Game Thread Dec 15, 2021 08:00PM MT: Jazz vs. Clippers

[fishonjazz]

Unfortunately 538 can’t predict that our elite RS defense can turn into historically bad suddenly in the playoffs.

I don’t know how high it was last year, but we we’re definitely strong favorites at that point in time. It’s working off our point differential, and there’s strong reason to believe this point differential we hold is real because we’ve already done it.

On paper, the defensive breakdown looks like a complete aberration even though it’s happen 2x in a row. Hopefully this is the year where we can play even average defense, because if we do we’re winning the championship.

Everyone clowned on the Bucks…until they won. Even in the middle of their playoff run against the Nets people clowned on them. But they won and the numbers would have told you that this was expected and their previous collapses were the aberrations. Pray to the basketball gods that we will be the same.

Great post


Sent from my iPad using JazzFanz mobile app

 

[LogGrad98]

Unfortunately 538 can’t predict that our elite RS defense can turn into historically bad suddenly in the playoffs.

I don’t know how high it was last year, but we we’re definitely strong favorites at that point in time. It’s working off our point differential, and there’s strong reason to believe this point differential we hold is real because we’ve already done it.

On paper, the defensive breakdown looks like a complete aberration even though it’s happen 2x in a row. Hopefully this is the year where we can play even average defense, because if we do we’re winning the championship.

Everyone clowned on the Bucks…until they won. Even in the middle of their playoff run against the Nets people clowned on them. But they won and the numbers would have told you that this was expected and their previous collapses were the aberrations. Pray to the basketball gods that we will be the same.

Everyone needs to take off their near-sighted goggles and remember that we dealt with severe injuries to 2 of our 3 best players and were still in the running in the 2nd round. How many teams have won the chip being down 1 of their 3 best players for much of the playoffs, and with 2 of their 3 best players hobbled with obviously bad injuries. That list isn't long. If we had had the gift of health we would have gone much further, maybe won it all. One of the reasons our perimeter D was so bad was that 2 of the guys we rely on there had virtually no lateral movement without pain. It was still a weakness that may have been exploited, and frankly it is a hole we need to plug. But the injuries factored in pretty big to our "collapse" last year, no denying it.

 

[LogGrad98]

Whiteside, a team player to the end. He is going to absolutely be a fan favorite. And frankly is already proving to be the best backup center we may have ever had.

 

[LogGrad98]

That and the physical game in extinct. I grew up watching Malone beat fools up and watching Stockton set the best screens in the league.

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk

I remember a game in which Malone got a rebound with a couple guys around him. They were all over him until he got the rebound then they started back up court, and he reflexively threw a pretty vicious elbow at no one in particular, and was called for a foul for elbowing the air so freaking hard. God I loved watching Malone play. He didn't play with an edge, he was entirely made of edge.

 

[SoberasHotRod]

I'm pretty bummed out we didn't get to see a healthier Clippers team. Maybe Lue wasn't going to play 5 out against us in the regular season anyway, but I was really looking forward to seeing if we could finally get a defensive stop against their 5 out.

I'm kind of bored playing bad teams or teams with major guys out of the lineup. When will be our first game against an actual contender at full strength?

 

[LogGrad98]

I'm pretty bummed out we didn't get to see a healthier Clippers team. Maybe Lue wasn't going to play 5 out against us in the regular season anyway, but I was really looking forward to seeing if we could finally get a defensive stop against their 5 out.

I'm kind of bored playing bad teams or teams with major guys out of the lineup. When will be our first game against an actual contender at full strength?

Looks like not until the Warriors game in, what another month or something? We have really had a cake schedule so far. We should be at least 4 games better than we are, but we are in a good spot to up that winning streak over the big home stand coming up.

 

[Thee Idiotic Minivan K]

Imagine Whiteside as the starting center for the 90’s jazz. Him and Malone would’ve been real!!!! We are lucky to have him. Unfortunately it’s probably for just this year.

 

[LogGrad98]

Imagine Whiteside as the starting center for the 90’s jazz. Him and Malone would’ve been real!!!! We are lucky to have him. Unfortunately it’s probably for just this year.

You shut your filthy whore mouth! He is staying here forever!

 

[KqWIN]

Everyone needs to take off their near-sighted goggles and remember that we dealt with severe injuries to 2 of our 3 best players and were still in the running in the 2nd round. How many teams have won the chip being down 1 of their 3 best players for much of the playoffs, and with 2 of their 3 best players hobbled with obviously bad injuries. That list isn't long. If we had had the gift of health we would have gone much further, maybe won it all. One of the reasons our perimeter D was so bad was that 2 of the guys we rely on there had virtually no lateral movement without pain. It was still a weakness that may have been exploited, and frankly it is a hole we need to plug. But the injuries factored in pretty big to our "collapse" last year, no denying it.

I don't think you have to be wearing near-sighted goggles to be concerned about the defense. It's happed two seasons in a row. Perimeter defense has been a major and obvious concern for years. Even if Mitchell and Conley were 100% healthy, anyone can look at our defenders on paper and see the concern with how they match up against elite talent. The perimeter defense has been bad regardless of injures and it was the entire team getting cooked in the playoffs. Our "best" perimeter defender was allowing repeated straight line drives to the basket to Reggie Jackson. None of our players could guard a traffic cone.

Part of this is talent, part of this is our system. We play the entire year allowing players to drive past us. It's by design, but it being by design doesn't make it any better in the playoffs when teams expose that design. We have a great shot at winning the title this year, but the defense is still a huge concern.