Jazz See Western Conference Odds Fade to +1000; Can Utah Still Come Out of the West?

• The Utah Jazz have started the season 11-6
• Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks handed them their sixth loss on Monday night
• Can Utah be a legitimate contender in the Western Conference?

With offseason acquisitions Mike Conley and Bojan Bogdanovic, the Utah Jazz have strengthened their roster for the better. But Conley hasn’t completely found himself quite yet with his new team, while sharpshooter Joe Ingles has really struggled off the bench, averaging just 6.9 points per night on 30 percent shooting from three-point range. The Aussie is a career 40 percent shooter from downtown.

On a positive note, Mitchell and Bogdanovic have been great offensively, both leading the team in scoring.

For most of the season so far, sportsbooks have had Donovan Mitchell and co. between +800 and +900 in regards to Western Conference Odds. Now, they have faded to +1000, sitting behind the Lakers, Clippers, Rockets, and Nuggets, respectively.

2019-20 NBA Western Conference Odds

Odds taken Nov 26

Conley Needs to Make Music

Mike Conley has struggled to find his touch with the Jazz, averaging just 14.8 points per game through the first 17 contests, a far cry from his average of 21.1 points with the Memphis Grizzlies last season.

It’s been a tough adjustment as he isn’t the only focal point of the offense like he was in Memphis, but if the Jazz are going to be a contender in the West, they’re going to need more production from the 13-year veteran.

Even though he’s leading Utah in assists with 4.1 dimes per game, that’s substantially lower than his average of 6.4 last season.

Conley is a seasoned vet at the NBA level and we have to remember that we’re just a quarter into the 2019/20 campaign. Even the best in the game struggle and it’s not like his numbers are dreadful.

The Jazz guard is still contributing towards this team on a nightly basis, he’s just not on the same level as he was last season. After spending his entire career in Memphis, there’s always going to be a bit of a transition when you have to get used to playing in a whole different city with new surroundings.

Mitchell, Bogdanovic Providing Lots of Offense

Donovan Mitchell has picked up where he left off last year, leading Quin Snyder’s team with 25.6 points per game, a career-high currently. The former Louisville standout is also shooting 38.5 percent from three-point territory, while also averaging 1.3 steals per night.

Newcomer Bojan Bogdanovic proved to be a very important player for the Indiana Pacers last season when Victor Oladipo went down with a season-ending injury, carrying the team into the playoffs. He’s thrived with the Jazz since his offseason move, averaging 20.9 points on an impressive 45.9 percent clip from downtown.

📹| Bojan leading us in scoring ⤵️

24p | 5 3pm | 4a | 3r | 1s pic.twitter.com/yvqSR96AMM

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) November 26, 2019

Rudy Gobert has been brilliant at both ends, grabbing 14.1 boards per game, which is third in the NBA. The 7-foot-1 French national has also dropped 13.3 points a night, while blocking 2.1 shots per contest, also top five in the league.

Utah Lacks Depth

The Jazz has a very good starting five of Mitchell, Bogdanovic, Gobert, Conley, and O’Neale, but their second unit isn’t very strong. They are getting just 27.9 points from their bench, which is in the bottom five of the NBA.

Their leading scorer off the bench is Emmanuel Mudiay, who’s averaging just nine points per contest.

They’ve shot the ball extremely well from downtown this season, averaging 38.5 percent from long-range , which is fourth in the association.

21 three-pointers made tonight pic.twitter.com/hbcnvi4Vcc

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) November 26, 2019

Trade Necessary?

Their first unit is very talented there is no question about it, but in order to be a legitimate contender in a very competitive Western Conference, they need more production from their reserves, especially when their starters are having off nights or simply need rest. In comparison, the Clippers get 52.2 points per night from their bench, which is first in the NBA. It’s going to very hard for the Jazz to compete with that.

They have enough talent to finish in the top four of the Western Conference and definitely make the playoffs, but with teams like the Lakers and Clippers playing good basketball and receiving contributions on both sides of the ball from all players on their roster, it’s going to be very tough for Utah to compete for a Western Conference title.

You could see them make it to a Western Conference semifinal in the postseason, but not go much further than that.