clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Utah Jazz 2012-2013 Schedule: December Preview

By AllThatAmar
AllThatAmar

Previous Schedule Previews: Full Season -- OCT+NOV

Previous Schedule Reviews: OCT+NOV

x

The Month that is:

Jazz_schedule_-_03_december_big

  • Total Games: 15
  • Total Days: 31
  • Home Games: 7
  • Road Games: 8
  • Longest Home Stretch: 3 games in 7 days
  • Longest Road Stretch: 4 games in 6 days
  • Games vs. West: 9
  • Games vs. East: 6
  • Back to Back Sets Remaining: 3
  • Three games in Four Nights: 2
  • Four games in Five Nights: 0
  • Four games in Six Nights: 1
  • Longest Rest: 2 nights (4 times)

Overview:

This month is a lot more sensible than last month where we were ALWAYS on the road and had a few 3+ game road trips. As a direct comparison, yes, we still do play more games on the road than home this month -- but we only have one extended trip -- a 4 games in 6 nights Eastern Swing. We play a number of playoff teams this month and we don't play New Orleans twice -- but we need to start winning games against good teams with regularity. And it will start this month with more and more home games.

Having already played our first game, against the Houston Rockets on December 1st, we actually only have 14 games remaining in 30 days. No week looks like it will be a make or break week, and there are winnable games all over the place.

x

December Week 1:

Map_month_2_dec_--_week_1

The Jazz, if their heads are on straight, should have no problem with the ORL and TOR games, and we should look at trying to play well at home. After all, we can't have our first home loss be to the freaking Clippers, right? The Clippers? We have to show some pride here. That said, I'm predicting a 2-2 week here.

x

December Week 2:

Map_month_2_dec_--_week_3

The current Lakers look a bit better than the one we started the season beating, so I expect that game to make us feel very bad about ourselves. If I was in charge, this is the game that I may or may not bring Derrick Favors back in. (More reasonably, I'd bring him back for the East Coast trip the week after) The Jazz then have two nights off before a 1x11 three games in four nights set. The first is a game at home hosting the Spurs, and whatever man, just want us to show up there. The next two games -- at Phoenix, and back home hosting Memphis? Those should BOTH be games we're capable of winning. I'm going to be a bit hard on the Jazz here and say they SHOULD go 2-2 here.

x

December Week 3:

Map_month_2_dec_--_week_4

  • Tuesday, December 18th: Utah Jazz @ Brooklyn Nets
  • Wednesday, December 19th: Utah Jazz @ Indiana Pacers
  • Saturday, December 22nd: Utah Jazz @ Miami Heat
  • Sunday, December 23rd: Utah Jazz @ Orlando Magic

This week looks rough, it's our East coast trip before Christmas. Brooklyn will be the Derrick Favors 'revenge' game back against the team that drafted him; and also probably the whole Deron Williams "Look at me now in a big market" revenge game as well. I can't imagine what's going to happen. The next night the Jazz are playing against the Pacers in the second night of a back to back. Two nights of rest have us in Florida for the last two games of this stretch: Saturday night in Miami, then Sunday in Orlando. It's two sets of back to backs, and something we should be capable of handling. I really hope the Jazz show up here, and not be on an early vacation. That said, I think the Jazz go 1-3 on this trip.

x

December Week 4:

Map_month_2_dec_--_week_5_6

  • Wednesday, December 26th: Golden State Warriors @ Utah Jazz
  • Friday, December 28th: Los Angeles Clippers @ Utah Jazz
  • Sunday, December 30th: Utah Jazz @ Los Angeles Clippers

Yes, we're really lucky enough to see Blake Griffin, Chris Paul, and crew three times this month. We finish off the month with three games against Californian teams, twice at home. We really should be in each of these games if we're as good as I think we should be at this stage of the season (33 games in, 40.2% through the season). I say the Jazz go 2-1 here. They better.

x

Amar's Prediction: 16-16 (7-8 in December)

So after October, November, and December . . . I have the Jazz sitting at 16-16. We'll be a .500 team moving into the easiest months of the season. (We could run the table in January, and come close to it in February as well) This really has been the nicest schedule I've ever seen the Jazz have in over a decade of following this type of thing closely. So I'm not going to complain about having two of our hardest months be Nov and Dec -- AND HAVE OUR TEAM still be 16-16, right there a West playoff team.

More From SLC Dunk