by Team Del Genio
Friday, Mar 31, 2023The Utah Jazz were expected to tank this season to put themselves in a better position to win the NBA draft lottery and earn the right to select the generational talent Victor Wembanyama.
Yet instead, a roster of veteran castoffs and young players worked hard every night for first-year head coach Will Hardy. Despite being sellers at the trade deadline, the Jazz are still within striking distance of tenth place in the Western Conference and the play-in game to reach the eight-team playoffs. After their 128-117 victory in San Antonio as a 2.5-favorite, they improved their record to 36-40.
Utah completes the month of March in Boston to play the Celtics as a double-digit underdog currently in 12th place in the Western Conference. The Jazz trail the Dallas Mavericks by a half-game who began the day with a 37-40 record. They trail the Oklahoma City Thunder by 1 1/2 games who currently hold on to tenth place in the conference with a 38-39 record. Tenth place qualifies for the Western Conference play-in game.
Utah had lost four games in a row before beating the Spurs on Wednesday. Yet after a bad loss to Portland, the Jazz have played difficult opponents at Sacramento and home against Milwaukee before getting a Phoenix Suns team facing their own sense of urgency on Monday to begin the week.
Getting more ping pong balls for the Wembanyama lottery is no longer a realistic alternative. The Detroit Pistons are cruising towards securing the worst record in the league with their 16-60 mark. The Houston Rockets and then the San Antonio Spurs have 18-59 and 19-57 records, so finishing in the bottom three in the NBA to earn more ping-pong balls to win the draft lottery is not possible. With the Orlando Magic and Portland Trail Blazers sharing 32-44 records and the Charlotte Hornets owning a 26-51 record, the Jazz would be hard-pressed to lose more games to finish below those teams who are well aware of their position in the standings (and draft lottery).
Getting this group playoff experience appears to be the goal of this team now given those circumstances. Rookies Walker Kessler and Ochai Agbaji continue to improve as they grow into leadership roles with this team alongside Lauri Markkinen.
Kessler is averaging 9.1 points per game and 8.4 rebounds per game. The former first-round pick out of Auburn, the 7'1 center has raised those numbers this month by averaging 13.3 points per game and 10.0 rebounds per game.
Agbaji is averaging 6.9 points per game in under 20 minutes per game in his rookie season. The first-round pick out of Kansas has seen his playing time jump up considerably after the Jazz traded away from veterans at the trade deadline. In his thirteen games this month, Agbaji has played over 30 minutes per game. He is averaging 12.4 points per game and adding 2.1 assists per game and 2.5 rebounds per game this month.
Getting these two rookies more minutes with playoff implications is probably the best long-term plan for the Jazz given their surprising success this season under a first-year head coach in Hardy.
Good luck - TDG.
Yet instead, a roster of veteran castoffs and young players worked hard every night for first-year head coach Will Hardy. Despite being sellers at the trade deadline, the Jazz are still within striking distance of tenth place in the Western Conference and the play-in game to reach the eight-team playoffs. After their 128-117 victory in San Antonio as a 2.5-favorite, they improved their record to 36-40.
Utah completes the month of March in Boston to play the Celtics as a double-digit underdog currently in 12th place in the Western Conference. The Jazz trail the Dallas Mavericks by a half-game who began the day with a 37-40 record. They trail the Oklahoma City Thunder by 1 1/2 games who currently hold on to tenth place in the conference with a 38-39 record. Tenth place qualifies for the Western Conference play-in game.
Utah had lost four games in a row before beating the Spurs on Wednesday. Yet after a bad loss to Portland, the Jazz have played difficult opponents at Sacramento and home against Milwaukee before getting a Phoenix Suns team facing their own sense of urgency on Monday to begin the week.
Getting more ping pong balls for the Wembanyama lottery is no longer a realistic alternative. The Detroit Pistons are cruising towards securing the worst record in the league with their 16-60 mark. The Houston Rockets and then the San Antonio Spurs have 18-59 and 19-57 records, so finishing in the bottom three in the NBA to earn more ping-pong balls to win the draft lottery is not possible. With the Orlando Magic and Portland Trail Blazers sharing 32-44 records and the Charlotte Hornets owning a 26-51 record, the Jazz would be hard-pressed to lose more games to finish below those teams who are well aware of their position in the standings (and draft lottery).
Getting this group playoff experience appears to be the goal of this team now given those circumstances. Rookies Walker Kessler and Ochai Agbaji continue to improve as they grow into leadership roles with this team alongside Lauri Markkinen.
Kessler is averaging 9.1 points per game and 8.4 rebounds per game. The former first-round pick out of Auburn, the 7'1 center has raised those numbers this month by averaging 13.3 points per game and 10.0 rebounds per game.
Agbaji is averaging 6.9 points per game in under 20 minutes per game in his rookie season. The first-round pick out of Kansas has seen his playing time jump up considerably after the Jazz traded away from veterans at the trade deadline. In his thirteen games this month, Agbaji has played over 30 minutes per game. He is averaging 12.4 points per game and adding 2.1 assists per game and 2.5 rebounds per game this month.
Getting these two rookies more minutes with playoff implications is probably the best long-term plan for the Jazz given their surprising success this season under a first-year head coach in Hardy.
Good luck - TDG.
