Will the Utah Jazz make the playoffs? | Defend The Take

Will the Utah Jazz make the playoffs? | Defend The Take

The Utah Jazz will make the NBA playoffs this year Zach your 62nd starts now are you kidding me of course they’re going to make the playoffs this year one they’re absolutely going to make the play in tournament because they have to beat out the Warriors and they have to

Beat out the Lakers and the rockets like two of those teams they got to beat out to do that those teams are all extremely flawed the Jazz are on fire they have found their double rotation their starters in their second unit it is 48 minutes of hell facing this Jazz team

Under will hardy they’re good on offense they’re good defensively they have all this momentum and then once they get into the playing tournament you think you’re going to beat Lowry marinan on a on a single game elimination absolutely not I think they go in as the 10 they

Beat the nine they go in there and beat whoever loses from 78 and guess what they are going to take the one seed to seven games that like it’s it’s a no-brainer that the Utah Jazz make the playoffs they are on fire this isn’t last year where they send off some veterans M

Conley gets traded and all of a sudden they’re done and they fall apart no they’re building now they had their bad part at the beginning of the season this team is easily going to make the playoffs I don’t even think it’s Up For Debate I Dave shouldn’t even respond to

This time time time Dave your 60 seconds can I real quick ask for a clarification do we mean make the playoffs as in top six at the end of the season or make the playoffs as in make the play in win a play in game and make the play in win

The play in and okay just wanted to clarify here because you know I know this game can can choose to be pedantic when it wants to I just think the premise of this is a little bit farfetched this is a good story great coach will hardy really just

Coaching his tail off fun team Colin seon having a career season Lou remarket and excellent they’re likely to make the play in but that 78 battle whoever it is is going to be two better teams than than the Utah Jazz as of right now it’s the Sacramento Kings and the Dallas

Mavericks and I think if you were to ask me to choose a single elimination winner against Utah I’m I’m taking either one of those teams I don’t think Utah has the guy that can go out and get you the game and that’s the one thing that’s holding them back I think Lowry Markin

Great player All-Star player he’s not a number one guy and I when you look at Sacramento you look at Dallas you look at Phoenix you look at New Orleans they all just have a guy who can go get you a bucket and that’s what matters the most come single elimination time so great

Story good team going to make the play in they’re not making the playoffs okay um to start the discussion I want to throw something out there uh do you guys think the Utah ja should be buyers at the trade deadline and if so would that change your opinion Dave that’s an

Interesting question I don’t think they will be H but I don’t also don’t think they’re gonna be sellers I mean Zack you know how Danny a operates I mean he has a treasure Trove of draft assets he’s got a bunch of good young players but they don’t have to be bad because of

Those draft picks they’re they’re not going to be they’re not going to be sellers for sure because there is nothing Danny a loves more than the day after the trade deadline to tell you what he was about to do almost did this almost did this almost did that it

Worked like a charm in Boston it’ll absolutely work in Utah it’s his favorite thing to do he like he loves that more than he loves watching baseball or watching basketball playing with his kids winning championships he loves nothing more than to tell you what he almost did the day after the trade

Deadline really is Danny Ang’s favorite day so it’s his holiday it’s his it’s his day I think that they’re gonna stand Pat Ian it makes sense too like you think about the development curve of this team like this is not a championship team we know that I do

Think being good is important in Utah and and so making the play in or you know getting to the playoffs I mean that’s super important for this team especially new owner I think they’re buyers this summer um I don’t think they’re going to do the full tear down I

Think we’re pretty pretty clear on that at this point I don’t think they need to make a move at the deadline I think this team has found its stride there’s absolutely no reason for them to move I completely disagree with daon Larry marinan not being that guy that dude’s a

Bucket that dude is a walking bucket who you can’t you just can’t stop him there’s nothing you can Do’s seven feeding and shooting and put on the floor they have actually a bunch of guys that can go get that bucket Jordan Clarkson Colin seon like they have all

The weapons they need they have the defensive components the biggest thing that they have is not ton Horton Tucker in the rotation and that is the reason like they don’t need to make any moves massive the it’s funny how when you look at the dnp CDs that he started catching

Uh the winning streak starts in the middle of that they fig you know theal oh yeah he’s I mean he’s excellent like it’s the equivalent of when uh when teams used to trade R Rudy Gay away and then all of a sudden would just like get better like it’s like hey they traded

The super talented guy and got way better after that’s that’s what benching T Horton Tucker’s done T Horton Tucker I wouldn’t call super talented I think what one of the big problems was this idea that he was going to be the point guard you know and he’s so clearly not

That guy and Colin seon just being you know average as far as a a lead ball handler goes in the decision-making aspect and being lights out shooting the ball has helped this team immensely I think it’s a brilliant strategy by Will Hardy at the beginning of the Season

