This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated.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.
The highlight reel that played in the mind of Jazz fans as they dreamed of a playoff run no doubt featured swarming wings, sensational swats, a defense with swagger.
Midway through this season, however, the Jazz are in the middle of the pack, ranked 14th overall, a far cry from the defensive dominance they displayed at the end of last season and the elite status they believed they could reach again this year.
But help is on the way.
Actually, it has already arrived.
Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert are back — and it looks like the Jazz's defense might be, too.
"I think our defense is getting back together," Gobert said. "… I think everybody feels more confident knowing that me or Fav are in the back and I feel confident that he's back too. I think consistency is better."
Since Gobert returned to the starting lineup 12 games ago, the Jazz have been the third-best defense in the NBA. With Favors' return four games ago, Utah has been even stingier, ranking second in overall defense in that admittedly brief stretch by allowing just 93.4 points per 100 possessions.
Utah is riding its first three-game win streak of the season and it's a team with some reason to be hopeful. The Jazz's opening-night starting lineup is getting reacquainted after Gobert's MCL and Favors' back caused a monthlong split. And those two defensive anchors have wasted no time settling in to old habits.
Flash back to Monday night against Chicago: The Jazz were scrambling to get back after a turnover when Bulls point guard Derrick Rose caught a pass in the paint and put up a shot. It's one he's made so many times. This time, however, Favors was there waiting. The 6-10 Jazz forward got a piece of Rose's shot and, after the point guard collected the deflection and went up for another look, Favors' quick jump and long arm sent the ball back the other way.
Later, in overtime, another Bulls star had the ball in his hands. Jimmy Butler used a Taj Gibson screen to force a switch, with Gordon Hayward following Gibson into the paint, leaving the bigger, slower Gobert to defend Butler on the perimeter. It should have been an easy bucket for Butler, one of the league's best scorers. Instead, Gobert's footwork, athleticism and size forced Butler into a tough 3, a miss, and helped secure the Jazz's third straight win.
Jazz coach Quin Snyder admits now that he overestimated his team's defensive readiness to start the season, as he tried to integrate a handful of new players. Utah still held its own in the season's early goings thanks largely to Favors and Gobert. Elsewhere on the court, however, the Jazz weren't as aggressive or as disciplined as their coach had hoped they would be.
"I think what happened is we relied on them too much early on," Snyder said.
Then the Jazz lost their safety nets.
"I think those things had to evolve with the absence of Fav and Rudy," Snyder said. "There was more pressure. It was more visible when they got beat because it was a layin."
Snyder believes the injuries to Favors and Gobert strengthened the Jazz's perimeter defense and should now be even stronger with those two big men patrolling the paint again.
Of course, the big guys help.
"It allow us to be more aggressive," Hayward said. "We know that somebody's got our back behind us. There are times you're going to get beat at the top, you're going to have breakdowns. There's help behind you as long as we stick to our defensive principles."
Favors, for one, is not surprised by how quickly things have fallen into place for the Jazz when it comes to getting stops.
"Not really. Me and Rudy, we both good defensive players," Favors said. "We're unselfish on the defensive end and we want to play defense. It was easy for us to come back and click together."
But Favors isn't telling his teammate on the perimeter they can ease up.
"I tell them to keep their man in front of them. Don't let them just blow by because then me and Rudy get in foul trouble and they get mad," Favors said. But "they know me and Rudy will be back there to clean up, either block it, get the rebound or contest it."
Twitter: @tribjazz —
Jazz vs. Nuggets
P At Vivint Smart Home Arena
Tipoff • Wednesday, 7 p.m.
TV • ROOT Sport
Radio • 1280 AM, 97.5 FM
About the Jazz • Gordon Hayward scored eight of his game-high 27 points in overtime to beat the Bulls on Monday. … Have beaten the Nuggets in the teams' first two meetings of the season. … The Jazz have grabbed 54 percent of their rebounding chances since Derrick Favors returned to the lineup four games ago, third-best in the NBA in that span.
About the Nuggets • Winners of four of their last 10 games, they trail the Jazz by four games for eighth place in the West. … Rookie center Nikola Jokic is coming off a 27-point, 14-rebound night in a win over the Raptors on Monday. … Coach Michael Malone is trying to build an improved defense, but the Nuggets currently rank seventh-worst in the league.