UA-59049186-1 NBA Team Preview: Utah Jazz - Good if it Goes
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NBA Team Preview: Utah Jazz

Offseason:

Draft Picks: 52. PF. Joel Bolomboy, 55. PG. Marcus Paige

Key Acquisitions: PG. George Hill, PF. Boris Diaw, SF. Joe Johnson

Key Losses: PG. Trey Burke, PF. Trevor Booker

 

Player Profiles

Lineup:

PG. George Hill: 6’3, 188

  • Long 2-way combo guard
  • Offensively, he’s a PG with more of a SG’s game as he’s been utilized throughout his career more off the ball than on it. He’s become a very good shooter and can handle the ball and create a little.
  • 1 of the best defensive PGs in the NBA. Utilizes his long arms and smart instincts to smother his opponents. Can defend either guard spot.

SG. Rodney Hood: 6’8, 206

  • Lefty wing with nice size and a smooth game
  • Well-rounded scorer that shoots it well from all areas of the floor. At his best right now from mid-range and is reliable from 3 point range.
  • Improving defensive player that has the tools to be a plus defender as he gets more experienced but he isn’t there yet.

SF. Gordon Hayward: 6’8, 226

  • Highly underrated all-around SF that plays on both ends.
  • Offensively he has a very well rounded game impacting his team with shooting, scoring, and passing. He shoots the ball well spotting up and on the move via off the dribble or off-ball screens. At his best scoring off the ball utilizing screens and hand-offs. Can shoot and put the ball on the floor. Also and willing and capable passer capable of making plays for others.
  • Has come along way defensively since he came in the league. Doesn’t have the athletic ability to ever be great but has made the most of his abilities on that end. Competes and works hard to stay with his man even through screens and traffic.

PF. Derrick Favors: 6’10, 265

  • Powerful big man that is a force inside on both ends of the floor.
  • Offensively he’s an elite finisher that can make tough contested shots around the basket and throw down dunks. Scores most of his buckets in the PnR game. He can also score with his back to the basket and has improved his mid-range shooting.
  • Elite defensive big man that protects the rim, defends on the block and is good defending in PnR situations.

C. Rudy Gobert: 7’1, 245

  • Huge center with ridiculously long arms. 7’9 wingspan and 9’7 standing reach.
  • Limited but not a liability on offense. His sheer size makes him a huge threat in the paint to catch lobs and finish as a dive man.
  • Elite defensive big man who can wreck a team’s game plan single handedly. Players avoid the paint just because he’s on the floor. He’s a great rim protector that sends shots back at a high rate and alters even more of the 1s he can’t quite block.

Bench:

SG. Alec Burks: 6’6, 214

  • Talented, versatile offensive wing that has the skill set to play all 3 positions on the perimeter.
  • Very good ball handler for a wing. Can create for himself and for others and utilizes both on and off-ball screens. Very capable shooter off the dribble.
  • Below-average defender that has the talent to be better if he played harder and with more consistency on that end.

SF. Joe Johnson: 6’7, 240

  • Huge wing with a highly skilled offensive game who’s on the decline.
  • Offensively he’s an isolation scorer at heart with an elite handle given his size. He can make tough contested shots, create for others and is at his best in the mid range area.
  • Despite his tremendous size he was always an underachiever on defense. In his prime he was an average defender and now that he’s older things are only going to get worse.

PF. Boris Diaw: 6’8 250

  • Swiss army knife big man who’s capable of playing all 3 front court positions.
  • He has 1 of the most versatile offensive skill sets in the league. He’s an elite passing big man, can score with his back to the basket or facing up, and can shoot the 3.
  • Despite his size and athletic limitations he’s somehow a good defensive player. He moves laterally very well which enables him to defend quicker small forwards on the perimeter when needed. As a big man he’s no shot blocker or force on the boards but he can use his wide body to box out and make it tough on post players on the block.

PG. Dante Exum: 6’6, 190

  • Huge PG who’s looking to get his career going in the right direction after missing all of last year with a torn ACL.
  • When last seen as a rookie Exum struggled mightily on offense in large part due to a lacking in between game and over reliance on 3s which he didn’t shoot particular well. He was fantastic finishing at the rim in a small sample size.
  • Looked lost a lot on defense as a rookie but also showed flashes of potential and should 1 day be a very good player on that end.

