Utah Jazz: 3 reasons behind their 6-game winning streak
2. Stellar defense with offensive production starting to follow
One thing has been apparent when it comes to the Utah Jazz over the past few seasons: They are one of the top defensive teams in the entire NBA.
Last year was a great example of what Utah is capable of on the defensive end of the floor, finishing the season in the top five or top 10 in the league in numerous defensive categories. That, in return, helped lead the Jazz to a second-half turnaround that ended up landing them a spot in the postseason once again.
After a bit of a rocky — or rather inconsistent — start on the defensive end of the floor to start the 2018-19 season, Utah has returned to being one of the top defensive teams in the NBA once again, which has been just one key factor in its recent success.
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According to Basketball-Reference.com, the Jazz hold a defensive rating of 105.3 this season, which ranks fourth in the NBA. They have also held opponents to 104.9 points per game, the third-best mark in the league.
Over the past six-game winning streak, their play on that end of the floor has picked up even more. During that span, Utah has led the league in defensive rating (97.2) as well as held opponents to a league-low 40.5 shooting percentage and ranked second in total rebounds with 52 per game.
The Jazz offense has also started to turn things around to match their play on defense. Utah has begun to push the ball up the floor more than we’ve been accustomed to seeing in the past, even with Ricky Rubio battling injuries.
Utah is averaging a pace of 101.9 over the last six games, which is good for 11th-best in the league. It is also scoring the ball more, averaging 112.2 points per game after ranking 22nd in the NBA in scoring and 20th in offensive rating for a majority of the season.
Overall, the Jazz have recorded a net rating of +12.4 in the last six games, ranking third-best in the NBA behind the Golden State Warriors and the Milwaukee Bucks. Their plus/minus of +13.5 ranks second in the NBA during that six-game stretch behind only Golden State.
Utah’s defense has returned to the powerhouse that we saw last year and have seen in years past, which should be scary for a lot of other teams across the NBA, but the offense is starting to follow suit, which is even better news in Salt Lake City.