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Utah Jazz: Pros and cons of the first-round series against OKC

By Jared Woodcox

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - DECEMBER 23: Carmelo Anthony #7 of the Oklahoma City Thunder looks to pass the ball over Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz during their game at Vivint Smart Home Arena on December 23, 2017 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. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - DECEMBER 23: Carmelo Anthony #7 of the Oklahoma City Thunder looks to pass the ball over Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz during their game at Vivint Smart Home Arena on December 23, 2017 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. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images) /
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The Utah Jazz are in for a tough first round series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, but there are more reasons for optimism than one might think.

Although the regular season finale ended in disappointing fashion for the Utah Jazz as they were handily defeated by the Portland Trail Blazers to lose the third seed and home court advantage as well as drop to fifth place in the West, there’s no questioning what a special year it has been. Less than three months ago, Utah looked dead in the water but instead they finished the year winning 29 of their last 35 games, an incredible feat.

And while third place and home court advantage would have been a sweet reward after such a turnaround, the Jazz are still in a good spot. Especially when you consider that they were the fifth seed in the West last year and doing so once again proves they underwent very little (if any) regression this season after losing their two leading scorers from a year ago, there’s really nothing to complain about.

However, the Jazz are still certainly in for a challenge in the first round of the playoffs as they’ll face off against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder have had their fair share of ups and downs this season, but a squad comprised of Russell Westbrook, Paul George and Carmelo Anthony certainly isn’t one to be trifled with.

It’s a matchup that I’ve personally been concerned about for a while, but it’s certainly more favorable than what many previously thought would be Utah’s ceiling of finishing in seventh or eighth to take on the Golden State Warriors or Houston Rockets.

And now that it’s a reality, the Jazz will simply have to get prepared for the challenging yet exciting task ahead. The good news is, while OKC is certainly a tough matchup, playing them may not be as dreary as originally supposed. There are, in fact, a number of advantages Utah has in the matchup to go along with some potential struggles.

With that being the case, let’s dive in to the pros and cons of a Jazz-Thunder series:

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