Like Ton’s our our point guard because he looked at Chris Dunn he looked at konay George he looked at K sex and said you can’t beat that guy out for for to be my lead guard I guess you’re just not that good and what happened they’re all

Better than him oh yeah big time yeah I mean again will hardy is I think Will Hardy is going to be in the coach of the year conversation it’s likely not going to be him it’s probably going to be Mark dagnal that that winds up winning but I

Think that he’ll get a bunch of votes again I don’t know a whole lot of uh playing tournament coaches one and done that are in the coach of the year conversation so maybe Dave just argued against himself I don’t know I’m I’m not the judge here I’m not the one giving

Out points I’m just saying it’s a regular season award Mr Harper as you know you’re an award but you don’t you don’t you don’t give it to teams that have no shot at make the playoffs this isn’t Riv in 2000 I do think making the play in with with this

Team and with the expectations that’s a significant thing for them um but you know losing a single elimination game nothing wrong with that you know I mean also talk about the Pelicans yeah they’ll be healthy uh the Kings yeah they have a great success track record

Uh the the Mavericks they never one and done I will tell you one other thing that I worry about and this is not about Utah it’s about everybody else is if those other teams are going to bolster their roster here at the trade deadline like you could see an instance where

Like the Lakers are significantly better in like three weeks now they happen to pull this off every year they pull it off this year I wouldn’t be surprised and you could just get not leap frogging but just it’s going to be a harder Road for for Utah I I think we are doing

Nothing but playing the resume of the Lakers and the Warriors at this point these teams are done well the Warriors are cooked I don’t even think the Warriors and you know fine this year has kind of been awful especially like recently and I think the Warriors this year that that

Season is just over we talk about ton Horton Tucker getting out of the rotation Christian Wood is still very much in the Lakers rotation is Christian Wood like he’s not the worst player in the league no isaia in is he in the bottom 10 Isaiah livers and Killian Hayes still exist so those

Guys are I mean those like pick a pick a piston or a former piston like it’s it’s in that conversation it’s rough Christi wood former piston I Zack I have a question for you based on what what Dave is saying so currently ahead of the Jazz

7 eight and nine we have the Kings the Mavs and the Lakers in that order let’s say all three of them at the trade deadline they make some sort of deal to get at least marginally better does that change the way you feel about the Jazz

Because the Jazz would then have to be better than at least two of those three teams NOC I think I don’t think the Kings can make a move that fixes their defense right the Mavs probably end up in the top six like I I think that as

Long as they’re healthy like I think they’ll end up in the top six um the the the lake I what what are they they’re gonna trade for dejonte Murray and everything’s gonna be fixed they’re gonna trade for Zack LaVine and everything’s gonna be fixed like I just

They they can’t shoot and their defense is kind of like a pkin village to me like it’s like yeah like it can be good but when you’re also like shoot cam reddish is hurt like what are we talking about you know like I just I don’t think

Those teams are going to make realistic moves that put them outright ahead of these guys and I again like I think the Jazz have figured out what the rotation is for 48 minutes and it’s it’s really really impressive I I will say I I think that that’s probably the nine10 matchup

Is is Lakers Jazz it just feels like when you look at the standings right now they feel kind of set aside from five to seven I I think you could have anywhere New Orleans Phoenix Sacramento Dallas is going to be your combination of of five through through the eight SE

Yeah um I like all of those teams in one game over Utah at full health but this is and this is where I’m going to give you credit Zack is that you are right the track record for these teams on health not been great has not been great

Yeah so a lot of this relies on every you know these teams staying healthy but this is every single season but if if the rosters are full everyone’s healthy I I’d take all four of those teams over Utah not that Utah can’t win a game it

Is basketball and good team but I I take them all what’s great for body recovery epson salt bath right just fantastic what is in that great lake just outside of Salt Lake City is it epson salt I don’t know I just know it’s salt and so

Maybe it’s good for the body there maybe it’s built in I mean I look you’ve got the elevation Advantage a disgusting by way just gats and flies everywhere it’s so gross I look man you talk like Salt Lake City beautiful city beautiful city incredibly walkable some of the worst

Air quality in the country it is inversion I didn’t know about inversion until then the cold air traps that Smog and that’s why when they go to LA to play when they go to Sacramento to play when they go to Dallas play in this play in tournament their lungs are going to

Be fortified it’s like oh my God like the smog of La they’re like what is this this is nothing they basically they’ve been training at elevation in harsh conditions they’re they’re Rocky going up against Ivan Drago like yeah you’ve been doing all this Hightech training Rocky’s in the mountains move in logs and

Wagons and I don’t know Dave are you Pro USA or Pro Soviet Union I don’t know well that’s an interesting

The Athletic NBA Show discuss if the Utah Jazz will make the NBA playoffs.