Utah Jazz: 3 things to monitor as schedule becomes more difficult

Back-to-backs and rest

At the end of the month, the Utah Jazz will play their first back-to-back set since November. I suspect that’s one of the things the Utah Jazz complained about to the league office after the slow start in 2018-19, was cutting down back-to-backs.

The league listened and gave the Jazz only 11 back-to-backs this season, which is tied for the least in the league.

But this upcoming back-to-back is a little more gnarly than usual. The Jazz will fly to San Antonio this Wednesday, then fly to Denver the very next day, then finish the road trip on Saturday in Portland. That includes three games in four days, in three different time zones and arenas.

When you look at it that way, that significantly reduces my expectations and frankly I’ll be satisfied if the Jazz escape that three game stretch with just a single win.

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Then on the 7th through 10th of February, Utah will go through another stretch of three games in four days. They will host the Trail-Blazers at home on Friday the 7th, then complete a back-to-back in Houston and Dallas the following Sunday and Monday.

Following the long break that includes the NBA trade deadline and All-Star weekend, the Jazz will have yet another stretch of three games crammed into four days. They play the Spurs and Rockets back-to-back, then after a single day of rest host the Phoenix Suns. The good news is that all three of these games will be within the friendly confines of Vivint Smart Home Arena.

If any of the Jazz players happen to stay in Salt Lake over the entirety of the All-Star break, they will get to sleep in their own beds for two straight weeks without travel interruptions to their routine. This will be a huge opportunity for them to regroup and get their bearings in preparation for the home-stretch of the season.