Utah Jazz
Jazz Path to the Playoffs
By Jake Snelson
This has been an up and down season for the Jazz. Things didn’t start the way the team wanted, however a healthy Rudy Gobert and the top ROY candidate have helped put things back on track. The Jazz went into the All-Star Break on a 11-game winning streak but haven’t looked like the same team since. Not only have the Jazz struggled, but the Western teams in front of them have looked good, winning the games they need to win and distancing themselves from the Jazz.
Making the playoffs won’t be easy, but it is possible. Here is a quick breakdown of what the rest of the regular season look like for the Utah Jazz, and what they need to do to secure a playoff spot.
THE TANKERS
Memphis X2
Sacramento X2
Lakers X2
Atlanta
Orlando
Phoenix
Dallas
Simply put, these teams should be more upset if they win then the Jazz will be if they lose. Utah is more talented and more determined to win than any team on this list. It may be unfair to say that anything outside of a sweep against these teams is a disappointment, however, with the playoff picture getting murkier every day, the Jazz need to take care of business against these teams.
THE TOSS UPS
Golden State X2
Indiana
Detroit
Boston
Jazz have played each of these teams once already this season, and outside of the fluky Pacers game, Utah has been successful against all of them. These are the matchups that could go either way. While it’s unlikely the Jazz sweep the Warriors this season, there is a chance that Golden State will be resting their guys for the second to last game of the season. The Celtics game will be emotionally charged, whether or not Gordon Hayward is in the building. Indiana and Detroit are in a playoff race of their own. Win or lose, each of these matchups will be give us an idea of how much this Jazz team has grown.
THE PLAYOFF RACERS
Minnesota X2
New Orleans
San Antonio
Clippers
Portland
This is where it gets REAL interesting. The playoff race is 10 teams deep, and only 2 of those teams are sure bets to make the postseason (Houston & Golden State). It may be too early to say every game is a “must win” for the Jazz, but even after their incredibly run, the Jazz still sit in the 10th spot, on the outside looking in. The Jazz have a chance to win the tiebreaker against the Clippers, Pelicans and Trailblazers, and in a tough western conference race, there will be little room for error.
Clinching a second playoff berth in a row would be huge for the Jazz. It would be a message to the team, and the league, that things are trending in the right direction, as well as a possible deciding factor in the Rookie of the Year race. It is a fun time to be a Jazz fan, and every game for the rest of the season is a must watch.
The Jazz fell short in the second half as the Toronto defense shut the new-look Jazz down in route to cruising to an 114 – 82 Raptors victory. Lauri Markkanen shined for the Jazz with 20 points and 5 rebounds but the Raptors length and athleticism proved to be too much for the Jazz riding a dominant 3rd quarter to pull away from the Jazz who played well in the first half, only trailing by one.
Relive the game through the radio highlights. Voiced by Leif Thulin.
Utah Jazz
Utah Jazz trade Rudy Gobert – the emotions, the decision making, what did we get and what now
The Utah Jazz traded Rudy Gobert on Friday after a 4th of July weekend to soak in the biggest news of the NBA trade season we try to digest what it means for the Utah Jazz. David Locke, radio voice of the Utah Jazz and Jazz NBA Insider, take a look at all angles of the Rudy Gobert trade. The emotions of losing one of your own and a beloved player like Rudy Gobert. The player that we knew how great he was and had to argue on his behalf and now someone else gets the pleasure. Locke revisits the decision making tree of the Utah Jazz and how they got to trading Rudy Gobert and why they took this trade rather than other options that may have been on the table for the Utah Jazz. Then Locke looks into what did we really get in this trade and what are the possibilities of benefit for trading one of the great players in franchise history. A look at each of the 5 first round picks and what they could become and the margin starts to expand the farther out you go. Then are the Utah Jazz re-building? Why now would be the question. That is a decision that the Jazz don’t need to make for the some time. Summer league kicks off today and what are the Utah Jazz looking for and who could make an impression. What the Jazz want to see from Jared Butler Locked On Jazz Podcast 💻 https://www.lockedonjazz.net/ 🎧 LockedOnJazz.com https://buff.ly/2FEZTVY 🎧 Apple https://apple.co/3Dc8QBq 🎧 Spotify https://spoti.fi/3IfvgVX 🎧Stitcher https://bit.ly/3pkGyzB 🎧 Google https://bit.ly/3I8TwJz
NBA Free Agency is day is here for the Utah Jazz. What can we expect to take place? Will the Utah Jazz make a trade? Is this the day Rudy Gobert or Mike Conley or Donovan Mitchell gets traded? Do the Jazz have a free agency move to be made? David Locke, radio voice of the Utah Jazz and Jazz NBA insider take a look at all of these questions and gives you the free agency primer. Is the market drying up on the Utah Jazz? The Clippers and Wizards have already made moves and the Atlanta Hawks have used their draft capital. Rumors continue with Rudy Gobert at the forefront and we take a look at what those deals might be for the Utah Jazz and what would have to be included to make a deal happen. Then a look at the Utah Jazz options at the tax payer mid level contractsand what the Jazz current roster looks like and what could take place. Locked On Jazz Podcast 💻 https://www.lockedonjazz.net/ 🎧 LockedOnJazz.com https://buff.ly/2FEZTVY 🎧 Apple https://apple.co/3Dc8QBq 🎧 Spotify https://spoti.fi/3IfvgVX 🎧Stitcher https://bit.ly/3pkGyzB 🎧 Google https://bit.ly/3I8TwJz
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