The J-Notes
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How good does the Utah Jazz offense need to be?

By John Keeffer

Milwaukee, WI - MARCH 20: Derrick Favors #15 of the Utah Jazz shakes hands with Rudy Gobert #27 of the Utah Jazz before the game against the Milwaukee Bucks on March 20, 2016 at the BMO Harris Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images)
Milwaukee, WI - MARCH 20: Derrick Favors #15 of the Utah Jazz shakes hands with Rudy Gobert #27 of the Utah Jazz before the game against the Milwaukee Bucks on March 20, 2016 at the BMO Harris Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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SALT LAKE CITY, UT – APRIL 28: Head coach Quin Snyder of the Utah Jazz points to his team against the Los Angeles Clippers in Game Six of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Vivint Smart Home Arena on April 28, 2017 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT – APRIL 28: Head coach Quin Snyder of the Utah Jazz points to his team against the Los Angeles Clippers in Game Six of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Vivint Smart Home Arena on April 28, 2017 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr/Getty Images) /

Faster Pace of Play

This will be my last point, and it ties into the previous thought of Utah increasing their turnover rate. Over the last few season under Coach Quin Snyder, the Utah Jazz have run at one of the slowest offensive paces in the league.

Heading into this next season, while I think the Jazz will still be one of the slower teams in the league, I do expect them to push the ball far more often than in the past. The main reason for that is going to be the arrival of Ricky Rubio.

Not only does Ricky Rubio create turnovers, but he is terrific in capitalizing off of those turnovers. Re-watch the video of Rubio in the last slide. Go ahead, I’ll wait. How often did his steals in those highlights lead to fast break opportunities? Almost every time!

The Jazz were the slowest paced team in the league last season (93.62). They also took the least amount of shots per game (79.5), and had the lowest number of possessions per game (94.7).

I don’t think they do a complete 180, but I do think they will raise those numbers this next season. Quin Snyder is an incredible coach, and he knows how to get the most out of his players. With that in mind, I expect him to utilize Rubio’s strengths. Which means the Jazz will push the pace far more often off of turnovers, blocks and defensive rebounds.

In the half court, they are likely to run the same offense as last year, which Rubio’s passing will also be able to benefit.

The Utah Jazz defense next season is going to be a joy to watch. It is one of the first times I have ever been excited to watch a teams defense. If they take a step forward from last season and are able to hold teams to roughly 95 points per game, they are going to be in a position to win most games.

More from The J-Notes

There may be struggles offensively, but if a few key players can take a step forward, they force more turnovers on defense, and if their pace increases with Ricky Rubio, they should be able to average about 100 points per game. If that ends up being the case, they should have a terrific chance at making it back to the playoffs.

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