The Utah Jazz have the opportunity to make a nice surge up the standings in Week Six as they face four tough but winnable contests.
Welp, Week Five of the 2018-19 Utah Jazz season showed quite clearly just how tough this year’s edition of the team can be to predict. Despite struggling against the Memphis Grizzlies in the season’s earlier two contests, Utah looked sharp this time around in the FedEx Forum earning a victory that led many to believe that the Jazz were on their way to turning things around.
But, boy, how wrong they were. Utah’s subsequent game was a 50-point loss to a Dallas Mavericks team that the Jazz had whipped up on twice earlier in the season. From there, they lost a heartbreaker to the Philadelphia 76ers that saw many of this year’s demons arise. Last of all, they ended the week on a high with a clean sweep of Gordon Hayward and the inconsistent Boston Celtics.
So Utah went 2-2 on the week, which is about what I had expected, but not in the way that they did it. And I especially didn’t foresee the 50-point lashing in Dallas. The only outcome I got correct was actually the win in Memphis, so while Utah went 2-2, I went a mere 1-3, dead-locking me once again with the Jazz at 8-8.
So that brings us to Week Six, and if you were to ask me what we should expect out of the Jazz moving forward, this would be my honest answer – I have no idea. This team has had more ups and downs through 16 games than just about any I can recall. They’ve looked elite for stretches and downright ugly in others.
Which leads me to believe that this Jazz team very well can be elite when they choose to be. In other words, if they can find the passion, focus and determination to turn it on in every game they play in (which is exactly the mentality you’d want out of a top-tier squad), then they could still very well be among the NBA’s finest. Whether they actually do that or not, beginning in a challenging Week 6, is anybody’s guess.
The Jazz have a unique schedule this upcoming week as they face the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis on Monday in the fifth and final game of their current road trip. From there, they’ll head back home for a single game against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday. Due to the long trip they’ve been on and how brief this stop will be, it’s almost going to feel like just another road game save for the arena they’re playing in.
After that game, they’ll head straight to Los Angeles for their first matchup of the year against the LeBron James-led Lakers on Friday. The Lakers have been an up and down squad as well and currently find themselves just a half-game ahead of the Jazz in the standings, so this could be a tight one.
Last of all, to continue Utah’s trend of playing the same team about a week apart, the Jazz will head up to Sacramento in the subsequent game to play the Kings for the third time this season on Sunday. Utah’s road-heavy early schedule is certain to make them somewhat weary, but hopefully they can nab some big Ws as they aim to put themselves within striking distance of a top seed by the turn of the calendar year where things ease up significantly.
Despite the tough schedule, I’d still say that the Jazz have underachieved so far this season. Nevertheless, we always knew that their early schedule wouldn’t reflect who this team truly is, and when things do ease up, expect them to still be in store for a strong season. Let’s hope they can begin that turnaround right away, beginning with an important Week Six of action.