Utah Jazz: Oh So Good, Yet Oh So Inconsistent
Through the first four games of the NBA season, I can finally say it “The Utah Jazz are driving me crazy.” When I look at this team, I see a team that is hungry to win. The effort is there and in games we can see that they want to become great. However, they are a team trying to find out how to do just that.
It’s like going on a road trip from Miami to Orlando (a three-hour drive) with that one friend who loves to drive and wants to take the lead but six hours into the trip you’re looking at them and saying, “Where are we, Weren’t we supposed to arrive in Orlando already?”
Instantly you realize that this person had no clue where they were going.
The Utah Jazz aren’t playing terribly, and that’s an encouraging sign, but what’s discouraging is that they need more help on the defensive side of the basketball, one of the major concerns from last season. It makes me think to myself, “They have no clue how to play defense.”
Early in the season, the Jazz have already managed to allow their opponents to score 105 points per game, which is terrible enough to give them the 28th overall defense in the NBA. The Jazz want to become better and have played so inconsistent early in the season that it makes anyone want to pull their hair out.
I’m not going to be happy when Reggie Bullock types bust out for 4-for-6 shooting nights against the Jazz. This is just like what happened against Houston and Dallas. Random guys making shots cannot be part of the plan. Gotta close out harder.
Ever knew someone who needed to apply themselves but never did? Was that person content with where they were? They Jazz don’t seem content yet, but they need to get pushed harder this season that ever before. Currently, the Jazz are not being pushed to their limit and are getting away with a lot of terrible decisions defensively.
Thankfully, when coach Quin Snyder sees his team play without the effort on defense, he instantly calls time out and chews them out. That’s a good takeaway from all their shortcomings on defense, because no matter how far away they stray, Snyder will still coach them hard.
In games when I’m watching the Jazz play awful defense I keep finding myself attempting to remember words of encouragement that the editor of SLCDunk.com, Amar Smith, says:
"“While I don’t like what is specifically happening on defense during the regular season, I think more of that is based upon who we have played, and not a fundamental illusion from how good the defense looked in the preseason.…The defense, and this is the argument I am making, looks worse right now because of who we played.”"
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Regardless of their opponents, the Jazz have played defense at a level that wont make them successful. At times this team looks awesome when they play on both sides of the basketball. Against the Los Angeles Clippers, the Jazz were on the road and found themselves down by 15 points in the third quarter.
Instead of giving up, they buckled down defensively and showed signs on defense like they wanted to win the game. These are the moments when watching this Jazz team is exciting, when they play together on each side of the court.
Once their defense catches up to their offense, they’re going to become a problem in the Western Conference. Offensively the Jazz are eighth overall in scoring with 104.3 points per game. They are spreading the wealth and are playing together in sync on offense.
Currently there are six players on their roster are averaging double figures.
But again and if I have to write it 100 times I will. “They have to play better defense.”
More specifically, the Jazz need to play better pick and roll defense.
Against the Clippers, (arguably the best pick in roll team in the NBA) the Jazz were completely exposed for their lack of pick and roll defense. Their rotations were late and off, players didn’t know who to guard, and there was no weak side help on the roll man.
Players aren’t using their intelligence on the court. For example, when Clippers center DeAndre Jordan is setting any screen … everyone in the building knows he’s rolling to the basket, the roll defender needs to play back. That’s how simple defensive rotations turn into highlight momentum plays, like this.
Their inability to guard screen and roll also creates havoc defensively because their team doesn’t know the proper rotations. When players are caught out of position, it leaves shooters open, and point guards feast in the pick and roll, finding shooters. Just look at the shooters from the three losses of the Jazz games.
- Los Angeles Clippers: Reggie Bullock 4-of-6 from the 3pt line.
- Dallas Mavericks: Devin Harris 3-of-7 from the 3pt line.
- Houston Rockets: Kostas Papanikolaou 4-of-6 from the 3pt line.
All of these players mentioned above are role players. Because of the Jazz inability to play defense on the screen and roll, they keep getting punished from role players who are left open because of late assignments, not closing out on shooters, and missed rotations.
Even Smith noticed their flaws and said this:
"I’m not going to be happy when Reggie Bullock types bust out for 4/6 shooting nights against the Jazz. This is just like what happened against Houston and Dallas. Random guys making shots cannot be part of the plan. Gotta close out harder."
Currently 1-3, the Jazz need to get it together and in a hurry. Their next game is against the Cleveland Cavaliers, another team that will feast with screen and roll. Kevin Love is going to pop on screens instead of rolling to the basket. While Love is popping though, Dion Waiters will cut to the basket, as will LeBron James.
I anticipate that the Jazz will play the proper coverage against Love knowing his tendencies, but what scares me is the wing players of the Cavaliers who are going to feast inside of the paint from the pick and roll.
Though they haven’t learned their first few lessons in guarding the pick and roll, stopping the cut is a 200 level course and I’m not sure if they’re ready to pass.
I believe the Jazz have the talent to pull off the upset, they need the defense to match their talent to do it. If they fall to 1-4 this early in the season it’s not the end of the world, but it is a wake up call.
Stay at home on shooters, go under screens on players who can’t shoot, and if the roll man can’t shoot don’t hedge unless there is weak side help.
Utah Jazz, go play defense and stay consistently good please.