The Utah Jazz have the best record in the NBA at 26-6. They’ve dominated their opponents on both sides of the floor, and they appear to look like a legitimate contender. But how serious should we really be taking them?
After all, the Jazz have been the blog-boy team to follow for the last few years. They’ve been hovering in the top echelon of Western Conference favorites for a while, and yet they’ve never managed to make it count in the playoffs. As good as they are in the regular season, skeptics of their potential continue to point to their inability to come through when it really matters.
To their credit, they’ve got an incredible squad. Donovan Mitchell is one of the quickest and most explosive guards in the league, and he’s been averaging 24.5 points a game. It also doesn’t hurt that he’s incredibly fun to watch. On the defensive end, two-time defensive player of the year Rudy Gobert holds down the fort like it’s nobody’s business.
So should other teams be worried? The short answer is yes. If opposing playoff teams don’t take Utah seriously, they may find themselves truly surprised. However, we also believe that when playoff time comes around, teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers simply have more experience and star power. Therefore, we don’t believe the Jazz will actually defeat them when it counts in a seven-game series.
