The J-Notes
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NBA Northwest power rankings: Utah Jazz scuffling through 20 games

By Ryan Aston

PHILADELPHIA, PA - NOVEMBER 16: Rudy Gobert #27 of the Utah Jazz reacts against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on November 16, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - NOVEMBER 16: Rudy Gobert #27 of the Utah Jazz reacts against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on November 16, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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Donovan Mitchell Utah Jazz
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – NOVEMBER 17: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz looks on during the third quarter of the game against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on November 17, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Omar Rawlings/Getty Images) /

5) Utah Jazz

Record: 9-11 (5th Northwest, 14th Western Conference)

Just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse…

When Donovan Mitchell (rib contusion) failed to appear in the second half of the Jazz’s game against the LA Lakers on Friday, you knew a loss was coming. If he continues to miss games (as he did on Sunday against the Sacramento Kings) or returns in a diminished capacity, many more could follow as the team faces another difficult December slate.

Injuries and scheduling aside, though, the Jazz just haven’t been very good through much of the early campaign.

Despite having reigning DPOY Rudy Gobert down low, the Jazz ranked just 23rd in paint defense entering the Kings game, conceding 48.9 points per 100 possessions in the key. Meanwhile, they were 14th league in D-rating at 108.

The new freedom of movement rules have definitely hampered the effectiveness of the team’s more physical defenders, with Gobert and Royce O’Neale being the most affected.

But as bad as the D has been, the team’s preponderance to misfire from deep has been the real killer. They’re under 33 percent for the season and were the worst team in the league over the seven games preceding the Kings game at under 27 percent.

Hopefully, beating Sacramento was the beginning of a turnaround.

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