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James Hansen
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The Utah Jazz need to start tanking harder, here’s a guide on what/who to root for every night
The Utah Jazz should be tanking to get a better spot in the lottery and to hopefully win when the ping pong balls drop. Each night there are teams to root for and against and I’ll attempt to update this guide every day so you know what to root for on League Pass.
3/29/23
Who/What to root for?
Utah Jazz at San Antonio Spurs
It would be advantageous for the Jazz to lose every game for the rest of the season. They especially need to lose the games they’re favored in like this one.
Milwaukee Bucks at Indiana Pacers
Slim chance, but the Jazz need the Pacers to win in a big way if they want a chance to pass them up.
Dallas Mavericks at Philadelphia 76ers
The Mavericks are a dumpster fire but the Jazz need this dumpster fire to get a few more wins to create more cushion in the standings.
Chicago Bulls vs Los Angeles Lakers
The Jazz are 1 game up on the Bulls and 2 games up on the Lakers in the lottery. A win by the Bulls would secure that 9th spot as the Jazz’s ceiling.
Oklahoma City Thunder vs Detroit Pistons
The Jazz are just 1.5 games up on the Thunder and so a win by the Thunder solidifies Utah’s positioning.
Minnesota Timberwolves at Phoenix Suns
Jazz fans should always hope for the Wolves to lose if they want the pick to possibly improve.
3/20/23
Who/What to root for?
Utah Jazz vs Sacramento Kings
Duh.
Indiana Pacers vs Charlotte Hornets
A Pacers win helps the Jazz in a big way, this should be a huge step up for the Jazz.
Chicago Bulls at Philadelphia 76ers
It’s a tough one for the Bulls who are playing for a spot in the playoffs. A win for the Bulls would be big for the Jazz.
Minnesota Timberwolves at New York Knicks
A loss for the Wolves is always good for the Jazz
3/19/23
Who/What to root for?
Phoenix Suns at Oklahoma City Thunder
Even though the Jazz continue to win, they can still be helped by other teams around them getting wins. A win by the Thunder will help solidify the Jazz’s position in the lottery, and get a better pick.
Atlanta Hawks at San Antonio Spurs
It’s now time to root for the Hawks and Quin Snyder. The more the Hawks win the more it moves the Wolves down in the draft standings.
New Orleans Pelicans at Houston Rockets
New Orleans is a dreadful franchise but they have to find a way to overcome their own incompetent awfulness to win this game and help the Jazz in the standings.
Toronto Raptors at Milwaukee Bucks
The Jazz need the Raptors to keep winning to solidify a better spot in the draft.
Portland Trail Blazers vs LA Clippers
Much like the Pelicans, the Portland Trail Blazers have to overcome their incompetance and find a way to win, but they may have stopped trying a while ago. Although, even when the Blazers try they’re bad so can anyone really tell the difference?
Orlando Magic at LA Lakers
At this point the Magic are probably too far away for the Jazz to catch so the Jazz need the Lakers to win to help the Jazz solidify the best pick possible.
3/17/23
Who/What to root for?
Washington Wizards at Cleveland Cavaliers
It’s a tough matchup for the Wizards but a win for them would tie them up with the Jazz and get the Jazz a one step higher in the lottery.
Minnesota Timberwolves at Chicago Bulls
As always, Jazz fans should root for the Wolves to lose to improve that pick.
New Orleans Pelicans at Houston Rockets
The Pelicans might quietly be tanking and a win for them would be great for the Jazz in the standings, it would put them into the top ten in picks.
Boston Celtics at Portland Trail Blazers
The Jazz need Portland to start winning games, things are tight right now in the lottery and a win for the Blazers would put the Jazz higher in the lottery.
3/16/23
Who/What to root for?
Oklahoma City Thunder vs Toronto Raptors
In reality, this is a win-win for the Jazz but since just one game separates the Jazz from the Raptors, it would be good if the Raptors win to provide more cushion for the Jazz in the lottery.
Indiana Pacers vs Milwaukee Bucks
If the Jazz want any chance to possibly be in the 5-7 range of the lottery, the teams ahead of them need to win some games. Can the Pacers pull this one out and help the Jazz jump higher in the lottery?
Orlando Magic vs Phoenix Suns
Can the Magic find a way to pull one out against the Suns? Orlando has been feisty lately and look like they’re interested in winning games. With the Jazz 5 games back, there still might be time to catch them.
3/15/23
Who/What to root for?
Sacramento Kings vs Chicago Bulls
With the Bulls being just one game ahead of the Jazz, this would be huge to see the Bulls get the win here.
Los Angeles Lakers vs Houston Rockets
The Lakers have been winning a lot more lately and the more they win the more cushion it puts between the Jazz and the play-in.
Boston Celtics vs Minnesota Timberwolves
As always, a Wolves loss is always what you want since the Jazz own their pick.
Dallas Mavericks vs San Antonio Spurs
The Dallas Mavericks are losing a lot lately and missing the playoffs might be out of the picture. The worst thing would be for the Mavericks to catch the Jazz. A Mavericks win is good for the Jazz.
3/14/23
Who/What to root for?
Detroit Pistons vs Washington Wizards
This is an important one. If the Wizards win this it will immediately improve the Jazz’s odds in the lottery.
Denver Nuggets vs Toronto Raptors
Same as the situation with the Wizards, the Raptors winning this immediately helps the Jazz in the lottery. Scott Foster gifted a game to the Nuggets last time, will the Nuggets be able to overcome bad officiating this time?
Los Angeles Lakers vs New Orleans Pelicans
The Lakers and Pelicans have identical records so this is a win-win for the Jazz whatever happens here.
Brooklyn Nets vs Oklahoma City Thunder
With the Jazz ahead of the Thunder in the lottery by one game, a win for the Thunder would provide some nice cushion for the Jazz in case they do something silly like win a game.
Orlando Magic vs San Antonio Spurs
With 13 games left for the Jazz they’re 4.5 games back of the Magic in the lottery but Orlando is playing hard and it’s not impossible for the Jazz to overtake them. It will take the Magic winning games like this one to make that happen.
New York Knicks vs Portland Trail Blazers
The Jazz need the Blazers to win games. Utah doesn’t play for 5 days and there positioning in the lottery could improve a lot if the Blazers win this one. If the Blazers win this, it might influence the Jazz to make the right decision to rest their stars more and more to end the season.
3/13/23
Who/What to root for?
Indiana Pacers to beat the Detroit Pistons
The Pistons are too far ahead of the Jazz to overcome, but getting a better spot than Indiana is well within reach.
Atlanta Hawks to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves
Owning the Wolves pick means wanting them to lose every night.
Miami Heat to beat the Utah Jazz
Because obviously!
Dallas Mavericks to beat the Memphis Grizzlies.
Not much skin in the game with this but more distance from Dallas would be good.
Golden State Warriors to beat the Phoenix Suns
Just like with the Mavericks, you want more distance between the Jazz and the Warriors.
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