When the NBA season started, nearly everyone was shocked by the success of the Utah Jazz.
You have to remember that this was a team that was supposedly going to be tanking in 2022-23.
They traded away Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell – and others – in the summer and practically dismantled their roster for future draft picks and untested young players.
But the team came out swinging and was winning huge games as the season kicked off, including some against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks, and more.
However, now things are starting to slow down for the Jazz.
Jazz are 2-7 in their last 9 games.
Wemby time? pic.twitter.com/gcoUwrwYJq
— StatMuse (@statmuse) November 27, 2022
In fact, the Jazz are just 2-7 in their last 9 games.
Because of this, they are hovering close to .500 and have a 12-10 record which is good for 8th place in the West.
This is more in line with what people anticipated from the Jazz – but will it last?
Is this just a rough patch for Utah or the beginning of a very long, very painful rest of the season?
Wemby Time?
StatMuse made a joke on Twitter, suggesting that the Jazz’s rough stretch is a sign that they are starting to tank in hopes of landing draft prospect Victor Wembanyama in the summer.
If that were to happen, the team would be so much more powerful because it’s clear they have a lot of great talent on the squad.
But their chances of landing Wembanyama are slim – at least right now.
Other teams, such as the San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons, have a better shot in the draft currently.
This leads some to wonder what’s next for the Jazz: will they get it together and thrive again or continue to sink down in the standings?
Have the Utah Jazz just been overperforming?
The next few weeks will give us an answer.
NEXT: Have The Utah Jazz Finally Come Back To Reality?