The J-Notes
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Five Biggest Concerns Facing the Utah Jazz Ahead of the Playoffs

By Jared Woodcox

Mar 8, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) stretches out prior to the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 8, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) stretches out prior to the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 16, 2015; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz guard Rodney Hood (5) reacts to an apparent injury during the first quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 16, 2015; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz guard Rodney Hood (5) reacts to an apparent injury during the first quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports /

Health

Injuries have obviously been an enormous detriment to the Utah Jazz’s season all year long. Derrick Favors has yet to put together any semblance of the healthy power forward fans had come to know, Rodney Hood has been in and out of the lineup, George Hill has suffered several setbacks, Alec Burks missed significant time in the first half of the season and even Gordon Hayward started out the year sidelined.

All told, the Jazz’s starting lineup of George Hill, Rodney Hood, Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert alone has missed 80 total games this season and they have only logged 13 games as a unit. They just so happen to be 11-2 in those games, which despite being a small sample size, would seem to indicate just how much better Utah could be if they had remained healthy.

And the poor health goes beyond just the games missed. Favors hasn’t looked right all season even when he’s been on the court. Hood has been so hit and miss in terms of health that he’s never truly developed any sort of rhythm. Not to mention all the injuries have forced the Jazz into so many different lineups and rotations that it’s truly incredible to believe they’ve fared as well as they have.

But the big question come playoff time is, where will the Jazz truly be health-wise? With just 10 games left in the regular season, if Favors doesn’t return soon, it’s going to be hard to see him being able to fit cohesively in the postseason. Rodney Hood appeared to be limping near the end of last night’s game as well, so it could turn out to be yet another lengthy recovery for him.

True, the Jazz have been able to fill in admirably even with guys like Hill, Hood and Favors missing significant time but if they’re without those guys in the playoffs, it could be a completely different story. Utah’s strength lies in its whole being greater than the sum of its parts, and if a few of those important parts are absent, it could make for a tough road.

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