The Jazz finished with the NBA’s best record last season, and still didn’t make it to the Western Conference finals. This year, the Jazz finished fifth in the West, and have to open the playoffs at the fourth-seeded Mavericks.
If they fail to get out of the first round, former NBA forward turned analyst Brian Scalabrine thinks a roster makeover awaits.
“I think Utah is (a) dead man walking,” Scalabrine said on Shan and RJ on 105.3 The Fan, via Dallas Basketball.
Basically, with the likes of Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert and Mike Conley, the Jazz have been a team that’s typically in contention. They just have been unable to get over the top.
“I think they’re going to blow it up after this offseason,” Scalabrine said. “I think they’re going to try to reshuffle the deck. I just feel like something’s about to happen. There are a lot of expectations for Ryan Smith, who just brought the team, (and) they thought they were going to be a championship contender. And you just watched this season and you realize that they’re not.”
The Jazz have the benefit of facing a Mavericks team that will be missing star Luka Doncic for at least Game 1. Doncic is out with a strained left calf. But that doesn’t mean much as far as Scalabrine is concerned.
“No matter what happens (with Doncic), I think Dallas will get out of this series,” he said.
Jazz coach Quin Snyder has been linked to the Lakers vacancy, though recent reports suggest he has no interest in the job after seeing how LA handled the firing of former coach Frank Vogel.
The Jazz open their playoff series at the Mavericks on Saturday at 1 p.m. EST.
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