Utah Jazz Week Nine Outlook, Predictions

Dec 18, 2016; Memphis, TN, USA; Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) sets a pick for Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) against Memphis Grizzlies forward Jarell Martin (1) during the first half at FedExForum. the Utah Jazz defeat the Memphis Grizzlies 82-73. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports

The Utah Jazz have been on a tear in recent weeks, but will be in for quite the challenge this week as they’ll take on two elite opponents in their three-game slate.

I think it’s safe to say that the Utah Jazz are on a roll.

Winners of 11 of the last 13, the Jazz have skyrocketed up the standings all the way to fifth in the Western Conference. That hot streak has included recent wins over tough Western Conference foes such as the Oklahoma City Thunder and Memphis Grizzlies.

And with these big wins, the Jazz are continuing to solidify themselves more and more as a true playoff team and threat in the West. Sitting at an 18-10 record currently, the Jazz now find themselves only two games out of fourth place and they still aren’t even fully healthy. For comparison, it’s amazing to think that last season through the first 28 games, the Jazz were a disappointing 12-16.

My what a difference a year makes.

As we get set to head into the ninth week of NBA action, the Jazz will look to continue their hot streak through a three-game slate. However, this week features a couple of opponents who will provide an even tougher challenge than what Utah faced last week as they’ll visit Oracle Arena, the home of the Warriors, on Tuesday then welcome the second best team in the Eastern Conference, the Toronto Raptors, into Salt Lake on Friday.

In between those games they’ll take on the Sacramento Kings who Utah breezed past in their first meeting.

But while the Jazz went 3-0 in impressive fashion this past week, they’ll be hard pressed to do that for a second consecutive time.

In fact, I had actually pinned them as going 2-1 last week, bringing my prediction record for the season to an even 14-14 (though I did later change my prediction for the Grizzlies game prior to that contest after seeing how well Utah played throughout the week), so while last week’s success was impressive, a 3-0 week this time around would be even more surprising.

The Jazz have undoubtedly proven themselves as a tough opponent for any team in the league, but a solid week in this upcoming slate would prove them as much more than that.

They’ll still likely be without George Hill and Alec Burks for a while longer yet, so it’s still hard to fully assess this Jazz team. Nevertheless, if they can keep up their stifling D, continue to close out games well and get incredible performances out of Rudy Gobert like they have been, Utah could very well take another leap forward in the standings with an incredible ninth week of action.

Dec 8, 2016; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) defends against Utah Jazz forward Joe Johnson (6) during the first half at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

12/20 Utah at Golden State

8:30 pm MT – NBATV/Root Sports

Opponent record: 24-4

Season series: Warriors lead 1-0

The first contest between the Jazz and Warriors was a bit disappointing in the fact that Utah was forced to play without four of its starters. Gordon Hayward, Rodney Hood, George Hill and Derrick Favors were all sidelined due to various injuries creating a game that would have taken an utter miracle for the Jazz to win.

Yet, the game turned out to be a lot more closely contested than one might have supposed. Despite trailing early, the Jazz battled back and got within five points in the final period before ultimately falling by just seven points.

It was a testament to the heart, depth and determination of a Jazz team that refuses to be overlooked by anyone.

While they likely still won’t be full-strength in Tuesday’s rematch, the Jazz will be the beneficiaries of a big boost with the likes of Gordon Hayward, Rodney Hood and Derrick Favors all back in action.

While it was Joe Ingles who shined the most in that contest, Rudy Gobert was also solid and has been the Jazz’s most consistent and dominant force over the last two weeks. Against the Warriors, Gobert put in 20 points and 17 rebounds and with the Warriors lacking in frontcourt size, his performance will likely be the deciding factor in whether the Jazz are able to steal a win or not.

While Utah showed that they are capable of competing against the Warriors even with the chips against them and could very well put up another close contest on Tuesday, I have a hard time seeing the Jazz going into Oracle and stealing a win from such a tough Warriors team, especially without George Hill in action.

