Jazz took a monster break ahead of the Thunder game (or did they?)

The Utah Jazz suffered a humiliating loss to the New York Knicks last night. While many still want the Jazz to tank, they will likely be motivated to bounce back as quickly as possible. While that should be quite a challenge tomorrow against Oklahoma City, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missing the game should get the Jazz’s desired result… right?

The Thunder injury report ahead of their upcoming game against the Jazz revealed that Gilgeous-Alexander is among the players listed as out for their next game, reported by Clemente Almanza of Thunder Wire.

As you can see, the Thunder would already have a large portion of its rotation absent even before SGA’s name was put on the roster. Still, no Gilgeous-Alexander, the league’s reigning MVP, certainly levels the playing field a bit for the Jazz. His absence should at least make this an entertaining game.

Utah is in a good position to win against Oklahoma City, which would be a good thing if not for the fact that beating the Thunder would put the Jazz in even more danger of losing the first-round pick they owe the Thunder from the Derrick Favors trade.

The Jazz are currently on the verge of giving up that pick

As of now, the Jazz are 8-14, which is a definite step forward from the horror of last season, but unfortunately this progress has come at a cost. They are 8-14, which puts them squarely at the ninth-worst team in the NBA. If the lottery works out, Utah would not only be giving up its pick to Oklahoma City, but the best possible pick.

And by beating the Thunder, they could tie with the Trail Blazers for the ninth-worst record in the NBA. Keep in mind that Portland also wants to win this season, so they could potentially distance themselves from the Jazz in due time, but that’s not guaranteed and could even take time.

Utah has made it clear this season that they don’t want to be at the bottom of the barrel again. That makes sense, as they have been tirelessly criticized for making no progress at all after blowing up most of the team over three years ago.

This Thunder game could serve as a crossroads for the Jazz. They must decide whether to do everything they can to make the play-in and rise through the ranks of the West, or whether it is in their best interest to go for the tank. It’s not an easy decision, and with the Thunder being so undermanned only further clouds the situation.