Jazz Notes: Utah Jazz Season Can End One Of Three Ways
Mar 22, 2024, 4:32 PM | Updated: 4:36 pm
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - MARCH 18: Lauri Markkanen #23 of the Utah Jazz dunks in front of Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second half of a game at Delta Center on March 18, 2024 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
(Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – With a dozen games left in the season, the Utah Jazz have just a handful of potential outcomes awaiting them.
Utah currently sits at 12th in the West with a record of 29-41. They have the ninth-worst record in the association.
A postseason appearance is likely out of the picture so here is where the Jazz can finish and what it means going forward.
Updated West Standings ‼️
– Nuggets win, trail OKC on win %
– Mavs and Suns win, move into 6th & 7thFor more, download the NBA App
📲 https://t.co/oRfhdB8ZfO pic.twitter.com/ha6pBTMzb1— NBA (@NBA) March 22, 2024
Jazz Catch Fire, Overtake Rockets In 11th
Utah sits 5.5 games back from Houston but more importantly, the Jazz will play the Rockets three times in the final 12 games of the season.
If Utah manages to win all three of those games, they will likely overtake Houston in the standings and no longer own a bottom-10 record.
This is the worst-case scenario for Jazz fans.
Yes, winning is the goal. But what is the point of finishing in 11th and missing out on a top-ten pick in next year’s draft?
back at it on saturday. pic.twitter.com/ywcOGigw7j
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 22, 2024
Utah’s 2024 first-round pick will be going to OKC unless it is in the top ten. That’s why having a bottom-ten record benefits Utah.
With the 9th-worst record in the NBA, the Jazz have a 4.5 percent chance of winning the lottery and claiming the No. 1 overall pick. This extends to 4.8 percent for the No. 2 pick, 5.2 percent for the No. 3 pick, and 5.7 percent for the No. 4 pick.
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No Movement, Finish 12th In West With 9th Worst Record
Although it may not be the best-case scenario, it’s probably the most likely.
Utah has one of the toughest remaining schedules in the NBA but the Jazz can easily avoid going 2-10 or worse to wrap up the season.
Plus, the 13-seed Memphis Grizzlies are 6 games back from Utah. With that said, it’s entirely possible for the Jazz to finish 12th in the West while also claiming a bottom-8 record.
took it from Vaasa to Helsinki with 𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐘 🇫🇮🇫🇮🇫🇮#TakeNote | @MarkkanenLauri pic.twitter.com/kXDnsEhpIg
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 22, 2024
Brooklyn holds the 8th-worst record in the NBA at 26-44. They sit just three games back from Utah.
Unlike the Jazz, Brooklyn doesn’t have its first-round pick in the 2024 draft so they have no reason to lose games. But that fact has been true all season and the Nets still find themself near the bottom of the East.
Skid Continues, Utah Claims Bottom 8 Record In NBA
As mentioned earlier, Utah has one of the toughest remaining schedules in the NBA.
Although unlikely, it is entirely possible for the Jazz to finish somewhere around 31-51.
The Jazz could claim the 8th, 7th, or 6th-worst record in the NBA. But, that depends on how Brooklyn, Toronto, and Memphis close out the season.
The team with the 6th-worst record has about a 9 percent chance to claim any of the top-four picks.
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!
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Chandler Holt is a co-host for the Jazz Notes podcast and a Digital Sports Producer for sports.ksl.com, specializing in all things basketball and football. Follow Chandler on Twitter @ChandlerHoltKSL or on Threads @chandlerho1t.
