Jazz 2017/18 Playoff Bus! All Aboard!

[Gameface]

Guys.... Are we a championship threat? Are we a contender THIS year?

All year I would have answered no to those questions. Because Donovan is still a rook, we need a 3rd star, the Rockets and Warriors are really good, etc. But the stats are saying otherwise. We're #1 in defensive rating and top 10 in offensive rating since Gobert returned. Those are the numbers of a real contender. The great extended run we've been on is the type of extended run contenders typically go on. I don't want to get myself too excited but I'm not discounting our chances against anyone anymore. If we're hot come playoff time we could shock the world.

I think we're close to contender status, but we're not true contenders right now. Much can happen. A couple key injuries to the top-tier teams. Exum comes backs and is as big a shock as Donovan has been.

I mean I expect the Jazz to have a down swing at some point. Things are just too amazing right now.

A 7 game series is serious business and the Warriors are now a vet championship team. Will they be better at adjusting to the Jazz or will the Jazz be better at adjusting to them. They have so many offensive weapons and have used them so effectively in the postseason the last several years. I just have to say that I think they can adjust more easily than the Jazz can. We defend one way, they throw something else at us, we adjust to that, they throw yet another powerful offense at us. Each switch they should be able to exploit us until we catch on, and even catching on doesn't mean you stop them. Meanwhile, the Jazz still sometimes struggle to score.

It's tough.

I don't know about the Rockets. D'Antoni hasn't been much of a postseason coach, so I'm looking for the Rockets to struggle and hopefully get beat in an upset. But that doesn't mean I'd want to play them in the first round. I want someone else to take a shot at them first, because even if they are beatable, they have Harden and Chris Paul, and those guys can will themselves to wins on any given night (with a good dose of help from the officials).

 

[Bawse Dawg]

Playoff basketball is different. Let’s keep winning, get in the playoffs and see how we look in round one.

 

[Ellipse]

I hate projecting forward, because it usually leads to disappointment. Seriously, let's take it one game at a time and see where we end up.

 

[str8line]

Guys.... Are we a championship threat? Are we a contender THIS year?

All year I would have answered no to those questions. Because Donovan is still a rook, we need a 3rd star, the Rockets and Warriors are really good, etc. But the stats are saying otherwise. We're #1 in defensive rating and top 10 in offensive rating since Gobert returned. Those are the numbers of a real contender. The great extended run we've been on is the type of extended run contenders typically go on. I don't want to get myself too excited but I'm not discounting our chances against anyone anymore. If we're hot come playoff time we could shock the world.

I just made a couple of gallons of kool-aid. Got any vodka? I'm with you!

 

[str8line]

I hate projecting forward, because it usually leads to disappointment. Seriously, let's take it one game at a time and see where we end up.

BORING.

 

[Ferguson_Mellochill]

The goal shouldn't be just to make the playoffs. The goal should be to grab the 5th or 6th seed, or maybe better.

I'm optimistic about the Warriors resting players on their last game of the season. I'm optimistic about beating Boston with some of their players likely being out.

Im also optimistic about Exum helping our bench scoring.

 

[Sneakers]

If we can take care of business against the 5 tanking games we have left... 4 of which are at home... we can be in a rlly good position. 4 of the 5 are our next 4 games.. home against Suns, Kings and Hawks and @ Dallas. @ Dallas could be a trap game. The other three, especially at home, should be okay... hopefully Jerebko and Jae can keep playing well against the lower rung teams so Mitch, Rubio, etc. can rest a bit. We also have a home against Memphis coming up. Win these and its 5 wins...

Home and away against the Lakers... they've been really tough lately both on road and at home. None of these are gimmies, and I think a split would be okay. Win one and its 6 wins..

Home and away and GS, but the home is their last game of season, which bodes well. Our last game is @ blazers, who might be locked into the 3rd seed at that point. Get one of those and its 7...

Clippers and Celtics @ home, SA and Minn on road ... get 2 of those 4 and it is 47 wins total...

