Tomahawk Tuesday: Are the Utah Jazz really for real this year?

                                             (Credit: Alex Goodlett/Getty Images) 

The Utah Jazz are currently 15-5, just half a game back of the 16-5 Los Angeles Clippers for best record in the NBA. They are also tied with the 16-6 Los Angeles Lakers, currently ahead of them in the standings via winning percentage. Before Sunday's 117-128 loss at Denver, the Jazz had won 11 straight games and were absolutely on fire. This isn't the first time this current Jazz squad has put together a hot run and it won't be the last. However, come playoff time, they historically have been unable to put it together. The question that I am going to address is whether or not we can realistically expect this year to be any different than what we've seen in the past. 

On the positive side, everyone on this Jazz team seems to be getting better. Donovan Mitchell (22.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.8 assists) is getting more comfortable in his role as the alpha dog on this Jazz team and the pieces around him likewise have improved. Jordan Clarkson (17.7 points) has become the #2 scoring option on this team, Mike Conley (16.6 points and 6.2 assists) is averaging more points and assists per game than he did last season with the Jazz, Bojan Bogdanovic (14.7 points) is healthy, and while his scoring is a little bit down from years past, Rudy Gobert (13.5 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks) is averaging career highs in both rebounds and blocks per game. So long as they continue to get better, it stands to reason that they in turn should do better in the playoffs. 

To be skeptical, it's still really early in the season. The Western Conference is stacked and while everyone on this Jazz team is getting better, it's hard to pick the Jazz to do better than the Lakers, Clippers, and even Nuggets, who are all further down the road in their development while also possessing more talent at the top. Odds say that when we look at the final standings, the Jazz will probably be a top four team, but unlikely to be the top team in the Western Conference. And even if they do finish at the top of the standings, if push comes to shove, I'd still likely pick the Lakers to beat them in a seven game series. 

That all said, if the Jazz can secure home court advantage through the Western Conference Finals or better yet, NBA Finals, the only team out West who I think would be slightly favored over them is the Lakers. I do think that the Jazz would be favored to beat the Clippers and Nuggets should they finish with a better record. The Nuggets are in a similar boat as the Jazz, eager to take that next step, but yet to do so. The Clippers, for all their talent are still the Clippers and unproven as a squad in terms of their championship resolve. The Lakers on the other hand are the defending champions and LeBron James has shown he knows what it takes to win a championship. 

Ultimately, are the Jazz really for real this year? I think it's still too early to say. There's obviously a lot of reasons for optimism, but given where we are at in the season, there's still a lot of basketball to be played and we are far from seeing how the final standings will shake out. 

Note: This blog post also appears on my Utah Jazz blog. Click here to check it out. 

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Tomahawk Tuesday: The Utah Jazz are on fire

                                          (Credit: Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune) 

The two hottest teams in the NBA right now are the Los Angeles Lakers and Utah Jazz, who have both won nine games in a row. I've blogged a lot about the Lakers this season, so it's time for me to focus on the Jazz. At the moment, the Jazz are 27-12, putting them at third place in the Western Conference standings.

During this nine game winning streak, the Jazz have posted the following results (home in bold; road in italics): Jazz 121 Trail Blazers 115. Jazz 120 Clippers 107. Jazz 104 Pistons 81. Jazz 102 Bulls 98. Jazz 109 Magic 96. Jazz 128 Pelicans 126. Jazz 128 Knicks 104. Jazz 109 Hornets 92. Jazz 127 Wizards 116.

As you can see, the Jazz have won most of these games away from Salt Lake City, which is scary considering the fact that they are historically not a very good road team. On that note, the Jazz are now 15-3 at home on the season and 12-9 on the road. If they can keep up their success on the road and continue to dominate at home, they'll be serious contenders come April, May, and possibly June.

What's made this streak all the more impressive is the fact that the Jazz are doing this without their big offseason acquisition Mike Conley (13.6 points and 4.6 assists), who is out indefinitely with a hamstring injury. This is truly a testament to their depth and versatility. Donovan Mitchell (24.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.1 steals), Bojan Bogdanovic (21.0 points and 4.3 rebounds), Rudy Gobert (14.8 points, 14.4 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks), and Joe Ingles (10.8 points) have done a great job at picking up the slack.

Ultimately, how far this Jazz team goes will come down to whether or not Conley and Bogdanovic make the impact in the playoffs that everyone thinks they will and whether or not Mitchell and Gobert can raise their level of play. If this team stays healthy and continues to ball out like they have been, there's no reason to doubt their ability to make some serious noise in the playoffs. I'm not ready to deem them the favorites to come out of the Western Conference, but I could absolutely see them reach the conference finals. Pending on who they face, it's conceivable they play their way into June.

Note: This blog post also appears on my Utah Jazz blog. Click here to check it out. 

