Utah Jazz: Purchase Vast Amounts of Bubble Wrap Stock
30 of 31
Utah Jazz: Purchase Vast Amounts of Bubble Wrap Stock
It's difficult to tell which is more alarming: the corniness level of this joke or the fact that we're only half-kidding.
According to Man Games Lost, the Utah Jazz have been impacted by injuries more than any other team.
Boris Diaw, Derrick Favors, Gordon Hayward and Rodney Hood have all missed time. George Hill has sat out most of the season (and remains on the shelf) with a sprained left big toe. Dante Exum is dealing with tendinitis in his right knee. Alec Burks has yet to play after having ankle surgery.
Utah's most used lineup has logged 85 minutes of total action.
The projected starting five of Rudy Gobert, Favors, Hayward, Hill and Hood has appeared in one game.
Somehow, the Jazz still own a top-seven net rating. Six of their 10 most popular five-man units continue to post what would be league-best differentials, and they're on track to sniff 50 wins.
None of which means Utah is out of the woods.
Avoiding a first-round date with the Warriors shouldn't be a problem, but finishing seventh is a distinct possibility. The Spurs aren't a much better draw, so the Jazz should be wholly focused on doing everything it takes to reach full strength—even if that includes asking the basketball deities for absolution from whatever crimes against the purity of the game they unknowingly committed to earn such rotten luck.
