The Utah Jazz were a surprise package towards the second half of last season, especially after they decided to trade away Enes Kanter. The move ended up significantly improving them, as Rudy Gobert was given a chance to start and took the opportunity with both hands.
The Jazz’s defense improved greatly, and while it was too late to make a push for the eighth seed, there were encouraging signs all round for them moving forward.
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And with next season nearly three months away, many are speculating that the Jazz could be a favorite to make the playoffs as the eighth seed, with two of last season’s eight playoffs teams seemingly taking a step back. Two seasons into their rebuild, could the Utah Jazz really make the playoffs in the uber-competitive Western Conference?
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The two teams that look to be out of the playoff race are the Portland Trail Blazers and the Dallas Mavericks. The Blazers lost four of their five starters, and weren’t able to replace the talent – it seems a foregone conclusion that Portland will be a lottery team next season.
Dallas is a harder team to evaluate – after DeAndre Jordan’s U-turn and return to the Los Angeles Clippers, they weren’t able to pick up a starting-caliber center. Dirk Nowitzki is nearing the end of his career, Chandler Parsons isn’t quite ready to lead a team by himself, and Wesley Matthews will spend the first few months rehabbing from his torn ACL.
On paper, they have the coaching and playing talent to make the playoffs, but health will be a major deciding factor.
Many expect a full-strength Oklahoma City Thunder to return to the top of the Western Conference, which means there is only one playoff spot up for grabs. The other team that has been hovering close to the eighth seed is the Phoenix Suns, who have narrowly missed out two seasons running.
The question then boils down to this: can the Jazz beat out the Suns for the last playoff seed?
On paper, the Jazz have more promising talent that the Suns do. Gordon Hayward is fast proving that he is worth the max-contract extension he signed two offseasons ago, Rudy Gobert is earning a reputation in the league as the best defensive center, Derrick Favors has shown promise scoring in the post, and Dante Exum is a wildcard for the Jazz.
The Suns have Alex Len, Eric Bledsoe, and Brandon Knight who could end up being successful players in the league, but it’s undeniable that the Jazz have a higher ceiling.
The J-Notes
But in terms of talent now, the Suns might just edge out the Jazz. Exum’s injury will hurt the Jazz, as it reduces their guard depth and forces Trey Burke to start.
The Suns have a roster that is better suited to win now, but the franchise has had to deal with several bouts of off-court drama over the last six months – first with Goran Dragic demanding a trade, and now the Morris brothers’ saga. There is discontent bubbling under the surface in Phoenix, which could distract them from the goal of making the playoffs.
The other benefit the Jazz have over the Suns is their home-court advantage. The Jazz were 19-10 after trading away Kanter, and were 11-5 at home. The Jazz play at a higher altitude, which will naturally give them an edge over their opponents. Compare it to the Suns, who were 22-19 at home.
While the Jazz are working with a smaller sample size, there is reason to believe that the Jazz (like the 2012-13 Denver Nuggets) could mount a playoff push based on their results at home.
It hasn’t been a good week for Jazz fans, who had to deal with Dante Exum missing next season with an torn ACL, and having Favors miss out on a Team USA mini-camp call up. However, if the Jazz play their cards right, the fans could be cheering them on when the playoffs come around next season.
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