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3 reasons Utah Jazz will make the 2019 NBA Playoffs

By KC Whitten

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 07: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz talks with Quin Snyder of the Utah Jazz during a break in action against the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on March 7, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.(Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 07: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz talks with Quin Snyder of the Utah Jazz during a break in action against the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on March 7, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.(Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images
Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images /

2. Defense

Donovan Mitchell receives most of the credit for the late-season surge by the Jazz last season, but the reality is that the team’s elite defense also carried the Jazz to the playoffs. Defense is often overlooked, but Utah emerged as one of the most feared defensive teams in the NBA.

The Jazz finished the 2017-18 season ranked second with a 101.6 defensive rating, a mere 10th of a point behind the Boston Celtics. However, Gobert missed 26 games during the first third of the season. From when Gobert returned in late January until the end of the year, the Jazz had the best defensive rating in the NBA at 96.8. The high-octane defense continued its dominance in the playoffs, where Utah ranked third with a 104.4 defensive rating.

Though Gobert is the anchor of the team defensively, the supporting cast around him could be one of the better units in the league. Derrick Favors is a terrific on-ball defender. Royce O’Neale, Joe Ingles and Mitchell are all respectable defending the perimeter.

With the majority of the roster returning, the Jazz should once again be one of the elite defensive teams in the NBA. If they can stay healthy and replicate their play from the final two-thirds of last year, they will ride a stout defense into the playoffs.

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