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Transition defense.
The phrase was spoken early and often by Jazz coach Quin Snyder in Friday morning's shootaround in Phoenix. The Jazz play the Suns tonight, and with that matchup will have to face one of the most dynamic backcourts in the league.
Eric Bledsoe and Goran Dragic are each capable of turning games around a wreaking havoc in the open floor. Isaiah Thomas is one of the best bench players in the league. The Suns get up and down the floor with the best of them. This is the reason they score 106 points per game, which is good for fourth in the NBA.
"Every team likes to score quickly," Snyder said. "But Phoenix is a little harder to deal with, just because they're more committed to playing fast. They are just better at it than most."
So this is why defensive transition was a hot topic in the shootaround. Snyder stressed that he needs numbers in his favor. If the Suns are running with three players, the Jazz need four guys to defend against that. Usually, three would suffice. But Bledsoe, Dragic and Thomas excel in one-on-one situations, and can get to the basket off the dribble with east. The thinking is that Utah wants to force Phoenix into the halfcourt, and make the Suns execute against a set defense.
Will that work? That question will be answered tonight.
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This is a huge game for the Suns, who are one game ahead of the New Orleans Pelicans for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Oklahoma City is two games behind the Suns and one behind the Pelicans, who feature Anthony Davis as one of the best players in the league.
A loss to the Jazz, and Phoenix could very well lose a hold on that eighth spot, which the Suns have controlled for over two months. Phoenix lost to the Portland Trailblazers on Thursday night, falling 108-87 in what turned out to be an ugly fourth quarter. The Suns clearly need a win, a dynamic the Jazz will have to deal with tonight.
Tony Jones