Utah Jazz: Home Stretch Will Be Crucial Test For Jazz

With roughly two weeks left in the season, the Utah Jazz will set the course of their postseason based on how they finish their tough regular season schedule.

Like many teams at this point in the year, the Utah Jazz have their sights set on the NBA’s postseason, which begins in just a few weeks on April 15.

Their focus won’t be making the playoffs, as they recently clinched their first berth since 2012. Instead, they’ll need to maintain their current hold on the Western Conference’s fourth seed and the first-round home-court advantage that comes with it.

Luckily, Utah controls its own destiny, being 1.5 games ahead of the Los Angeles Clippers and 2.5 in front of the Oklahoma City Thunder, both of them potential first-round opponents.

Unfortunately for them, the last few weeks of their season are quite literally the NBA’s toughest. The Jazz will face six current playoff teams in their last seven games, including three contests against the top two teams in the entire Association.

The home stretch begins against the Washington Wizards on Friday, who are currently third in the East, then continues to San Antonio April 2 for a meeting with the Spurs. Both of these teams are still fighting for their own seeds, so no pressure will be let off the pedal.

In fact, each team the Jazz will face will have something riding on every game, with the lone exception of the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are all but eliminated from contention at this point.

Utah Jazz /

Utah Jazz

Utah could very well decide who gets the Western Conference’s first seed, as they finish their season with games against the Spurs and Golden State Warriors, whose battle for the top will, in all likelihood, stretch to the wire.

With two games against the streaking Portland Trail Blazers (7-3 in their last 10) still to come as well, the Jazz could also play a role in handing out the eighth seed in the West.

At no point will Utah actually face the teams they’re in direct competition with, which will no doubt lead to many nights of tense box-score watching for Jazz fans.

For comparison’s sake, the Clippers will only face three playoff teams over the same time period, and the Thunder will see just two.

As broken down previously, the Jazz have ceded the tiebreakers in both of these potential matchups, meaning they will need to finish at least one game higher than both teams to ensure a higher seed.

Going beyond the seeding implications, this last stretch will also be a test of the Jazz’s mettle in that they will need to prove themselves capable of playing among the NBA’s elite teams.

Much of the reason Utah is in such a good position seeding-wise is that they have been consistent in beating bad teams, not falling prey to extended slumps.

Against top competition, the Jazz have been decidedly less successful, going 13-19 on the season against teams currently better than .500.

Both in the season’s last two weeks and the playoffs, this will be no such luxury, as every game will take place against top competition.

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It may be difficult to do, but it’s tough to argue that finishing strong rather than backing into the playoffs would go a long way psychologically.

The roster is far from being set at present, with notably Derrick Favors and others still held out due to injury.

The challenge for Quin Snyder will be to integrate his since-returned missing pieces while at the same time playing at the highest level that has been required of his team this year.

Playing in games of this magnitude is a relatively new phenomenon in Salt Lake City. It will also be new to many of the team’s core players, such as Rudy Gobert or Gordon Hayward, who will be leading a team deep into April for the first time.

A tough last two weeks could serve as an excellent primer for the rigors and stiff competition of the postseason, or it could wear down the Jazz’s momentum they have built up.

Next: 10 Matchups We Want To See In The 2017 NBA Playoffs

Either way, it’s clear that these last two weeks will go a long way towards how the franchise enters the postseason, and with that, the future of the team.

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