Where’s the Defense?
Perhaps the most shocking development for the Utah Jazz so far this season has been their forgettable defense that hasn’t looked able to stop anybody. A year removed from finishing as the league’s top defense when Rudy Gobert was healthy and on the floor, the Jazz haven’t resembled that stingy group at all.
So far, Utah is just 14th in the league in defensive rating at 107.9. Compare that to last year’s league-leading mark of 102.9 and 97.9 post All-Star Break, and you can clearly see why there’s some concern here. Gobert has been solid overall, but for the most part he’s not getting the defensive focus or support from his teammates.
The Jazz are also 20th in the league in opponent field goal percentage at 47.1 percent and 18th in opponent 3-point percentage at 36.5 percent. Those are both alarming trends that could very well sink the Jazz if they continue to allow teams to shoot and score at will.
Utah’s success has long been predicated on defensive excellence. If they aren’t able to maintain that standard, as has been the case so far this season, then they can kiss their status as an elite force in the West goodbye.
While some issues are expected for any team, especially early in a season, I honestly never would have foreseen defense being one of them for the Jazz. Their prowess on that end of the floor has been so consistent that seeing it falter up to this point has been wildly frustrating.