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SALT LAKE CITY — No one could have accused Dante Exum of looking too far ahead.
When the Jazz guard was told about the road-heavy slate to end November, Exum was a little taken aback. He knew about the five-game road trip — the one the Jazz just ended with a blowout loss to Indiana on Monday — but he didn’t quite realize what came after.
Following Utah’s home game on Wednesday against the Kings, the Jazz will embark on another three-game road swing. Then after another quick stop at home, Utah will be back on the road for two more. All in all, the Jazz aren’t even halfway through a three-week stretch of playing ten road games to just two at home. Or, to put it more daunting, playing 12 games in 12 different cities.
“Oh my God,” Exum said after being told about the full road-heavy stretch.
That seemed like the appropriate response. And the thing is, it doesn’t get much better after the 12-game run. From Nov. 12 to Dec. 21 — a stretch of 21 games — Utah will play two consecutive home games a grand total of one time.
By the time the travel-ridden portion of the schedule ends on Dec. 21, the Jazz will have almost played half of their road games (20) barely two months into the season.
So if Utah can at least tread water until then, it should be in a good position to make a run down the stretch. And less-than-inspiring losses to the Mavericks and Pacers notwithstanding, the Jazz have mostly done just that.
Utah has already played more road games than any other team so far this season and two more than any other Western Conference squad. They have gone 6-5 on the road to just 2-4 at home (all four home losses have come to teams with conference-leading records or the Warriors).
But the tough early schedule could be starting to pay a toll. After Monday’s loss, the Jazz admitted they didn’t have the same type of energy as the Pacers. Could that have been a direct result of being on the road for over a week?
To help with fatigue, the NBA chose to stretch out the schedule this season, allowing for more rest days in between games. During the 12-game stretch, the Jazz will have only two back-to-backs and they already picked up a win in the first one (last Saturday's victory over Boston). Utah has also tried to limit the tired legs by only holding practice once during the five-game trip.
“We are professionals,” Exum said. “We come in here every day, make sure we get our shots, treatments weight room, making sure we stay on top of everything. The road is obviously a bit harder but the schedule has been a bit easier this year just with being able to stay in cities overnight, so that helps us a bit more.”
But more days between games means road trips can be a little longer. And while games aren't being played, the travel still can catch up to teams. The Jazz, though, didn’t want to use that as an excuse after Monday’s loss.
“We have to be ready for every game,” Donovan Mitchell said.
While road trips are inherently negative — most teams have worse records on the road than at home — there are some positives that can come from them. While the travel can be grueling, it can provide a chance for teams to come together.
“When we are out, we are going out to dinner most nights with teammates. It builds the team bond, team chemistry when you are away from your family,” Exum said.
Last season, it was during a long road swing that the Jazz’s end-of-year hot streak began. Utah had a stretch of playing eight of 10 on the road. It lost the first one — then won the other nine. And they didn’t lose much after that.
“That’s just the way of the NBA,” Exum said. “You never know what you're going to get in terms of the schedule, traveling here or there. Most of us are used to it. Hopefully, we can play as well as we can.”
