7) No Closer
The Utah Jazz close about as well as a 24 Hour Fitness. Part of this is a lack of toughness. Another part is a lack of personnel.
Earlier this season, it seemed like Alec Burks was taking over this role. His playmaking, scoring and ability to draw fouls all seemed tailored for late-game situations. That quite literally came crashing down when he broke his leg. And while Rodney Hood and Gordon Hayward have had some clutch moments, neither player has shown that they can do it game-in and game-out.
So who’s the closer? Is it Gordon? Is it Rodney? Is it Derrick? Is it Alec when he gets back? As presently constructed, it doesn’t appear that the Jazz have that one guy they can throw the ball to and ask to get four-to-ten points with the game on the line.
Mavs are going to make the playoffs because the Jazz can't close out
— Kirk Henderson (@KirkSeriousFace) March 6, 2016
The NBA is a star-driven league. A big reason why is that there are only a few players who have the ability to be relied on when games get tight and big buckets are necessary—Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Damian Lillard come to mind.
The Jazz don’t have that big-name, reliable star on their roster right now. Derrick and Gordon are on their way, but they’re not there yet. And sometimes the win by committee thing doesn’t go as planned.
Therefore, it shouldn’t be a surprise that a team that lacks a closer has such a hard time closing games.
Next: No. 8: Schedule