The Utah Jazz take on the Charlotte Hornets in their first game following the All-Star break
.Utah will be looking to get off on the right foot after the trade deadline deals that took the wind out of its sails. The Jazz are 0-4 since trading away Kelly Olynyk, Simone Fontecchio, and Ochai Abaji
After the trade deadline transactions that deflated the team, Utah will be trying to start strong. Since making their trade, the Jazz are 0-4 Ochai Abaji, Simone Fontecchio, and Kelly Olynyk
Since the de Kris Dunnadline transactions, Utah has also changed its starting lineup. Walker Kessler took Fontecchio’s place as the starting point guard, and rookie Keynonte George replaced. John Collins took over as the starting power forward when Kessler started, and Lauri Markkanen became the starting small forward.
Utah has to get out to a strong start in order to be considered for the playoffs. It’s likely that the Jazz will win their first three games. They’ll play the San Antonio Spurs and then the Atlanta Hawks after the Hornets. On Thursday night, Utah is 9.5 points ahead of the opposition.
If the Jazz want to qualify for the play-in tournament, they only have 26 games left, and there isn’t much space for mistake. With a.509 winning percentage, the Golden State Warriors are the final club to make the playoffs. Utah has to finish the season with a 16-10 record in order to surpass that.
