Utah Jazz Battle With Toronto Raptors a Chance to Get Back on Track

After disappointing losses on consecutive nights, the Utah Jazz have a chance to strike back against the red-hot Toronto Raptors.

Despite the thoughts of many, Tuesday’s game between the Utah Jazz and Golden State Warriors went exactly as I expected. It was coming after a tough win over the Memphis Grizzlies, the Jazz were still missing George Hill, Derrick Favors was held out as part of his rehab and Rodney Hood was ill.

The Jazz eventually used this game as an opportunity to rest up for their game with the Sacramento Kings.

When the game against Sacramento came, the Jazz looked comfortable throughout and eased their way to a 20 point lead. Unfortunately, as was the case in previous games with the Miami Heat, Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns, the Jazz stopped playing Jazz basketball. As a result, the Kings came flying back to take a one-point win.

Granted, Sacramento took the opportunity when it arose, but the Jazz played poorly enough to present them with that opportunity. Some fans may look at it from the perspective that Matt Barnes scored a bucket late that was an offensive interference and that there were a series of questionable calls down the stretch. Some may even blame Gordon Hayward for missing that shot to send it to overtime or the Jazz having their starting backcourt out with injury.

But the bottom line is that it takes a very poor and complacent effort to let one of the league’s bottom-feeding teams beat you on your home floor. Especially after owning a 20-point lead.

When I say the Jazz stopped playing Jazz basketball, I’m referring to the flow with which they ran their offense. There is a clear discrepancy in points per possession numbers when the ball is being passed five times a possession in comparison to two times a possession. When the ball stops moving, it stops going in the basket.

This was the case all last season and is a major reason for the Jazz being unable to score in the last few minutes of ball games.

Dec 21, 2016; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) goes to the hoop against Sacramento Kings center Kosta Koufos (41) in the first quarter at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports

The good thing about the NBA is when you suffer a devastating and embarrassing loss, you have an opportunity to make up for it straight away. That’s what the Jazz will look to do against the Raptors on Friday night. Toronto will come into the game winning 12 of their last 14 with yet few impressive victories among them. Of those 14 games, only four were against teams north of .500.

After the short road trip with games against the Grizzlies and Warriors, Jazz fans looking at the upcoming schedule likely thought the team needed to grab four of the five remaining games in December. Those games are against the Kings (lost), Raptors, Lakers, 76ers and Suns. After blowing the first of the handful, Utah now need to focus in on beating the Raptors so they are back on course.

The Jazz are lucky in the sense that Toronto’s offense sort of plays into the Utah’s hands as they rank 26th in the NBA in assists and play an isolation style of basketball. Their go-to plays will be putting DeMar DeRozan in isolation at the elbow and running both Kyle Lowry and DeMarre Carroll off down screens while getting Jonas Valanciunas prime position underneath. They also like to get Lowry in pick and rolls with Valanciunas, using DeRozan and Carroll as cutting decoys and Siakam as the screener off the ball.

I believe that the reason they often underachieve in the playoffs is because their playbook is too easy to read as an opposing coach. Teams eventually get used to the movement patterns off the ball and can figure out how to switch and double-team effectively. A simple offense means less decisions to be made for defenders.

This leads to the Raptors’ points per game averages dropping dramatically in the playoffs.

If the Jazz can figure the Raptors’ simple offense out early, move the ball with juice offensively and knock down their open shots, they’ll be hard to beat even if they don’t get the rub of the ref’s once again.

Statistics courtesy of NBA.com