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Tomahawk Tuesday: Can the Utah Jazz come out of the West?

One of the Western Conference teams that has gotten more buzz this summer/off-season is the Utah Jazz, who added three key pieces to their team in point guard Mike Conley, stretch forward Bojan Bogdanovic, and point guard Emmanuel Mudiay. In 70 games with the Grizzlies last season, Conley averaged 21.1 points, 6.4 assists, and 1.3 steals per game, bouncing back nicely from his Achilles injury. Bogdanovic averaged 18.0 points per game on 42.5% shooting from 3-point range (4.8 attempts per game) with the Pacers, playing in 81 regular season games. As for Mudiay, he averaged a solid 14.8 points per game last year with the Knicks.

Conley and Bogdanovic join a talented Jazz squad that features third year shooting guard Donovan Mitchell (23.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, & 1.4 steals), sixth year center Rudy Gobert (15.9 points, 12.9 rebounds, & 2.3 blocks), and sixth year small forward Joe Ingles (12.1 points). Mitchell and Gobert are the heart of this Jazz team, but they needed a veteran presence, something Conley in particular hopes to add.

                                          (Credit: Rick Egan-Salt Lake Tribune) 

When looking at this Jazz team, what makes them so dangerous is their ability to get after it on both ends of the floor. Gobert is one of the best interior defenders in the NBA, giving the Jazz their best defensive weapon since Andrei Kirilenko. As for Mitchell, he is a budding superstar that isn't afraid of the big moment. He attacks the rim really well, is developing a solid perimeter game, and is actually a pretty solid defender. Conley is a killer floor general that knows how to get his teammates involved while Bogdanovic is an absolutely lethal shooter from the perimeter. The Jazz are much more multidimensional now, which is why many see them going far in the playoffs this year.

The big question that's on everyone's mind with the Jazz is can they reach the conference finals and possibly represent the West in the NBA Finals. Personally, I think this Jazz team is at least one more year away from reaching the NBA Finals, but if all goes according to plan, they should be a top four seed in the West, win their opening round series, and maybe even reach the conference finals. They're really talented. The only concern I have is there are a lot of other talented teams in the West. The Clippers, Warriors, Nuggets, Trail Blazers, Rockets, and Lakers also project to be really good. I feel like the West is really deep this year and any number of combinations could reach the conference finals. A lot of it will come down to playoff seeding and match ups.

Casting playoff scenarios aside, one thing that is clear is that the Jazz have the pieces to have a breakout year. They're young, hungry, and have greatly upgraded their roster over the summer. If you are a Jazz fan, you have every right to be excited.

Note: This blog post also appears on my Utah Jazz blog. Click here to check it out. 

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Wednesday Windmill: Just how dangerous are the Indiana Pacers?

One team that seems to be flying under the radar is the red-hot Indiana Pacers, winners of 5 straight games and 8 of their last 10. Led by Victor Oladipo (19.6 points), the Pacers currently have a 25-12 record, putting them just two games back of the top seeded Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference. In an Eastern Conference that is wide open, this Pacers team needs to be taken seriously as a legitimate contender to reach the NBA Finals.

What makes the Pacers so dangerous is their depth. While Oladipo is their feature player, he has plenty of help around him in guys like Bojan Bogdanovic (16.2 points on 45.7% shooting from 3-point range), Domantas Sabonis (14.6 points & 9.6 rebounds), Myles Turner (13.1 points & 7.3 rebounds), Thaddeus Young (12.1 points & 5.8 rebounds), and Tyreke Evans  (10.5 points). With this depth, the Pacers have the shooters to keep perimeter defenders on their toes and the size up front to bang down low.

The biggest question with this team is whether or not they have a legitimate go-to player in the clutch. It's one thing to have guys who you can go to in the regular season, but it's another to have a guy who you can count on to make a key play in the playoffs. When you look at the rest of the Eastern Conference contenders, it's clear who the go-to players are. The Bucks have Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Raptors have Kawhi Leonard, the 76ers have Joel Embiid, and the Celtics have Kyrie Irving. While the Pacers can say they have Oladipo, I wouldn't put him in the same league as those other players. At least not yet.

If Oladipo can prove his worth as a legitimate franchise player and show that he's not afraid to step up in the playoffs, then the Pacers have a real chance to go the distance. They have the depth and the versatility to do so. As an added bonus, they have a killer fan base that comes out in droves to support their Pacers come playoff time.

At the moment, I'm not yet sure who to pick to win the Eastern Conference title given that the 76ers and Celtics are underperforming and the Bucks and Raptors are yet to prove they can go deep in the playoffs. With that in mind, I don't see why the Pacers should be excluded from the discussion. They're playing great basketball and have all the pieces to be a nightmare matchup for whoever they face in the playoffs. It's been a while since the Pacers were in the NBA Finals, but I have a feeling this just might be the year that they finally get back.

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