Utah Jazz 2018-19 Week Two Outlook: Jazz prep to hit the road
The Utah Jazz will look to bounce back from a tough loss on Friday night as they begin a four-game road trip in week two of the 2018-19 season.
The Utah Jazz fell to the Golden State Warriors on Friday night in heartbreaking fashion as a last second tip-in sunk the Jazz after leading for most of the game. The loss moved the Jazz to 1-1 on the young season, but they also established themselves as a legitimate threat to the Golden State Warriors moving forward. As such, it will be exhilarating to see how they bounce back and respond from here.
I correctly predicted the outcome of both of their first two games, so my personal projections record now sits at 2-0. I gladly would have taken the L had it meant a W for Utah on Friday but nevertheless here we are. The Jazz will aim to get back to their winning ways right away in week two of the 2018-19 season.
They’ll start out back at home on Monday night against the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzles were one of the worst teams in the league last season, but with Mike Conley and Marc Gasol healthy and in action, they’re a squad that most definitely should not be slept on. From there, Utah will head out on a four-game road trip with three of those games being played in Week Two on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.
The road trip will begin in Houston where the Rockets were manhandled by the New Orleans Pelicans in their season opener. From there, the Jazz will go on to play those very Pelicans in the Big Easy just two days later. Based on how the Pelicans have looked thus far, this could very well be Utah’s toughest game of the trip as New Orleans looks poised to be a surprise powerhouse in the West.
Last of all, Utah will finish off the week by visiting the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday. The Mavericks don’t figure to be a playoff contender this year, but the young and talented squad is gifted enough to give any team a run for their money, especially with this bout coming on the second night of a back-to-back for the Jazz.
In all, it’s set to be a challenging week for Utah as they aim to bounce back from a disappointing home opening loss to the Warriors and prove themselves against some talented squads in the deep West. With that stage set, let’s take a deeper dive into each of the contests in a four-game slate this week.