The Utah Jazz will face their toughest test of the young NBA season on Sunday afternoon when they host the undefeated Los Angeles Lakers. Utah enters the matchup at 1-1 following its first victory of the season, while Los Angeles has started 2-0 and looks like a legitimate contender in the Western Conference. With both teams carrying playoff aspirations, albeit at different levels, this will be an early measuring-stick game for the Jazz.

The Lakers enter this matchup as the clear favorites, and for good reason. Los Angeles has looked impressive through its first two games, opening the season with victories over the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers. Neither team is necessarily expected to be among the best in the Western Conference this season, but the Lakers have taken care of business against both.

Now, Los Angeles will face another team with postseason aspirations, and this could be its toughest test thus far. The Lakers have championship expectations, led by superstar Luka Doncic, while the Jazz are looking to establish themselves as a legitimate playoff contender after making significant roster improvements.

Utah has also faced two teams with relatively low expectations to begin the season, but unlike the Lakers, the Jazz haven’t taken care of business in both contests. They were blown out by the Memphis Grizzlies in their opener, falling 123-103 in a game that raised some early questions about just how competitive this team can be. Utah did bounce back with a narrow 120-119 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday, but the Lakers represent a much more difficult challenge.

That’s what makes this game particularly interesting. It’s the first real opportunity for the Jazz to prove they can compete with projected playoff teams and superstar talent. A strong performance against Doncic and the Lakers would provide a completely different data point than anything Utah has shown through its first two games.

The Jazz have plenty of talent of their own, with Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., Keyonte George and rookie Darryn Peterson forming an intriguing core. However, having talented players and consistently competing against the best teams in the league are two different things. Sunday will be an opportunity to see how well this group can execute against a more established opponent.

And while it’s still extremely early in the season, this game does carry some importance. If Utah can pull off the upset, the disappointing opener against Memphis becomes much easier to overlook. The Jazz would be 2-1 with a quality victory over a team expected to compete for a championship, which would be an encouraging start.

On the other hand, a loss would drop Utah to 1-2, with defeats against a rebuilding Memphis team and the only established playoff contender it has faced. That wouldn’t be a disastrous start by any means, but it would be disappointing for a team hoping to make significant progress this season.

Ultimately, the Jazz don’t necessarily need to dominate the Lakers to prove something. They need to show they can compete for four quarters against a team with legitimate championship aspirations. Given how difficult the Western Conference is expected to be, these types of games will go a long way toward determining whether Utah can accomplish its postseason goals.

Following this contest, the Jazz will remain at home to face the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday, October 26, giving Utah an immediate opportunity to avenge its season-opening loss.