Utah Jazz: Kyle Korver’s exactly what’s needed to help shooting woes

After struggling mightily to begin the season, the Utah Jazz will greatly benefit from Kyle Korver’s outside shooting abilities.

It’s been an interesting start to the 2018-19 season for the Utah Jazz. After a surprise appearance in the second round of the 2018 NBA Playoffs, the logical next step for this team appeared to be home-court advantage in the first round.

As the new season fully kicks into gear, Utah has been anything but the dynamic two-way threat it once appeared to be, regressing from a top-ranked defense just a year ago as well as struggling to find the mark from distance.

While the Jazz still need to find a solution to their defensive issues, they’ve clearly addressed their shooting woes via a trade, acquiring Kyle Korver in a deal that shipped Alec Burks and two second round picks to the Cleveland Cavaliers, according to ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski.

A former Salt Lake City resident, Korver has made a name for himself over the span of a 16-year career with his ability to stroke the long ball, owning the fourth-most makes in league history including a lifetime 43.2 conversion rate from 3-point land.

For all the players in Utah who supposedly have the reputation as outside shot-makers, none of them has lived up to it more than a quarter into the season. The highest individual 3-point percentage on the Jazz belongs to third-year forward Georges Niang at 40 percent, and he shoots less than three times a game.

Korver is having no such problems this year despite residing in his late 30s. So far, he’s shooting 46.3 percent from distance on 3.4 attempts per game. The volume will likely increase with an expanded role with his new/old team, but either way, he should help improve Utah’s 29th-ranked 3-point percentage.

The beauty of Korver’s game isn’t necessarily just his ability to space the floor — although it certainly doesn’t hurt. Rather, if utilized correctly, the gravity his prowess brings demands so much attention it opens up the rest of the floor for his teammates in more ways than just as a stationary shooter.

Think of how the Philadelphia 76ers use J.J. Redick. At times the sniper simply waits in the corner for a pass that may never come, but more often than not he’s constantly in motion, forcing defenses to communicate. Usually, his action leads to an open shot for himself or a mistake by the opposition, which leads to a good look for someone else.

Quinn Snyder is one of the better coaches in the game, and he’s sure to invent creative sets for his newest weapon that can possibly unlock a new dimension for their offense.

As a veteran presence who’s appeared in the last two NBA Finals, Korver is sure to provide consistent shot-making for a team that’s had anything but.

He isn’t the easy fix for everything ailing the Jazz, but he does address one of their bigger concerns. That seems as good a place to start as any for a team looking to recapture last season’s magic.