10/4 Utah vs. Maccabi Haifa
Maccabi Haifa is no stranger to playing in NBA contests as they’ve played in several NBA preseason games to date. As a result, they’ve been able to put themselves in the spotlight for both current and former NBA players and this season it actually led to former Atlanta Hawks star Josh Smith joining their ranks.
Therefore, given that this team is accustomed to the limelight and is bound to have some chips on their shoulder, I expect that they could present somewhat of a challenge for the Utah Jazz. They have a reputation for being well-coached and have had enjoyed some significant success in the Ligat HaAl Israeli basketball league which included a championship in 2013.
Utah Jazz preseason opponent Maccabi Haifa adds Josh Smith https://t.co/WTiBOEl1lD pic.twitter.com/wdutSa1Gzy
— The J-Notes (@TheJNotes) September 28, 2017
Aside from Josh Smith, who’s certainly the most prevalent of the bunch, some regional fans may recognize Luke Martinez who played his college ball not too far away from Salt Lake City at University of Wyoming. As a student-athlete, he was a versatile scorer who averaged 14.5 points per game on 45.4 percent shooting from the field and 42.2 percent from deep during his final season at Wyoming, although his 2012-13 campaign was cut short due to injury and he appeared in just 12 games.
He, along with the rest of the Haifa squad, should provide a nice challenge for the Jazz. Nevertheless, once again I expect Utah’s superior talent to reign supreme and that they’ll come away with a big win for the second time in as many games.
My Prediction: Jazz Win
Final Score: Utah 110, Haifa 91