"Utah Jazz v. Cleveland Cavaliers, Jan 21, 2006" by Ken Lund is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
It seems like forever ago since we last saw the Utah Jazz take to the court at the Vivint Smart Home Arena in a competitive NBA game. COVID-19 curtailed last season, which ended in a rather disappointing First Round exit to the Denver Nuggets. What can Jazz fans expect from this new season?
The Jazz finished the 2020 season with 44-28 record, enough for sixth-place in the Western Conference. This pitted the Jazz against the Denver Nuggets in the First Round of the playoffs and it didn’t end well. Jazz fell 4-3 while the Nuggets went all the way to the Conference Finals where they succumbed to the eventual champions, L.A. Lakers.
Current NBA betting odds of +4000 suggest the long wait for an NBA Championship title will continue. To put those odds into perspective, the Lakers are the early favorites for glory and they’re priced at a mere +210 right now. Let’s delve into why those NBA futures odds are so long.
A Mediocre Offensive and Defensive Efficiency Last Season
It’s no surprise to discover the best NBA teams rank highly for both offensive and defensive efficiency. Scoring baskets and preventing the opposition from racking up points is the recipe for success.The official NBA website updated its famous Power Rankings recently which show the Jazz to be the fourth best team, statistically, in the Western Conference. It ranks Pace (possessions per 48 minutes), OffRtg (points scored per 100 possessions), and DefRtg (points allowed per 100 possessions).
Jazz’s pace was 99.1, which was only good enough for 24th place in the entire league. OffRtg came in at 111.8 (ninth best in the league) with DefRtg at 109.3 (13th best in the league). The roster really needs to improve in all three areas if it wants to even think about challenging for the NBA Championship.
On a positive note, defensively, Jazz ranked third-best for allowing shots from the restricted area, and fourth best for preventing shots from the 3-point range.
Another positive to take from last season is how fantastic Jazz were when it came to clutch games. They went 28-13 in games that were within five points with only five minutes remaining on the clock. Milwaukee Bucks were the only franchise better than the Jazz in this spot, they finished with a 17-7 record in this area.
Jazz Are All-in For 2020-21
"Utah Jazz Stadium" by Savior1980 is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Offseason saw Jazz make a few waves in relation to their roster. They signed Derrick Favors for three years in a $29 million deal with a third-year player option. Shooting Guard Donovan Mitchell penned a $163 million supermax-eligible extension, while Jordan Clarkson resigned for four year in a $52 million package.
Mitchell, in particular, ended last season on a high. He racked up 57 points in Game 1 against the Nuggets, the third-highest single-game scoring total in playoff history. Mitchell averaged 36.3 points during those seven games compared to 24.0 during the regular season. Jazz needs Mitchell to hit the ground running this season.
Jazz needs to lend Rudy Gobert a hand when it comes to defense because all too often the entirety of defense and rebounds fell on Gobert’s shoulders. He’s more than capable in this role but leaving everything up to Gobert is one of the main reasons for mediocre defensive stats last season.
Grueling January Schedule
The Jazz start their 2020-21 NBA campaign on December 23 at Portland Trail Blazers which is a tough start as the Trail Blazers are one of the most improved teams in the West.January is extremely tough and involves a seven-game road trip between January 3-17. They start with a trip to San Antonio Spurs, head to New York for games against Brooklyn Nets and the Knicks, travel to Milwaukee Bucks, then the Detroit Pistons. It doesn’t stop there because the Washington Wizards await them before Jazz return home to lock horns with the Atlanta Hawks. They then find themselves on the road against last season’s nemesis Denver Nuggets.
By the time the return home for a six-game homestand, Jazz will have played nine games in a row in different arenas!
There’s no such thing as an easy game in the NBA and the 2020-21 season will be tough. If the entire roster gels together, the Jazz could well challenge for top honors this season. Regardless, the Jazz will have a major influence over where the NBA championship ends up.