Welcome to December everyone. Nothing like getting things kicked off by losing to the 2-win TWolves, right? I don't know why this month has to be in winter because with the cold, the bad weather, and the traditionally bad play of the Jazz in this month, it's enough to make you want to travel to the middle east just to jump off the Dubai Tower.
9 of the remaining 14 games in the month are on the road. If you do the math, that only leaves 5 games at home. Those 5 games are against the Magic, Spurs, Lakers, Peskies, and the Iverson-fortified 76ers. For everyone wanting a trade, this could be the month that determines if something gets done or not.
Tonight the Spurs come back to the ESA having lost twice already to the Jazz. This won't be the same team we saw earlier now that they have Manu and Parker back. After starting out the season at a very un-Spurs-like 4-6, San Antonio went on win their next 5 with 4 of those coming at home. The return of the aforementioned players are the likely reason for that turnaround.
However, they have lost their last two games to a very good teams in Denver and Boston.
The Spurs this season have been a little bit above average both offensively and defensively. As such, their record is a little bit above average at 9-8.
This is a team that everyone likes to write off even after having them as favorites in the pre-season. But they will come back and go on a typical Spurs-like stretch of 20-5 or some ridiculous number and be an elite team again. So you'll never be able to count them out of anything.
Having said that, if that happens, the Jazz will have already have played them at least 3 times including tonight. We'll head back to SA again next month, but hopefully they won't be on a tear by then.
Will the Jazz improve from the debacle in Minny? Does this team ever learn from their mistakes? Three years of losing on the road consistently tells me no.
While we haven't been invincible at home this season, it's much better to try to right the ship now then later in the month when the scheduling is brutal.
We'll see if there any urgency on the team's part tonight. Let's see what their intensity is like on D and whether or not we'll have hope for the rest of the month.
Spurs vs Jazz coverage