The J-Notes
Fansided

Three reasons to be excited about the Utah Jazz again

By Jared Woodcox

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - NOVEMBER 25: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz gets introduced before the game against the Milwaukee Bucks on November 25, 2017 at vivint.SmartHome Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - NOVEMBER 25: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz gets introduced before the game against the Milwaukee Bucks on November 25, 2017 at vivint.SmartHome Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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MEMPHIS, TN – NOVEMBER 15: Marc Gasol #33 of the Memphis Grizzlies high fives teammate Mike Conley #11 before the game on November 15, 2017 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)
MEMPHIS, TN – NOVEMBER 15: Marc Gasol #33 of the Memphis Grizzlies high fives teammate Mike Conley #11 before the game on November 15, 2017 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) /

The West is wounded

Another major story line coming into the 2017-18 season was that the Western Conference was going to be a blood bath with overwhelmingly talented teams whereas the Eastern Conference was going to be nothing short of a laughingstock. However, up to this point of the season that hasn’t exactly been the case. The Eastern Conference has ten teams that are at or above .500 while the West only has seven.

Several Western Conference teams have had an unbelievable amount of struggles, most notably the Memphis Grizzlies, LA Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder – three teams that many figured would be in the thick of the playoff race along with the Jazz. Of course, the Grizzlies and Clippers have had devastating injury problems and the issues of all three teams up to this point have helped the Jazz stay in the top eight in the West and could very well do so all year long.

Not only that, but the Denver Nuggets, another daunting conference foe, are without Paul Millsap for two to three months, the San Antonio Spurs are dealing with a number of injuries and the Minnesota Timberwolves have been highly inconsistent and have certainly looked beatable.

With all that adding up, the Jazz certainly have opportunity to make enormous strides and stay right in the thick of things against their struggling Western Conference colleagues. If the issues of the teams right around them in the standings continue, then the playoffs could very well be within reach after all.

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