The Utah Jazz are playing exceptional team basketball

                                         (Getty Images) 

On Friday night, the Utah Jazz defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 96-91, advancing to the second round of the playoffs, where they will face the Houston Rockets on Sunday afternoon. Jazz rookie Donovan Mitchell stole the show, scoring 38 points, 20 of which were scored in the 3rd quarter. With Ricky Rubio going out with a hamstring injury (possibly out for a few weeks) and Russell Westbrook in full attack mode, the Jazz needed a big game from Mitchell and boy did he deliver.
   
What made Mitchell's performance so special was the way he took over the game. He did it all, hitting deep threes, throwing down vicious dunks, and slicing through defenders to make ridiculous layups around the basket. The amount of English he put on some of those shots was tantamount to what you'd see in a game of billiards. He was having one of those nights where nearly anything he threw at the basket found a way to go in.

Yet as well as Mitchell played, the Jazz didn't win this game by his performance alone. After all, Russell Westbrook was the top performer of the night, finishing with 46 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists. What got the Jazz past the Thunder both on Friday and in this series was their selflessness and commitment to team basketball. Everyone found a way to contribute, whether it was Joe Ingles knocking down clutch threes, Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert controlling the paint, or Ricky Rubio setting up others for easy baskets. Even Alec Burks got in on the action, scoring 11 points on Friday in 17 minutes of action.

What allows the Jazz to play this type of team basketball is the system put in place by head coach Quin Snyder, which demands lots of ball movement, cutting, and stellar defense. The Jazz realize that when they play the way Snyder wants them to, that brings out the best in them both as a team and as individuals. It takes a certain type of player to buy into this philosophy and the Jazz front office has done a stellar job of bringing in guys who embrace it.

As for whether or not the Jazz can actually take out the Houston Rockets, I personally expect the Rockets to win only because they have more talent. James Harden will be the best player in the series and Chris Paul could be the second best player. That all said, if the Jazz play the way they did against the Thunder and continue to execute the way Quin Snyder wants them to, they could make this an interesting series. As good as the Rockets look, they did show moments of vulnerability against the Timberwolves. They will definitely need to play a lot better if they want to avoid a competitive and close series with the Jazz.

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The Utah Jazz are playing elite defense in the paint

                                       (Credit: Chris Smoove on YouTube. Click here for video) 

The Utah Jazz are currently tied for 5th place in the Western Conference at 24-16 with the Memphis Grizzlies, proving themselves to be one of the most competitive teams in the NBA. The Jazz have won 6 of their last 10 games and are coming off of a 100-92 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier today.

Currently ranked 26th in points per game (98.4) and 27th in assists (18.9), the Jazz are clearly not winning games because of their offense. Though to be clear, Gordon Hayward is doing his part on offense, putting up 22.0 points per game on 45.0% shooting from the field and 37.3% from 3-point range while guys like George Hill (18.5 points per game) and Rodney Hood (13.5 points per game) are also finding success at putting the ball in the basket.

The Jazz have guys who can shoot the ball, but defense is definitely their calling card. The Jazz rank 1st in opponents points per game (94.9), 1st in opponent field goal percentage (42.9%), 5th in opponents second chance points (11.8 second chance points per game), and 1st in overall team defensive rating (101.4). They are also middle of the pack in rebounding, so they're doing a good job at controlling the boards. But, more than anything, they are just making it very difficult for opponents to score, which at the end of the day is what defense is all about.

The anchor of this Utah Jazz defense is Rudy Gobert, who is averaging 12.3 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game. Rudy Gobert is an elite defensive presence in the paint due to his length, quickness, and freakish athleticism. Gobert is doing a fantastic job at protecting the rim, making it very difficult for opponents to score inside.

In addition to Rudy Gobert, Derrick Favors is doing a stellar job at controlling the paint, averaging 8.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks per game. Favors is proving to be a solid presence down low to accompany Gobert. As far as perimeter defense is concerned, the Jazz aren't as good, ranking 15th in opponent 3-point shooting percentage (35.7%), but they are still solid. George Hill is averaging 1.1 steals per game while Gordon Hayward averages 1.0 steals per game, making them a solid perimeter defending duo.

