Jazz Notes: Does NBA Schedule Help Or Hurt Utah’s Plan?
Aug 22, 2024, 2:37 PM
Utah Jazz head coach Will Hardy looks on (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
(Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – The 2024-25 NBA Schedule was released last week and the Utah Jazz now know exactly what lies ahead.
With sights set on returning to playoff contention in the coming years, one question arises. Does the schedule bolster their ambitions, or will it present unexpected challenges that could derail their plans?
On the Jazz Notes podcast, Ben Anderson and Chandler Holt took a deeper look into the Jazz’s schedule for the franchise’s 51st season.
What are your thoughts on the @utahjazz‘s 2024-25 schedule? 📅@BensHoops and @CHoltSports take a look at Utah’s roster and schedule on this week’s episode of the Jazz Notes podcast! #TakeNote #NBA pic.twitter.com/yYZVLN4wq5
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) August 20, 2024
Utah Jazz Receive (Nearly) Full 2024-25 NBA Schedule
Since the addition of the NBA Cup last year, teams have received an 80-game schedule before the season’s tip-off with two more games to be added as the tournament plays out.
Regardless, the 80 games the Jazz have in front of them can still paint the picture of how the season may play out.
Even though Utah has the 7th easiest draw according to the strength of schedule statistic, certain aspects of the schedule tell a different story.
For starters, nine of the first ten games are against playoff hopefuls, including three contenders — Denver, Milwaukee, and Dallas — as well as two borderline contenders, Phoenix and Memphis.
For a team that most believe is playing for nothing more than lottery odds, a slow start could end up snowballing which bodes well if that is truly the Jazz’s mission.
On top of that, Utah has 15 back-to-backs on the schedule and will travel the sixth-most miles in the NBA this year.
Does NBA Schedule Help Or Hurt The Utah Jazz?
The Jazz’s approach for the upcoming season should be apparent very early on.
“By (October 24), we will know what the Jazz are doing,” Anderson said. “If Cody Williams starts, Kyle Filipowski plays, Brice Sensabaugh plays, and we don’t see some of these veterans, the Jazz are very clearly just rolling out the young guys and Cooper Flagg is hopefully going to be a part of the team in the future.”
Regardless of who Utah plays and when they play them, achieving a top-3 pick is going to take a tactical approach. The best thing the Jazz can do is lose to other tanking teams.
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E 4#TakeNote | @seatgeek pic.twitter.com/QSvtGPdOGi— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) August 15, 2024
The best way to do this is through lineups and playing time, specifically in the first and fourth quarters.
“You have to drop the games to the worse teams when you come across them,” Holt said. “It comes down to lineups. In the fourth quarter, maybe you’re running out Markkanen and four sophomore and rookie players.”
The easiest stretch of the season comes right after the trade deadline. If history repeats itself and the Jazz are sellers come February, the 2024-25 schedule could align perfectly with Utah’s plan.
The Jazz Notes podcast, hosted by Ben Anderson and Chandler Holt, keeps you up-to-date with Utah Jazz news from on and off the court every week. Check back on Tuesday afternoons for the latest episode!
Chandler Holt is a co-host of the Jazz Notes podcast, a Locals In The NFL Insider, and Digital Sports Producer for sports.ksl.com. Follow Chandler on Twitter @ChandlerHoltKSL or on Threads @chandlerho1t.
