11/17 Utah vs. Chicago
8:30 pm MT – TNT
Opponent record: 6-4
Season series: Tied 0-0
There’s just nothing quite like those late Thursday night games on TNT especially when the Jazz get to play at home against a long-time nemesis, the Chicago Bulls.
Long gone are the days of old when Michael Jordan and Co. broke the heart of nearly every person in the state of Utah, but matching up with the Bulls still leaves a bit of a bad taste in the mouths of Jazz fans every time.
This year’s Chicago squad boasts a revamped lineup that includes newcomers Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo alongside All-Star Jimmy Butler to whom many believe this team now belongs.
He’s certainly put up the argument that such ought to be the case as he has led the Bulls in scoring at 24.3 points per game while also logging 5.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists and converting on over 43 percent of his three-point attempts.
But the real story for this Chicago team has been Dwyane Wade. Though many questioned how the aging Wade would perform in his return home to join this Chicago Bulls roster, he has been phenomenal so far, putting up 17 points per game and providing a steady and clutch demeanor for this Chicago team.
While there were real concerns regarding this squad’s ability to space the floor and hit threes and whether they’d be able to overcome those issues to produce wins, so far the Bulls have exceeded expectations as they hold a winning record through the first ten games of the seasons.
However, like the Grizzlies, their wins haven’t been over that great of teams and some of their losses have been doozies. Their lone win over a team that currently holds a winning record was in their first contest of the year in Wade’s Chicago debut against the Celtics.
And while the three-point woes haven’t been as dire as many thought they would be, with the Bulls ranking 14th in the league in three-point percentage at 35.5 percent, they do rank at just 24th in the league in three-pointers made at 7.5 per game.
While Chicago has some guys who can effectively attack the rim and cause trouble in the paint, with two ferocious rim protectors in Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors (assuming he plays) and given Chicago’s less than reliable three-point attack, I truly think Utah’s defense and home court advantage will prove to be too much for this new-look Bulls team.
Of course, once again the status of both Hill and Favors will definitely affect the outcome of this game, but with the Bulls’ style providing what I consider a favorable match-up for the Jazz, I predict Utah will defend home court and come away with a solid victory against a likely playoff team in the East.
My Prediction: Jazz Win
Final Score: Utah 95, Chicago 90