But, what really is making this Utah Jazz team dangerous is their interior defense. Together, Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors guard the paint as if their very lives depend on it. They are really doing a stellar job at forcing teams to take difficult shots inside, which leads to easy baskets in transition on the other end.

At this point of the season, all I can say about the Utah Jazz is that provided they can get fully healthy, they should able to win a playoff series this year. Derrick Favors, George Hill, Dante Exum, and Alec Burks have all missed games due to injury, but with everybody now getting back to full strength, this team appears capable of climbing up the Western Conference standings and living up to the preseason hype.

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How dangerous are the Utah Jazz?

     If there is a team that will make a huge jump in the 2016-17 season, many people are expecting that team to be the Utah Jazz, who are coached by Quin Snyder. The Jazz added George Hill and Joe Johnson in the off season and expect to have Dante Exum and Alec Burks at full strength come opening night to round out a roster that consists of Gordon Hayward, Rudy Gobert, Rodney Hood, and Derrick Favors.

      Due to their talent, youth, and upside, there is tons of chatter of the Utah Jazz being a top 10 team in the NBA and a team that can threaten to reach the Western Conference Finals. Considering that the Utah Jazz went 40-42 and finished 9th in the Western Conference last season, to call them contenders this season feels to be a bit of stretch to me.  I don't deny the talent level that is there and the upside that this team has. Dante Exum very well become one of the top players in the NBA and Rudy Gobert likewise has all the tools to be the next dominant big man in the NBA. In addition, Derrick Favors and Gordon Hayward, while not all-stars, are getting better every season and establishing themselves as one of the best players in the league.

     But with that all being true, I don't see them as a team that will threaten to come out of the Western Conference. They're just not there yet and that's ok. They're right where they should expect and hope to be, which is to be a team that people are looking at and saying, "Those guys are gonna be really good in a couple of seasons."

     Jazz Nation will say that the future is now and that this team is gonna make serious noise due to their off-season acquisitions, health, and one more year of seasoning. While I do think that all of those things bode very well for the Jazz, I still think the Jazz will be in a dogfight to make the playoffs and win a series. The Warriors and Spurs will be the top two teams in the Western Conference again and the Thunder with Russell Westbrook will still be very dangerous even with Kevin Durant jumping ship. As for the rest of the conference, the Clippers, Grizzlies, and Trail Blazers should prove to be competitive. Even the Timberwolves should be a team that people keep an eye on.

     The Western Conference is still loaded and the Jazz have to go out and prove that they are one of the best teams in the conference. If there is anything that should worry the Jazz it is their lack of a true superstar. Rudy Gobert and Dante Exum have superstar potential, but they aren't there yet. Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors, while being very good players, don't have superstar potential.  They have all-star potential, but not the potential to be guys who lead a team to a championship. They can help a team win a title, but they can't be the centerpieces of a championship team like John Stockton and Karl Malone proved themselves to be.

     As for what type of expectations we should have for this Utah Jazz team, I think we should expect them to make the playoffs with the hopes that they find a way to win a series. If they do that, they should be very happy with how they are progressing. I love the direction that this team is going and I have no doubt that a championship may be coming to Utah in the near future, but I don't think they will make the huge leap that other people are expecting.

Note: This blog post appeared on nbalord.blogspot.com back on September 27. Click here to check it out. Also, click here to check out my rapid preview of all 30 NBA teams to see what I said about the Jazz. Finally, this blog is back! Going forward, every blog post I do on the Utah Jazz on nbalord.blogspot.com will get reprinted on here. So, if you are just interested in my Jazz coverage, this place will have you covered.  

