But you're exactly right about everything else. You saw this exact kind of thinking during the entire offseason, which was at least based upon a larger sample of post-ASG play and the expectation of Utah being able to pass up teams like Dallas, New Orleans, and maybe even Houston.

If they have a good draft, make some trades before the deadline this season and maybe a bigger splash in the offseason, and if Snyder suddenly makes a quantum leap into the upper echelons of coaching, its possible they compete for a top-3 seed. I just wouldn't bet on it.