Utah Jazz: 3 bold predictions for 2019-20 NBA season
No. 2: Jazz will be finish as top-four seed in the West
The second bold prediction for the Utah Jazz as it prepares to try and take another step in the 2019-20 NBA season this winter is that they will finish as a top-four seed in the packed Western Conference standings.
Utah has finished as the No. 5 seed in the conference standings the last two years, and although the West has improved in terms of the firepower and talent spread across it, the Jazz have also improved themselves heading into the fresh season.
According to fivethirtyeight.com, Utah is projected to finish with a record of 49-33 during the regular season, which would be one less win than the 50 it was able to tally during the 2018-19 campaign.
As a result of that projected record which would leave the Jazz 16 wins above .500 at years end, the website predicts that Utah will finish the year once again at the No. 5 seed heading into postseason play, trailing the Golden State Warriors by one game while finishing just two games back of the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers in the Nos. 2 and 3 seeds.
With the construction of the new rotation and the personnel that was brought in during the offseason, however, the Jazz are strong candidates to finish as a top four seed in the Western Conference standings while improving on their finishes in each of the last two years.
With the Warriors dealing with injury issues and some departures — most notably the injury of Klay Thompson and the departure of Kevin Durant — as well as the Lakers season expectations somewhat in question still, Utah could move itself into a top four spot and could pull things together in the second half of the year to head into the playoffs with momentum like it has the past two seasons.
As far as what could happen once they get into the postseason, you’ll be able to read more about that prediction in the next slide. But it wouldn’t and shouldn’t be unrealistic to think that the Jazz will continue to take the next step this season and grab a top four seed in the conference.