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Can the Utah Jazz Win the Northwest Division?

By Jared Woodcox

Mar 24, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) is congratulated by center Enes Kanter (11) after a play against the Utah Jazz during the third quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 24, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) is congratulated by center Enes Kanter (11) after a play against the Utah Jazz during the third quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 13, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) drives to the basket on Portland Trail Blazers forward Al-Farouq Aminu (8) during the first quarter of the NBA game at the Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 13, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) drives to the basket on Portland Trail Blazers forward Al-Farouq Aminu (8) during the first quarter of the NBA game at the Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports /

After an exciting offseason that has several Utah Jazz fans anxious for the upcoming season, how does the team stack up against its divisional foes?

Although the Utah Jazz undoubtedly had a phenomenal offseason, the hype and excitement currently surrounding the team will mean nothing unless the squad is able to put their money where their mouth is. And as the season approaches, it’s easy for the hype to slip away and the recollection that there’s a lot of good teams in the NBA to come creeping back in.

KSL beat writer Andy Larsen summed up very well where the current outlook for this Jazz team stands with this tweet:

While the Jazz received a lot of love from the media during the summer, many have begun to question Utah’s true legitimacy, especially in the face of such lofty expectations. For proof of this, look no further than CBSSports Matt Moore’s “Hype Extinguisher” where he has the Jazz listed at the top of the list of highly hyped teams with the potential to fall.

So if I’ve accomplished anything so far, hopefully it’s been to illustrate that while the Jazz certainly improved this offseason, they are still largely a team shrouded in mystery. How will the newcomers fit in? How much growth will we see in the existing core? How will the young Jazz handle the pressure of increased expectations?

All of these questions and many more surround the Jazz as we inch closer to tip-off of the 2016-17 season. However, one I’d particularly like to focus on is: considering both sides of the argument – the Jazz’s improvement and the current doubts surrounding them – can they win the Northwest Division?

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Of course winning the division lost a lot of its prowess after the 2015 rule change that determined that division winners were no longer automatically guaranteed a top-4 seed and home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. However, it is still a worthy accomplishment and a realistic yet challenging goal that the Jazz should aim for.

And while the Oklahoma City Thunder have largely dominated the division in recent years (with the exception of 2014-15 where Kevin Durant missed most of the season with an Achilles injury), their reign will certainly be in jeopardy with KD’s departure to Golden State.

Nevertheless, even with OKC’s downgrade, the Northwest Division still features some formidable opponents and up-and-coming challengers. Let’s take a look at how the Jazz stack up against each of their divisional foes and what their chances are of truly claiming the division title.

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