PF. Trey Lyles: 6’10, 234

  • Stretch forward with the potential to be so much more. Has the skill set to play as a big or on the wing.
  • Good shooter that thrives as pick n pop player. He can catch the ball and put it on the floor and he’s very fast for a guy his size.
  • Has the potential to be a very good defender. Not bad on the defensive end by rookie big man standards. He’ll never be a big time shot blocker, but he’s got the mobility to thrive in today’s NBA covering PnRs and switching onto ball handlers.

C. Jeff Withey: 7’0, 231

  • Quality backup center that brings value on both ends.
  • Offensively, he’s a reliable finisher and has shown ability in a small sample size to knock down shots out to 15 feet.
  • Very good defensive big man who excels at protecting the basket, averaged nearly 3 blocks per 36 a year ago.

PG. Shelvin Mack: 6’3, 203

  • Big, well-built combo guard with length that plays with physicality.
  • Can shoot the ball but at his best at the rim and from close range. Made almost 70% of his shots at the rim. Penetrates and cuts hard when going to the basket and also has a floater game.
  • His size is a valuable asset to him on defense but he’s better defending 2s than PGs given his lack of quickness.

SF. Joe Ingles: 6’8, 226

  • Big wing that doesn’t have much athleticism but just knows how to play on both ends.
  • Plays exclusively off the ball on offense and is a pretty good 3 point shooter. Capable of cutting and finishing at the rim.
  • Over achiever that doesn’t look like it but is effective on the defensive end. Plays smart positional defense and gets his hands on a lot of balls with anticipation skills.

 

Breakdown

The Jazz are absolutely loaded and all you can really say they’re missing is a true star. I like the starting lineup a lot and the way you’re going to see them get it done is with ball movement and working together as a team. They have 3 guys who are all comfortable handling the basketball and overall they’re just a really big group swarming with length. In the backcourt is George Hill at PG and Rodney Hood at SG. Hill is capable of defending either guard spot regardless of height due to his crazy long arms and Hood at 6’8 is built more like a SF than a SG and should have a size advantage over most 2 guards he’s matched up against. Because Hill is limited in terms of his pure PG play as a lead ball handler and playmaker expect both Hood and Hill  to have the ball in their hands. In the front court they have 2 elite defensive big men in Rudy Gobert at center and Derrick Favors at PF. Joining them is the team leader and longest tenured player Gordon Hayward at SF. He’s their best offensive player on the perimeter and when games are tight in the 4th quarter, they will need him to step up and be the guy they can go to for points.

The most exciting thing about the Jazz is all their depth. They are literally 13 deep as all of the players they have on the bench are good players capable of coming in and contributing to a NBA rotation. The key guys off the bench are going to be Burks, Johnson, and Diaw after that it’s anyone’s guess how head coach Quin Snyder would want to shape up the rest of the rotation. There’s only so many minutes available and without injury everyone simply won’t be able to play. The backup PG situation will be a huge decision to make. Mack is probably the more prepared player to contribute right now but Exum is the former lottery pick who has more talent and needs minutes to further his development after missing the entire year last season. And then there’s the question of Lyles or Whitney. Lyles is much better on offense and Whitney is much better on defense. My guess is with plenty of other offensive options off the bench Quinn might want to go with a guy like Whitney to keep the rim protecting and is better at contributing without getting touches on offense.

Expectations

My expectations for the Jazz are to not only make the playoffs but be 1 of the top 5 teams in the Western Conference. They had horrible luck with injuries last season, which ultimately was the reason they didn’t make the playoffs and this year they are a more talented squad. The Jazz might have the most talented bench in all of the NBA which is key to winning in the regular season where you have to sustain through a long hard 82 game season where injuries and other factors all pop up. They’re the deepest team in the league and should be an elite defensive team as well. Favors and Gobert are going to have the paint closed off and now the addition of George Hill gives them a legit stopper on the perimeter. The Jazz are going to be a headache for a lot of good teams this year.

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