Utah Jazz Identity Finally Coming Into Focus

The Utah Jazz identity is finally coming into focus – Illustration by Clint Peterson

We hear it every year, and there’s been no clear answers for a decade or more now. Media opines on it without clarity seasonally. Even in the Deron Williams–Carlos Boozer era in Utah we weren’t sure who the leaders of the Jazz were, nor what the team’s identity was. Finally, once again, the Utah Jazz identity is coming into focus for us.

Joe Ingles and Pace

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Lovingly coined “Slo Mo Joe” for the way he seems to move in slow motion when on a basketball court, Joe Ingles embodies the way the Utah Jazz are winning games. It’s often ugly, and you’re not quite sure what will come of the current possession, but the Jazz are finding ways to finish off teams.

Utah likes to muck up games with the slowest pace of play in the NBA, but they’re dictating terms to opposing coaches, forcing their will on them. In the process, the Jazz are strolling away from teams late in games, even while burning up shot clocks like slow burn fuses while doing so.

Joe Ingles may be a deep rotation player on a really good NBA team, but he does those little things coaches love. And the Utah Jazz are about to be a really good NBA team.

And Ingles doesn’t mind one bit. He recently commented to DJ & PK, in his weekly interview with 1280/97.5 The Zone, that mental preparation made no difference to him, whether he is starting or coming off the bench. Ingles noted that the starting job he’d had was really Rodney Hood‘s anyway.

Only bone to pick here is, peanut butter and jelly is way better than Vegemite. That ish is nasty, man.

Elijah Millsap and Perimeter Defense

Elijah Millsap has played the role of The Bandit on the perimeter in the Utah Jazz identity building process

He is The Bandit. The Burglar. Elijah Millsap is another one of those players coaches love to love, though in his case it’s for hustle, grit and perimeter defense.

On February 28, 2015, against the Milwaukee Bucks, the Jazz posted a season-best 16 steals in a game. The Bandit had five of those. Elijah Millsap frustrates opponents into turnovers with his near flawless perimeter defense, forcing precious extra possessions — something the Jazz lack with their snail’s pace of play.

Elijah Millsap leads the Utah Jazz in steals per game — adjusted for minutes, minimum 20 minutes played per game — and would be tied for second in the NBA in steals per game, were he playing starter minutes, at 2.1 pocket-pickings per match.

Trevor Booker and the Bench

Trevor Booker anchors a terrifying bench as the Utah Jazz identity continues to emerge

A whirlwind of energy when he enters a contest, Trevor Booker is a terror to opposing NBA benches. Booker will come into a game and leave every ounce of his being out there by the time he sits again.

Among regular Utah Jazz rotation players, Trevor Booker leads the Utah Jazz bench in: Points per game, rebounds per game, blocks per game and field goal percent. He can even knock down the three often enough to keep defenses honest — a new facet to his game in 2014-15.

Booker took only 10 total three-pointers in four previous seasons in the NBA. Under Quin Snyder he’s taken 60 of them so far, making 33% on the season.

Trevor Booker anchors a Utah bench that is getting more fierce all the time as young players like Dante Exum and Rodney Hood step into starting roles.

Wanna think about something really scary? Next year, Trey Burke, Alec Burks, Joe Ingles, Elijah Millsap and Trevor Booker — plus acquisitions, and maybe Ante Tomic — will be bench players for the Utah Jazz. This team is deeeeeeeep already. And getting deeper.

Rudy Gobert

The biggest thing to come out of France since Andre the Giant, Rudy Gobert has added an element to the Jazz’s defense that has trickled down throughout the entire roster, making Utah the most feared defense in the NBA with Sgt. Swatter as their anchor.

It never felt like the Utah Jazz had a legitimate Big Three with Enes Kanter. With Rudy Gobert, the Utah Jazz have not only a legit Big Three, but a foundation of players on which to build that makes putting other pieces in place that much easier.

"It’s the elite rim protection, the pick and roll defense, the blocked shots. Everything about the Stifle Tower (the greatest nickname in the league today) on defense screams to me as being an elite player.When it comes to rim protection, Gobert’s impact in the paint is remarkable. He saves the most points at the rim per 36 minutes, saving 4.16, almost one whole point above Andrew Bogut (3.24), the next on the list. Next, he only allows opponents to shoot 38% at the rim, a phenomenal statistic, as he makes entering the paint daunting and difficult for opponents.–Michael Tozer, The J Notes, Gobert, Favors And Hayward NBA’s Next Big Three?"

Rudy Gobert is the NBA leader in block percent, at 7.6%. And it’s not even close to second place Anthony Davis at 6.0%.

Oh, and he can pass too.

The Utah Jazz identity is finally coming into focus

Derrick Favors

Your lunch pail guy, that dude that shows up to work every day, even when you don’t notice, Derrick Favors has quietly become maybe the best big man from his draft, aside from DeMarcus Cousins, depending on who you ask.

The only Utah Jazz player you can pretty much pencil in a nightly line for, Favors’ consistency has been morphing into clutch play this year, the Jazz power forward taking over games to keep Utah’s incredible post-All-Star Break run cruising at 70 MPH.

While his game logs might put you to sleep for reading so regularly, his play on the court is more dynamic than ever. Derrick Favors has been among the NBA leaders in field goal percent and blocks all season long, joining Rudy Gobert to make the Utah Jazz the only NBA team to feature a starting front-court with two players in the top twelve in block percent.

The leader in the Utah Jazz identity emergence is clearly Gordon Hayward

Defense like that allows your guards and wings to gamble, to play closer without fear of being burned at the rim, further strengthening the Utah Jazz’s unreal defense — best in the NBA in the last two months, and still rising like a rocket.

Gordon Hayward

You want a fearless leader? Gordon Hayward is your guy.

Here’s a player that just gets it. From the preseason all the way through offseason, he never stops working toward his goals. And those goals include a tremendous sense of team and pride in it.

It might seem we pound it into the ground at PnB sometimes, but this is a drum worth banging. Still don’t think Gordon Hayward is a star? He’s one of four players in the NBA this season averaging 19 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists while shooting at least 45% from the field.

Hayward’s company?

LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Blake Griffin.

More from The J-Notes

Coming into the 2014-15 NBA season with new muscle and a new max contract, Gordon Hayward’s skeptics were plentiful, and plenty vocal. He’s rendered critics silent with unyielding play night in and night out, missing only a single Jazz game — in the old school vein of John Stockton and Karl Malone, a blue-collar trait Utah Jazz fans value above almost any other.

This Utah Jazz team is set to blow away expectations for this year. Their ceiling may only be limited by the rafters above them in EnergySolutions Arena.