With a dozen games left in the season, the Utah Jazz have just a handful of potential outcomes awaiting them.
Utah currently sits at 12th in the West with a record of 29-41. They have the ninth-worst record in the association.
A postseason appearance is likely out of the picture so here is where the Jazz can finish and what it means going forward.
Utah sits 5.5 games back from Houston but more importantly, the Jazz will play the Rockets three times in the final 12 games of the season.
If Utah manages to win all three of those games, they will likely overtake Houston in the standings and no longer own a bottom-10 record.
This is the worst-case scenario for Jazz fans.
Yes, winning is the goal. But what is the point of finishing in 11th and missing out on a top-ten pick in next year’s draft?
Utah’s 2024 first-round pick will be going to OKC unless it is in the top ten. That’s why having a bottom-ten record benefits Utah.
With the 9th-worst record in the NBA, the Jazz have a 4.5 percent chance of winning the lottery and claiming the No. 1 overall pick. This extends to 4.8 percent for the No. 2 pick, 5.2 percent for the No. 3 pick, and 5.7 percent for the No. 4 pick.
Although it may not be the best-case scenario, it’s probably the most likely.
Utah has one of the toughest remaining schedules in the NBA but the Jazz can easily avoid going 2-10 or worse to wrap up the season.
Plus, the 13-seed Memphis Grizzlies are 6 games back from Utah. With that said, it’s entirely possible for the Jazz to finish 12th in the West while also claiming a bottom-8 record.
