The Utah Jazz have been able to turn things around after starting the season outside the Western Conference playoff race. They are currently the sixth team in the standings with a 32-25 record and things could improve heading into the final stretch of the season.
According to NBA.com's John Schumann, the Jazz will have the easiest schedule among Western Conference teams and that could help their chances of getting a better standing heading into the playoffs.
The Jazz continue to reap the rewards of having played the league's toughest first-half schedule. They have the West's easiest remaining schedule, with a league-high 16 games against teams that currently have losing records. Their longest-remaining road trip is four games against four of the five worst teams in the Eastern Conference. They also have the fewest games remaining against teams that currently rank in the top 10 offensively (5) and the fewest games remaining against teams that rank in the top 10 defensively (4).
Pretty much like last season, Utah used the second half of the campaign to jump from the seventh to the fourth spot in the West. They went on and faced the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round, and with home court advantage on their side, they ousted their opponents in six games. Unfortunately, they lost to the Houston Rockets in the semifinals.
Utah would like to replicate that performance by taking advantage of their schedule, and then see how far they can go into the playoffs once again.
Overall, they're only behind the Toronto Raptors for the easiest schedule in the league.
Follow Us
Subscribe