Jazz's 'Biggest Fear' calls out underlying issue with tanking

Winning two of their last three games still ranks the Utah Jazz among the worst teams in the NBA record-wise at 2-7. Even though they've had some badly-timed injuries, this is going how many expected and hoped it would.

One can even argue that it's not so much that they have been bad as they are in a conference with almost every single team trying to make the playoffs. Nonetheless, the Jazz are not a good team, and that's good for their lottery odds. By extension, it's good to see them choose a direction now.

However, just because the Jazz look like they're tanking doesn't mean they may get the guy they want. Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus explained what the Jazz's current "biggest fear" is.

"For Utah, it's just a fear that they finish the season with the worst record in the league but the lottery balls are unfavorable (like with the Detroit Pistons over the last couple of years)."

It's already hard enough because this isn't a territory the Jazz are all too familiar with. They don't have a long history of drafting high lottery picks. They've built their playoff teams from typically good team-building. They've hit on their draft picks, but guys like Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert didn't come into the NBA expected to be the players they became.

However, as far as biggest fears go, it could be worse.

Not getting the No. 1 pick isn't the worst fate

This draft class is expected to be good, primarily because Cooper Flagg has been deemed as a can't-miss prospect. No matter what the future holds, one fact remains: only one team gets him.

Tanking will potentially give the Jazz the highest odds to get him, but they will be tied with two other teams as far as lottery odds go. Like Pincus pointed out, Detroit has done this over the past few years, and the only time they won the lottery was 2021 when they got Cade Cunningham.

And even that, fate isn't too bad, looking at how Detroit has started the 2024-25 season. They haven't been fantastic at 4-7 but have been competing. They may become one of the worst teams in the NBA again, but at least there's a direction for them now. Last season, they were as hapless as they were hopeless with that roster and Monty Williams.

They replaced him with JB Bickerstaff, added some veterans, and teams can't underestimate them anymore. Utah will likely end up with a high lottery pick. While much like anyone else would be in their shoes, they'd be happy to get Flagg, but it's not the end of the world if they end up with someone else.