If you consider yourself a Utah Jazz fan, you may want to take a little end-of-the-year trip to somewhere far, far away. Also, just turn off your devices and try to keep yourself distracted. It's about to get ugly in the Beehive State.
The Jazz have actually enjoyed a mediocre season so far. With the departure of franchise player Gordon Hayward, Rudy Gobert and the remaining Jazz players were not expected to do much in an ultra-competitive Western Conference. Despite losing three straight games including one to the lowly Bulls Wednesday night, the Jazz's record still sits at a modest 13-15.
While they have certainly had a decent start, their schedule is about to take a turn, crash through the side rail, and tumble down a mountain.
After their date with Chicago, the remaining schedule for 2017 looks like this for the Jazz
Friday 15/12 @ Celtics
Saturday 16/12 @ Cavaliers
Monday 18/12 @ Rockets
Wednesday 20/12 @ Thunder
Thursday 21/12 vs Spurs
Saturday 23/12 vs Thunder
Tuesday 26/12 @ Nuggets
Wednesday 27/12 @ Warriors
Saturday 30/12 vs Cavaliers
In the impossibly tough stretch, the Jazz basically face every team that was deemed a "Super Team" going into the year. Their remaining 2017 opponents have a combined record of 133 wins to 59 losses. That's a .693 winning percentage. The Jazz play all five of the NBA's top five teams, including the Cavs twice.
It's tough to fathom the stroke of bad luck that has been cast on the Jazz's December, but a fall in the standings is completely reasonable. The worst team they face is the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are overflowing with talent and have considered to be underperforming so far. The best team they don't face is the Toronto Raptors.
To make matters just a little bit tougher (because why not?), the Jazz play six of those nine games on the road and includes three times that they play on back-to-back nights. Close your eyes and remember to breathe, Jazz fans. It will all be over soon.
