10 Reasons Why the Utah Jazz Won’t Make the Playoffs
By Greg Foster
2) Point Guard Play
When Dante Exum went down with a torn ACL last summer, we all knew the Utah Jazz’s point guard depth had suffered a major blow. 62 games into the season and that torn ligament has turned into a black eye for the Utah Jazz.
While showing some nice abilities to distribute the ball and shoot the three, Raul Neto is having a roller coaster-like season. Outside of his three-point shooting, Neto has struggled to find any real consistency throughout.
At this point, we know who Trey Burke is–a streaky/volume scorer who can help in stretches. But ultimately, Trey’s an undersized guard, with a lack of explosiveness, who doesn’t shoot consistently and can’t defend.
And while Shelvin Mack has been a nice addition, he hasn’t been the answer to the Jazz’s problems. Truthfully, he’s the type of player who should be logging 15-20 minutes per night as a backup.
In this era of do-it-all point guards, a trio of Neto, Burke and Mack just isn’t going to cut it. Kemba Walker, Damian Lillard, Kyle Lowry and a laundry list of other point guards around the Association have torched the Jazz throughout the season—a direct result of inept defense from the one spot.
Quin Snyder’s motion offense is predicated on keen point guard play and ball movement. When Gordon Hayward and Rodney Hood are your team leaders in assists, that offense can’t function the way it needs to.
Moreover, the best lineup the Jazz have been able to trot out this season has been the triple wing—Hayward, Hood and Burks—with Burks manning the point guard duties. This lineup hasn’t been seen since Alec broke his leg, but think about it for a second–the Jazz’s best lineup is one that DOESN’T INCLUDE A POINT GUARD.
Yikes.
Next: No. 3: Lack of Depth