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What Player is Going to Step Up off the bench for the Utah Jazz?

By DJoumbarey A. Moreau

Jan 28, 2015; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz players (from left) Steve Novak and Chris Johnson and Ian Clark and Elijah Millsap and Trevor Booker and Rudy Gobert react from the bench area during the second half against the Los Angeles Clippers at EnergySolutions Arena. The Clippers won 94-89. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 28, 2015; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz players (from left) Steve Novak and Chris Johnson and Ian Clark and Elijah Millsap and Trevor Booker and Rudy Gobert react from the bench area during the second half against the Los Angeles Clippers at EnergySolutions Arena. The Clippers won 94-89. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports /
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This may come as a surprise, but the Utah Jazz have one of the best teams in the NBA when it comes to playing defense. The Jazz are No. 10 in the league in points allowed, as Jazz opponents average 98.2 points per game.

For as good as the Jazz are on the defensive side of the basketball, the area that the team needs a lot more help in is on the offensive side of the basketball. Even though the Jazz play a smothering defense, they only average 95.7 points per game which is good enough for No. 24 in the league.

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Because of the offense of the Jazz struggling, they need to find more options off of the bench.  The starters are doing their role of scoring within the offense and making the job of the bench easier. There are four active players on the roster of the Jazz that average double figure points.

However with less than 30 games remaining in the regular season the Jazz still haven’t found a person to come in the game and light up the box score off the bench.

Thankfully people can see that Quin Snyder’s decision to play point guard Trey Burke with the second unit was a good idea since he’s more of a scoring guard. Recently though Burke’s game has been needed in the final minutes of quarters, so he’s still playing starters minutes.

Who on the bench of the Jazz can coach Snyder rely on to get buckets?

Dec 19, 2014; Orlando, FL, USA; Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder against the Orlando Magic during the first quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 19, 2014; Orlando, FL, USA; Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder against the Orlando Magic during the first quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

Rodney Hood 

The rookie season for Hood has been tough. Hood’s been in and out of the lineup with injuries and most recently Hood had a MRI on his left foot and it revealed a recurrence of inflammation. All of this kept Hood out of the lineup before the All-Star break, and chances are it will keep him out after.

Hood’s one of the players who’s a sharpshooter on the team and in spite of his 28 percent shooting percentage from the three-point line, he’s still the rookie a lot of people would want to see shoot jump shots.

But more than Hood’s shooting, one of his best skills is using his ball handling ability to score points off of the dribble. Hood has the ability to take smaller players to the rim using his 6’8″ size, and for players of his height, he uses his handles to get past them and dish it to open teammates.

When Hood is healthy later in the season, look for him to have a bit of an impact before the year is over. Elijah Millsap One of the reasons why Elijah Millsap is still a member of the Utah Jazz is because he’s already one of the leaders on the team. Millsap is one of the smartest defenders on the roster, and because of his defense he’s found favor inside of coach Snyder’s rotation.

Millsap is one of the players that’s going to play with a lot of effort, and confidence, as he’s done in the early stages of his career. However for as good as Millsap is defensively, the area that he needs to improve on is his offense. Offensively Millsap isn’t a bad player. He’s got a far better shooting stroke than people give him credit for.

On the year Millsap is shooting 35 percent from the three-point line, and 73 percent from the free throw line, so he can score. What we do need to start seeing Millsap do more of is being selfish.

He’s not a selfish player and that’s not a knock on his game, but we know how talented Millsap is, and when he starts to assert himself more offensively, he might be the missing spark plug offensively for the Jazz.

Trevor Booker

The person who’s been getting a raw deal at times is none other than forward, Trevor Booker. Because Booker is listed as a power forward, he often has to share minutes with other players on the frontline such as Rudy Gobert, Enes Kanter, and Derrick Favors.

Because Booker’s not like them offensively, what he does bring to the Jazz is an ability to play faster and much more confident. Because of Booker’s ability, the Jazz could bring him off the bench and use him to create their defensive stops into offensive fast breaks.

Booker alone is responsible for a few fast breaks on the nightly regular, so having him on the court and getting the easy garbage points could become the reliable bench option the Jazz need.

Booker may never average double figure points in his career, but this season, as he’s averaging seven points a game on 51 percent shooting from the floor, and 35 percent shooting from the three-point line, it possibly could become his first.

What player is going to step up for the Jazz?

Next: Can We Consider Gordon Hayward An Elite Small Forward?

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