Do the Jazz get out of the first round?

[Ujfanatic]

Having now seen 75% of the season, do you see the Jazz getting out of the first round of the playoffs?

The likely first round opponents are Dallas or Denver. They may or may not have home court advantage. Less likely but possible first round opponents also include Golden State and Memphis.

 

[Jingled]

It's such a hard question to answer because there are still so many unknown variables at this point...matchup, home court, health, etc. If the Jazz are fully healthy, I think they beat Dallas or Denver, but it will be a long, hard-fought series that goes 6 or 7 games. Having said that, I definitely wouldn't be completely shocked to see us get beat out.

 

[Ron Mexico]

If healthy, yes.

 

[Agent#00]

yes

 

[SoUjazzfan]

I think it's a definite maybe.
We've had some real stinker games this year and it may only take one during a series to put us out. The West is just so evenly matched this year. If C Pee 3 isn't healthy it's basically wide open.

 

[fallenchicken]

Think it entirely depends on matchup. I think there's a good chance we end up as the sixth seed and play Golden State in the first round. I also think it's possible we could win that series if golden state isn't at full health and Wiggins/Thompson continue to suck.

 

[SoberasHotRod]

It depends more on our health and how certain guys are hopefully clicking by then, but I'm not too concerned. Unfortunately it looks like we are going to be in for a tough series no matter what, which could hurt us going in to a 2nd round series.

 

[Sean]

It doesn't matter. This team, and franchise post-Stockton and Malone it seems, has a hard ceiling and it's the second round. What difference does it make if they lose in the first round when we all know they're going to bow out in the semifinals if they advance.

 

[Nate505]

Maybe. If they play Dallas I think they do, but on the other hand in the playoffs Dallas will have the best player on the court. Also, I have no idea about Dallas, but I do know that the Jazz have shown they will do nothing but wilt when the going gets tough. Or they will come back but don't have what it takes to actually win when they come back, at least if it's a good team.

So yeah, if they play Dallas or Denver and can build a good lead early in the game I think they can advance. If it's close, I have no faith they will, but maybe they turn things on in the playoffs, even though they've shown no history of doing it before.

 

[LoPo]

If healthy, yes.

This

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[Handlogten's Heros]

Ummmmmm either way they get out of the first round. Either they lose and they out or they advance. I suppose the world or basketball could end entirely and trap them forever in the first round.

Okay... enough smart assery. I truly don't know. Here is my new theory... Lose in the first round and you will see a Donovan Rudy split. Lose in the second round and they will change some parts around those two. Make it to the conference finals and everyone gets overpriced extensions with player options at the end and we burn a few second round picks for the hell of it at the parade we throw.

 

[infection]

Ummmmmm either way they get out of the first round. Either they lose and they out or they advance. I suppose the world or basketball could end entirely and trap them forever in the first round.

Okay... enough smart assery. I truly don't know. Here is my new theory... Lose in the first round and you will see a Donovan Rudy split. Lose in the second round and they will change some parts around those two. Make it to the conference finals and everyone gets overpriced extensions with player options at the end and we burn a few second round picks for the hell of it at the parade we throw.

I’d hope we’d consider a coaching replacement before we considered a Rudy and Donovan split. But, alas, Rudy will probably have to be the scapegoat for Quin’s shortcomings.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

I’d hope we’d consider a coaching replacement before we considered a Rudy and Donovan split. But, alas, Rudy will probably have to be the scapegoat for Quin’s shortcomings.

Lose in the first and we skip all the incremental changes and go to massive “Donovan wants out” panic moves.

 

[infection]

Lose in the first and we skip all the incremental changes and go to massive “Donovan wants out” panic moves.

This would go down as the most short-sighted decision in franchise history if we end up selling everything off to mini-LeBron him.

 

[Ferguson_Mellochill]

The Jazz should beat either Denver or Dallas, imo, but Mike Conley needs to play well and the Jazz need to get positive production out of Gay or Paschall. Personally, I'd rather play Denver, as I don't think they can defend, and their offense will be Jokic dominating the ball and passing out to a few shooters.

I'm hoping the Jazz can get the #3 seed, play Denver in the 1st round and go at Memphis in the 2nd round. Both those series should favor the Jazz. Let Dallas, Golden State and Phoenix battle it out for the other WCF spot.

 

[Ferguson_Mellochill]

This concerns me and it's why I think the Jazz should be experimenting with NAW. This is what 4-on-5 looks like, and for a team that talks about the importance of spacing this is a joke.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

This would go down as the most short-sighted decision in franchise history if we end up selling everything off to mini-LeBron him.

It probably depends on how it goes down. If it is Jokic hitting jumpers and posting up Rudy that makes us lose I can see Donovan pushing Rudy out... if Rudy holds up his end of the bargain and there are some other issues I could see Donovan understanding that the Rudy pairing isn't the issue.

But since its the internet the wild declarations are more fun.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

This concerns me and it's why I think the Jazz should be experimenting with NAW. This is what 4-on-5 looks like.

This has been my issue all along and why they should have been playing Jared Butler in that spot all year.... NAW ain't it.

 

[LogGrad98]

This would go down as the most short-sighted decision in franchise history if we end up selling everything off to mini-LeBron him.

That is saying a lot, considering we essentially traded Magic Johnson for a ham sandwich.

 

[LogGrad98]

This concerns me and it's why I think the Jazz should be experimenting with NAW. This is what 4-on-5 looks like, and for a team that talks about the importance of spacing this is a joke.

This is exactly what will kill us in the playoffs. Why we haven't been developing Butler is beyond me. Ridiculous. And we traded away the other guy we had been working with and was showing promise, in Hughes, for what? NAW? I doubt NAW ever gets any real PT, let alone has any kind of role. I am not sure what they are thinking. Our offensive is predicated on passing and finding the open 3, meaning any and all backcourt players must be at least passably a threat at the 3. I am sure they keep playing Forrest for his better D and the fact that he can break down the defense sometimes. But when they close that out, and get the ball out of his hands, he is nothing but a traffic cone on offense. Butler should have been playing a lot more this year.