Utah Jazz Week Two Outlook, Predictions

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Jan 20, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Utah Jazz guard Rodney Hood (5) drives to the basket defended by New York Knicks guard Langston Galloway (2) during the second half of an NBA basketball game at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks defeated the Jazz 118-111 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports /

11/6 Utah at New York

10:00 am MT – Root Sports/League Pass

Opponent record: 1-1

Season series: Tied 0-0

As fun as it will be for us fans to enjoy a Jazz contest while we eat our Sunday morning breakfast, from a travel and prep standpoint this is a little bit of an odd one that will likely favor the Knicks slightly as the game will feel even earlier for the travelling Jazz.

Having only played in two games so far this year, it’s a little tricky to get a good feel for this New York team and predict what the outcome will be this far out in advance. Before facing the Jazz on Sunday the 6th, though, the Knicks will take on the Pistons, Rockets and Bulls. The results of those games should help paint a slightly clearer picture of what kind of team the Knicks are.

The Jazz split the season series with New York last season, with the second contest ending in an overtime loss. However, the team appears to be much improved this year as they retooled by adding the likes of Derrick Rose, Brandon Jennings, Joakim Noah, Courtney Lee and new head coach Jeff Hornacek to compete alongside the already impressive duo of Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis.

Oct 10, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek (L) speaks to his players on the bench during the second quarter against the Washington Wizards at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports /

And while, as I said, it’s a bit hard to know just where to slot this new-look Knicks team, they did bounce back from an opening night loss to the Cavs with an impressive home victory over the gritty Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night.

The Knicks certainly boast a talented, albeit interesting, group of players and Utah will likely have its hands full with the prolific Anthony and Porzingis who are averaging 19.5 and 18.5 points, respectively, on the season.

While I think this is a game that the Jazz can win, given the strange time slot, particularly for the first game of a five-game road trip, the Jazz’s notoriety for struggling on the road and their current struggles that include missing Gordon Hayward, I believe the Knicks will escape with a narrow victory in this contest.

My Prediction: Knicks Win

Final Score: New York 101, Utah 97

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So, unfortunately, I have the Jazz finishing the week 1-3, taking their overall record to a subpar 2-5 by this upcoming Sunday night. For better or for worse, I could see the match-ups against the Mavericks and the Knicks going either way, which could put the Jazz at either 2-2 or perhaps even 0-4 for the week, assuming they don’t surprise San Antonio.

And based on how the Spurs and Jazz have both looked so far, I’d say that’s a pretty safe assumption. Finishing 2-2 will be a solid and acceptable week given the circumstances. Anything better than that will be nothing short of miraculous.

But as much as it hurts to say it, based on what we’ve seen so far from the Jazz, going 0-4 for the week wouldn’t be that big of a surprise either, but I’ll stick to my cautious 1-3 projection.

Here’s to hoping that my over-confidence from last week is balanced out by an underestimation this time around.

All stats courtesy of NBA.com

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