The Utah Jazz have been a model of consistency in the NBA over the last six years. Under the tenure of Quin Snyder, the franchise have reached the post-season five years in a row and are on course to make it six after a strong start to their 2021-22 campaign.

Thanks to a solid core of players led by Donovan Mitchell, Bojan Bogdanovic, Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley Jr., Joe Ingles, Jordan Clarkson and a lot of three point shots, the Jazz have averaged almost a 60% win rate overall since Snyder arrived in Utah in 2014.

However, the Jazz, for all their consistency, have not been able to progress beyond the Western Conference Semi-Finals. The pressure is on Snyder and his team to avoid another disappointing exit, and they are backed at an encouraging +450 in the NBA betting odds to win the Western Conference. It is no surprise to see the reinvigorated Golden State Warriors backed as the favorites in the basketball betting tips to win the Western Conference, and they will get stronger with the return of Klay Thompson for the second half of the campaign.

Utah have lost in the last four on three occasions and have been blown away by their opponents in the process. Utah faced off against the Los Angeles Clippers last season in the Western Conference Semi-Finals, and although they took a two-game lead due to the brilliance of Donovan Mitchell, Kawhi Leonard and company rallied to eliminate Utah from the playoffs. Their four-game run included a 25-point comeback in game six, which was a bitter pill to swallow for the Jazz on the road.

The Jazz will once more have to contend with a rampant Warriors team in the latter stages of the post-season to realize their dream of reaching and winning the NBA Finals. The Phoenix Suns will also provide a stern test along with both the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers. Utah appear to be better prepared for the challenge of the Clippers this time around as they took them apart without Kawhi on the court. Mitchell, Mike Conley Jr, Jordan Clarkson, Rudy Gobert and Bojan Bogdanovic were on point to secure a dominant 124-103 victory.

Utah have a great balance between their offensive and defensive talent with options such as Hassan Whiteside and Rudy Gay available off the bench to ease the pressure on Gobert. The Frenchman has been the dominant force in the defensive third of the court for the past five years, but the pressure on him in clutch moments has been overwhelming at times, especially against the elite teams. Now that the Jazz can balance out of his minutes, Gobert is showcasing his ability in the attacking third to provide support to Mitchell and Conley Jr.

Clarkson has also maintained the standard of his performances. He received the Sixth Man of the Year award last term and continues to provide value with points and assists off the bench. It points to a potential charge towards the Western Conference Semi-Finals where they will be drawn against a top-quality outfit either in the form of the Warriors or the Suns. With Mitchell, the Jazz have a superstar, but Snyder and Utah’s hierarchy have done a solid job in surrounding him with talent. Whether it’s enough to reach the Western Conference Finals or even the NBA Finals remains to be seen.

Utah cannot afford to keep spurning their window of opportunity as the fortunes of a team can quickly change, especially if a key player opts to leave.