eaton paced the NBA with 4.3 blocks per game in just 26.1 minutes across all 82 games (78 starts). It was the first of six straight seasons in which he would record at least 3.7 bpg, and the beginning of a five-year span where Eaton was the blocks champion in all but one season (1985-86). He finished a close second to Sidney Moncrief in the DPOY race by five points, tallying 32 outings with at least five rejections, including three with ten and one with 12. Eaton also chipped in 5.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists.
Mark Eaton – 1987, 4.1 BPG
At age-30 in 1986-87, Eaton once again led the league in blocks at 4.1 per game, adding 7.7 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.3 dimes in 79 starts. It was his fourth consecutive campaign where he averaged more than 4.0 bpg, helping the big man make a third straight All-Defensive squad while finishing third in DPOY voting. Over the course of his 11-year career, all of which he spent in Utah, Eaton appeared in 875 contests and compiled averages of 6.0 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 1.0 apg and 3.5 bpg, giving him the NBA’s all-time record in blocks per game.
Mark Eaton – 1989, 3.8 BPG
In arguably his best season in terms of individual accolades, Eaton won his second DPOY, was named to his third All-Defensive First Team and made his lone All-Star appearance in 1988-89 after averaging 6.2 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 3.8 blocks across 82 starts. He recorded at least 3.4 bpg for the seventh straight year, and also set a career-high with 14 blocks in a win against the San Antonio Spurs. When he finally retired following the 1992-93 campaign, Eaton was a four-time blocks champ, one-time All-Star, five-time All-Defensive selection (three First, two Second), and a two-time DPOY.
