The Utah Jazz can be labeled as a “work in progress.” They're not a playoff contender, no — it's been that way since the team decided to move on from the likes of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. Missing the postseason for two straight seasons, growing pains seem to be a recurring theme in their performances. All the while, flashes of promise were visible throughout. Lauri Markkanen's rise to stardom, Collin Sexton's improvement, Keyonte George's rookie season — there were bright spots that Jazz fans could cherish.
Naturally, fans will get bored of small wins and crave bigger ones. The case is such for Jazz supporters, who long for their favorite team to make strides in whatever way possible. Of course, a championship is out of the equation, but the team can set realistic goals, such as making the right transactions for an optimal rebuild.
Rebuilding setbacks…in the form of wins
To be fair, a smooth rebuild is easier said than done. Utah is in somewhat of a difficult position at the moment. Back in 2022, they traded away their core players in what looked like the beginning of a rebuild. However, led by a suddenly leveled-up Lauri Markkanen, the Jazz won 10 of their first 13 games in the 2022-23 season. If there were fans who dreamt of the highest possible lottery odds for the 2023 top overall pick — which was eventually Victor Wembanyama — their hopes were dampened by Utah's start. By the end of that season, the team only had a 4.5% chance of earning that lottery pick.
This past season, the Jazz had a worse record (31-51) than their previous one, but they were still far from getting a lottery pick in the 2024 NBA Draft (6% odds). They didn't have the Atlanta Hawks' luck either. At the end of the day, they had to settle for the 10th overall selection at the earliest.
With lottery struggles and a team that can't reach the playoffs, it seems like the franchise is stuck in a particularly frustrating area. Can they somehow put themselves in a position for more opportunities? A competitive team is far from reality, so the Jazz' best bet is to hope for that life-changing pick while developing the young talent that they have. At least their loaded schedule this coming season may just help out with that.
A preview of the Jazz' 2024-25 schedule
The Jazz open the season with heavyweights such as the Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, and the Milwaukee Bucks lined up in their first 10 games. Some of the other opponents are no pushovers too — the Sacramento Kings, Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors can be unpredictable at times. In other words, it's unlikely that anything similar to their 2022 start will occur.
In late November, Utah fans will get to enjoy a five-game homestand, but the team will get pushed to the limit, as the Nuggets, the Mavericks and the New York Knicks are three teams that will be visiting Delta Center in that span.
The Jazz' longest homestand will be eight straight games from Feb. 21 to Mar. 3. The lineup is manageable in general, but it still includes opponents such as the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
And ahead of the trade deadline, the Jazz will only play 11 games against teams that failed to make the play-in tournament last season (per Travis Hughes of The J Notes).
As for other notable facts and dates about the schedule…
- The Jazz play 15 back-to-backs this season.
- They'll also be playing three Holiday games: one on Oct. 31, Halloween against the San Antonio Spurs, another on Jan. 1, New Year's Day against the Knicks, and the last on Jan. 20, MLK Day against the New Orleans Pelicans.
- There will be no home games from Dec. 2 to Dec. 27.
- The team's first NBA Cup game is on November 12 against the Suns.
- Lastly, the season opener at home will be against the Memphis Grizzlies on October 23.
Here's the full schedule, per NBA.com
Record Prediction
With a rather difficult schedule and no major roster transactions, it's not looking good for the Jazz, record-wise. Yes, jackpot deals may happen before the trade deadline itself, but until that actually transpires, the wins will be hard to come by. In fact, the departures of Talen Horton-Tucker and Kris Dunn even bring about arguments of roster regression. While forward leaps are expected from several youngsters, the Jazz will continue to struggle until they bring in another All-Star alongside Markkanen.
Prediction: 29-53
Final thoughts
It may be a dark time for Jazz fans, but there's always light at the end of the tunnel. Who knows? Maybe after one more season of enduring hardships, luck will be on Utah's side in the upcoming draft. After all, next year's lottery odds are most likely high and — funnily enough — there's no other catalyst but the team's demanding 2024-25 schedule.