Utah Jazz vs Los Angeles Clippers: Season tip-off preview

This is it; the beginning of another season approaches. 82 games lined up like dominoes, one into the other, into the other, toppling in succession in a chain that can only reach one fate. One destination. One result. There is only one finale to this story, and the Utah Jazz will play the catalyst on Wednesday night, sending the first chip into the future for the team’s 2025 season tip-off.

It’s exciting! It’s nerve-wracking. It’s… a little disconcerting. A whole season of basketball opens the door to tremendous potential. Over the next seven months, basketball will spring from the earth like an oil strike. For some, this means tremendous prosperity, legacy, and a chance for immortalization. But for the ragtag bunch who call Salt Lake City home, well, their season begins with few expectations.

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Be honest with yourself: what are your hopes for the season? What do you hope to discover? Witness? Partake in a hearty slice of history? Last year’s Jazz were the most abysmal bunch in the entire NBA. 17 wins were good for the bottom of the barrel. There are benefits, of course, to sitting at the bottom of the barrel. For one, it’s usually the fish near the top who get shot — they’re certainly the easiest targets — but when stacked under the weight of 29 other NBA teams, it’s a steep and grueling climb back to the top.

But Utah has no immediate plans to scale the cliff. They don’t care to challenge the predators for a Finals berth, nor do they have any expectations to even sniff postseason basketball of any sort. No, this is another year of swapping out a sandstone foundation for limestone. It could be a 40-year project, but the Jazz want to build an empire that lasts through the eons and remains standing despite the promise of a Victor Wembanyama stranglehold over the future Western Conference. The Jazz wish for a future where the championship trophy doesn’t just reside in their display case — they want it to have some friends. New numbers to hang in the rafters. A dynasty in the Beehive State.

Some of those future numbers may be on this year’s roster. Number 19 comes to mind; one Airious “Ace” Bailey could be the face of the Utah Jazz and one of the brightest stars in basketball in just a few short years. Perhaps Walker Kessler and Lauri Markkanen take another step forward and light the hardwood ablaze night in, night out. Will Keyonte George, Taylor Hendricks, and Brice Sensabaugh take a collective leap and lead the charge of a worthy NBA competitor?

Or will Jazz fans instead grind their teeth as John Collins yams on his former team with an indulgent 30+ point explosion with Los Angeles? Yeah, there’s another side to this contest, and it’s the Los Angeles Clippers. Always second fiddle in the City of Angels (to clarify, I mean Los Angeles, not Bangkok… that expansion doesn’t happen until 2042), the Clips enter this season on the backs of James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, and Steve Ballmer’s extensive checkbook. The Clippers will, once again, be desperate for a chance at the NBA Finals appearance that has evaded them since they sold their soul (which would eventually materialize into SGA) for Paul George and the aforementioned Leonard.

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Utah will gladly hold the door open for the season’s maiden matchup — if the Clippers win, both teams get what they want. You can catch the season opener on KJZZ and SEG+ at 7:00 PM MT in the Delta Center.

So it begins; another season of Utah Jazz basketball is underway.

Calvin Barrett is a writer, editor, and prolific Mario Kart racer located in Tokyo, Japan. He has covered the NBA and College Sports since 2024.