Utah Jazz: Four Possible Solutions to Improve Frontcourt

Play Jeff Withey More at the Center Position

I know, some of you are probably laughing at this one. It’s OK, though because in some ways I am too. Yet, for as much as Jeff Withey can drive me crazy, with his awkward looking run that I can only describe as “reindeer-like” and his clashing black shoe and white sock combo like he sported against Milwaukee, he really hasn’t been all that bad as a backup center.

When and if Favors is healthy, Derrick is definitely a more talented option for the center position. Yet, it’s still obvious that when Gobert is out of the game and Favors is forced to play the five he simply isn’t quite as comfortable. Therefore, it could truly be of benefit to his game and the Jazz’s cohesion if instead Withey logged some minutes at center alongside Favors with Gobert resting or in foul trouble.

In the instances when Favors isn’t healthy (which is unfortunately much too frequently), then Withey actually becomes an important part of the rotation in my mind. In Utah’s recent loss to the Grizzlies in which Derrick Favors was a late scratch, Jeff Withey never even saw the floor and Memphis’ bigs Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph simply had their way with the less formidable defenders Trey Lyles and Boris Diaw.

Now, perhaps they would have run over Withey just as easily, but it would have been nice to at least see the Jazz try to throw out a bigger body and more length at the Grizzlies by utilizing the fourth-year center.

In Utah’s latest win over Milwaukee, Withey came in following Rudy’s early fouls and did a formidable job of protecting the paint and putting up six quick points. Milwaukee is obviously no Memphis in terms of the skill of its bigs, but it was still good to see him log some meaningful minutes.

And while Withey has hardly seen the court this season, he was an excellent defender last year, boasting an incredible defensive rating of 97.6 while chipping in a block per game in just 12 minutes per contest.

Thus, while he isn’t necessarily a dazzling player, he is capable of getting the job done and should especially be utilized when Favors is sidelined and against teams that boast formidable big men that clearly outmatch the likes of Diaw and Lyles on offense.

While this solution, much like Withey himself, is far from flashy, it’s a simple tweak that the Jazz could make if they decide none of the previous more risky solutions are worth it or feasible. By no means am I saying that Withey deserves more minutes than Favors, but with D-Faves still struggling to get healthy, Withey could certainly be useful to the Jazz in the proper situations.

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Yet even after going through all these solutions, it’s very likely that the Jazz will simply stay pat. I’ll be among the first to say that I am a huge fan of Derrick Favors and honestly hope that the solution becomes simply that he recovers and ups his game to his former level.

This would not only be the easiest for the Jazz, but likely the most successful as he is a crucial part of this team’s cohesion and overall game plan.

Nevertheless, given his struggles this season that have quite honestly held the Jazz back from reaching the next level, the team may very well need to look to take an alternative approach besides just sitting and waiting for their once formidable power forward to come to his own.

And whether that approach comes in the form of a trade, adding a free agent to increase depth or simply giving one of their current players more minutes when necessary, there’s no questioning that unless Derrick Favors can get back into a groove, something must be done for the Jazz to shore up their frontcourt and remain competitive against the top teams in the league.