Key #2 – Somehow hold firm on the perimeter
A major reason why the Utah Jazz have had a more disappointing season than many presumed they would this year is because their defense hasn’t been nearly as staunch as advertised heading into the start of the 2017-18 campaign. Sure, injuries have played their role in this, but overall there’s little excuse for how poorly the Jazz have defended this year.
That’s exponentially true regarding Utah’s perimeter defense, which has been nothing short of terrible. The Jazz are currently second to last in the league in opponent three-point shooting percentage at 37.9 percent.
That kind of poor defense is an absolute death wish against the Golden State Warriors, who have been the NBA’s most deadly three-point shooting team this season at 39.6 percent. The quickest way to lose to the Warriors is to allow them to get in a groove from deep by giving them open look after open look.
The Warriors are riding at full throttle because Stephen Curry is fully cooking https://t.co/71nJksuYT4
— The Crossover (@TheCrossover) January 30, 2018
Utah has struggled mightily to contain even the weakest of shooting teams from beyond the arc, so they’ll need to undergo a vast improvement if they are to stop Golden State. In Jazz wins this season, they’ve held their opponents to just 33.3 percent three-point shooting whereas in losses, they’ve allowed opponents to torch the nets from deep at a rate of 41.4 percent.
In other words, their ability to hold opponents in check from the perimeter has been the difference-maker in contests all season long and certainly will be the difference tonight.