This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
There is still one week of preseason, so it is prudent not to overreact to a relatively small sample size.
But, there may be cause for concern with the Utah Jazz's 3-point shooting if the early trends continue into the regular season.
Through four preseason games, the Jazz are making only five 3-pointers per game. In the NBA of yesteryear, shooting mostly 2-point field goals would hardly be cause to blink. In today's NBA, 3-pointers can serve as the lifeline of an offense. Jazz starters are making just one 3 per game on an average of five attempts.
Fleshed out over a season, those are alarming numbers in the current NBA climate. And if those statistics hold true for the Jazz, this will be a team that needs to make up points elsewhere, like getting to the free-throw line with frequency, or getting easy points in transition. It's difficult, but not impossible.
"I think we just have to look for the best shots on every possession," Utah forward Boris Diaw said. "If we do that, then we'll score points. We definitely want to shoot threes, but we'll also take 50 layups."
Utah's 3-point numbers do require some context. Rodney Hood and Gordon Hayward, two of Utah's best shooters, haven't played a lot. George Hill hasn't shot the ball well, but is a proven 3-point shooter in his career. Joe Johnson, another proven shooter, has been feeling his way through the offense, as is Diaw.
"Am I worried? No," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. "Do I want to shoot more threes? How many more, I don't know. I don't think we're passing shots up. But how do you generate threes? You attack the rim and throw the ball out. That's tough to do with three of our top four wings hurt."
Still, the offense hasn't generated as many looks as Snyder would like. It's an area the Jazz would like to shore up in the coming week.
Back to work
The Jazz on Thursday dedicated most of their day to signing basketballs, jerseys and other apparel for the season. The equipment took up an entire side of their practice facility, and took almost three hours to complete.
Snyder said the Jazz did individual work on Thursday, and he mostly gave the players a day off on Friday, before an almost three-hour practice on Saturday.
Injury report
While Hayward and Alec Burks are both considered longterm injuries, Hood and Derrick Favors both sat out of Saturday's practice. Both injuries — a sprained hand for Hood and IT Band Syndrome for Favors — are not considered serious.
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Preseason schedule
Saturday's games
Detroit at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
Washington at Sacramento, 7 p.m.
Boston at New York, 7:30 p.m.
Minnesota at Miami, 7:30 p.m.
Memphis at Houston, 8 p.m.
Chicago at Milwaukee, 8:30 p.m.
Golden State at L.A. Lakers, late
Sunday's games
Atlanta at Orlando, 4 p.m.
Minnesota at OKC, 5 p.m.
Denver at Portland, 7 p.m.