How will the Utah Jazz struggle against the East?

Orlando Magic

• Bubble playoff team
• They have 260-pound center Nikola Vucevic
• Overwhelming athleticism on the wings

Last year the Magic made their first postseason appearance since Dwight Howard was traded away, and you can bet they are hungry for more. They are projected to be fighting for a playoff seed in the East, which means every game will mean a lot. This team should be competitive every night of the season, which is bad news for when the Jazz play them once in December and once in January.

In addition to that, Nikola Vucevic is a bruiser down low. Rudy Gobert is listed at 245 pounds, and Ed Davis is listed at a slender 225 pounds. Simply put, Vucevic will be a handful if he gets going.

The Magic are also brimming with athleticism at the 2, 3, and 4 spots. Terrence Ross, Aaron Gordon and Jonathan Isaac are all young and bouncy and will have to be guarded by slow-footed Joe Ingles, and Bojan Bogdanovic. Utah could throw Dante Exum and Royce O’Neale in to body up those guys, but Ingles and Bogey are expected to take the lion’s share of minutes on the wing.

Miami Heat

• They are well coached by Erik Spolestra
• Jimmy Butler‘s intensity
• More athleticism

You can never sleep on the Heat as long as they’re coached by Erik Spolestra. He has a knack for getting a scrappy group of guys to compete for a playoff spot year in and year out.

You can also count on Jimmy Butler to bring his A-game against the Jazz. He has won the last four contests against Utah and put up 20.25 points and 5.25 assists in the process.

The Jazz wings could also struggle to keep up with the dunk team on the other end: namely James Johnson and Derrick Jones Jr. If you don’t believe me just watch the highlights for the Miami Heat last season and take note of how many posterizing dunks there are.

Atlanta Hawks

• Fast pace
• Prolific three-point shooting
• Bubble playoff team

The Hawks had a blazing offense last season, led by rookie sensation Trae Young. Some are even saying him and Kevin Huerter are the NBA’s next Splash Brothers. Alex Len developed a three-point shot, which is something I thought I’d never see out of the 7-foot center. Atlanta took the offense full-throttle and comfortably led the league in pace. It’s safe to say the Jazz defense better be on their A-game against the Hawks.

Atlanta also has a slim chance of making the playoffs this year, so you can bet they will have every incentive to win when they and the Jazz meet in December. In March, maybe not so much? Time will tell on this one.

Charlotte Hornets

• Terry Rozier on a revenge year
• Malik Monk

This summer Terry Rozier was inked to a lucrative contract, one so big that NBA executives scoffed at it, ranking that move as the third worst of the NBA offseason.

From ESPN.com: 

"“Rozier, meanwhile, was the beneficiary of Charlotte losing Walker, as Boston agreed to a sign-and-trade to send him to the Hornets and making him their new starter in his place. The price for doing so — three years and $58 million — was richer than many thought the Hornets should’ve paid. “I thought that was a huge overpay without enough short term to justify it,” one Eastern Conference executive said. “I think that’s going to be a disaster to be a bottom-end team and throw that money around. I don’t see how that’s going to work out.”"

Look for Rozier to be fired up, ready to prove his doubters wrong.

Also don’t sleep on Malik Monk, who was a tantalizing draft prospect in 2017. With decent length, good hops, and a silky smooth jumpshot, Monk could have a breakout season.

Per 36 minutes last season he averaged 18.7 points on 16.8 shot attempts, shot 88 percent from the charity stripe, and he put up nine outings with 18 points or more. It’s not unreasonable to think with Kemba Walker and Jeremy Lamb gone, that the more minutes and touches could turn Monk into a dangerous weapon.

Any NBA team is talented enough to put up a fight, and Utah can’t expect to sleepwalk to a win against anyone, not even the Charlotte Hornets.

Washington Wizards

• Bradley Beal trade stock??
• Young talent

The Wizards are in no-man’s land right now. They are only one season removed from a playoff berth yet they are also shambles of that playoff team from a year ago, and John Wall is out for the year after missing most of last season.

With Wall’s frequent absences on the court, Bradley Beal has developed into a star. It’s not unreasonable to think the Wizards could unload Beal to get him on a better team, and clearly move into rebuilding mode. It’s hard to guess exactly what this Wizards team will look like in January and February when they meet the Jazz.

But they do have young guns that are looking to carve out long careers. Center Thomas Bryant was drafted late in the second round, and pleasantly surprised last season earning the starting gig by the end of the season. Troy Brown and Rui Hachimura are the most recent first round picks on the roster, and just like we said with the Charlotte Hornets, you can’t sleep on any NBA team.