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In losing to the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday, the Utah Jazz registered 14 assists, not a great number in a 48-minute NBA game.
They aren't worried. At all.
There have been a number of factors in this, players say. There were assist opportunities, but guys aren't making shots. The ball-movement hasn't always been as good as they have wanted. And most important, the season is still four preseason games old. There's plenty of time for improvement.
"It's just about learning the offense," Jazz point guard Trey Burke said. "The more guys get familiar with the offense, the more we get guys in position, the higher our assist numbers will go up. We have an unselfish team and the ball has been moving."
Players say coach Quin Snyder has been introducing new sets and wrinkles that need time for adjustments, which is why the lack of assists isn't as alarming as it would seem on paper.
Also, the Jazz have had a number of guys playing primary roles handling the ball within the offense. Already, you've seen Burke, Raul Neto, Bryce Cotton, Alec Burks, Rodney Hood and Gordon Hayward taking turns being front-line playmakers. That number is bound to decrease once the regular season begins, but it's still taken some getting used to.
Preview
Snyder said most of Friday's open practice will be dedicated to scrimmaging. He did say he will go through some normal practice scenarios, but the players are excited to get up and down the floor after a long week.
The other end
As well as Burks played on Monday, Snyder said he wasn't happy with his defense against the Blazers. The two looked at some film of the mishaps, and talked about what Burks needs to do in order to improve.
"We looked at some things," Burks said. "Most of my mistakes were off the ball. I've been away from the game and haven't had much live action, so it's something I have to work at and get better at."
Staying hungry
Snyder said he's been working a bunch on offense, and offensive sets this week. That's the product of having four games and three practices in the first 11 days. Now, that the Jazz are able to work on some things, the hope for the coaching staff is that Utah looks better on offense against the Blazers on Sunday.
Roster move
The Jazz waived forward Grant Jerrett on Thursday. Jerrett, a 6-foot-10 shooting power forward out of Arizona, was acquired from Oklahoma City in the deal that sent Enes Kanter to the Thunder. He played sparingly for the Jazz through the rest of the regular season and dislocated his shoulder in the first summer league game against the Boston Celtics.
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