The Utah Jazz have battled through a tough stretch of schedule to start out the year, but after December 4th, they should have smooth sailing for over a month.
A good number of Utah Jazz fans have felt no small amount of consternation about the way their team has started out the year. And while it’s far, far too early to come anywhere close to panicking, when considering all the hype the Jazz received this offseason, it’s not hard to see why some fans would be worried about the inconsistent nature of the start of the season.
On one hand, the Jazz have played a tough schedule and have still managed a nice 12-7 start, which is considerably better than they were heading into their 20th game a year ago. They’ve also notched some marquee wins such as over the Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers.
But on the other hand, the Jazz have blown games they definitely should have won such as contests against the Sacramento Kings, Minnesota Timberwolves and Memphis Grizzlies. Even in wins, the Jazz simply haven’t looked all that good for over a week as both their offense and defense have struggled.
In other words, the Jazz are in a reasonably good spot, but it doesn’t feel like they’ve truly played up to their potential thus far. That’s the reason for a lot of the concerns. But fortunately, a quick glance at the schedule reveals that they are quickly closing in on an absolutely favorable stretch.
They still have to wrap up their five-game road trip in Toronto on Sunday then Philadelphia on Monday. Then, after that, they’ll host the Los Angeles Lakers who currently boast the best record in the NBA. All three of those will be difficult bouts in which if the Jazz play as they have lately, they’ll be unlikely to come away with a win.
But after that, man, do things lighten up in a big way. Below is a look at the Jazz’s schedule from that point through January 18th:
- Dec. 7 vs. Memphis
- Dec. 9 vs. Oklahoma City
- Dec. 11 at Minnesota
- Dec. 13 vs. Golden State
- Dec. 17 vs. Orlando
- Dec. 19 at Atlanta
- Dec. 21 at Charlotte
- Dec. 23 at Miami
- Dec. 26 vs. Portland
- Dec. 28 at LA Clippers
- Dec. 30 vs. Detroit
- Jan. 2 at Chicago
- Jan. 4 at Orlando
- Jan. 6 at New Orleans
- Jan. 8 vs. New York
- Jan. 10 vs. Charlotte
- Jan. 12 at Washington
- Jan. 14 at Brooklyn
- Jan. 16 at New Orleans
- Jan. 18 vs. Sacramento
The Utah Jazz have a better record than 18 of those 20 teams, and several of those foes are absolutely lackluster aside from the bouts against the Clippers and Heat. Sure, as we’ve already seen, squads like Memphis, Minnesota and Sacramento can be dangerous, but this is still a lengthy stretch wherein the Jazz should notch a lot of wins.
Of course, nothing is a guarantee in the NBA and they’ve struggled against beatable teams already this year. But Quin Snyder teams tend to start to turn the corner around January, and considering how low the level of competition will be during this stretch, we could very well see the Jazz climb up the standings and get closer to the top-three seed where many fans hope and believe they are capable of finishing in this year.
We’ve already spoken extensively here on The J-Notes about how important it will be for Utah to secure a top seed if they are to find postseason success, and this upcoming stretch from Dec. 7 – Jan. 18th could be crucial in helping them get there.