March 12th: Utah Jazz vs Sacramento Kings
The Kings made one of the bigger splashes at this year’s deadline, acquiring star big man Domantas Sabonis.
Some observers may question the fit between a halfcourt weapon like Sabonis and a transition terror like De’Aaron Fox. Particularly when the latter doesn’t space the floor well for the former’s low post playmaking chops.
We’ll see how the experiment bears out, but our money is on the Jazz for this showdown
Prediction: W
March 14th: Utah Jazz vs Milwaukee Bucks
The first game in March we’d even consider predicting a Utah Jazz loss in.
In fact, that’s exactly what we’ll do. Part of that is in adherence to the law of averages. We’ve got the Jazz riding an 8-game winning streak into this matchup: they’ve got to lose eventually.
It might as well be to the defending champions. At 36-25, the Bucks sit 5th in the Eastern Conference. Their underwhelming performance so far is probably equally due to championship malaise and some injury problems of their own.
By March 14th, they should be gearing up for another deep playoff push. Expect them to do so at the expense of the Utah Jazz.
Prediction: L
March 16th: Utah Jazz vs Chicago Bulls
This might be the hardest contest to predict on the schedule. On the one hand, as of today, the Bulls have a narrow advantage over the Jazz in wins. They’ve won 39 contests to the Jazz’s 37. On the other hand, the Jazz have a significant advantage in Net Rating (6.8 vs 1.9).
We’re putting more stock in the latter. the Jazz play in the tougher Western Conference, which feels like a satisfactory explanation of their lower win total. These are both elite teams, and this should be a quality interconference showdown as a result.
We just think the Utah Jazz should come away with the win.
Prediction: W
March 18th: Utah Jazz vs Los Angeles Clippers
This one feels simple. No Kawhi, no PG13, no problem right?
Well, Tyronn Lue doesn’t see it that way. He’s garnering Coach of the Year consideration for keeping his Clippers afloat without their stars. As of today, they’re an even 31-31, good for 8th in the conference.
That’s impressive. Without a question, these Clippers would be titans with their two stars in tow. Since neither project as likely to play in this contest, it’s pretty easy to predict a Jazz win.
Prediction: W