Reality Check

[Airwolf84]

Before last night, the Jazz had won 15 of 16 and those 15 wins came against teams with a combined win-loss record of 231-381 which averages out to each of those teams the Jazz beat being 10 games under. 500. I'm not getting my hopes up until they can beat teams with a winning record on a consistent basis. Until then, I'm remaining a skeptic of the Jazz having 'arrived'.

[MTJazzv3]

Fair enough - I think as Jazz fans we expect the wheels to fall off in general in these latter days (post Stock-to Malone)- but not feeling your view right now. I think the Jazz are going to be in the mix for a home court playoff seed. It is a well oiled machine but there is obviously a few small roster tweaks that could take it up a notch. Plus, this team and core personnel have been late season bloomers and I don't see why that won't happen again. For example, I don't think we've seen the full Clarkson and Bogie yet. Takes time to assimilate all the actors.

[CAE15]

Before last night, the Jazz had won 15 of 16 and those 15 wins came against teams with a combined win-loss record of 231-381 which averages out to each of those teams the Jazz beat being 10 games under. 500. I'm not getting my hopes up until they can beat teams with a winning record on a consistent basis. Until then, I'm remaining a skeptic of the Jazz having 'arrived'.

Jazz are taking care of the schedule like any good team on paper should do. Fact of the matter is most really good teams still have these games that they drop to lesser competition. The Jazz used to be king of knocking off the top competition without being a contender. The script has flipped now and teams gear up and try to knock off the hot jazz. Of course playing the team's over .500 matters but it's not our fault we have yet to face the Rockets, Nuggets, Mavs, Celtics that's 4 of the only 12 other teams that are above .500 and the jazz have beaten the Bucks, Clippers, Sixers, Thunder of the above .500 teams. Lakers, Heat, Raptors are the only .500+ teams we don't have a win against.

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[sipclip]

I think we are all interested in seeing how the jazz look with a tougher upcoming schedule. We have seen them destroy the soft part of their schedule over the last 2 years while struggling against the better teams.

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[TNJazz]

This next section of games when more above .500 teams are on the schedule is exciting. The beginning of the season the schedule was one fo the most difficult and with all the new parts, they struggled, not too unexpectedly. Q and Co have done a terrific job of getting this team to buy in and play like a team, and have confidence they will win. The loss against NO is a terrific example of the mental toughness this team has where past teams didn't have the swagger. Rudy will probably go 10-10 on FT to compensate for the one big miss to win. Thats how tough he is mentally, I think. he will use that miss as motivation to improve for a future situation.

Having played the "soft portion of the schedule" and exploiting so many teams, plus they have the most crunch time wins in the league. I think they recent stellar play and mental toughness they developed while winning the games they were supposed to primarily by significant margins, has given them the belief that they are as good as their record. I predict they will continue to improve and will end of in the top half of the playoff bracket.

[FJS]

You build confidence right now. Then with confidence you can beat better teams

[Catchall]

Lets see how the Jazz do against the Pacers.

[zero24gravity]

Lets see how the Jazz do against the Pacers.

.....aaaaaaannnnd, check

Next

[mudsak]

I think there's definitely some relevance to this opinion, BUT... when I think back to earlier in the season this team was STRUGGLING with the worst teams in the league. The Jazz were literally barely sneaking wins past the worst teams...and even losing to some of the bottom feeders. That road trip out East was a complete embarrassment that led to Green being cut, and Clarkson being brought in. During this last stretch we have been absolutely dismantling the competition in every single way. The Jazz have been executing with precision, confidence, excellent chemistry... they're lethal. This gives me quite a lot of confidence. The team obviously rounded a corner at some point, and the Clarkson addition was a really big deal that changed the dynamic of the team significantly.

This Jazz team is legit, and I believe we can compete with anyone. I do think we still need to shore up the hole at back-up 5/4 position with a dirty-work type player, but this roster is dangerous as is.

[vryadli]

There is unpleasant possibility (not certainty of course) that Jazz blender being rather complicated is also kind of fragile and works better against softer team and got damaged when stronger teams go to other level of efforts. Like in important games and PO. If that is a case, blowing out of softer team is good anyway, but possibly will not completely translated in equivalent improvement with top 4-5 squads.

So currently I hold my breath and judgements... and of course there was Indiana already., which is some something

[KqWIN]

I think there's definitely some relevance to this opinion, BUT... when I think back to earlier in the season this team was STRUGGLING with the worst teams in the league. The Jazz were literally barely sneaking wins past the worst teams...and even losing to some of the bottom feeders. That road trip out East was a complete embarrassment that led to Green being cut, and Clarkson being brought in. During this last stretch we have been absolutely dismantling the competition in every single way. The Jazz have been executing with precision, confidence, excellent chemistry... they're lethal. This gives me quite a lot of confidence. The team obviously rounded a corner at some point, and the Clarkson addition was a really big deal that changed the dynamic of the team significantly.

This Jazz team is legit, and I believe we can compete with anyone. I do think we still need to shore up the hole at back-up 5/4 position with a dirty-work type player, but this roster is dangerous as is.

We were playing like a tanking team. Barely beating or losing to the actual tanking teams, and anytime we matched up with a decent team we were getting blown out. Sometimes by 30+.