Utah Jazz Week Eighteen Outlook, Predictions

2/26 Utah at Washington

3:00 pm MT – Root Sports/League Pass

Opponent record: 34-21

Season series: Tied 0-0

The Washington Wizards have been one of the biggest surprises of late in the NBA. After starting out the year horribly slow, Washington has gotten into a groove and now finds themselves in third place in the Eastern Conference. They have gone an incredible 18-5 over the course of January and February and have logged impressive wins during that stretch over the likes of the Pacers, Hawks, Celtics, Grizzlies and Bulls.

They also happen to be the only team remaining on the schedule that Utah has yet to play this year. In some ways that’s a pity as it would have been nice to take them on back when they started 6-11 rather than after they’d gone 28-10 since.

There’s no questioning that the Wizards have become one of the hottest teams in the league and the Jazz will most certainly have their work cut out for them in the contest.

Washington is led by the dynamic backcourt duo of All-Star John Wall and his running-mate Bradley Beal. Wall is having an impressive season averaging 22.8 points on 45.2 percent shooting from the field while adding an incredible 10.6 assists and 2.1 steals. Though he’s not that great of a shooter, his quickness, finishing ability and aptitude for clogging passing lanes make him a tough all-around opponent.

And what Wall lacks in shooting, Beal certainly covers the slack. The fifth-year pro out of Florida isn’t far behind Wall in terms of scoring at 22.2 points per game, but he’s doing it while shooting at an electric 47.3 percent clip from the field and 40.2 percent from deep. Therefore, Utah’s success in this contest will depend heavily on their ability to stop Washington’s backcourt.

As far as my prediction in this game, I’ve waffled back and forth severely. There’s no doubting that the Wizards have been playing phenomenally of late and shouldn’t be taken lightly. On the other hand, the Jazz have fared relatively well against Eastern Conference foes (except the Celtics and Raptors, which perhaps doesn’t help their case here) and Utah definitely has a much better bench than the Wizards.

Nevertheless, while I hope we see a significant change in this trend, prior to the break Utah proved time and time again that they were incapable of beating the league’s best, which is what the Wizards are steadily proving themselves to be.

And until the Jazz can show otherwise (winning this game for example would be a great start), I’m going to have to pin them as losers against a rising Wizards squad, especially given that the game is at the Verizon Center where Washington (24-7) has been particularly good this year.

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A part of me hopes also that by picking against the Jazz, my negativity will serve as reverse psychology and therefore secure a victory, but more than anything I still worry about Utah’s ability to step up when it matters most.

I definitely think they have the personnel to defeat the Wizards if they play well, so I could certainly see this one going the other way. And while that’s the outcome I would of course prefer, it’s not necessarily what I believe will be the case.

My Prediction: Wizards Win

Final Score: Washington 94, Utah 90

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So this brief two-game stint will give us our first glimpse at how well the Jazz can come out of the gates following the All-Star break. As they begin this three-game road trip it will be vital that they build some confidence before taking on division rival Oklahoma City next week in a crucial contest with playoff implications.

And although I’ve pinned the Jazz at 1-1 this week, if the break has allowed guys like Derrick Favors and Rodney Hood to get healthy and finally start making an impact, an undefeated week could instead be well within their reach.

All stats courtesy of NBA.com