10/25 Utah at Phoenix
8:00 pm MT – AT&T SportsNet/League Pass
Opponent record: 0-3
Season series: Tied 0-0 (Jazz won preseason series 2-0)
Normally in the second night of a back-to-back, I’d be somewhat concerned about how the Utah Jazz would fare. However, given that this contest will take place against the hapless Phoenix Suns, I’m not feeling all that worried. The Suns have looked absolutely dismal thus far, dropping all three of their contests as of this writing, including the worst season opening loss in NBA history which saw them lose to the Portland Trail Blazers by a score of 124-76.
Their pathetic 0-3 start led to a quick firing of former Jazzman Earl Watson, a move which in many ways seemed rash and unfair to a guy who had little proven talent to work with. Nevertheless, what’s done is done and the Suns will look to move on and find some semblance of competitiveness this season.
Suns sent Eric Bledsoe home after meeting with team, won't play tonight vs. Kings, per @ChrisBHaynes pic.twitter.com/KriPrsLrXE
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 23, 2017
That may prove even harder in the not so distant future, though, as Eric Bledsoe, who is arguably the Suns’ best player, has expressed a desire to be traded and likewise Phoenix appears to be looking to move him as well. Therefore, to say that this is a team in turmoil would be an absolute understatement.
With that being the case and also factoring in the sad reality that the Suns have a dismal offense and a non-existent defense, there’s absolutely no reason why the hard-nosed Jazz shouldn’t win this game in blowout fashion, and that’s exactly what I predict will be the case.
My Prediction: Jazz Win
Final Score: Utah 113, Phoenix 87