Bleacher Report calls Utah Jazz “the team no one wants to face in the playoffs”

The Utah Jazz are playing well and shaping up to be one of the most daunting opponents in the first round of the 2018 NBA Playoffs.

My, what a season and what a turnaround it’s been for the Utah Jazz in 2017-18. Once an afterthought sitting at 19-28 after a dismal loss to the Atlanta Hawks and a putrid month of December, the Jazz are now firmly in the playoff hunt in the Western Conference. Following their win on Sunday night against the Golden State Warriors, the Jazz are tied with the Timberwolves for seventh in the West and find themselves just a game out of fifth and a game and a half out of fourth.

That has come thanks to a pair of win streaks, one which lasted 11 games and a second which lasted nine games, which have been part of a run that has seen Utah win 23 of their last 27 games. During that stretch, the Jazz have the best defensive rating in the league by a wide margin, nearly seven points per one hundred possessions, with a league-best net rating of 11.5 despite an average offense.

That’s not to say that their offense hasn’t been good, but at 15th in the league in offensive rating during this recent run, for their net rating to be as high as it’s been is surely a testament to their defensive prowess.

While Utah’s defense is successful because they thrive together as a team, there’s no denying that the return of Rudy Gobert has been an instrumental part of the Jazz’s success. He’s elevated his defense to another level, willing the Jazz to a defensive rating of 95.1 and a net rating of 15.0 when he’s been on the court during that aforementioned span compared to 99.0 and 2.5, respectively, when he’s been off.

Combine that with the continued solid play of Donovan Mitchell, Joe Ingles‘ improvements including his incredible three-point accuracy, Ricky Rubio‘s adaptation to his role and the perfect assimilation of Jae Crowder, and all of a sudden this Jazz team has gone from dud to a potential spoiler in the first round of the playoffs.

And us rabid Jazz fans aren’t the only ones thinking that. The Jazz are catching eyes and turning heads around the nation as they take care of business against solid teams and surge their way back into playoff relevancy, creating a case to be one of the toughest first-round opponents that any team could face in this year’s postseason. Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck said it best when he stated that the Jazz are “the team no one wants to face in the playoffs” as you can see in the video below:

Utah’s resurgence is a testament to the belief, patience and hard work this team has put in. Although some felt the Jazz would be better off looking to tank, they’ve ignored such a foolish sentiment and have instead surged their way into postseason contention with an extremely solid chance to advance beyond the first round, regardless of where they finish in the standings.

In a recent piece on the Jazz from Yahoo Sports (which is a must-read for Jazz fans, by the way), Quin Snyder was asked if Utah ever considered going the tanking route to which he emphatically replied, “Never”. He then went on to say the following:

"“That’s just not how we do things. There was never any kind of suggestion of that. In the larger picture, we’re finding out who we are. This experience right now, having to compete for a spot, there is value in that. Things might happen — you can’t take anything for granted. The result ultimately isn’t the only reflection of where you are. The goal for me is to continue to improve. Not X wins, or how many in a row, but how can we keep getting better. It’s how we started the beginning of the year. It’s how we are now. We aren’t overthinking it.”"

Utah is doing things the right way and as they continue to grow and develop both this season and beyond, they are destined for greatness. And the way they’ve been playing this year, as Beck stated, they’re a team that should have some of their superiors in the standings feeling somewhat nervous.

The Jazz’s latest streak has seen them beat the likes of the Toronto Raptors, Golden State Warriors (including while they were at full strength), San Antonio Spurs, Portland Trail Blazers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Indiana Pacers and New Orleans Pelicans. Their defense is bound to carry over to the playoffs where they’ll make life miserable for any opponent they face, making it feel for their foes, to coin a preseason phrase from Dennis Lindsey, as if they’re at an appointment with the world’s worst dentist.

And when their offense is likewise clicking and the three-balls are falling, this is a team that can beat anyone. Their confidence is certainly high right now as they fight for the best possible seed, and they carry the belief that they can compete with even the best of the best.

Next: Utah Jazz: Could first-round showdown against banged-up Warriors be ideal?

Add all that up, and it’s hard to dispute what Howard Beck is saying. This Jazz team appears to be peaking at exactly the right time. They’re hungry. They’re dangerous. They’re surging.

And they’re certainly the team no opponent wants to have to deal with in the first round of the playoffs.