60 simple reasons the Utah Jazz will win 60 games
By Matt Giles
The 60 reasons to expect 60 or more Utah Jazz victories: Nos. 1-10
1. The Utah Jazz should be confident as the reigning regular-season champs after going 52-20 in a shortened 2020-21 NBA regular season.
2. All five starters are likely to be back in Salt Lake City for a shot at again capturing the No. 1 seed out of the Western Conference.
3. The top two vote-getters in the Sixth Man of the Year race — Jordan Clarkson and Joe Ingles, respectively — ought to return as well.
4. Pair Clarkson and Ingles with the anticipated Jazz starters, and that’s the seven leading scorers per game from the last group.
5. Speaking further to the continuity, Quin Snyder is preparing for his eighth season as Jazz head coach, the last five of which included playoff berths.
6. Snyder has also seen Utah’s winning percentage improve from one season to the next across his past three campaigns. Adding the average jump from this span to last season’s winning percentage, the Jazz would be on track for about 62 wins across the upcoming regular season.
7. Sticking with the theme of percentages and remembering that most of the primary snipers are still in town, don’t forget that last season’s bunch led the league in 3-point makes per game (16.7) while finishing fourth with its 38.9 shooting percentage from downtown.
8. The 2020-21 Jazzmen finished inside the top 10 in both 2-point and free throw percentages.
9. Individually, at age 33, Ingles shot a career-high 45.1 percent from deep, the fifth-best clip in the NBA last season.
10. Bojan Bogdanovic and Jordan Clarkson flirted with 90.0 percent from the charity stripe. And except for Gobert, each of this season’s primary returning weapons knocked down better than 83.0 percent of their free throws.