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. 31-40
31. The Positive Residual formula tags the recently released 2021-22 Utah Jazz schedule as the friendliest in the league.
32. Perhaps adding to the ease of the slate ahead, foes may overlook the Jazz a bit in light of their early playoff exit last season as a No. 1 seed.
33. That early playoff exit ought to fuel a season-long commitment to proving Utah is a legit contender.
34. That early playoff exit also ought to allow the Jazz to understand their weaknesses and take the necessary steps to correct them (already evident in the franchise’s strategic offseason moves).
35. At the moment, outside of maybe Mike Conley’s lingering hamstring issues, there are no known long-term injuries — knock on wood — plaguing any of the players.
36. The franchise player, Donovan Mitchell, turned down an invite to play for Team USA in Tokyo, wisely giving his sprained ankle every opportunity to heal without any offseason hiccups.
37. After watching Rudy Gobert give top-notch competition headaches in Olympic action this summer — on his way to taking home a silver medal with France — fans should expect to see an even more assertive version of the 7-footer next season.
38. The same Olympic confidence boost should hold for Joe Ingles, an integral piece to an Australian squad that captured bronze.
39. Plus, Miye Oni played a part in Nigeria knocking off Team USA during exhibition play leading up to the Olympics. While his team then went 0-3 across the Group Phase in Tokyo, the experience should serve Oni well. He’ll look to build on his occasional usage off the bench in close games for the Jazz last season.
40. Bojan Bogdanovic must have been disappointed that he and his Croatian teammates came up a tad short of an invite to the Olympics. However, the ensuing rest could be a blessing in disguise, considering “Bogey” was the only Utah Jazz starter who played every game last season.