It’s Not ‘Too Early’ for the Utah Jazz
By Adam Bushman (via JabberJazz.com)
“You are who your record says you are.”
“You’re only as good as the teams you beat.”
“If you wanna be the best, you gotta beat the best.”
These classic sports refrains have long been used to motivate, encourage, and propel teams and players alike to rise to the occasion and defeat a superior opponent. The power in these statements lie in the message that proving yourself in the moment your back is against the wall elevates you to a level you had yet to achieve.
The Utah Jazz entered the 2018-19 season with high expectations. Fans were anxious at the thought of challenging Houston for the 2nd Seed in the West and potentially arriving at the Western Conference Finals.
Fans weren’t the only ones hyped for this year. Donovan Mitchell penned the following words this off-season to Jazz fans in a Players’ Tribune article:
“Hopefully the next time we hang out at the airport, we’ll bring a trophy.”
Having just been awarded DPOY this summer, Rudy Gobert didn’t hold back his expectations, saying:
“I truly believe we’re going to win [a] championship.”
Like it or not, this is the bar and everyone wants to see measurable progress towards it.
Tough Early Season Schedule for the Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz have endured a tough schedule to open the season. A combination of road trips, back to back games, injuries to star players, and off shooting nights have led to a slow start.
With a 6-6 record, the Utah Jazz remain afloat. The phrase “It’s early” has almost become a second slogan for this year’s Jazz as media personnel and fans remind themselves not to blow anything out of proportion.
On the other hand, it doesn’t matter when you lose, but to whom and how.
Memphis, Golden State, Minnesota, Toronto, and Denver have all secured wins against Utah to open the year. What’s the common thread between them? They are all good teams…some, even great.
Who Have the Utah Jazz Beaten?
Many sports analysts ask the question “Who have you beaten?” to judge a team’s trajectory. The Jazz’s only wins have come against bad teams or good teams without their star player. This paints a worrisome picture.
It is also important to note how the Utah Jazz have fallen to these opponents. You’d expect a defensive minded team like the Jazz to lose despite their stifling defense. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. In only one loss did the Jazz perform better than average defensively.
It appears the Jazz have lost their identity to some degree. For whatever reason, they are not the same defensive team as last year. If the Jazz aren’t a defensive team first, who are they?
Though the outlook seems dull and the future less than bright, all hope is not lost. The optimists are still correct: it’s still early in the season and the back half of the schedule is light. Come February and March, the Utah will have many opportunities to make up ground.
In fact, the Utah Jazz aren’t far off pace for a 50 win season. FiveThirtyEight, a renowned predictions source for sports and politics, currently projects a 52 win season.
However, should the Jazz continue to wilt before the good and great teams this year, a record sporting 50 wins will likely be hollow. Don’t underestimate the value of wins against the league’s elite; it’s the very measuring stick the Jazz must use to determine their greatness.
“If you wanna be the best, you gotta beat the best.”
“You’re only as good as the teams you beat.”
“You are who your record says you are.”
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