Utah Jazz: Rough stretch looks like it will continue before improving

By Mitchell Hansen | Dec 30, 2017

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - NOVEMBER 01: Head coach Quin Snyder of the Utah Jazz stares up court during their game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Vivint Smart Home Arena on November 01, 2017 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images) /

In an up-and-down first half of the 2017-18 season, the Utah Jazz’s recent struggles look like they will continue before improving.

The Utah Jazz have only played in 36 games heading into Saturday night’s matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers, but they have already endured nearly a year’s worth of ups and downs.

To begin the year, the Jazz were one of the hottest teams in the entire NBA, winning five of their first eight games. But since that hot streak, things have taken a turn for the worst — and in more ways than just the result of Utah’s games.

After those first eight games, the Jazz have since gone 10-18, including losing 10 of their last 12 leading up to Saturday’s game.

During the stretch of 28 games where Utah went 10-18, it recorded at least a three-game losing streak on five different occasions.

To the Jazz’s credit, many of those games have come against nearly all playoff-caliber teams. In the last 12 games, Utah faced the Oklahoma City Thunder three times, the Houston Rockets twice, as well as the likes of the Boston Celtics, the Cavaliers, the San Antonio Spurs and the defending champion Golden State Warriors.

All of those games resulted in losses, with their only two wins in that 12-game stretch coming against Boston and San Antonio.

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It has been a rough stretch, but it’s not going to get any easier in the near future for the Jazz. Utah has dealt with a number of injuries so far this season, including losing Rudy Gobert with a knee injury for the second time in the first half of the year. And, much like their past 12 games, the Jazz will run into some more tough opponents to kick off the new year.

Six of Utah’s next seven opponents are going to be against teams currently in the midseason playoff picture. That stretch starts with Cleveland on Saturday night, followed by the New Orleans Pelicans (18-17, eighth in West), Denver Nuggets (19-16, sixth in the West), Miami Heat (18-17, eighth in the East), Washington Wizards (20-16, sixth in the East) and Indiana Pacers (19-17, seventh in the East).

That stretch against top-notch NBA talent will put Utah to the test in general. With some key players in and out of the lineup due to nagging injuries, it will be even tougher period in Utah.

But there is light at the end of the tunnel for the Jazz. If they can manage to survive through the upcoming two weeks of action, they will take on struggling teams such as the Sacramento Kings, New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks, which could provide them with the opportunity to try and gain some ground in a Western Conference where they seem to be falling fast.

The Jazz are definitely capable of surprising everyone out of nowhere, like they did in their hot stretch to start the 2017-18 NBA season. But with the unfortunate mix of losing players to injuries and playing tough opponents in the heart of the regular season, Utah is certainly going through a rough patch early in the year.

Next: 2018 NBA Mock Draft: End of 2017 edition

It’s one that looks like the Utah Jazz will continue to toil through before things take a turn for the better.