The Utah Jazz have reasons to feel good heading into the 2026-27 season. They’ve got a talented core, multiple All-Star-caliber players, and a roster that looks better across the board. But one issue keeps hanging over them, and it’s one they can’t afford to ignore: slow starts.
That’s been the pattern in Salt Lake City for years. Over the last four seasons, the Jazz have averaged a 7-13 record through their first 20 games.
Even in the Donovan Mitchell/Rudy Gobert era, they weren’t exactly flying out of the gate, averaging 11.5 wins in those first 20 games each season. The high point for those teams came in 2020-21, when they opened 15-5.
The standard doesn’t have to be historical for this group to make a statement. They don’t need to chase the 17-3 start the Stockton-to-Malone Jazz posted in 1996-97. But getting anywhere near that kind of pace would send a clear message that this version of the team is for real and ready to contend.
The challenge, though, is baked into the schedule. Utah’s first 20 games are rough for a team trying to climb out of the lottery. Twelve of those games come against 2025-26 playoff teams, with multiple meetings against the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Lakers, plus games against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic, and Phoenix Suns.
There are some chances to balance that out. The Jazz will also see the Dallas Mavericks, New Orleans Pelicans, and Memphis Grizzlies multiple times in that same stretch.
The home-heavy start should help a bit. Eleven of the first 20 games are at the Delta Center.
But the next 20 swing the other way, with 12 on the road. That makes the opening month-plus even more important, because a sluggish start could spiral fast and become a problem by January.
For Utah, the mission is simple: start better, start faster, and prove they’re no longer an easy target in the Western Conference.
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