The J-Notes
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How will the new in-season tournament work for the Utah Jazz and the other 29 NBA teams?

By Chad Porto

SALT LAKE CITY UT- NOVEMBER 7: Will Hardy head coach of the Utah Jazz watches play against the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half of their game at the Vivint Arena November 7, 2022 in Salt Lake City Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Chris Gardner/ Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY UT- NOVEMBER 7: Will Hardy head coach of the Utah Jazz watches play against the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half of their game at the Vivint Arena November 7, 2022 in Salt Lake City Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Chris Gardner/ Getty Images) /
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Simone Fontecchio of the Utah Jazz.
Simone Fontecchio of the Utah Jazz. /

What do the Tournament Groups look like?

The NBA’s six groups were determined by their results from last year. The league was divided into five tiers, and one team from each of the five tiers was randomly selected to fill out the groups for the most balanced matchups possible.

Those five tiers were broken down as such;

  • three teams with the best prior-season records in both conferences (six in total)
  • The fourth, fifth, and sixth-best records in both conferences.
  • The seventh, eighth, and ninth-best records in both conferences.
  • The tenth, eleventh, and twelfth-best records in both conferences.
  • The thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth best records in both conferences.

Those groupings lead us to these six groups.

East Group A

  • Philadelphia 76ers
  • Cleveland Cavalier
  • Atlanta Hawks
  • Indiana Pacers
  • Detroit Pistons

East Group B

  • Milwaukee Bucks
  • New York Knicks
  • Miami Heat
  • Washington Wizards
  • Charlotte Hornets

East Group C

  • Boston Celtics
  • New Jersey Nets
  • Toronto Raptors
  • Chicago Bulls
  • Orlando Magic

West Group A

  • Memphis Grizzlies
  • Phoenix Suns
  • Los Angeles Lakers
  • Utah Jazz
  • Portland Trail Blazers

West Group B

  • Denver Nuggets
  • Los Angeles Clippers
  • New Orleans Pelicans
  • Dallas Mavericks
  • Houston Rockets

West Group C

  • Sacramento Kings
  • Minnesota Timberwolves
  • Golden State Warriors
  • Oklahoma City Thunder
  • San Antonio Spurs

The Jazz, as seen above, will face off with the Grizzlies, Suns, Lakers, and Trail Blazers; arguably the hardest group play in the league, although the East’s Group A is also pretty daunting to look at as well.

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