Three thoughts on the Utah Jazz’s 121-102 loss to the Indiana Pacers from Salt Lake Tribune Jazz beat writer Andy Larsen.
1. In Rudy’s return, defense not strong enough
Coming into tonight, the Jazz had had their two worst defensive performances of the season in their last two games: a 119.6 defensive rating against the Bucks on Monday night, and a 113.3 DRtg against the Pelicans at home on Saturday. Of course, there was a really logical reason: Rudy Gobert didn’t play either game.
So it’s mildly discouraging that when Gobert did come back, the defense didn’t get better. The Jazz’s defensive rating tonight was actually 119.8, just barely eclipsing the Bucks’ performance. And perhaps even more discouraging was that the Jazz’s defense was at its worst with Gobert in the game, when the defensive rating was 128.1.
I think Gobert struggled in his first game back, albeit only from a two-game absence. This was the first Pacers’ play of the game: Domantas Sabonis just pushes Gobert back. (Quin Snyder wants a foul here, and I think he has a point, but Gobert has to challenge him back, too.)
And a couple of minutes later, he doesn’t use his body on the box out, Sabonis shoves him a little, and gets the easy offensive rebounding putback.
Here’s another example, where he just falls asleep on this offensive rebounding possibility:
After the game, Quin Snyder pointed to a lack of communication as one large reason for the problems. Here’s an example of that:
And here’s another example: Ingles passes Warren off to Gobert, but it’s too late to do that, and Gobert has his hands down.
It is understandable that after two games away, Gobert wouldn’t be on top form physically and mentally, but that he wasn’t did hurt the Jazz on Wednesday night. Sometimes, I’m a little harsh on Gobert because I’ve seen his greatness in action. I know what it looks like when he’s dominant, and I know what it looks like when he’s short of that form. For many NBA centers, Gobert’s game tonight would be a good performance, but not for him.
And offensive players have bad games too. James Harden started his season with a game in which he shot 2-13 from the floor, then followed it up by going 8-23. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 50 on Monday, but two games prior, he shot 9-27 and added five turnovers. It happens.
2. Gobert didn’t get help, though
But while Gobert wasn’t great inside, it’s not like he was getting much help from his perimeter teammates, all of whom seemed unfocused. Let’s just go down the row:
Here, I understand that a screen is coming for Mike Conley, but it almost seems like he’s icing it from the top of the key. That won’t work, and he just gets blown by for an easy Malcolm Brogdon layup.
Donovan Mitchell gets crossed up here a little bit, then doesn’t make much of an effort to contest Jeremy Lamb’s shot.
Joe Ingles wants to avoid fouling here, but he also avoids playing defense:
Emmanuel Mudiay absolutely dies on this screen. If he’s going to give up this much separation, he needs to have Gobert switch out onto Brogdon, then prevent the interior pass to Sabonis.
He also just can’t be blown by, either.
These are all pretty trash defensive plays by the individual defenders involved. It’s like somehow they didn’t think the Pacers were capable of beating them. They clearly are: they’re an 11-6 team, with good players throughout. Defensive effort will be necessary!
3. Finding Bojan Bogdanovic
Bojan Bogdanovic was having a monstrous third quarter. He scored 14 points in the period, to get to 26 for the game. He was shooting 8-13 from the field, the most recent of which came from a beautiful transition three to put the Jazz within three points.
He never shot again. He did get fouled a couple of times, which sent him to the line for four FTs. He did have another turnover. But at some point, shouldn’t the guy who’s on fire get the ball again?
Ideally, the team would have a point guard who would recognize this and do something about it. Unfortunately, the very next possession was this:
I am wildly offended by this shot. That is among the worst shots I’ve ever seen.
Fresh off a stretch where the Jazz moved the ball, got open looks, and were making a comeback led by one man, Mudiay settled for a post-up step-back turn-around air-balled 13-foot jump shot with 14 seconds to go on the shot clock.
I’m just going to let that breathe for a second.
Now, Mudiay was not alone in fault for this: Bogdanovic came back into the game later, and didn’t really get the ball then either. Mitchell, especially, also forced shots. But at some level, the team has to be able to recognize when there’s a player who is causing the defense problems, and continue to go to that well when the other wells are dry.
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