The J-Notes
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The Utah Jazz 2017-18 Christmas List

By Jared Woodcox

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - DECEMBER 23: Utah Jazz fans try to disrupt an Oklahoma City Thunder free throw attempt in the second half of the 103-89 win by the Thunder at Vivint Smart Home Arena on December 23, 2017 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - DECEMBER 23: Utah Jazz fans try to disrupt an Oklahoma City Thunder free throw attempt in the second half of the 103-89 win by the Thunder at Vivint Smart Home Arena on December 23, 2017 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images) /
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BOSTON, MA – DECEMBER 15: Rudy Gobert #27 of the Utah Jazz holds his knee after going to ground during the game against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on December 15, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts. 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. (Photo by Omar Rawlings/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA – DECEMBER 15: Rudy Gobert #27 of the Utah Jazz holds his knee after going to ground during the game against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on December 15, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts. 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. (Photo by Omar Rawlings/Getty Images) /

1. General Health

Will the Utah Jazz ever just catch a break? It feels like with every new season, we always say that THIS will be the year that the Jazz finally overcome their injury woes and maintain a healthy roster for the duration of the season. However, up to this point, 2017-18 has been more of the same.

Dante Exum went down during the preseason with a shoulder injury that may keep him out for the entire season. Joe Johnson missed significant time to start out the year. Rudy Gobert is dealing with his second knee injury of the season (both of which have happened on somewhat freak accidents) with this one set to keep him out of action for roughly a month.

Rodney Hood has had injury woes this season, Raul Neto has missed six games with an apparently brutal concussion and even Donovan Mitchell recently missed two games with a toe contusion. In short, that new training staff that was the topic of so much conversation this offseason hasn’t really lived up to the hype so far as the Jazz have been as beat up as ever.

Therefore, the top thing on Utah’s Christmas wish list has to be for that trend to simply reverse itself. Health for 2018 should be their number one desire. This will help them have more stable rotations, a more consistent game plan and simply grant them the ability to finally have their best players on the court.

Utah’s injuries have been their biggest detriment for the past three seasons and if they’re to have any hope of bouncing back and making the playoffs, they’ll need that to change in a big way.

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