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Miami Heat: A 3-team blockbuster trade proposition to acquire John Wall

By Simon Smith

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 20: John Wall #2 of the Washington Wizards looks on against the LA Clippers during the first half at Capital One Arena on November 20, 2018 in Washington, DC. 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 Will Newton/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 20: John Wall #2 of the Washington Wizards looks on against the LA Clippers during the first half at Capital One Arena on November 20, 2018 in Washington, DC. 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 Will Newton/Getty Images) /
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Utah Jazz

The Utah Jazz are another team that have significantly underachieved thus far this season.

After reaching the second round of the postseason on the back of a 30-6 finish to the regular season, it was widely expected that the Jazz would take the next step in their development and finish even higher in the standings.

Instead, the team has gotten off to a shaky 8-10 start, winning just two of their seven games at home. Clearly the most notable change from last season is their defensive rating. After leading the league with a 102.9 defensive rating, the Jazz are currently ranked 18th with a 109.2 rating. Additionally, their offensive game has also taken a hit, dropping from 16th to 24th in offensive rating.

However, the relative anonymity they enjoyed last season as they snuck up on the rest of the league has been put to bed thus far. As second-year guard Donovan Mitchell recently stated:

"“We aren’t sneaking up on people. Teams are ready for us and ready for what we want to do. We have to realize that, and we have to be ready for that.”"

The main caveat for their initial struggles can be attributed to a brutal early schedule, as Tony Jones of The Athletic recently noted:

"“In a stretch that started Nov. 9 and will extend to Dec. 4, the Jazz will play 14 games in 14 cities, thanks to extended trips and one-off home games. They will be playing in all four time zones, and they won’t be home for more than 48 hours during the meat of the run. It’s a brutal schedule in November.”"

Having said that, and despite their initial struggles defensively, it’s on the offensive end where things need to pick up. Presently, the Jazz rank 24th in points per game and 27th in 3-point percentage.

While a number of players on the roster are struggling, point guard Ricky Rubio‘s shooting numbers have been horrible, shooting at a 37.3 percent clip overall and 34.2 percent from 3-point range. In all, aside from center Rudy Gobert, the highest shooting percentage of the five Jazz players averaging at least 12 field goal attempts is Joe Ingles at 43.9 percent.

With the Jazz having dropped four of their past five games, accompanied by a disastrous 96.6 offensive rating during this span, the patience of their front office and the franchise in general is going to be severely tested if this current form continues.

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