Utah Jazz: Has Enes Kanter Finally Turned The Corner?
Road rage comes in spurts.
Drivers engage in hostile driving and aggressive thinking when they are stuck in the middle of traffic, get cut off, or are behind drivers that are too slow. We’ve all been in some of most of these situations and there’s no worse feeling than staying in traffic for more than 20 minutes because of the drivers on the road.
Road rage can happen in many forms but normally over time it’s a habit that gets developed instead of getting displayed through spontaneity.
I have been really pleased. I’ve coached Enes hard. I think he’s needed it. Sometimes that can knock you back a little bit. — Utah Jazz coach Qun Snyder
Just like road range, the Utah Jazz starting center, Enes Kanter, is playing more angry and because of his rage his game is starting to progress quickly in spurts.
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What do the Jazz do if Kanter has turned the corner in his game, how are they going to make the tandem of Kanter and Derrick Favors work together? The 22-year-old is playing the best basketball of his life and is quietly putting together a worthy Most Improved Player of the Year Award campaign.
In the month of December alone Kanter is averaging 17.6 points on 52 percent shooting, with 9.5 rebounds, 1.0 assist, 1.0 block per game.
Knowing Kanter enjoys scoring, it never came across my mind when I saw him play angry against the Sacramento Kings. Seeing how aggressive and serious Kanter had become was a joy. He had two blocks, which is only the third time he’s done it this year, and he did something even more alarming than usual, he got really frustrated.
First, Kanter was inside of the paint (more on that later) trying to operate and get an easy bucket. After making a post move he was called for a travel. Whether the play was travel or not can get left into your opinion watching the video below, but what’s impressive is that he’s demanding to get the ball inside of the paint and wants to score more.
I then saw it again when Kanter played against the New Orleans Pelicans. In the third quarter with Anthony Davis on the floor Kanter started to heat up. He got to the paint, and started to live and score down there.
Kanter enjoys shooting outside shots, which he’s good at making. However if he wants to start getting better he needs to start living in the paint, which he has begun doing. At the rim Kanter is shooting 80-for-119 for an incredible 67 percent on the season.
Because of his intelligent selection opting for layups (which he’s shooting 65-for-95 for 68 percent) instead of jump shots, Kanter, who is close to averaging a career high in field goal percentage, will eclipse 54 percent shooting on the year. Kanter is shooting better than 50 percent from the floor for the second time in his career.
Also he’s attempting and making a lot three pointers, and is playing better defense fouling less. The Kanter-man, as the young people call him, has done extremely well this year and has looked like he’s finally turned the corner.
Ultimately since Kanter is already good at scoring the only realistic way that he can win the Most Improved Player of the Year is if he improves defensively.
As I mentioned earlier Kanter has three games where he’s had at least two blocks. At 6’11 he has got to get more defensive awareness if he wants to take the next step in his game. It’s not even about the numbers though, Kanter isn’t good when it comes to defensive rotations and staying on an assignment.
At times it looks like he doesn’t know where to stand after a player runs a pick and roll. Sometimes he hedges on the screen and other times he stands and runs to the ball handler, only problem when that occurs means there are two people guarding the ball-handler and no person guarding the roll man.
Against the Pelicans Tyreke Evans often found Anthony Davis in the paint with the use of the screen and roll. It’s not solely on the shoulders of Kanter though, his defense is going to improve with time because most of his teammates on the Utah Jazz don’t truly enjoy playing defense.
His coach, Quin Snyder, even noticed the strides he’s made with his complete game and said this:
"“I have been really pleased. I’ve coached Enes hard. I think he’s needed it,” Snyder said. “Sometimes that can knock you back a little bit….Defensively is where I see his focus. (When) he keeps his focus defensively, the offense comes easily.”"
Snyder is right spot on with assessment of Kanter’s defense, it needs to get better and he needs to get more involved. Speaking of being actively involved, the New Orleans Pelicans got everything they could handle from Kanter before they got the win.
Kanter had 29 points, seven rebounds, one assist, two steals and one block against Anthony Davis and the Pelicans.
We can see that his game is progressing quickly in spurts. They may only come in spurts for now but they are starting to come.
Quietly Kanter is starting to cut players off and honking his horn to the NBA saying, “I’ve arrived.”