Subscribe
Follow Us
Come playoff time, the Utah Jazz will be a team that sorely has to work things out. If Utah doesn't figure out what they need to figure out, there's a high possibility that a player like Donovan Mitchell may leave to join another organization where he believes he has a better chance of winning.
There's no reason why this Utah Jazz team can't sort things out, but there are still plenty of doubts about them, just like there is about every other championship contender. When you consider that they've had to cope with some unlucky injuries this year, it'll be a little bit more difficult for them to achieve their goals.
Utah has been one of the top regular-season teams in recent years, and that trend has continued this year. They're the Western Conference's number three seed, and although they're still playing outstanding basketball, they haven't been as dominant as they usually are. Many people are beginning to doubt whether or not Utah has what it takes to win this year, but this may be a good thing. Typically, teams who play at a slightly above average level during the regular season have fresh legs for the playoffs, and in previous years, this might've been a factor in the Jazz's lack of success. They could've been going too hard in the regular season and were then burnt out when it mattered most.
Let's look at a few reasons why the Utah Jazz are both contenders and pretenders as the season progresses and the playoffs approach.
Winning an NBA title is never easy. As we have seen with the past 20 champions, every team is going to need something significant to go their way. Whether that is an unfortunate injury to someone, or having guys on the roster step up more than they ever have. There is a reason why winning a championship is so hard, and a reason why we have seen crazy upsets in the past. If a team is going to win a title, they’re going to need everyone on their roster to be playing the best basketball they possibly can, and even sometimes that isn’t enough to get the job done.
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)*
Jazz pretenders or contenders?
Contenders
2. Donovan Mitchell has been outstanding, once again
There's no disputing that the Utah Jazz will have a lot of success if other players step up for Donovan Mitchell. He will, without a doubt, go out there and play elite basketball, as he has for the most of his career. He's once again a star this season, scoring 25 points with seven rebounds per game while shooting 45.6 percent from the floor. He's done all Utah could possibly ask of him.
Throughout the Western Conference playoffs, Donovan Mitchell will have to outperform some extremely strong players, including LeBron James, Devin Booker, Chris Paul, and a few more.
1. Defense is elite
Article Continues Below
One thing the Jazz will have to do more than in recent seasons is to make sure that their players are in the appropriate defensive situations.
Utah's defense is always at its best when they're playing their best basketball. Obviously, there are still some questions about their wing defense, but having Rudy Gobert behind you makes things a lot easier for the rest of the team.
Pretenders
2. Will they be able to compete in the postseason?
One of the most important issues for this Utah Jazz squad in determining whether they are pretenders or contenders is if they will achieve the playoff success that they desire. They are still one of the best throughout the regular season, but none of that matters if they can't achieve the kind of success they want in the postseason.
The playoffs are obviously a different game, and you can see players from other teams, as well as the Utah Jazz, play better basketball than they do in the regular season. Outside of Donovan Mitchell, the Jazz need other players to step up, and their defense needs to figure out some things so they can play the sort of basketball they know they can.
1. What will they do if Gobert is placed in various defensive schemes?
Last season, a couple of teams put Rudy Gobert in various defensive schemes, and the Los Angeles Clippers knocked them out early in the playoffs because of it. Many teams watched what they were doing to him a year ago, and it's safe to assume that other teams will try to track him down on the perimeter again this year. When this happens, Utah will have to act quickly to find a solution. Even if it means sitting Rudy Gobert for a few extra minutes each night, it's something they will have to seriously consider.
