Utah Jazz 2017-18 Week One Outlook, Predictions

10/21 Utah vs. Oklahoma City

7:00 pm MT – AT&T SportsNet/League Pass

Opponent record: 0-0 (3-1 in Preseason)

Season series: Tied 0-0

Although the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves took major strides this offseason, neither can match that of the Oklahoma City Thunder. When you add two players that have 14 All-Star appearances between the two of them as Carmelo Anthony (10) and Paul George (4) have, it’s hard not to get significantly better.

Sure, there are concerns about chemistry, sharing the ball and who will take the clutch shots, but at least on paper, adding those two stars alongside 2016-17 NBA MVP Russell Westbrook turned this team into a juggernaut seemingly overnight.

And that’s bad news for the Jazz and the rest of the Northwest Division who will be forced to take on the Thunder four times in the regular season. Fortunately, the Jazz are stocked with several savvy defenders who will be able to help make life miserable for OKC’s daunting Big 3, but with that much star power on one squad, there’s no denying that the Thunder will present a troublesome match-up night in and night out.

Of course, without having seen any of these squads in regular season action just yet, it’s pretty difficult to project how the teams will come together at this point. Nevertheless, given that this game is on the second night of a back-to-back for the Jazz, I think that the star-studded Thunder will have the edge.

The one area in which I can see the Jazz really excelling is in their depth and with a superior second unit. Yes, the Thunder brought in a pair of stars, but had to trade away some of their role players to get them. Therefore, it’s not outside the realm of possibility that the Jazz’s bench could give OKC some trouble.

However, since the Thunder will have the luxury of having a star player on the floor at all times, that will likely largely make up for the fact that their bench as a whole may be underwhelming. Thus, especially considering Utah’s probable fatigue, I imagine that OKC will be able to overpower the Jazz for a victory.

My Prediction: Thunder Win

Final Score: Oklahoma City 115, Utah 102

Next: Utah Jazz waive Joel Bolomboy, keep Royce O’Neale

I know, I know. For someone who has preached optimism about the Jazz all summer long, pinning them to start out the year at 1-2 isn’t exactly putting my money where my mouth is. Nevertheless, this is just one small stretch of a long 82-game season, and despite some early concerns about the Jazz, I think they’ll get things ironed out sooner rather than later to become a dominant force all season long.

Taking on three tough foes to start out the year – one of which is on the opponent’s home opener and another is on the second night of a back-to-back – isn’t exactly an ideal or easy way to tip-off a new campaign. Nevertheless, after this initial slate, the Jazz will go on to play eight of their next 11 games at home, which could very well instill them with some early confidence and help them build some crucial momentum heading into the remainder of the season.