Utah Jazz: Where does the team stand after two scrimmages?

What to make of the Utah Jazz at the restart

It’s been a whirlwind season for the Utah Jazz, to say the least. After the acquisition of point guard Mike Conley from Memphis and the signing of Bojan Bogdanovic in free agency, the Jazz was expected to be the Western Conference’s dark horse contender.

As the season went on, however, the Jazz gave fans more questions than confidence. Mike Conley looked like a shell of himself, and the team’s incredible defense had slipped to the 11th ranked defense in the league. Despite all that the team still was 41-23 going into the home stretch of the season with a top 10 offense.

Then, the NBA hit a hiatus.

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Before the restart would come, it was announced that Bogdanovic, the team’s second-leading scorer, would miss the remainder of the season due to shoulder surgery.

As the NBA’s official restart inches closer, there’s actually some optimism for the Jazz again, thanks in large part to what the team has showcased during its first two scrimmages.

How the Utah Jazz have looked thus far 

Through two scrimmage games in Orlando, the Jazz seems to actually be coming along to the point where they might still be able to make things competitive come playoff time. They are no longer the contenders they once were with Bogdanovic, but with a renewed emphasis on team concepts, they might still be good enough to win at least a first-round series.

In the Jazz’s first game, they came out looking rusty. After a 101-88 loss to the Suns, it didn’t look good. The team lacked aggression on defense and were struggling to get into a rhythm on offense.

While Donovan Mitchell scored 17 points, he only had one assist on the night. It wasn’t a great showing for anyone.

In the team’s second scrimmage against Miami, however, the team showed positive signs of adjustments and fight. The team flipped the script, beating Miami 101-99 with a strong offensive attack.

Prompted to shoot more 3’s, the Jazz hit 24-40 attempts from deep against the Heat. Mike Conley showed flashes that he can be the player he was in Memphis, role players like Jordan Clarkson and Joe Ingles stepped up, and the Jazz showed great chemistry.

How good can the Utah Jazz be? 

Without Bogdanovic, it’s hard to imagine the Jazz making a deep playoff run. Nevertheless, there’s no question that this opportunity could very well help them in the future.

This time in Orlando will give the Jazz an opportunity to refocus on. team chemistry. Mitchell, a reinvigorated Gobert and refreshed Conley could be a compelling trio over the next few weeks.

If the Jazz can ride these newfound strengths in Orlando to win a first-round playoff match up and then play a competitive second-round series than this season would be a success given the circumstances.