Utah Jazz: Top 5 games to watch in 2018-19

4. Dec. 27, 2018 vs. Philadelphia 76ers

In what could be one of the most anticipated games of the early NBA season, the Philadelphia 76ers travel to Salt Lake City to battle the Utah Jazz. This contest will be interesting for obvious reasons on the court, but another rivalry off the court adds spice to the showdown.

First, we get the matchup between Joel Embiid and Rudy Gobert. Due to injuries, they’ve only played against each other once in their careers. It should be interesting watching two of the most dominant big men in the NBA battle inside the paint.

However, the intrigue will be centered around the budding rivalry between Donovan Mitchell and Ben Simmons. Both were leading candidates last season for Rookie of the Year, which Simmons subsequently won. In an interview with ESPN‘s Chris Haynes earlier this year, when asked if any fellow rookies had captured his attention, Simmons made some comments that caught Mitchell’s eye.

"“None,” Simmons responded promptly. “I want to be where the greats are. So, for me, I watch the guys like Kevin Durant [LeBron James, [Stephen] Curry, Russell [Westbrook]. Guys like that. That’s where I want to be. I think for me, that’s what I love to watch.”"

Mitchell didn’t find the comments amusing, and tweeted the following shortly after the interview aired.

The NBA is full of legendary rivalries. Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson, and Michael Jordan vs. the Bad Boy Detroit Pistons carried the league through the 1980s and early 1990s. With both Simmons and Mitchell at the beginning of their careers, we could witness the start of a legendary rivalry on Dec. 27.