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Utah Jazz 2016-17 season review: Jeff Withey

By Adam Coffman

April 18, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) controls the ball against Utah Jazz center Jeff Withey (24) during the first half in game two of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
April 18, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) controls the ball against Utah Jazz center Jeff Withey (24) during the first half in game two of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 11, 2017; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Utah Jazz center Jeff Withey (24) drives to the basket in front of Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams (12) during the fourth quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 11, 2017; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Utah Jazz center Jeff Withey (24) drives to the basket in front of Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams (12) during the fourth quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /

Strengths

Withey’s greatest strength has always been his rim protection. At the University of Kansas, where he was a second-team All-America selection, he set the Big 12 blocks record for both a single season and a career, once sending back 12 shots in a single game.

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In the NBA, he’s mostly maintained this skill despite gong up against more athletic competition, rejecting 2.7 shots per 36 minutes last year. Even when not getting a hand on the ball, he can still alter shot attempts, holding opponents to 3.8 points below their normal percentages at the rim.

Withey doesn’t take a ton of shots, posting just two field goal attempts in his 8.5 minutes per game and posting a lower 14.9 usage rate. When he does shoot, it’s almost always in the paint, with 78 percent of his total attempts coming from within three feet.

Over 82 percent of these looks around the rim are assisted, most coming off dump-off passes or other interior looks from teammates.

You can see from the video below that Withey has a penchant for finishing with dunks, even taking off from outside the restricted circle when his defender steps out to help.

Withey’s other major strength is his rebounding. Playing mostly with combo forwards or weaker rebounders like Joe Johnson or Trey Lyles, his duties on the glass become doubly important.

Altogether, Withey secured 42.1 percent of available offensive rebounds, and 57.9 percent of defensive rebounds. These numbers compare favorably to the NBA’s leading rebounder in DeAndre Jordan, who posted 39 and 61 percent in the same categories.

This allows the Jazz to maintain a facsimile of their normal defensive schemes involving Gobert with a bench lineup in. Obviously Withey is nowhere close to the individual juggernaut that Gobert is, but his impression keeps Utah from hemorrhaging points.

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