1/22 Utah at Atlanta
5:30 pm MT – AT&T SportsNet/League Pass
Opponent record: 13-32
Season series: Tied 0-0
In a vacuum, the Utah Jazz should defeat this season’s Atlanta Hawks every time they play them. The Hawks are without a doubt in the midst of a rebuild and their 13-32 record is perfectly indicative of the kind of lackluster overall talent and depth they boast this season. However, the biggest concerns I have about this contest are that it’s on the road, where Utah is a horrible 5-18 this season, and that the Jazz haven’t logged consecutive wins since early December.
For nearly two months, the Jazz have followed up victories with a lackluster effort. Last week’s loss to a very beatable Knicks team after handily defeating the Kings is a perfect example. Hopefully it’s a trend that Utah can overcome, because regardless of road woes or inconsistency, there’s no excuse for a talented Jazz team to lose to the Hawks.
Hustle hard. pic.twitter.com/BycrCved2Y
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) January 20, 2018
The Hawks are led by point guard Dennis Schroder who many thought would be their future at the position. However, despite leading the team with 20 points per game, he’s actually had a very disappointing season. He’s shooting just 44.1 percent from the field and an awful 30.2 percent from deep, while also turning the ball over 2.6 times per game.
Atlanta has some other promising guys such as Kent Bazemore, Taurean Prince and rookie John Collins, but overall, they aren’t a squad that’s striking fear into any team’s hearts. If Joe Ingles can find his shot as he did against LA last night, Rudy Gobert can continue to be a force and Donovan Mitchell can have one of his special nights while outmatching Schroder, this should turn into a nice road win for the Jazz, much like the one they pulled off in Sacramento last week.
My Prediction: Jazz Win
Final Score: Utah 118, Atlanta 103