National Basketball Association

Utah Jazz Week One Outlook, Predictions

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Oct 17, 2016; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Wesley Johnson (33) defends against Utah Jazz forward Joe Johnson (6) during the first half at Vivint Smart Home Arena. The Jazz won 104-78. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

With the 2016-17 NBA season set to get under way on Tuesday, here’s a look at the first slate of games for the Utah Jazz during their first week of action.

It almost seems too good to be true.

The 2016-17 NBA regular season is finally here! And the Utah Jazz are among the first teams to tip off action on the evening of Tuesday the 25th. Sure, their 8:00 pm MT match-up against the Portland Blazers may be overshadowed by the more marquee Cavs vs. Knicks and Warriors vs. Spurs match-ups on TNT, but that doesn’t make us Root Sports/League Pass junkies any less excited!

All summer long I have worked hard on perfecting my fortune-telling skills, so I’ve decided that every Monday beginning with today’s post, I will be getting faithful Jazz fans prepped for each and every week of the season with my predictions and preview of the Utah Jazz contests of the upcoming week.

Feel free to argue with me on my predictions, laugh at me when I get them all wrong and drop your jaw in amazement when I perfectly call each result (assuming that actually ever happens).

Oct 19, 2016; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz guard Dante Exum (11) defends against Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) during the second half at Vivint Smart Home Arena. The Trail Blazers won 88-84. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

Anyhow, the Utah Jazz start out the year with eight of their first 11 games on the road so they’re looking at a tough stretch. Their first three games this week certainly include two toughies as well as they’ll take on Portland and the Los Angeles Clippers on the road.

Not to mention that injuries are already causing issues for the Jazz. Gordon Hayward is undoubtedly out all this week and both Derrick Favors and Alec Burks remain questionable for the Jazz’s first contest at Portland. Coach Snyder doesn’t want to use injuries as an excuse, but in a recent Deseret News article, he had a very accurate quote:

“It doesn’t mean we can’t win; what it means is your margin for error becomes very, very small, and I think that’s where we are.”

So although there has been a lot of hype and high expectations surrounding the Jazz going into this season, there’s also a very good chance that they face some bumps along the way, especially early as they attempt to deal with injuries and cohesion among new teammates.

However, if they can minimize their margin of error as Coach Snyder said, they could still keep themselves afloat in a difficult Western Conference.

Because even with a potentially difficult start, there’s no reason the Jazz can’t reach their elevated potential by midseason once players come back healthy and team chemistry has reached its apex. So while Jazz fans may have to temper their expectations somewhat during the season’s early-going, they by no means should get discouraged in the opening months.

With that being said, let’s take a look at the three Utah Jazz contests in the opening week of NBA regular season action and how the team will likely fare.

Oct 3, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Utah Jazz forward Derrick Favors (15) drives to the basket against Portland Trail Blazers forward Maurice Harkless (4) and forward Ed Davis (17) during the third quarter at the Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports

10/25 Utah at Portland

8:00 pm MT – Root Sports/League Pass

Opponent record: 0-0

Season series: Tied 0-0 (Jazz lost preseason 0-2)

As was already mentioned, Utah starts out the season against a divisional foe that has become all too familiar, particularly over the last month during preseason. The Jazz faced the Blazers twice in October with a loss coming in both the road and home contests.

Of course preseason and the regular season are two completely different animals, so assuming that the Blazers are significantly better than the Jazz based on those two games is likely not accurate.

Nevertheless, Portland does boast one of the best backcourt duos in the league in Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, along with an onslaught of athletic talent and, in my opinion, one of the greatest and most underrated coaches in the league in Terry Stotts. So there’s no questioning that this is a formidable team.

Despite being picked to finish among the bottom of the league last season following LaMarcus Aldridge’s departure, Lillard, Stotts and Co. were able to carry the Blazers to the fifth seed in the West and into the second round of the playoffs.

And while last season was great for the Blazers, there’s several indications that this year could be even better. Thus, an undermanned Jazz team might have a rough go opening on the road against this savvy and skilled team. Not to mention, the Moda Center which is almost always filled to capacity is one of the toughest places to play in the league.

For the Jazz to have a chance, the likes of George Hill, Rodney Hood, and Dante Exum will have to have an exceptional defensive game and make life miserable for the Blazers’ backcourt.

On offense, Utah will need Rudy Gobert to step up big time (particularly if Favors is absent) in the match-up against Mason Plumlee, something he did rather well in preseason, finishing with 10 and 15 points in the two match-ups in limited minutes.

