Utah Jazz's Schedule Breakdown and Record Predictions for January
As the Utah Jazz head into the new year, we're starting to see some signs that this young team is finally turning a corner under head coach Quin Snyder.
The Jazz have won five of their last seven, holding opponents to 100.6 points per 100 possessions during those games. The hot streak started on December 17, and that defensive rating is sixth in the league over that period.
It's a significant change, as defense was the main issue for the Jazz in November and the first half of December. Prior to Dec. 17, Utah's defensive rating was 110, better than only the Los Angeles Lakers.
Granted, the schedule got a bit easier, but a good sign is a good sign, and those are sometimes hard to come by during rebuilding seasons.
Better attention to detail on switches and rotations, along with heightened intensity, has helped the turnaround. And if Utah can maintain those positive trends heading into January, it should win a few more games in the coming month.
This slideshow will break down the next four-plus weeks of basketball for the Jazz, identifying a key matchup in each week and predicting wins and losses throughout the month.
January 1-7
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Most Notable Matchup: Minnesota Timberwolves
They may be fourth and fifth in the Northwest Division standings, but the Jazz and Minnesota Timberwolves are developing a little bit of a rivalry that could heat up as the two young rosters come of age.
The first chapter of the story may have been penned during the 2013 draft, when the Jazz traded the rights to Shabazz Muhammad and Gorgui Dieng to the Wolves for Trey Burke.
In hindsight, the deal has been a runaway victory for the Wolves.
| Trey Burke | 32.0 | .368 | .315 | 2.4 | 5.1 | 11.8 |
| Gorgui Dieng | 28.4 | .497 | .000 | 8.1 | 2.1 | 9.3 |
| Shabazz Muhammad | 22.3 | .500 | .484 | 4.0 | 1.0 | 13.8 |
| Trey Burke | 11.9 | .457 |
| Gorgui Dieng | 18.1 | .570 |
| Shabazz Muhammad | 20.9 | .562 |
But the Jazz got the last laugh on December 30 when they beat the Timberwolves 100-94 and ended the game on a 20-7 run.
Muhammad topped Burke's season-high 26 by dropping 30, but his fourth-quarter "three-goggles" celebration directed at Utah's bench was the turning point of the game.
The Salt Lake Tribune's Aaron Falk asked Trevor Booker about the move. The big man responded, "I didn’t see it...But ask him how the ‘L’ feels."
It shouldn't take another moment like that to spur the Jazz to victory in the rematch. Minnesota's in last place in the West by a good margin and is simply outmanned right now. Without veterans Ricky Rubio, Kevin Martin and Nikola Pekovic, they don't have the firepower to keep up with the Jazz.
Every other matchup during the week will be against Eastern Conference opponents, two of which could be competing for a trip to the Finals. The Jazz could give them a scare, but both those teams have found a groove and have good point guards, Utah's biggest weakness.
Indiana's an interesting matchup, though. With Paul George out, they've struggled to stay afloat in the weaker conference, but they still play hard every night and now have George Hill and David West back. It'll be tough, but Utah should have the edge at home.
Predictions: vs. Atlanta (January 2, L); @ Minnesota (January 3, W); vs. Indiana (January 5, W); @ Chicago (January 7, L)
Weekly Record: 2-2
January 8-14
2 of 5Most Notable Matchup: Oklahoma City Thunder
The second week of January will be brutal for the Jazz, as they face three teams that could compete for a shot at the Western Conference Finals.
The one division opponent will be the Oklahoma City Thunder, whom Gordon Hayward hit for 37 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists last season.
It was quite possibly the best performance of Hayward's young career, as he outdueled Kevin Durant down the stretch and led the Jazz to a 112-101 victory.
He got his 37 points on 13-of-16 shooting, while Durant took 34 shots to get to 48 points.
The January 9 meeting in OKC will be the first between the two stars in the 2014-15 season, as Durant sat out the first two games with a broken foot.
With the 2014 MVP back in the lineup with Russell Westbrook, it would take a near miracle for the Jazz to beat the Thunder again, especially with this one being in Oklahoma City Thunder. Utah's improving defense may look more like it did at the start of the season against those two explosive scorers.
