With their loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, the Utah Jazz have lost five games in a row. Before losing to Philly, the Jazz had lost four consecutive games, three of which were noteworthy.
Utah lost to three of their stingiest tanking competition, which includes Washington, New Orleans, and Toronto. Doing so really tips the tanking scales in the Jazz's favor. Losing to Philly, who is going for the tank because of Joel Embiid's season-ending surgery and trying to prvent forking over a lottery pick to OKC, also helps things.
Before the Jazz's game against Boston, they sport a record of 15-49, good for the second-worst record in the league. Per Tankathon, that gives them a 14% chance at the No. 1 pick, which is the highest they can get
While it may not sound too appealing to tank for top-three odds for the No. 1 pick, the Jazz are at least ensuring those odds. Losing to the exact teams they're competing with for those odds is onl good for them.
The Wizards are technically ahead of them in the tanking game, and it's not a big deal if things finish that way, but another telling stat could lead to the Jazz catching them if the Wizards continue to play the way they have.
The Wizards are now 4-3 with Marcus Smart and Khris Middleton in the lineup. Since their debut on Feb. 21, the Wizards are tied for 7th in the NBA in defensive rating.
— Chase Hughes (@chasedcsports) March 9, 2025
Combine that with the Jazz's lengthy injury reports, and there's a lot to feel good about regarding their lottery odds.
It only gets better from here (tanking-wise)
The Jazz have a few more games against their tanking competition, including Charlotte, Washington, and Toronto. However, they have one of the toughest remaining schedules in the NBA. Per Tankathon, Utah has a top-three toughest schedule from here on out.
They have five games against the league's three best teams - Cleveland, Oklahoma City, and Boston - and things don't really let up, as they also have several games left against Houston, Memphis, and Denver.
Not only are those teams all among the best in the league, but will also vie for the best playoff seeding possible. Each one of those teams will see their game against the Jazz as one they absolutely cannot afford to lose.
It's a broken record to point this out, but in this case, the record needs to be broken that the Jazz won't get the highest lottery oddsif they finish with the worst seed. However, it's likely they will do everything in their power to ensure they get the highest lottery odds possible regardless.
Utah losing to their tanking competition is a good step towards getting the high lottery pick they want, but now that they will go up against the best teams in the NBA as the season winds down will further ensure their tanking won't go for naught.