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The Official How Many Games Will the Jazz Win This Year?

Team is playing great but there has to come a point where Snyder has seen enough of core
to pull the plug on season and not risk seriously injuring players down the stretch just to try and
win one more game.
Jazz just can not let someone get an injury that puts them out for beginning of next season.
 
Team is playing great but there has to come a point where Snyder has seen enough of core
to pull the plug on season and not risk seriously injuring players down the stretch just to try and
win one more game.
Jazz just can not let someone get an injury that puts them out for beginning of next season.
So what do you do, sit the entire starting five for the last 17 games? 10 games? You risk injury in game #1 or #82. You risk injury by having players compete in World Cups. Heck, you risk injury just by having them step outside their door to go do offseason workouits.

Development is the goal of QS. And these players are FAR from being developed enough to dominate when the games really count. If anything, I want the Jazz players to see what games are like as opponents come in fighting for the playoffs, home court, etc. March and April are much more intense and rotations shrink. I want guys like Exum and Rudy working on their offense. And even Favors. As good as he was last night, he got schooled by the Pistons on his spin move. It was nice to see him then go to a baby hook. And even a dribble drive and finish. Those are things he doesn't do a lot. I want Rudy to continue to shoot 3's and be our starting SG. I want Hayward to learn how to drive without committing TO's.

These last 17 games are great opportunities for players to continue to experiment and learn. Sure, they want to win, but a playoff spot isn't in jeopardy if they fail. Just look at Gobert; he's never been in a position of shooting FT's to close out a game. He got tight and failed. Next time will be easier.
 
Mon, Mar 16 vsCharlotte -------W
Wed, Mar 18 vsWashington----- W
Thu, Mar 19 @Los Angeles----- W
Sat, Mar 21 @Golden State----W
Mon, Mar 23 vsMinnesota ----- W
Wed, Mar 25 vsPortland------- W
Fri, Mar 27 @Denver---------- W
Sat, Mar 28 vsOklahoma City-- W
Mon, Mar 30 @Minnesota----- W

APRIL W

Wed, Apr 1 vsDenver------- W
Sat, Apr 4 @Phoenix--------- W
Sun, Apr 5 @Sacramento---- W
Wed, Apr 8 vsSacramento---- W
Fri, Apr 10 vsMemphis-------- W
Sat, Apr 11 @Portland------- W
Mon, Apr 13 vsDallas--------W
Wed, Apr 15 @Houston------- W

First Round W
2nd Round W
WCF W
NBA Finals W
 
So what do you do, sit the entire starting five for the last 17 games? 10 games? You risk injury in game #1 or #82. You risk injury by having players compete in World Cups. Heck, you risk injury just by having them step outside their door to go do offseason workouits.

Development is the goal of QS. And these players are FAR from being developed enough to dominate when the games really count. If anything, I want the Jazz players to see what games are like as opponents come in fighting for the playoffs, home court, etc. March and April are much more intense and rotations shrink. I want guys like Exum and Rudy working on their offense. And even Favors. As good as he was last night, he got schooled by the Pistons on his spin move. It was nice to see him then go to a baby hook. And even a dribble drive and finish. Those are things he doesn't do a lot. I want Rudy to continue to shoot 3's and be our starting SG. I want Hayward to learn how to drive without committing TO's.

These last 17 games are great opportunities for players to continue to experiment and learn. Sure, they want to win, but a playoff spot isn't in jeopardy if they fail. Just look at Gobert; he's never been in a position of shooting FT's to close out a game. He got tight and failed. Next time will be easier.

Agree with all you say.
But at some point Jazz also need to give the fringe players a closer look for next season also.
May mean resting core players more in games to let fringe players get some NBA time.
 
Agree with all you say.
But at some point Jazz also need to give the fringe players a closer look for next season also.
May mean resting core players more in games to let fringe players get some NBA time.
None of the fringe players will be back. Jerrett, Cotton, Clark are just fillers. Evans has been a great energy player and community guy for us, but just doesn't fit. He's too small to be a legit big and doesn't give Utah the shooting we need from outside. Millsap and Ingles are already getting time. Both have already shown enough to be brought back,

PG's - Exum, Burke. A trade for a veteran is possible, but unlikely. FA market is not promising. We aren't getting Dragic. Is Lin, Barrea or Brooks enough of an upgrade over Burke to justify FA money? IMO, we'd be better just bringing in Neto.
Wings - Hayward. Hood and Burks compete for other starting spot.
Bigs - Gobert, Favors and Booker.

That's 8 players
9. Add Tomic or Pleiss.
10. Add our 1st round pick
11. Add a FA (or even two)
12. Millsap
13. Ingles
14. Second round pick or perhaps Cooley or Motum as another big. Or a third PG.
15. Roster reserve spot for injuries. Could be a non-guaranteed player through December. Then 10-days after that.

It's going to be VERY hard to make the team. Millsap/Ingles are as good as you can get as end of bench players. Either can step in if injuries occur and give Utah quality minutes.
 
The Jazz end the season with 4 western playoff contenders who will all be jockeying for position.
I think they might look at the lottery seeding and do a "mini tank" in this stretch if they can go from 12 to 10 in the lottery.
By this I mean sitting one of Favors, Hayward, or Gobert each game.

Could you even imagine how bad they would be if they sat all 3?

Roll out a lineup of Cooley/Evans, Booker/Evans, Jingles/Hood, Hood/Millsap, Exum/Burke and then whatever poor soul is on a 10 day contract.
 
The problem with the schedule is they are playing to many bad teams. They play better against the playoff bound teams. I say 7 More wins.
 
Quarter #1 - 5 wins and 16 losses - (.238)
Quarter #2 - 9 wins and 12 losses - (.428)
Quarter #3 - 13 wins and 8 losses - (.619)
Quarter #4 - 2 wins and 0 losses - 17 games left to go. They need to go 12-5 to finish .500.

Amazing.

I'm going to say that I think they get to at least 41 or 42 wins, and finish ahead of Phoenix. Jazz will be the media darlings next year after they kill it this offseason. I'd love for them to win out and make the 8th seed, but they would have had to move Rudy and Dante into the starting lineup a lot earlier in the season in order to catch up with OKC or New Orleans.
 
So I suck at math, but if my calculations are correct, we keep playing this way (last 10)and OKC keeps playing 500 or slightly under with the Westbrook playing 1 on 5 (and someone does a Nancy Kerrigan on Anthony Davis)...we make the playoffs!! ...okay okay I can wait until next year.
 
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