The J-Notes
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Utah Jazz Week 16 Outlook: Jazz face tough test vs. familiar foes

By Jared Woodcox

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - JANUARY 23: The Utah Jazz celebrates during the game against the Denver Nuggets on January 23, 2019 at Vivint Smart Home Arena 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - JANUARY 23: The Utah Jazz celebrates during the game against the Denver Nuggets on January 23, 2019 at Vivint Smart Home Arena 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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ATLANTA, GA – JANUARY 6: John Collins #20 and Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks high-five during a game against the Miami Heat on January 6, 2019 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA – JANUARY 6: John Collins #20 and Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks high-five during a game against the Miami Heat on January 6, 2019 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images) /

2/1 Utah vs. Atlanta

7:00 pm MT – AT&T SportsNet/League Pass

Opponent record: 15-33

Season series: Tied 0-0

By all rights, this ought to be an easy win for the Utah Jazz. Then again, one might have very well thought the same thing in both contests last season, but instead the Hawks won both times. And while this Atlanta team is almost certainly lottery-bound, they’re not the cellar-dweller that they were last season.

The Hawks are currently 12th in the Eastern Conference, a whopping five games ahead of the lowly trio of eastern squads that appear to have already given up on the season. They’re 4-6 in their last 10 games, which isn’t setting the world on fire, but is a nice trajectory for a team that’s barely over a .300 win percentage.

Atlanta is led in scoring by John Collins, who is shaping up to be a nice talent for the young Hawks. He’s putting up 19.4 points per game on splits of 59.3 percent shooting from the field and 38.7 percent from deep while nabbing 10.2 rebounds. Honestly, if he were on a winning team, those are All-Star figures and we’d be talking about him qualifying for the big event.

For what it’s worth, he’s also the only Hawks player that averages at least 10 minutes per game that doesn’t have a negative plus/minus. He’s smack dab at 0.0, but at least he’s not negative!

Beyond Collins, the Jazz will have to also watch out for Trae Young, who despite his inefficiency can still be a dangerous scorer. Vets Kent Bazemore and Jeremy Lin along with rising young talent Taurean Prince round out the Hawks’ top five scorers.

While the Jazz can’t afford to get complacent against the Hawks, I still believe they’ll come away on top, especially on their home court. Not only that, but while Lloyd Pierce is doing a nice job as Atlanta’s head coach, without Quin Snyder’s former colleague Mike Budenholzer calling the shots for the Hawks as they had last year, I don’t think they’ll have the same leg up on the Jazz as in 2017-18.

Barring a disappointing letdown, the Utah Jazz should be able to claim an easy W in this one.

My Prediction: Jazz Win

Final Score: Utah 122, Atlanta 103

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