Shep Talk: Wither the Jazz go?

SALT LAKE CITY -- The Utah Jazz have reached the All-Star break. It's always the time when you reflect on where you are in the season. For the Jazz, they enter the break with a record of 15-17. Your own preseason expectations will determine whether or not you view being two games under .500 as positive or negative.

Overall, I think the Jazz have played ok. I didn't see Utah as a playoff team and as of today they aren't. They've basically done what I expected them to do. They've played well at home and struggled on the road. They've lost to teams that are better than they are and with a few exceptions (vs. Raptors, @ Hornets and @ T- Wolves) they've beaten the teams they should beat.

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The Jazz have had a lot of bright spots so far this season. A few that come to mind are the wins at Denver and Memphis. Both of those games allowed the Jazz to see that they are capable of playing good basketball away from Energy Solutions Arena. Another bright spot has been the play of rookie Enes Kanter. I wasn't sure he would get a ton of playing time early. I was prepared to see the Jazz send him down to the NBDL so he could get minutes. Not only has he gotten playing time but he's made the most of it. Kanter is averaging five points and five rebounds in just under 15 minutes.

Utah's other rookie is turning heads as well. Alec Burks' minutes haven't been as consistent as Kanter's but Burks has done everything he can to prove to the coaches that he deserves more of an opportunity. The knock on Burks coming out of college was that he wasn't a good outside shooter. So far this season he is shooting 41 percent from the field and 39 percent from behind the arc. Those aren't great percentages but they're better than some of Burks' teammates that are getting his minutes.

The thing I'm most curious about moving forward is what direction the Jazz go in with regards to playing time for the "young guys." If the playoffs were to start today, at 15-17, the Jazz would be on the outside looking in. They are two games out of the 8th spot in the West. I don't see them making a ton of headway especially with the brutal schedule they face when they return from the break. The Jazz will play six out of their next eight games on the road. Based on this team's track record away from SLC, they'll probably be much further away from the postseason than just two games at the end of that stretch.

Assuming I'm right, and the playoffs aren't in the Jazz future, it is the responsibility of the franchise to prepare their young and talented players for the years ahead. Guys like Derrick Favors, Kanter, Gordon Hayward and Burks should be getting a major bump in playing time as the season moves on. The argument I always hear is, "But the vets give you the best chance to win right now." That logic only works if you're winning. The Jazz are a .469 team and playing guys strictly because they're vets only impedes the maturation of the guys that will be the team's future stars. I've said many times that Jazz fans are ready to deal with some losing as long as they can see that the future is bright.

So, what can we expect from now until the end of the season? I would expect to see more of the same. This team will continue to be competitive at home and struggle on the road. That's just what inexperienced teams do. This team has enough talent to get some surprise wins and then turn around and leave you scratching your head by losing to an inferior team. For me, I'm going to embrace watching this team develop. I am not going to set my expectations too high.

The good thing for Jazz fans is that this team is fun to watch. They've got young and exciting players that are worth coming out to the arena and seeing play. Wouldn't it be amazing if the Jazz did go with the youth movement AND somehow made the playoffs? I know it's unlikely but stranger things have happened.

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