Utah Jazz: Biggest strengths and weaknesses for 2017-18

Weakness No. 2: Perimeter shooting

Scoring, in general, is a possible weakness for this Utah Jazz squad, but more specifically, a decline in 3-point shooting is their biggest worry heading into the 2017-18 season.

For a team that will rely heavily on Rudy Gobert and a recovering Derrick Favors rolling through the lane on a Ricky Rubio pick-and-roll, drawing defenders out to the perimeter is paramount.

Four Jazz players shot over 39 percent from beyond the arc in 2016-17: Joe Johnson, Joe Ingles and the now departed George Hill and Gordon Hayward. Being left with two 40 percent 3-point shooters isn’t going to cut it.

Johnson is a known killer from deep with a 37 percent career percentage and back-to-back seasons shooting better than 40 percent. Ingles ended last season as one of the NBA’s best from distance, hitting 44 percent of his shots. The two snipers at Quin Snyder’s disposal are excellent, but they aren’t enough to ignore the fact perimeter shooting is a weakness — especially given Hill and Hayward’s replacements.

Rubio shoots a career 31 percent 3-ball while Rodney Hood will need to improve on his 37 percent from last season if he is to fulfill the role of Hayward 2.0 on the perimeter.

Where the Jazz will rely on stretching the floor is the bench. 2017-18 recruit Jonas Jerebko has made a career out of hitting deep shots from the corner but will need to be on the end of some Rubio kick-outs to be effective. Alec Burks and Dante Exum both connected on long range shots in the low 30s last season but need to get closer to 35-36 percent to be a genuine threat.

Donovan Mitchell shot 35 percent from deep in his last season at Louisville but while he displayed an ability to hit shots from beyond the 3-point-line throughout NBA Summer League, relying on a rookie to be your outside threat is a recipe for disaster.

It may not be a season-long weakness and the Jazz will at least be efficient in the 3-pointers they take. But being efficient isn’t enough. The Jazz need either Burks to become an elite shooter or Exum to garner more attention from opposing defenses to be considered a threatening team from beyond the arc.