The 2026-27 NBA season has not been kind to the Utah Jazz thus far. As they have stumbled out of the gate with a 1-5 mark, fans are getting restless - the Jazz were finally going to come out of tank mode this year and try to win. Unfortunately, a plethora of injuries have derailed that plan to date.
Jusuf Nurkic is far more important to this team than anyone wanted to admit coming into the season - his screen setting, passing and ability to rebound are sorely missed.
Jaren Jackson Jr. and Lauri Markkanen are of course, massive holes in the lineup. Lauri returned against Portland, and it looks like he should have waited a few more days.
It's not just the Jazz that are encountering this.
The defending champion New York Knicks, for one, are also struggling with a 2-4 record that has already seen them lose twice to the Philadelphia 76ers, whom they dispatched a year ago on their way to the championship. And unlike the Jazz, the Knicks haven't had a slew of injured players - it's the same lineup that was so good a year ago.
The Miami Heat, another East team thought to be a playoff contender, also is sitting at 2-4 after acquiring Giannis Antetokounmpo in the offseason. He's doing his thing (28.2 points, 12.3 boards, 5.5 assists), but the chemistry just isn't there so far.
Phoenix (1-3) upgraded their core in the offseason, bringing Miles Bridges and Luke Kennard aboard, along with first-round pick Koa Peat. They can't hit a three-pointer to save their lives, and the defense (allowing 124.5 points per game puts them at 27th in the NBA) is abysmal.
The Indiana Pacers (2-5) got Tyrese Haliburton back and looked okay for a few games, then the floor fell out. And now, with multiple injuries, they're trending downward like the Jazz, with little hope in sight after deflating losses to Miami and Brooklyn.
On the flip side, teams like the Memphis Grizzlies (6-0), Portland Trail Blazers (4-1), and the Houston Rockets (6-1) are better than expected.
What does it all mean? What it often means: the first 10 games of the NBA season are misleading. Teams can have poor starts, injuries, or other issues as they get back into the swing of things. The Jazz still have a lot of talent on the roster, and they'll eventually get Nurkic, Markkanen, and Jackson back healthy, along with breaks in the schedule that will help them win more often.
In the meantime, other players should get opportunities to shine, which will help the team once everyone is healthy again. So let's hold off on thinking the Jazz are lottery-bound again. They have 76 games to go, and they will win games this year. Just not right now.
Add us as a preferred source on Google