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Jerry Sloan Resigns and Deron Williams Traded to the Nets: What the future has in store

Big changes have happened in Utah over the past 2 weeks. Jerry Sloan has resigned from coaching the team, and Ty Corbin has stepped in to take his place. Then, the Jazz have traded away their franchise player to the Nets who desperately wanted to make a big splash in the NBA trade frenzy after getting the cold shoulder from Carmello AnthoNY. But what does this all mean for the Jazz?
Well first off, lets talk about the Sloan deal. Coach Sloan's bizarre end to an illustrious career is perplexing, confusing, and strange. Very odd for him to leave the team mid season during a tight race out west. The theory that Deron Williams was the reason seemed unlikely at the time since Sloan has coached for so many years and has "seen it all" so to speak. But then when everybody wakes up to find Deron Williams traded to the Nets for Devin Harris and Derrick Favors plus two first round picks (one from New Jersey in 2011 and the other from Golden State in 2012) everybody has to step back and ask more seriously if D-Will was the reason Sloan left. Perhaps Sloan returns now that Williams is gone. I doubt that, but who knows.
As far as what the trade does for Utah on the basketball court it actually isn't that bad a deal. If Williams was going out anyways, then the deal is a good one. Get a good solid replacement PG in Devin Harris, and get a rookie Power Forward with a lot of upside and potential. Jazz were in need of drafting another big body, and this might do the trick. If Harris plays better in Utah than he did in New Jersey (which I expect him to do because Utah has a better system), then the trade may not affect Utah at all, and if anything benefit them. Still, the deal is a stunner. Who saw this coming? This was like an atomic bomb was dropped in the NBA trading frenzy.
Nobody, I mean nobody saw this coming. Talk about coming out of left field. I found out about this in my college classroom. I was checking my phone and the trade popped up, and I was stunned. Couldn't believe it. I thought Utah would right the ship and keep going. I thought a trade was possible, but nothing like this. Honestly, when you think about it, the trade isn't a bad one. Get a PG that is almost as good, and also get a Power Forward that has a lot of potential to grow. It could be a blessing in disguise. I can see what Utah likes out of the deal, and what New Jersey likes out of the deal except for the fact that if New Jersey doesn't convince Deron Williams that they will and can succeed in the future, then Williams will leave and the Nets could be left with nothing. Remember, D-Will is a free agent at the end of the 2011-2012 season. If he doesn't like New Jersey at the end of next season, he won't re-sign. I guarantee it. New Jersey made a very risky move here. If they don't get better quickly, they will lose Harris, Favors, and then Williams. Leaving them with nothing. Very risky move by the Nets. It could pay off though if they are aggressive in making more moves.
What does this mean for Utah this season? I think the Jazz are in trouble for the rest of this year. Harris will have to learn the system on the fly, as will Favors. Luckily, Denver is depleted, Memphis has lost Rudy Gay for a month and they have a ridiculously hard schedule (Memphis has Sacramento, San Antonio, @ San Antonio, New Orleans, @ Dallas, Oklahoma City, New York, @ Miami, LA Clippers, @ New York, Indiana, UTAH, @ Boston, @ Chicago, San Antonio) all in a row! Those are tough games, and I expect the Grizz to fall apart at fade away. The Nuggets probably struggle too without 'Melo and so, they could fall apart as well. The Jazz are not as hurt by their deal as the Nuggets are, and aren't as hurt as the Grizzlies. The Jazz in my mind end up in the playoffs as a 7 or 8 seed. Maybe even a 6 or a 5. They can make the playoffs, and maybe get a decent seed. All in all, the Jazz aren't in a bad spot considering what is happening in Denver and Memphis. They should leap frog both those guys to 7 and maybe even creep up to the 5 spot. It's all possible. In my honest opinion, Utah will get the 7 seed,and get bounced out by the Mavs in 6 games. That is my call, but knowing how Dallas plays in the playoffs, Utah may have them beat in the mental department. Who knows. Let's hope the Jazz don't totally fall apart and are able to get things together to get a playoff spot and get some mo going into next season. Go Jazz!