Utah Jazz Are Running Out Of Time
A once promising season for the Utah Jazz is beginning to appear as if it is headed for a typical disappointing conclusion.
Death. Taxes. The Utah Jazz shattering our hopes and dreams.
In a world with only a handful of guarantees, the 2015-16 Jazz are certainly reinforcing the latter of those three. After a seven-game win streak just before the All-Star break, it looked like Utah was primed for a similar run to the one they put up last season. However, since the break they’ve recorded an abysmal 3-9 record which has put them six games under .500 and three games out of the final playoff spot. With only 18 games left in the regular season, things aren’t looking too bright.
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The Jazz put up somewhat of a fight in the first half against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, but without Rodney Hood in the lineup, it was pretty obvious that they didn’t stand much of a chance to begin with. While they certainly have had moments of “fight” in every game they’ve played since the break, it hasn’t been enough. The Jazz have relapsed into their inconsistent ways and it doesn’t appear to be changing anytime soon.
Over the past ten games, the Jazz hold the worst record in the Western Conference (2-8) and the worst in the league outside of the Philadelphia 76ers who are currently riding a 13-game losing streak. Optimistically, I have the Jazz winning 9 of their final 18 games which would leave them with a 38-44 record. At that rate, assuming each of the closest opponents finishes with the tiebreaker (Portland already won the series, Houston is up 2-1 and the series with Dallas is tied one apiece), Houston would only have to win six more games, Dallas would need five more, and Portland would need four more to finish ahead of the Jazz.
Looking at each of these teams’ schedules, it isn’t difficult to see which games they could likely to win to reach that point. However there are a few wrinkles in that thought process. First of all, Dallas and Portland still face each other twice. If one of those teams can pull off victories in both match-ups, they will practically seal their playoff berth while possibly dooming the other. Also, the Jazz play both the Mavericks and Rockets down the stretch, so those games could have significant impacts as well.
Nevertheless, even if each of those games results in the Jazz’s favor, it’s easy to pick out six, five, and four wins respectively on each team’s remaining schedules that they “should” win. This means one of two things has to happen. Either the Jazz have to find a way to turn things around quickly and storm past that 38-win mark, or they have to cross their fingers that one of the aforementioned teams absolutely chokes.
There is some possibility of that happening as truly no team has a cakewalk schedule in the final month. Each will be matched up against several formidable playoff opponents as the season wraps up. However, even a team’s total implosion still doesn’t guarantee the Jazz move up in the pack. For example, the Mavericks, losers of four straight, have done their part to help the Jazz get back in the playoff race yet due to Utah’s lackluster play, they haven’t been able to capitalize and move up in the standings.
Next: Is it 'Tank Time' for the Utah Jazz
So there you have it Jazz fans, cold hard reality is starting to set in. The Sixers and the Lakers were the first teams to officially be eliminated from playoff contention. With each passing day, more teams will slowly be added to that list. While there is still time left for a turnaround, if the Jazz don’t take drastic action, they will soon find themselves once again lottery-bound.