Utah Jazz 2017-18 Week Five Outlook, Predictions

11/15 Utah at New York

5:30 pm MT – AT&T SportsNet/League Pass

Opponent record: 7-5

Season series: Tied 0-0

If someone had told me that the New York Knicks would start out the season 7-5, I probably would have laughed in their face. Particularly following the loss of their prolific scorer Carmelo Anthony (although I did think his departure would help more than it would hurt, just not to this degree), many thought the Knicks were set for a dismal year that would likely result in yet another trip to the lottery.

However, being led by big man Kristaps Porzingis (who will be yet another handful for the Rudy Gobert-less Utah Jazz) the Knicks have actually looked pretty solid this year as they’ve logged a number of impressive wins including victories over the Cleveland Cavaliers and Denver Nuggets. After getting off to a slow start, the Knicks have gone on to win seven of their last nine contests, so the Jazz will have to be prepared to take on a hot team.

The aforementioned Porzingis has paced his New York squad with an astounding 30.4 points per game on 51.3 percent shooting from the field and 41.8 percent from three. With those kind of numbers, he’s certainly a threat from all over the court, so his ability to stretch out opposing defenses will be an enormous test for Favors.

He’s also surrounded by a couple of guys who are off to great starts this season in Tim Hardaway, Jr. and former Jazzman Enes Kanter. Hardaway hasn’t exactly been efficient, but he’s been prolific enough that he’s still adding over 16 points per game while Kanter is putting up 13.6 points and 10.6 rebounds all while shooting 64 percent from the floor.

He always seems to play with a bit of a chip on his shoulder against his former Jazz team, and without Gobert to contain him, the offensively gifted Kanter may be in for a big night.

Nevertheless, I’m feeling good about the Jazz finding a way to come out victorious in this one. The Knicks so far have looked tougher than they were last year, but despite a few impressive performances, a lot of their wins have also come against mediocre teams meaning that their 7-5 record may be a little bit misleading. The Knicks aren’t all that deep and have struggled in games where Porzingis hasn’t played well, so if Utah can force him into such a night, they should be more than capable of holding the rest of the New York roster in check.

My Prediction: Jazz Win

Final Score: Utah 104, New York 96