Utah Jazz: The 3 most intriguing lineups for next season

The good luck scoring against us lineup

Ricky Rubio, Donovan Mitchell, Thabo Sefolosha, Derrick Favors, Rudy Gobert

One of the testaments to the defensive upside this Jazz team has is the fact that it’s almost impossible to decide what the team’s best defensive lineup is. There are just so many options. I could have easily slid in Exum or Ingles, and there may not have been any noticeable drop-off.

The main difference between this year’s top defensive lineup and last season’s is going to be turnovers created. While the No. 3 overall defense did a terrific job forcing opponents into bad shots, they were in the bottom 10 at turnover percentage, and second to last in steals per game.

That will be different next season. No one in this lineup has a wingspan less than 6-foot-9.

Last season, Utah’s steals leader was Ingles at 1.2 steals per game. I’ll say that again… Ingles led this team in steals last season! Sneaky good defensive player, but when he’s your steals leader, an alarm should sound.

That will almost certainly not be the case next season. Rubio has averaged 2.1 steals for his career. Mitchell averaged two steals a game at Louisville last season, and average 4.4 during the summer league. Meanwhile, Sefolosha averaged 1.5 steals per contest last season.

The Jazz backcourt in this lineup is going to disrupt passing lanes, and will constantly create havoc for opposing ball handlers. Their steals per game number should easily outstrip the 6.7 from last year.

As for Utah’s frontcourt, we all know what Gobert is capable of. In my absolutely unbiased opinion, he is the best center in the NBA, and should have been the Defensive Player of the Year.

A lot has already been said and written about Gobert, so I’ll just say this — one of the keys to Utah’s defensive success is that teammates don’t need to help. In a pick and roll heavy league, it is extremely beneficial to have defenders who don’t need help. When point guards get into the lane with the opposing big man rolling, he can use his wingspan to deter both players.

That allows our wings to stay safely attached to their man.

We’ve all seen this before, but just look at his numbers last season:

One of the keys to this defensive lineup is going to be a healthy Derrick Favors. It’s easy to forget the type of defensive player Favors was before his injury riddles last season. Just look at this seven block game he had against the Miami Heat two seasons ago when healthy.

I’ve already written an entire article on what we need from Derrick Favors, and my colleague Ryan Aston wrote about the hard work Favors is putting in to get there.

While health has always been a question, from 2014 through the end of the 2016 season, Derrick Favors averaged 16.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and one steal per game. Last season was different though, as Favors couldn’t overcome his back and knee issues, and stumbled to a meager 9.5 points and six rebounds.

One of the best defensive traits for Favors, was his ability to switch onto guards and effectively stay in front of them. Last season, he visibly didn’t have the same mobility he was once known for. If he can get back to where he once was, the Jazz will be equipped to remain big, while still being able to handle the new small-ball wave going through the NBA.

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With pesty, ball-hawking wings terrorizing ball handlers, a big man in Favors who can switch onto guards and help protect the rim, and the ever present Stifle Tower, good luck scoring on this defensive lineup.