Thus I’m going to give Golden State a slight edge in this one, especially on their home court, but with the Jazz bringing a lot more firepower to this fight, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them be even more competitive this time around.

My Prediction: Warriors Win

Final Score: Golden State 112, Utah 106

Dec 10, 2016; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz guard Shelvin Mack (8) dribbles past Sacramento Kings guard Ty Lawson (10) in the second quarter at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports

12/21 Utah vs. Sacramento

7:00 pm MT – Root Sports/League Pass

Opponent record: 10-17

Season series: Jazz lead 1-0

It wasn’t long ago that the Sacramento Kings came into Salt Lake and were handed a tough 104-84 loss by the Jazz who especially exploded during the fourth quarter where they held the Kings to only eight points in the period.

Rudy Gobert was dominant in the match-up with 17 points and 14 rebounds while also shutting DeMarcus Cousins down in a big way. The All-Star big man was held to just 31.8 percent shooting from the field and over 12 points less than his season average.

It’s quickly becoming a habit for Gobert and the Jazz to shut down opposing big men, as they’ve been able to do so in several of their contests of late.

The Kings continue to be a confusing squad that despite posting the rare impressive win, can never really seem to get it going. Just two days after defeating the Memphis Grizzlies on the road, Sacramento was blown out on Sunday by the Dallas Mavericks, the team that currently holds the worst record in the Western Conference.

The lone concern I have about this game is the fact the Jazz will be playing in it on the second night of a back-to-back right after taking on the Warriors the day prior. Beyond that, however, Utah should hold a clear advantage over the Kings, particularly if Gobert can once again shut down Cousins like he did in the first contest.

And Utah has been solid in back ends of back-to-backs, going 5-1 so far on the year. Thus, given the fact that they’ll be returning to their home court and are overall a more talented and consistent team than the Kings, I have no problem slotting the Jazz as the winner of the contest.

My Prediction: Jazz Win

Final Score: Utah 102, Sacramento 86

Mar 2, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors forward Bruno Cabocla (20) shields the ball from Toronto Raptors forward Terence Ross (31) in the third quarter at Air Canada Centre. Raptors beat Jazz 104 – 94. Mandatory Credit: Peter Llewellyn-USA TODAY Sports

12/23 Utah vs. Toronto

7:00 pm MT – Root Sports/League Pass

Opponent record: 19-8

Season series: Tied 0-0

If it weren’t for the daunting force that is the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Toronto Raptors could very well be the best team in the Eastern Conference. They have one of the most formidable duos in the league with a backcourt of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan. The Raptors are third in the league in points per game and DeRozan’s 28.4 points per game and Lowry’s 21.1 are obviously a huge part of that.

The Raptors are a deep and versatile team with several players in both their first and second unit capable of producing in a big way. The Jazz are certain to have their hands full with a squad that went to the Eastern Conference Finals last season and is currently just one game out of first place in the East.

However, Utah’s biggest strength of late may very well be the key to giving them a leg up on the Raptors. That strength is none other than Rudy Gobert himself.

It’s incredible what the Stifle Tower has been doing of late, not only shutting down opposing teams with his awesome shot blocking and rim protection, but also his incredible offensive production. Rudy has put up a double-double in each of his last seven games and has averaged over 17 points and 13 rebounds during that stretch.

And while Jonas Valanciunas is no pushover as a big man, Gobert is certainly proving to be a more formidable player and should very well be able to outmatch him and give the Jazz a stark advantage down low. This becomes even more clear when observing the lack of size Toronto has coming off the bench, particularly after having lost Bismack Biyombo over the offseason.

And while Lowry and DeRozan are solid, the Jazz have plenty of offensive and defensive weapons of their own that should very well be able to counter Toronto’s prolific and versatile attack.

Thus, while this will be one of the toughest opponents the Jazz have faced so far this season, I’m giving them the edge on their home court against the Raptors.

My Prediction: Jazz Win

Final Score: Utah 106, Toronto 98