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Utah Jazz: The NBA Team That No One Wants to Play

By Maxwell Ogden

Mar 3, 2015; Memphis, TN, USA; Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) celebrates with guards Dante Exum (11) and Gordon Hayward (20) after a score against the Memphis Grizzlies in the second half at FedExForum. Utah defeated Memphis 93-82. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 3, 2015; Memphis, TN, USA; Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) celebrates with guards Dante Exum (11) and Gordon Hayward (20) after a score against the Memphis Grizzlies in the second half at FedExForum. Utah defeated Memphis 93-82. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports /
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Not every force to be reckoned with is of championship material. At this point in the season, with 20-to-25 games left on the schedule, the non-contenders are beginning to play the role of a spoiler.

Right now, no team is more dangerous than the Utah Jazz.

The Jazz have won five of their past six games. Four of Utah’s five victories have come against teams that would make the playoffs if the season ended today.

They’ve upset the Memphis Grizzlies, Milwaukee Bucks, Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs. Every win has come by at least six points.

Most impressively, Utah held every one of those teams to 82 points or less. They also beat the Denver Nuggets 104-82 on the road, thus remaining true to their recently elite defensive form.

You can thank a controversial trade for that.

With Enes Kanter out of the picture, Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert are beginning to live up to their collaborative potential. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
With Enes Kanter out of the picture, Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert are beginning to live up to their collaborative potential. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports /

Mauling Interior

The Utah Jazz made the stunning decision to trade former Top 5 NBA Draft pick Enes Kanter for a minimal return. Utah isn’t on an immediate path to a championship, but it was a risky and surprising move nonetheless.

So far, so good.

Rudy Gobert has stepped into Kanter’s starting role and is averaging 12.0 points, 14.0 rebounds, 3.3 blocks and 1.0 steal in 33.4 minutes over his past five games. If you’re surprised, don’t be; that’s actually on-par with his per 36 numbers for the season.

Gobert is averaging 11.5 points, 12.4 rebounds, 4.4 offensive boards, 3.6 blocks and 1.1 steals per 36 minutes in 2014-15.

Between the 22-year-old Gobert and the 23-year-old Derrick Favors, Utah has an interior that’s proven capable of mauling its opponents. Gobert is already an elite rim protector, while Favors provides a physical and productive presence on both ends of the floor.

According to NBA.com, Gobert has the best opponent field goal percentage at the rim in the NBA at 38.0 percent. For those concerned about a sample size, don’t be; Gobert faces 7.2 attempts per contest.

Throw in rankings of No. 3 in blocks per game and No. 2 in blocks per 48 minutes and it’s tough to call Gobert anything but the No. 1 rim protector in the NBA.

All Favors has done is post or match career-best numbers in points, offensive rebounds and blocks per game. He’s shooting a career-best 54.2 percent from the field and has earned a star-caliber distinction.

According to Basketball-Reference.com, Favors is one of five players to average at least 16.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 2014-15. The others: DeMarcus Cousins, Anthony Davis, Marc Gasol and Pau Gasol—four All-Stars.

That’s good company. It’s also not the full extent of Favors’ quiet breakout season.

Per NBA.com, he’s holding opponents to 45.5 percent shooting when he meets them at the rim. Thus, the Jazz form one of the best defensive interiors in the league between he and Gobert.

Good luck, contenders.

Nov 5, 2014; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz guard Gordon Hayward (20) and guard Trey Burke (3) and guard Alec Burks (10) react to defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers 102-100 at EnergySolutions Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 5, 2014; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz guard Gordon Hayward (20) and guard Trey Burke (3) and guard Alec Burks (10) react to defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers 102-100 at EnergySolutions Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports /

Selfless Perimeter

According to NBA.com, the Utah Jazz lead the league in touches per game at 485.3. They’re also No. 1 with 367.8 passes per contest, per NBA.com.

What that shows is one very crucial fact: Quin Snyder has installed a selfless and cohesive system in Utah.

Gordon Hayward is rapidly approaching stardom as he stuffs the stat sheet for the second consecutive season. He’s averaging 19.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.6 3-point field goals made per game.

Hayward’s doing so on an efficient slash line of .451/.368/.811.

There are other quality contributors, but the key to complementing Hayward has been the re-emergence of Trey Burke. Expected by many to be dealt at the 2015 NBA Trade Deadline, Burke has rewarded the organization’s faith him.

He averaged 14.6 points in 28.2 minutes during the month of February and is up to 15.2 points per contest over his past five appearances.

So long as Utah continues to play a selfless and team-oriented game, they’ll be tough to stop. Not only are they wearing opponents down with ball movement, but they’re smothering them defensively.

Plain and simple, when the Jazz come up on the schedule, every team from the top contenders to the bottom-feeders know they’ll be in for a fight to the finish.

There’s a good chance of Utah coming out on top.

Next: Which prospects should the Utah Jazz be targeting in the 2015 NBA Draft?

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