Oct 19, 2016; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) blocks the shot of Portland Trail Blazers forward Mason Plumlee (24) during the first quarter at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

In both preseason contests, the Jazz kept it close, but ultimately the Blazers pulled away and triumphed. I expect a similar result in the season opener, considering the Blazers level of talent and the challenges facing Utah in terms of injuries and adapting to new players.

My Prediction: Blazers Win

Final Score: Portland 96, Utah 91

Mar 28, 2016; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz guard Rodney Hood (5) defends against Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant (24) during the first quarter at Vivint Smart Home Arena. The Jazz won 123-75. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

10/28 Utah vs. Los Angeles Lakers

7:00 pm MT – Root Sports/League Pass

Opponent record: 0-0

Season series: Tied 0-0

Especially considering the way Utah’s final game of the season went last year, they should be out for revenge against the Lakers this year. Yes, that game was somewhat of a fluke for several reasons and of course the infamous Black Mamba will no longer be a threat to the Jazz, but getting back at the Lakers and their young bucks should still be a top priority for Utah.

Ironically, the last time these two teams faced one another at Vivint Smart Home Arena on March 28, 2016, Utah dealt Kobe the worst loss of his career and tied the Lakers’ worst-ever franchise loss with a breathtaking 123-75 victory.

Although the Jazz probably won’t put up that kind of a win this time around, I do expect an exceptional performance and a convincing victory in the home opener. Not only will the Jazz be out for revenge, but they’ll be playing their first real game on their brand new court in front of an amped-up audience that has been long anticipating the start of this new year.

The game will be a Blue Out for those attending the game at Vivint Arena, and for those who will be checking out the game from the comfort of their couch, blue apparel is definitely still welcomed as well.

Wear BLUE for home opener. Plus BLUE Edwards, BLUE glow stick giveaway, BLUE sleeved pride jerseys, BLUE T-shirts, and BLUE carpet entryway. pic.twitter.com/sXEgBLyYPt

— Utah Jazz Doing Good (@JazzDoingGood) October 22, 2016

With the up-and-coming Jazz out to prove themselves in front of 19,000+ passionate Jazz fans while taking on a young, rebuilding and Kobe-less Los Angeles Lakers team that has a long ways to go before they re-enter the contender conversation, I’m expecting a big win for the Jazz in this one in which they’ll set the tone on their home court for the season.

My Prediction: Jazz Win

Final Score: Utah 101, Los Angeles 83

Oct 17, 2016; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz guard George Hill (3) goes up for a shot in front of Los Angeles Clippers guard Raymond Felton (2) during the second half at Vivint Smart Home Arena. The Jazz won 104-78. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

10/30 Utah at Los Angeles Clippers

2:30 pm MT – Root Sports/League Pass

Opponent record: 0-0

Season series: Tied 0-0 (Jazz won preseason 2-0)

After taking on one Los Angeles team at home on Friday, the Jazz will head to Staples Center to take on the other in a Sunday matinee game against the Clippers. The Jazz looked solid against the Clippers in the preseason winning both games, the second in convincing fashion.

Though LA didn’t play their starters all that much, it was good to see the Jazz’s deep bench players log a convincing win in their second preseason meeting against what will essentially be the Clippers’ second unit. This is especially true considering the way that the Clippers’ reserves bullied the Jazz in their late April meeting last season.

Nevertheless, with games meaning much more and the Clippers fully aware that the Jazz have the potential to be battling for significant playoff seeding this season, I expect a tough and dedicated effort from the whole team, but especially from the likes of Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan.

Oct 10, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin (32) and Utah Jazz center Boris Diaw (33) battle for the loose ball during the second quarter at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

The Jazz will have the luxury of being able to throw both Hill and Exum at the feisty Chris Paul this year, but unless they have both Favors and Gobert ready to go in the paint, this could be a tough one to come away with a victory.

It seems likely that Favors will be back, so assuming that is the case, I’m going to go out on a limb on this one and pin the Jazz as stealing the unlikely victory.

The Clippers’ starters may outmatch Utah’s (especially with Hayward out), but LA has done little to upgrade their bench (sorry Marreese Speights) and after watching the teams match up in preseason, I believe the Jazz’s depth combined with Snyder’s pesky defense could cause some real problems for this team and provide a favorable match-up for Utah.

If Favors is out, this will be a lot less likely, but I’m optimistic that he’ll be good to go by Sunday if not sooner. Whether he’s in the game or not, however, I fully realize that this will be a tough contest for the Jazz and would be an impressive early statement game if they’re able to come away with a victory.

I imagine that regardless of the final outcome, this game will come down to the wire. Yet in the end, I’m going with the Jazz to find a way to sneak past the Clippers, despite all the injury woes.

My Prediction: Jazz Win

Final Score: Utah 91, Los Angeles 88