A gutsy 114-106 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night wasn’t enough to prove the Utah Jazz belong among the Western Conference playoff contenders. So where do they stack up in national power rankings?
Despite a 114-106 win over the Brooklyn Nets, the Utah Jazz continue to fall in national power rankings.
The Jazz may have gotten the win, however, they ended up being one of the league’s biggest losers over the weekend, losing their star center Rudy Gobert for at least four weeks with a tibia contusion.
The injury happened Friday night against the Miami Heat during a loose ball where Dion Waiters seemingly changed directions and propelled himself straight for Gobert’s legs. Was Waiters’ change of direction intentional? You be the judge.
NOOOOOOOOO!!!! Rudy Gobert taken off the court as Dion Waiters runs into Rudy Gobert's knee. pic.twitter.com/kxFRyQkxmj
— Dave Noriega (@davenoriega) November 11, 2017
So he starts in this position, with momentum towards ball, and then HARD falls to his right. pic.twitter.com/T76uhGe3kE
— Jacob Harmond (@JaekGrin) November 11, 2017
Without Gobert, the Jazz were able to ride strong performances by Derrick Favors, Donovan Mitchell and Rodney Hood to a convincing win over the Brooklyn Nets. It’s a small sample size, but the win could serve as a taste of things to come with Favors finally able to play his true position with Gobert out.
Can coach Quin Snyder and the Jazz prove their resilience again this season and remain in the playoff conversation by the time Gobert makes his return? The national media seems less than convinced.
This week’s power rankings prove that the national media doesn’t believe that this Jazz team can stay afloat among the Western Conference contenders without its centerpiece. Let’s take a look at where the Jazz land in five of the largest weekly power rankings. I will also provide a bit of my own commentary along the way.