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When does the Utah Jazz begin their portion of the In-Season Tournament?

By Chad Porto

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - NOVEMBER 04: A view of the Nike sneakers worn by Nickeil Alexander-Walker #9 of the Minnesota Timberwolves against the Utah Jazz in the first quarter at Target Center on November 04, 2023 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Timberwolves defeated the Jazz 123-95. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - NOVEMBER 04: A view of the Nike sneakers worn by Nickeil Alexander-Walker #9 of the Minnesota Timberwolves against the Utah Jazz in the first quarter at Target Center on November 04, 2023 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Timberwolves defeated the Jazz 123-95. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) /
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The Utah Jazz will be one of the later teams to begin the In-Season Tournament.

The NBA has begun its poorly conceived In-Season Tournament, and several teams have already begun their portion of the first round. The first round of the tournament will see a team play four games against their fellow group-mates. For the Utah Jazz, they’re taking on the Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, and the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Jazz will take on the Grizzlies on Nov. 10, the Blazers on Nov. 14, the Suns on Nov. 17, and the Lakers on Nov. 21.

The winners of all six of the groups will then move on to the single-elimination quarter-finals. They’ll be joined by two teams who will be selected due to their records, and these teams are being dubbed “wild card teams”.

The higher-seeded teams will host the games, and the tournament will then continue as a single-elimination tournament until there’s a winner. The last two teams will have to play one extra game for the season, playing 83 games, while everyone else will play 82.

Teams that don’t make the playoffs will play one another as the tournament plays out. Each tournament game counts for the regular season record.

The Utah Jazz will have a tough out, as the Lakers and Suns are tough outs, but they also have the upside of playing a very bad Grizzlies team and a very bad Trail Blazers team. So the Jazz could easily go 2-2. It wouldn’t be enough to warrant the team getting into the next round but it also wouldn’t be the worst outcome.

Frankly, the in-season tournament is dumb and one way they could’ve improved upon this is if they focused on the division in the NBA, something that the league has downplayed over the years. In the other leagues, namely the NFL AND MLB, the divisions are one of three potential championships that the league celebrates.

And if the NBA focused more on that aspect of an in-season tournament, awarding an extra draft pick late in the first round to teams that win, on top of a bigger cash prize, then there may be more of an incentive for fans and players to care.

It’d be more like how the NCAA basketball tournaments do their conference tournaments, and if the NBA found a way to further emphasize the divisions via a tournament that’s in-season, on top of awards for the teams and players, then the tournament may actually matter to people.

Until then, no one really cares.

Next. 5 non-superstars that could help the Utah Jazz win this year. dark

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