Krstic All Star

It's getting past the point of ridiculousness when every announcer mentions that the Jazz are the only Western Conference leader to have a losing record on the road.

The real question is how much that will really affect them in the playoffs. I don't think it'll be as simple as saying that they'll lose a lot of road games just because they did so in the regular season - but how much can/will they step it up on the road?

It's going to be interesting, to say the least.

__________________
FREE IMAD SAAD!!!

"If a white supremacist was really a supremacist, he wouldn't be living in his parents' basement."
-Mark Steyn

My latest blog entry:
About that Pesky Second Amendment

Basel57

The Jazz better hope for home-court advantage in the first round, or they could easily be ousted.

__________________

“The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotion, spends himself in a worthy cause; who at best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who have never tasted victory or defeat.”

Krstic All Star

I think they'll be better on the road once the playoffs start though.

__________________
FREE IMAD SAAD!!!

"If a white supremacist was really a supremacist, he wouldn't be living in his parents' basement."
-Mark Steyn

My latest blog entry:
About that Pesky Second Amendment

unluckyseventeen

The Jazz have a winning record against +.500 teams on the road, ironically enough. Had they not lost all of these stupid games (Chicago, New Jersey, New York, Miami, Minnesota twice), they'd be a far-away leader of the West right now.

I don't think the Jazz need to worry about home-court right now. They've beat very good teams on the road this season, and really seem to suffer from the "playing down to the opponent" thing that happens with young teams.

I personally see it as if they lose the stupid ones, they better win all of the big ones. So far they've done that and have posted the best record vs Western Playoff teams in comparison to all of the other Western Conference teams.

We'll see what happens in the playoffs but I think this team knows how to get up for big games.

__________________
My 07-08 Mixes:
Memo Okur
Andrei Kirilenko
Paul Millsap
Ronnie Brewer
Carlos Boozer
Deron Williams
Utah Jazz pre-playoff season montage

Basel57

You can say the same thing for pretty much every team in the Western Conference.

__________________

“The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotion, spends himself in a worthy cause; who at best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who have never tasted victory or defeat.”

Krstic All Star

^ The Jazz are even stranger though, in that they win on the road against good teams, and lose against the dregs.

__________________
FREE IMAD SAAD!!!

"If a white supremacist was really a supremacist, he wouldn't be living in his parents' basement."
-Mark Steyn

My latest blog entry:
About that Pesky Second Amendment

WeatherGuy

It's about mental toughness which also equates to defense, two things that had better show up in the playoffs. It's not likely the Jazz get too far if they rely on out-scoring teams instead of giving some honest defensive effort.

WeatherGuy

There is irony in it, true, but how likely is it for the Jazz to win three playoff series without any home court advantage. Those sub-.500 road loses that they just couldn't (mentally) show up for could end up biting them in the biggest of ways.

unluckyseventeen

I've also heard it spun that if the Jazz keep losing against bad competition the road, the playoffs are right up their alley because there is NO bad competition in the playoffs.

From what I remember the Jazz have the best record in the West against the top teams in the league.

__________________
My 07-08 Mixes:
Memo Okur
Andrei Kirilenko
Paul Millsap
Ronnie Brewer
Carlos Boozer
Deron Williams
Utah Jazz pre-playoff season montage

Krstic All Star

The Jazz also score about 105 ppg even on the road, though it's less than the 109 they average at home. Strangely, the Jazz average almost two more FTs per game on the road.

__________________
FREE IMAD SAAD!!!

"If a white supremacist was really a supremacist, he wouldn't be living in his parents' basement."
-Mark Steyn

My latest blog entry:
About that Pesky Second Amendment

unluckyseventeen

Offense doesn't seem to be a problem, it's a lack of defense. At home the defense is at least acceptable (not good), but on the road it seems like losing focus defensively has been a staple of their losses.

__________________
My 07-08 Mixes:
Memo Okur
Andrei Kirilenko
Paul Millsap
Ronnie Brewer
Carlos Boozer
Deron Williams
Utah Jazz pre-playoff season montage

WeatherGuy

Agreed. With how far the Jazz have potential to go, I'd hate to see them have to rely on out-scoring three/four straight playoff series w/out home court. Right now (if my stats are right) the Jazz are 10-10 against all (current) playoff seeds on the road, and a slightly worse 5-7 against the West. So, if the home court magic continues at home in the playoff you could foresee the Jazz "stealing" any road wins they would need to continue on but with how competitive the playoffs look to be I'd sure prefer them to have at least one round with HCA and play some D.