The Utah Jazz Christmas List For 2016

With a record that is currently three games under .500, here’s a few “presents” the Utah Jazz should add to their Christmas wish list this year.

With Christmas just around the corner, the Utah Jazz currently sit at a 12-15 record. Following their loss to the Golden State Warriors and with a game against the Los Angeles Clippers just ahead, the Jazz will have to play great basketball if they hope to add more games to the win column.

While the Jazz had the misfortune of beginning the year with an extremely difficult schedule, there have still been plenty of missed opportunities that have cost them thus far. As December 25th draws near, here’s a list of things that should be on the Utah Jazz’s Christmas list for the upcoming year.

A Speedy Recovery for Rudy Gobert

It’s no secret that the Jazz are significantly better with their seven-foot-two rim protector on the floor. Rudy Gobert‘s presence alone is enough to instantly affect opposing offenses. His ability to clog the paint, alter shots and limit baskets at the rim has become a huge part of the Jazz’s defensive identity.

With Gobert on the floor, opponents have averaged 93.5 points per game compared to 97.9 points when he is off the floor. In the Jazz’s last 10 games without Gobert, they have given up nearly 102 points per game while in their first 16 games they gave up an average of just 94. This in and of itself is clear proof of how greatly Gobert’s absence is felt.

Better Team Energy and Effort

In the Jazz’s latest two wins against the Denver Nuggets and particularly in the blowout against the Phoenix Suns, Utah finally looked like it was clicking as a team by playing crisp and cohesive basketball. However, in many of their previous match-ups the team has looked flat-footed and has appeared to put forth inconsistent effort. The recent losses to the Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Pelicans are two such games that come to mind.

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While the Jazz have battled with some of the league’s best in the Golden State Warriors and Oklahoma City Thunder, they appeared to have accepted defeat to the San Antonio Spurs before the game had even started. The numbers certainly back up this recurring lack of teamwork and effort. Not only do the Jazz rank 24th in the league in rebounds per game, but they are also second to last in the league in assists, averaging just 18.1 per game.

To put that in a little bit of old school perspective, in the 1989-90 season, John Stockton averaged 14.5 assists by himself, just under four less than this current Jazz team altogether.

Needless to say, this team needs to move the ball a lot more. Gobert’s absence has hindered some of the fluidity on offense, but that still is no excuse for the terrible ball movement and lack of assists. Gordon Hayward currently leads the team in assists with 3.2 per game. No other player averages more than three.

This is especially concerning in regards to the Jazz’s guard play, which leads us to the next gift the Jazz should hope to find under the tree.

More Consistent Guard Play

While the Jazz undoubtedly need more ball movement, it’s hard to boost assist numbers when players simply aren’t making their shots. The perfect pass can be made, the ideal play can be drawn up, but if shots aren’t falling then the assists will never come.

The trio of Rodney Hood, Alec Burks and Trey Burke has a lot of room for improvement. Burke’s shooting efficiency has been a pleasant surprise so far this season, but as of late he is slowly beginning to come back down to earth. His three-point shooting percentage has now dipped below 40 percent and his touch from the field hasn’t been as accurate.

Hood and Burks have struggled to find a rhythm all year. It could be that Burks’ return has thrown Hood off or perhaps that Hood’s insertion into the starting lineup has been a tough adjustment for Burks. Either way, both players have struggled to live up to expectations this season. Neither have shot efficiently, particularly Hood’s 30.4 percent from deep and their combined assist-to-turnover ratio isn’t even 2:1.

While neither is a point guard or necessarily expected to be a “pass-first” kind of player, it would be reassuring to see them take better care of the ball and create good looks for their teammates. If they aren’t going to shoot efficiently they have to find a way to contribute in other ways. So far, they haven’t been able to do much of either.

A True Marquee Win

The Utah Jazz came close against the Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder. The overtime win over the Indiana Pacers was impressive, but the Pacers aren’t exactly considered elite enough for that victory to be considered a marquee win.

The Jazz need to not only prove that they can hang with the best, but that they can beat the best. If they can prove and believe that they’re able to do so, it will boost their confidence and help increase energy and efficiency against teams that might not be as motivating to go up against. As the Jazz figure out how to outwit the top teams in the league, they will inch closer to becoming a true force.

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The Utah Jazz still have three match-ups remaining against the San Antonio Spurs, two against the Golden State Warriors and one game left against the Cavaliers and Thunder. While it’s unrealistic to expect the Jazz to win all seven of those games, if they can even find a way to win two or three, those will be enormous victories for them.

If the Jazz can weather the storm with Gobert injured and then heat up in the second half of the season by scoring a handful of marquee victories over top teams, it will be an incredible boost for them as they look to hit the ground running into the playoffs.

While the Jazz certainly have their work cut out for them, with the exception of Gobert’s recovery, most of the things on this Christmas list are under their control and very achievable. The young Jazz team has no excuse to not go out and play with energy and effort every night. Doing so will surely boost their poor assist numbers and eventually lead to more consistency from their guards. As they work to improve in each of these aspects and with a healthy Gobert on the court, there’s no reason why the Jazz can’t take down some of the league’s top teams.

The Jazz have proved time and time again that they are almost there. Hopefully after a good Christmas behind them, they can come out and show that they are finally ready to take the next step.

All stats courtesy of NBA.com/stats