The J-Notes
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Are the Utah Jazz Meeting Expectations?

By Caleb Manser

Feb 4, 2017; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz guard George Hill (3), forward Gordon Hayward (20) and forward Joe Ingles (2) celebrate after basket in the fourth quarter against the Charlotte Hornets at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Utah Jazz defeated the Charlotte Hornets 105-98. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 4, 2017; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz guard George Hill (3), forward Gordon Hayward (20) and forward Joe Ingles (2) celebrate after basket in the fourth quarter against the Charlotte Hornets at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Utah Jazz defeated the Charlotte Hornets 105-98. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 14, 2017; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz forward Joe Ingles (2) shoots a three-pointer against the Orlando Magic in the fourth quarter at Vivint Smart Home Arena. The Utah Jazz defeated the Orlando Magic 114-107. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 14, 2017; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz forward Joe Ingles (2) shoots a three-pointer against the Orlando Magic in the fourth quarter at Vivint Smart Home Arena. The Utah Jazz defeated the Orlando Magic 114-107. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports /

Depth Chart and Rotation

Quin Snyder entered training camp with a long agenda to find out his best rotations and lineups. With so many versatile options, there were lineups galore to be experimented and tinkered with. Unfortunately, not all 15 guys have been available or 100 percent back to themselves (I’m looking at you Favors), so Snyder has had to play this season by ear.

While many initially expected (myself included) Dante Exum, Alec Burks, and Trey Lyles to seize the second string spots of their respective positions, all three of them have struggled to find a consistent rotation spot due to return from injury or lackluster play. Unfortunately the next man up philosophy hasn’t worked out too well for the point guard and power forward spots as Shelvin Mack, Raul Neto, and Boris Diaw have been inconsistent contributors at best.

However the backup shooting guard/third wing spot has been a pleasant surprise. Last year the Jazz had to patch together the backup wing position with Chris Johnson and Joe Ingles playing extensive minutes as injury replacements for Alec Burks. This year, they have Joe Johnson ready to step in and a surprisingly improved Joe Ingles.

Ingles was viewed as a borderline NBA player in my mind up until this season. He has proven me wrong by putting up career bests in True Shooting percentage, Player Efficiency Rating, and Turnover Rate despite his usage rate going up. He leads the team in steals per game, ranks fifth in the league for three-point percentage, and only Hill, Hayward, and Gobert have a higher Box Plus-Minus score than the Aussie Sniper.

The Jazz are inching closer and closer to 100 percent health and recovery from every player, and as they do they are able to win in dominant fashion against mediocre teams such as Milwaukee. While it may be a stretch to say the Jazz have the best bench in the league, Quin Snyder has been able to coax out winning basketball when the injury bug bites.

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