Jazz & Lakers rivalry is back! Who ends up on top?

[Lakers_Slapper]

I've been living in Vegas for almost 10 years and a Jazz fan for 30 years. Yesterday I went to put in a sports bet and Vegas lines had Utah Jazz with a projected win total of 49 games and L.A. Lakers at 48.5. Last year the Jazz won 48 and lost 34 games.
Is it just me or does it seem that the Jazz are going to win 50-55 games this year and leave L.A. in the rear view mirrors? I can see L.A. around 47-48, but I don't think they'll be only breaths away from the Jazz.
I am excited to see this old-school rivalry back in action, but I wanted to get everyone's take on the Jazz and Lakers win comparison.

 

[Stoked]

Jazz will fight for #2. Lakers are fighting for 6-8.

It’s not a rivalry yet

 

[colton]

My bold prediction: Jazz win 54 and Lakers miss the playoffs.

 

[MVP]

Jazz will end up anywhere between 2 and 4. Lakers anywhere between 6-11. No rivalry. And not in any future as Lebron is not getting younger.

 

[Thee Idiotic Minivan K]

We will win 55-60 at least. It’s not close to a rivalry when was the last time LBJ beat the jazz? We own him!!

 

[Thee Idiotic Minivan K]

55-60 assuming we are mostly healthy to key players. Can’t go without Gobert for a third of a season. It’s criminal how much worse we are with him out of the lineup

 

[Thee Idiotic Minivan K]

If Exum breaks out as a stabilizer in the second unit and Crowder goes back to being Boston Crowder with his shot, how good are we?

 

[Rgiss]

Jazz will end up anywhere between 2 and 4. Lakers anywhere between 6-11. No rivalry. And not in any future as Lebron is not getting younger.

We could find a bit of a rivalry if we played them in the playoffs, though.

 

[MVP]

We could find a bit of a rivalry if we played them in the playoffs, though.

2 seed vs 7th? We would kill them in 5 games the most.

 

[MVP]

If Exum breaks out as a stabilizer in the second unit and Crowder goes back to being Boston Crowder with his shot, how good are we?

Jazz success does not depend on Exum breaking out or Crowder. If Rudy stays healthy, one more year of experience for Mitchell and one more year for Rubio within the system and we are easily second seed. That's what were were in last two month last season, Exum or not.

 

[Rgiss]

2 seed vs 7th? We would kill them in 5 games the most.

yeah, or 3rd vs 6th. I'd still really enjoy the matchup

 

[MVP]

yeah, or 3rd vs 6th. I'd still really enjoy the matchup

No kidding. The best Jazz playoff wins for me always was 4-1 and 4-0 beat down they inflicted on Shaq and Lakers in 1997 and 1998.

 

[yamers]

I think the lakers will do well just b/c of Lebron James. He alone will carry them into the playoffs. I think the lakers fans are under-estimating the impact brook lopez had on their team as well as a Julius Randle, both are now GONE to other teams. They Laker's FO replaced them by none other than tragic bronson himself.

 

[Ferguson_Mellochill]

Yeah, I think Lebron is worth +12 or even +15 wins. However, losing Randle and Bropez means Lebron would be adding those wins to a 30-win team. I guess we'll see. Some Lakers fans are acting like the Lakers can make the WCF.

 

[Jingled]

If the Lakers finish the season ahead of the Jazz then something went terribly wrong.

 

[LogGrad98]

If the Lakers finish the season ahead of the Jazz then something went terribly wrong.

Just proof it's all rigged.

The NBA will profit far more from a WCF between LA and GS than UT.

 

[NUMBERICA]

It is?

 

[NUMBERICA]

Just proof it's all rigged.

The NBA will profit far more from a WCF between LA and GS than UT.

Not when the Lakers get horribly swept.

Utah or not, the Lakers aren’t making the WCF. They could eventually be a good team, but the free agent moves they made were ****ing awful. They don’t have the luxury of losing a bunch of games early in the season to figure out their chemistry like the Cavs/Heat did. This having-other-guys-make-plays-and-turning-the-best-player-of-his-generation and-one-of-the-greatest-ever into a secondary ball handler at the expense of spacing/shooting is just so stupid, and LeBron will figure that out really quickly. Once he does that, he won’t have the spacing/shooters he’s normally had. That’s not even mentioning how that organization is a circus.

They’ll probably make the playoffs, but if there’s a year that LeBron freaks the **** out/implodes, it’s this upcoming season.

 

[SCS]

1. Warriors 63-19
2. Rockets 61-21
T-3. Spurs 54-28
T-3. Jazz 54-28
5. Thunder 51-31
6. Lakers 50-32
7. Blazers 47-35
8. Pelicans 46-36
------------
T-9. Wolves 45-37
T-9. Nuggets 45-37
T-11. Grizzlies 40-42
T-11. Mavs 40-42
13. Clippers 35-47
14. Suns 28-54
15. Kings 22-60

That's my current unbiased prediction

 

[Rgiss]

1. Warriors 63-19
2. Rockets 61-21
T-3. Spurs 54-28
T-3. Jazz 54-28
5. Thunder 51-31
6. Lakers 50-32
7. Blazers 47-35
8. Pelicans 46-36
------------
T-9. Wolves 45-37
T-9. Nuggets 45-37
T-11. Grizzlies 40-42
T-11. Mavs 40-42
13. Clippers 35-47
14. Suns 28-54
15. Kings 22-60

That's my current unbiased prediction

No way the Lakers win 50

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