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Ryan McDonald
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Utah Jazz forward Royce O’Neale (23) celebrates a 3-pointer in the game against the Golden State Warriors at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Jan. 23, 2021. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
As the Utah Jazz continue to ride an NBA-best eight-game win streak, the national media is taking note of the team, even if Shaquille O’Neal is dismissing them.
On Monday, numerous outlets published updated league power rankings, and as should probably be expected for a team that is just a half-game back of the best record, the Jazz are high in each of them.
Here’s a rundown.
- The Jazz are at the very top of CBS Sports’ rankings as written by Colin Ward-Henninger, who cited their “absolute offensive clinic” in three games last week. Ward-Henninger noted that Utah set an NBA record for most 3-pointers made through 15 games of a season and that “Shaq criticism aside,” Donovan Mitchell averaged 29 points, seven rebounds and five assists while going 13 for 23 from 3 last week.
- Over at ESPN, the Jazz come in at No. 3 behind the two teams it is a half-game behind in the standings, the Los Angeles Lakers and LA Clippers (Utah was No. 7 last week). Tim MacMahon observed that the Jazz are the most prolific 3-point shooting team in NBA history at this point, averaging 16.8 makes from distance per game. He also noted that during Utah’s win streak, Mitchell is shooting 51% from the field, 50% from 3 and 89.5% from the free-throw line.
- The Jazz also come in at No. 3 in The Athletic’s weekly rankings behind the Lakers and Clippers. Zach Harper writes that “I don’t know if people realize how well they’re playing” while pointing out their success on both ends of the floor. Harper concludes, “I understand if you don’t believe in the Jazz over some of these other teams. I understand if you don’t believe in the Jazz as a team that will excel in the playoffs. But they’re playing so well right now that it necessitated this move up to third in the rankings.”
- Sports Illustrated has the Jazz at No. 5 behind the Lakers, Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets. Michael Shapiro wrote that, “Utah will never be acknowledged as a true challenger to either Los Angeles team in the Western Conference, but is that necessarily fair?” Beside the offense, Shapiro also observed that the Jazz are also in the top 10 in the NBA in defensive rating and that in addition to Mitchell, Rudy Gobert and Mike Conley are playing well.
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