Utah Jazz: 3 teams the Jazz should want to play come playoff time

3. Denver Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz have squared off twice this season, with Denver winning both contests in pretty close fashion (six points and three points). Michael Malone’s team boasts one of the best young duos in the league in Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, as well as a solid supporting cast.

Jokic is one of the best centers in all of basketball. His ability to score is good but the No. 1 thing he’s been known for over the years is his prowess as a facilitator. Murray is a score-first guard and serves as a good running mate for him. Guys like Will Barton, Paul Millsap, Jerami Grant and Gary Harris all average double-digit points per game.

The x-factor in a Denver/Utah series, though, would likely be Michael Porter Jr. His playing time hasn’t been very consistent throughout the course of the season but when he gets hot, it’s hard for him to cool off. The Jazz would have their hands full trying to guard him if he’s on, with someone like Royce O’Neale or Joe Ingles tasked with putting a stop to the 6-foot-10 wing’s scoring.

The Nuggets lost in the Conference Semifinals a season ago and although the team doesn’t look all that different than the one that took the floor last postseason, youth was one of the most obvious reasons why they lost. After another campaign with the core and a hungry mentality, Utah would have its hands full facing Denver in a series.