The Utah Jazz pulled out all the stops to get closer to their ultimate goal of a high lottery pick during Friday night’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans— and it turned out working in their favor.

After seeing six of their players on the injury report, three of them being regular starters in Lauri Markkanen (back), John Collins (hip), and Walker Kessler (rest), the Jazz fell to the Pelicans, 123-136 to drop to a 10-30 record on the regular season.

While a 10-30 record is far from optically appealing for competition purposes, Jazz fans are likely pleased to see how their lottery chances have shifted due to the loss.

According to Tankathon, the Jazz have jumped to top-three odds for this offseason’s draft lottery– effectively giving Utah a 52.1% chance at a top-four pick, and a 14.0% chance for the number one pick if the season were to end today.

Obviously, the season still has a ways to go– over halfway to go to be precise. But, in terms of the long-term implications this may have for the Jazz, this team is on the right track for the ultimate goal of this year and the offseason: maximize their draft position for grade-A young talent.

The Jazz don’t have to totally bottom out to get premier odds for this offseason’s lottery. Following the 2019 NBA draft, the bottom three teams in the league standings were given tied odds of 14% for that coveted number one pick.

So far, Utah hasn’t stooped as low as the Washington Wizards or the Toronto Raptors have in the standings this season, but they don’t need to. All the Jazz need to do for strong odds at claiming that top spot is staying in those last three spots within the standings. That’s exactly what they’ve done as of Friday.

And looking ahead to their next month of games, the road doesn’t look easy. After the Jazz’s Monday rematch vs. the Pelicans, Utah won’t have another contest against a team above .500 until February 24th, when the Portland Trail Blazers travel to Salt Lake City.

A gauntlet lies ahead on the schedule, making for a tough watch for Jazz players and fans alike looking for wins on the board. Yet, for those aspiring for a tank to be underway for the best chances of securing Cooper Flagg, this is exactly what you’re looking for.

Buckle up Jazz fans, things could get bumpy over the coming weeks. But remember, the light is always the darkest before dawn.

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