Where do the Utah Jazz really rank in the Western Conference?

One may argue that the Utah Jazz occupy a definitive place in the Western Conference. That place would be 4th. That’s where they sit in the standings. Case closed, mystery solved. You’ve just read the shortest article in the history of the J-Notes.

Not so fast. Plenty of factors account for a team’s place in the standings. Strength of schedule, injury luck and shooting slumps are just a few of the factors that can skew a team’s placement. The NBA’s regular season has never been a perfect experiment.

All of which is to say that we believe the Utah Jazz are a little more than the fourth best team in the Western Conference. Exactly where does this team rightfully rank in the conference?

To answer that question, we’re looking at team ratings, and weighing them against a more subjective evaluation of each of the top 5 teams in the Conference. It’s not a strictly scientific formula in its own right. Such a formula does not exist. We won’t know who the best team in the Western Conference is unless the playoffs have concluded and no significant players were injured.

In the meantime, we might as well speculate. Here is our estimate of the top 5 teams in the NBA’s Western Conference.

5. Utah Jazz vs Dallas Mavericks

Choosing between the Mavericks and the Denver Nuggets proved difficult. Both teams are 40-26. The Mavericks’ advantage in Net Rating (3.1 vs 3.0) is far from inspiring.

Ultimately, this comparison is purely subjective. We went with the Mavericks because they have a healthy core. The Nuggets are without both Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. They are compromised. That lack of depth is likely to prove a more significant obstacle to success than any the Mavericks face.

If the Nuggets get their second and third best players back, and they both look like themselves, we’ll look foolish. As it stands, we like the Mavericks in a playoff series.