The Defense
In the season opener against the Portland Trail Blazers, the Jazz gave up 113 points. They also struggled against the New York Knicks (109 points allowed) and Houston Rockets (111). Aside from those games, the Jazz have been solid defensively for the most part.
In their most recent bout with the Atlanta Hawks, they held Paul Millsap and Co. to just 68 points. It was the second-lowest point total put up by a team this season. The Hawks also shot just 31 percent from the floor, while Utah racked up nine steals and nine blocked shots.
On the year, the Jazz have held opponents to 91 points or less on 10 occasions. They lead the league in opponent points, allowing just under 93 points per game. When normalizing for pace of play, Utah gives up 98.7 points per 100 possessions, the second-best mark in the league.
The Jazz defense is also holding opponents to just 42.3 percent from the field, which tops the Association. They’ve been particularly good at chasing teams off of the three-point line. Jazz opponents are attempting just 22.5 threes per game, the second-lowest mark in the league.
As a result they’re making just under eight three-pointers per contest — also second-lowest in the league.
The Jazz protect the paint as well. Rudy Gobert is currently third in the NBA in blocks per game and is holding opponents to just 40 percent shooting at the rim.
While the Jazz struggled somewhat during their four-game skid, recent results and the overall returns on the year have been pretty darn good.
Defensive Grade: A-