We're in a rlly good position, but I am nervous we'll **** it up somewhere... ughhh the waiting is so difficult lol

 

[FarrakhanJazzFan]

Wtf is up with Ball's and Ben Simmons' free throw shooting. How do you seriously compete in close games when your PGs shoot like Deandre Jordan from the free throw line. That's a critical fault for a PG

 

[colton]

I think we're close to contender status, but we're not true contenders right now. Much can happen. A couple key injuries to the top-tier teams. Exum comes backs and is as big a shock as Donovan has been.

I mean I expect the Jazz to have a down swing at some point. Things are just too amazing right now.

A 7 game series is serious business and the Warriors are now a vet championship team. Will they be better at adjusting to the Jazz or will the Jazz be better at adjusting to them. They have so many offensive weapons and have used them so effectively in the postseason the last several years. I just have to say that I think they can adjust more easily than the Jazz can. We defend one way, they throw something else at us, we adjust to that, they throw yet another powerful offense at us. Each switch they should be able to exploit us until we catch on, and even catching on doesn't mean you stop them. Meanwhile, the Jazz still sometimes struggle to score.

It's tough.

I don't know about the Rockets. D'Antoni hasn't been much of a postseason coach, so I'm looking for the Rockets to struggle and hopefully get beat in an upset. But that doesn't mean I'd want to play them in the first round. I want someone else to take a shot at them first, because even if they are beatable, they have Harden and Chris Paul, and those guys can will themselves to wins on any given night (with a good dose of help from the officials).

Agreed. Beating the Warriors in a 7 game series, if they are healthy, would be nearly impossible. Beating the Rockets would be really tough, but maybe doable. I think beating anyone else, including Portland and/or whoever comes out of the East, is a definite possibility the way the Jazz are currently playing.

 

[colton]

I think we're close to contender status, but we're not true contenders right now. Much can happen. A couple key injuries to the top-tier teams. Exum comes backs and is as big a shock as Donovan has been.

I mean I expect the Jazz to have a down swing at some point. Things are just too amazing right now.

A 7 game series is serious business and the Warriors are now a vet championship team. Will they be better at adjusting to the Jazz or will the Jazz be better at adjusting to them. They have so many offensive weapons and have used them so effectively in the postseason the last several years. I just have to say that I think they can adjust more easily than the Jazz can. We defend one way, they throw something else at us, we adjust to that, they throw yet another powerful offense at us. Each switch they should be able to exploit us until we catch on, and even catching on doesn't mean you stop them. Meanwhile, the Jazz still sometimes struggle to score.

It's tough.

I don't know about the Rockets. D'Antoni hasn't been much of a postseason coach, so I'm looking for the Rockets to struggle and hopefully get beat in an upset. But that doesn't mean I'd want to play them in the first round. I want someone else to take a shot at them first, because even if they are beatable, they have Harden and Chris Paul, and those guys can will themselves to wins on any given night (with a good dose of help from the officials).

Agreed. Beating the Warriors in a 7 game series, if they are healthy, would be nearly impossible. Beating the Rockets would be really tough, but maybe doable. I think beating anyone else, including Portland and/or whoever comes out of the East, is a definite possibility the way the Jazz are currently playing.

 

[FarrakhanJazzFan]

538 has the win projection at 47 -- that's the four straight games against the tank battalion and then five wins in the last ten games. Of those final ten, I'm presuming that's the three games against the El Lay teams (Clippers are in Salt Lake), Memphis and then Boston in Salt Lake.

If the Spurs are still without Kawhi, that could be a tough road game(back end of back-to-back) but a possible win. I don't like our chances on the road against GW and Minnesota. But GW may not need the second game in Salt Lake and ditto for the last game in Portland. 8-2 and 50 wins is not totally impossible if the right circumstances occur for the last two games.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

I’m surprised and somewhat appalled that we aren’t the favorites to win it all... so disrespectful.

So much would have to happen for us to win it all. I do think we are going to be the 5th or 6th seed if we can take care of the teams we should. A first round series where we have a good shot at winning is a hugely successful season. Season is already a success in my mind... we are so much closer than I thought we would be and we have a lot of options going forward