The J-Notes
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Utah Jazz: Three reasons for optimism, three reasons for panic after Game 1

By Jared Woodcox

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - APRIL 15: Donovan Mitchell #45 and Ricky Rubio #3 of the Utah Jazz speak to the media after the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder during Game One of Round One of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on April 15, 2018 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images)
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - APRIL 15: Donovan Mitchell #45 and Ricky Rubio #3 of the Utah Jazz speak to the media after the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder during Game One of Round One of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on April 15, 2018 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – APRIL 15: Rudy Gobert #27 of the Utah Jazz attempts to block a shot against the Oklahoma City Thunder during Game One of Round One of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on April 15, 2018 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images)
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – APRIL 15: Rudy Gobert #27 of the Utah Jazz attempts to block a shot against the Oklahoma City Thunder during Game One of Round One of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on April 15, 2018 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Optimism – Jazz have nowhere to go but up on D

Coming into Sunday’s Game 1 against the Thunder, one of the biggest strengths for the Jazz in the series was presumed to be their smothering D. Since Rudy Gobert returned to action from his second regular season leg injury, Utah had boasted the best defense in the league by a wide margin.

However, if Game 1 was the only time you’d watched the Jazz all year, you wouldn’t have believed such to be the case. Not only were Paul George and others able to destroy the Jazz from deep, but it was an all-around concerning defensive effort for the Jazz.

Neither Joe Ingles nor Royce O’Neale were able to do anything to contain PG as they made several errors defensively that helped facilitate his big night. Beyond those two, while Carmelo didn’t kill the Jazz with efficiency, he certainly hurt them with timely shots, and Utah in no way was able to exploit a potential mismatch there. Though it’s nearly impossible to cover all three of OKC’s stars and at times one may have to be left open, Melo did a good job of punishing the Jazz when they were slow to close out on him.

Russell Westbrook also hurt the Jazz as he put up 29 points while shooting 40 percent (10-of-25) from the field – precisely his season average. OKC gets into trouble when Westbrook struggles with his efficiency and comes up empty on several shot attempts. If Utah is going to slow down this Thunder team, they’re going to need to force him into tougher looks to bring that shooting percentage down.

In Utah’s credit, they did a relatively good job of keeping Westbrook out of the paint and he simply knocked down a lot of jump shots, but making him work harder for those looks and contesting more effectively will need to be a point of emphasis.

When all was said and done Sunday night, the Utah Jazz finished with a defensive rating for the game of 115 – their second worst such mark since the return of Rudy Gobert in January. This sure sounds like a bunch of bad news, right? So wherein lies the optimism?

Well, in short, Utah’s defense has been its most consistent attribute for the better part of three months. No matter the opponent or situation, the Jazz D has been extremely reliable. Whatever the reason, be it nerves, lack of discipline or just a Thunder team that presents a poor matchup, Utah simply wasn’t able to convert on that end on Sunday.

However, based on how consistent the defense has been in the past, I think Jazz fans have every right to be optimistic that their team will get back to it sooner than later and that should drastically improve their chances in the series right away. As I’ve mentioned, the Thunder shot lights out, meaning a better than normal OKC team was on the floor while a worse than usual Jazz team was in action.

As both these sides normalize – OKC’s shooting coming back to earth and Utah’s defense getting up to snuff – we should see a dramatic shift in the outcomes of this series.

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