For the first time since 2008, the Utah Jazz are 3-0.

After securing wins over Oklahoma City, Sacramento, and Denver to begin the year, Utah begins one it most challenging stretches when it hits the road for six of its next seven games. The Jazz will be in Houston to play the Rockets (1-3) on Thursday night, with tipoff set for 6 p.m. MST.

Jazz vs. Rockets

6 PM MT
@ATTSportsNetRM
@ZoneSportsNet | @kslnewsradio #TakeNote pic.twitter.com/a1aneFzOVC

— utahjazz (@utahjazz) October 28, 2021

Of those seven games, five of them come against teams expected to be in playoff contention later in the year–and all will come within an 11-day span.

It’s a tough stretch for any team in the league regardless of competition, but the Jazz are more equipped to handle a tough run like this compared to recent years.

Utah’s offseason additions, primarily Hassan Whiteside, Eric Paschall, and Jared Butler, have already made a significant difference in the Jazz undefeated start. And it’s expected that they’ll be called upon even more throughout the next 11 days.

Whiteside has been invaluable off the bench for the Jazz so far this season, averaging 8.0 points and 7.7 rebounds in 16.3 minutes per game. 

He’s still learning the finer points of the offense, primarily where to set screens for the guards and when/how to roll to the rim, but he’s improving every day in practice. The results are becoming more evident on the court as he provides a certain physicality and grit to the second unit.

“I think the main thing with Hassan, he’s doing the things that help us win,” head coach Quin Snyder said. “Clearly that’s rim protection. Keeping balls alive, rebounding, running. … You can feel him competing and that’s something he’s taken a lot of pride in. He goes in there and he’s impacting the game in a real way.”

Paschall has also provided good minutes playing alongside Whiteside/Rudy Gobert at the four or as a small-ball center when the Jazz use smaller lineups. For a third-year player, first with the Jazz, he understands his role on both ends off the court and it’s allowed him to average just under 15 minutes a game.

“He moves the ball as much as anything. … You can feel him competing,” Snyder said of Paschall. “Something as simple as not letting the ball stick, driving into the lane, and kicking it out to a shooter. … Those are simple plays, but those are the plays we make. They’re hard to guard, and he made them.”

Combining those two with the talents of Jordan Clarkson and Joe Ingles, and Utah has four players coming off its bench who used to be starters not that long ago in the league. 

Jordan Clarkson crosses the 8,000 point mark and the crowd loves it #Pura3Pointer | @Pura pic.twitter.com/E3FeyjqTSU

— utahjazz (@utahjazz) October 27, 2021

Utah’s bench is averaging over 40 points per game–and that’s without Rudy Gay, who has yet to play this season but is expected to have a prominent role once he returns. 

That depth should be on full display over the next 11 days, and it all starts tonight against Houston.

INJURY REPORT

Utah Jazz
*Rudy Gay: OUT — right heel recovery
*Udoka Azubuike: OUT — G-League Assignment
*Bojan Bogdanovic: QUESTIONABLE — non-COVID illness
*Miye Oni: QUESTIONABLE — non-COVID illness
*Eric Paschall: QUESTIONABLE — facial infection

Houston Rockets
*Danuel House Jr: OUT — right foot sprain
*Garrison Matthews: OUT — G-League / Two Way
*Dashien Nix: OUT — G-League / Two Way

BROADCAST INFORMATION
Time: 6 p.m. MST
Location: Toyota Center / Houston, TX
TV: AT&T Sports Network
Radio: 1280 The Zone