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The Utah Jazz are in an unusual predicament this season. They've been one of the best teams in the NBA for the previous several years throughout the regular season, but they can't seem to win in the postseason. They aren't displaying the same domination as they typically do during the regular season this year.
Utah's postseason disappointments have cast a pall on the organization. Everyone tries to claim that this team isn't as good as they play during the regular season, and it's not the most ludicrous claim to make at this point. Many teams, and Utah looks to be one of them, play better during the regular season when the spotlight isn't shining on them. However, considering this team's regular-season success over the previous many years, it's difficult to assume they won't succeed in the playoffs at some point.
It's been a challenging few years for Utah Jazz fans, and all they want now is to win the title they've been waiting for. If they want to finish the job, they'll have to work out their postseason issues and play their best basketball at the right time.
The Jazz aren't playing their best basketball this season during the regular season, but that may be a good thing. They might be able to click at the perfect time, which is exactly what you need to do in the NBA playoffs, unlike they have in prior seasons.
Winning the Western Conference will be more difficult than it has been in recent years. It'll be intriguing to see what Utah can do against the Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, and other teams that can make life difficult for the Jazz, but they'll figure it out soon, right?
Let's take a look at a few Western Conference playoff teams who may pose a threat to the Jazz.
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. Matchups are always something that is going to play a major factor, and some teams just know how to get the job done against certain teams when it matters most.
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The Biggest Threats To The Jazz In The Playoffs, Ranked
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4. Themselves
There is no justification for the Utah Jazz to lose some of the series that they have during the last few seasons. This will be the case again this season, and unless they are eliminated by the Golden State Warriors or the Phoenix Suns, a loss in a playoff series will be unacceptable once again. Utah has too good of a team to keep failing in the postseason, and you can even argue that their biggest threat will be themselves. They must play the basketball that everyone knows and expects from them, and if they can do so, they should have a lot of success.
3. Clippers
It's still uncertain whether the Los Angeles Clippers will be able to reclaim both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George before the end of the year, or even just one of them.
The fact of the matter is that if Los Angeles can get these players back, they'll be the best team not only in the Western Conference, but probably in the NBA, if they can return and play as they did before their injuries. They have a number of players on the team who can score the ball at will, as well as a number of players who can defend at a high level. This would not be a favorable game for Utah, but it wouldn't be a good matchup for anybody else in the NBA either.
2. Suns
The Phoenix Suns have been playing like the best team in the NBA this season, and they are a squad that Utah will most likely want to avoid seeing. The reason for this is that they will look to get switches for Rudy Gobert to come out on the perimeter and guard Chris Paul and Devin Booker, which is not a good thing for this Jazz team, as we saw in the playoffs a year ago.
Although Utah has the capability to beat any team in the Western Conference, the series against the Phoenix Suns won't be easy for them.
1. Grizzlies
Because of their lack of experience, the Memphis Grizzlies shouldn't be able to beat the Utah Jazz in the NBA playoff series, but this squad plays with a lot of fire and passion, which is something Utah should be concerned about. Utah hasn't done a great job of getting the job done in the playoffs over the last several years, and Memphis is going to come in and act like they're the best team in the world, which should worry the Jazz.