After the matchup with the Thunder, Utah will be on the road again for a shot at the Houston Rockets, who should have all their recent acquisitions starting to feel acclimated.
The one home game will be against the Western Conference leading Golden State Warriors, who cruised to a 101-88 victory over the Jazz in their first meeting. It wasn't as close as the score suggests, as Utah doesn't have near enough weapons on either end to deal with perhaps the best team in the league.
Predictions: @ Oklahoma City (January 9, L); @ Houston (January 10, L); vs. Golden State (January 13, L)
Weekly Record: 0-3
January 15-21
3 of 5Most Notable Matchup: Cleveland Cavaliers
LeBron James was undoubtedly a bigger offseason signing than Hayward. He's a four-time MVP and two-time NBA champion. He's widely regarded as the best basketball player in the world, but on November 5, 2014, Hayward's star was just a little bit brighter.
His step-back, fadeaway buzzer-beater that defeated LeBron and the Cleveland Cavaliers could end up being the highlight of the season for the Jazz.
Hayward said of the shot, per Falk, "It’s definitely an experience I’ll use in the future, one you can build confidence off of. You’ve done it before. Why can’t you do it again?
The rematch between James and Hayward may not offer a chance to do that again, but it is a matchup between two of the game's best wings and a shot at revenge for the former.
James will be well rested for this one, fresh off some time away to deal with a sore knee. A recharged and refocused LeBron will be a nightmare for the Jazz, and should be more than enough for the Cavs to get the win at home.
Leading up to that game are matchups with the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs.
The Lakers are one of only two teams in the West with a worse record than the Jazz, and perhaps the only team in the NBA where Burke has the edge at point guard. He should be able to have his way with Ronnie Price.
The Spurs, meanwhile, should be able to beat the Jazz in San Antonio, regardless of who's healthy. But by then, they could have Kawhi Leonard back.
Predictions: vs. LA Lakers (January 16, W); @ San Antonio (January 18, L); @ Cleveland (January 21, L)
Weekly Record: 1-2
January 22-31
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Most Notable Matchup: Los Angeles Clippers
Every time the Jazz play the Los Angeles Clippers, Blake Griffin draws the ire of countless fans with his reactions to every call and non-call over the course of the game.
During a December 29 bout between the two teams, The Salt Lake Tribune's Steve Luhm tweeted, "Blake Griffin needs to play more and officiate less. Every call. And I mean every call."
SLC Dunk's Mychal Lowman chimed in with, "Sources: Blake Griffin still believes the Kia Optima fouled him on his way up for the dunk in the Dunk Contest."
Similar sentiments could be found throughout the Jazz Twitterverse, and the feelings were aggravated by the fact that the Clippers escaped with a narrow 101-97 victory.
The best remedy for players, fans and media would be a win on January 28, though it's difficult to see it happening. The Clippers have championship-caliber talent and should be rounding into form by the end of the month.
It should be a successful week, though. Other than the matchups with the Clippers and Warriors, Utah faces two Eastern Conference teams with losing records at home and another that's barely over .500 in Milwaukee.
The Bucks will be the stiffest test, especially on the second night of a back-to-back, but Snyder should have the Jazz charged up after a loss to the Cavs and looking to close out the road trip on a high note.
Predictions: @ Milwaukee (January 22, W); vs. Brooklyn (January 24, W); vs. Boston (January 26, W); vs. LA Clippers (January 28, L); vs. Golden State (January 30, L)
Record: 3-2
Final January W-L Prediction: 6-9
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Considering where Utah is as a team and the level of competition it will face in January, a 6-9 record would probably be seen as a success. If the Jazz could somehow knock off one or two of those contenders, that would be even better.
It's cliche, and players hate it, but from the outside, you have to accept moral victories. If lessons are learned in every loss, then they're wins in the long run.
Two or three years from now, a more-seasoned core that's developed some continuity may well look back on this season as the refiner's fire that helped turn the team into a playoff contender.
Unless otherwise noted, all stats and salary figures are courtesy of NBA.com and Basketball-Reference.com and are current as of Dec. 31, 2014.
Andy Bailey covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him @AndrewDBailey.
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