The Toronto Raptors begin their six-game road trip with a stop in Utah. The Jazz, proud owners of sports’ most inappropriate team name (is there a less jazzy City on the planet than Salt Lake?) are enjoying a playoff-worthy season. They are overdue, having missed the post-season five of the last six campaigns.
The team has been built carefully and to last. They found an excellent defensive center, Rudy Gobert, late in the draft. He leads the NBA in blocked shots at 2.7 per game [PG], and averages a double-double in points and rebounds.