OKC Thunder: Dissecting 16 playoff seeds and 4 WC team records

Utah Jazz:

• 64 games played (41-23)
• Record versus seeded teams: 33 occasions (17-16)
• Record versus lottery teams: 31 occasions (24-7)
• Home record (21-10)
• Road record: (20-13)
• Back to back sets: Eight played (9-7)
  • two with both seeded teams (2-2)
  • five with one seed/one lottery team (5-5)
  • one with both teams in the lottery (2-0).

If there is a team who suffered the most by the timing of the league suspension it was the Utah Jazz. When the OKC Thunder game was postponed due to Rudy Gobert’s positive COVID-19 test it was only the start of bad luck for the Jazz. Donovan Mitchell subsequently tested positive and put a strain on his relationship with Gobert. Now the team has lost Bojan Bogdanovic for the season with a wrist injury.

The Jazz is also a team that stands to suffer regardless of the path the NBA elects to employ. On the night the league stopped the OKC Thunder were poised to move past the Jazz with a win and on a hot streak (8-2) entering the match.

While the Jazz has played well on the road they’ve taken advantage of sub .500 teams to amass their standing. Mike Conley was finally fitting into the system but now the club has to figure out the spacing and roster issues with the loss of Bogdanovic. Joe Ingles will likely be the replacement but that only serves to put more pressure on their bench with Jordan Clarkson the only player providing much production and his defensive shortcomings will undoubtedly be a factor in the postseason.

Utah trails Denver by 1.5 games, the Heat by two games while holding a half-game edge over the Heat, one-game lead over the Thunder and Rockets, and 2.5 game edge over the Pacers. Even though the Jazz is the fourth seed in the West and seventh overall they will be a squad many teams hope to draw in round one or in their bracket if Group Play is instituted.