4 lessons learned from the Utah Jazz’s 6-game road trip

Utah Jazz’s Jordan Clarkson (00) drives past Cleveland Cavaliers’ Damyean Dotson (21) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021, in Cleveland. | Tony Dejak, Associated Press

The Utah Jazz have just returned from a six game road trip — it would have been seven had the last game against the Washington Wizards not been postponed — the first long trip of the season.

The early days of the NBA season are often used to measure where a team is at and pinpoint weaknesses and strengths. Road trips can be particularly beneficial early in the season to test a team’s ability to adapt and react to different situations.

The Jazz improved to 7-4 on the season after closing out their trip with a three-game win streak. Though Utah has only played 11 contests of its 72-game regular season schedule, there are lessons that were learned on the trip.

Turnovers driven by uncertainty

The Jazz currently rank 22nd in the league in turnovers with 15.4 per game. In looking at film and the types of turnovers the Jazz are giving up, Donovan Mitchell noticed that most of them have to do with trying to be overly unselfish or not committing to a play, creating uncertainty.

“When we get into the paint, you take possessions where you’re thinking, ‘I’m gonna go score’ and then last second you’re trying to pass, and it’s the unselfishness at times that’s getting us and it’s the uncertainty,” Mitchell said. “Driving with a purpose, getting to the rim and if you don’t have anything, come to two feet, come to a stop. Just being sure. I think that’s where a lot of our turnovers come from.”

There are also the careless and lazy turnovers committed and those are easier to clean up, but it’s notable that Mitchell is recognizing where some of the more mental mistakes are coming from and the need for more purpose and steadfast decision-making on drives.

Finding ways to improve without practice

With a truncated schedule and the need for rest, practice days this season are not easy to come by. Jazz head coach Quin Snyder has tried to be mindful of the amount of games played in a short amount of time while also looking for ways for the team to improve without taking unnecessary risks or wearing guys out.

“There’s just got to be other ways to get better,” Snyder said. “The most obvious one I think is film ... and then just trying to be judicious about your time. Practice time becomes something where you really have to look at what you’re trying to accomplish and what your priorities are.”

In any other season, there would be ample opportunity for the team to get together for large group film sessions even while on the road, but there are restrictions this season that don’t make that as simple.

There are some cities where gatherings of a certain number aren’t allowed and some places where rooms aren’t large enough to accommodate a socially distanced film session, so Snyder and his staff have been doing smaller film sessions broken up by position or even sometimes different pairings, like Mike Conley and Rudy Gobert, for example.

Bouncing back

The Jazz lost back-to-back games on this road trip against the Brooklyn Nets and the New York Knicks. After those games, the Jazz headed to Milwaukee to face the Bucks, who have the highest offensive rating in the league and seventh-best defensive rating.

Rather than continue to make the same mistakes from the previous two games, the Jazz bounced back with a convincing 131-118 win over the Bucks and then finished off the trip with two more wins against lesser teams in the Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers.

Tony Dejak, Associated Press

Utah Jazz’s Mike Conley (10) drives past Cleveland Cavaliers’ Damyean Dotson during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021, in Cleveland.

It’s a good sign early on in the year that the Jazz were able to correct and combat the problems they were having and put together a string of strong play.

Now, you could also say that this is just proof of the inconsistency of the Jazz, but no team is going to win every game, and to be able to finish a road trip on a high note can build confidence and reinforce good habits.

Perimeter defense requires engagement

Defending the 3-point line has been a hot topic where the Jazz are concerned this season and something that Snyder said recently gave a little more insight into what he expects from players on the wing such as Mitchell, Conley and Royce O’Neale.

“Our guys on the perimeter, talking about Donovan, Mike, Royce, those guys in particular, defending the ball, they don’t have to be perfect, but having a presence on the ball, and us being disruptive,” Snyder said.

“You know, we’re not going to be a high-steal team, we’re not going to turn people over. That’s how we play and we play that way because it plays to our strengths and particularly with with Rudy. ... But that can’t be interpreted by our team as not being engaged on the perimeter, and that engagement makes everything else even more successful.”

Carlos Osorio, Associated Press

Detroit Pistons guard Delon Wright (55) drives on Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell (45) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Jan. 10, 2021, in Detroit.

In short, the Jazz aren’t trying to be the most pesky defenders on the perimeter, but they want to make players work hard and take tough shots or be funneled into Gobert, where things will be even more difficult.

If there’s one overarching lesson from this road trip, it’s that the Jazz play their best when everyone is engaged on defense, and that moving forward, it’s important to recognize the difference between having that presence and not.

The Jazz continue the season on Friday when they face the Atlanta Hawks at home before heading to Denver to face the Nuggets on Sunday for the first time since their Game 7 playoff loss to them.

from Deseret News https://ift.tt/3nLFCRW