Utah Jazz: Four questions that will define Jazz-Rockets series

Will the Jazz get the Rubio of old?

Last season, Ricky Rubio got off to a horrific start in a Jazz uniform. Mere months into his tenure, fans were already calling for him to be traded from the team. Then, as if a switch had suddenly flipped inside him, from February 2018 onward, Rubio was amazing. You’ll recall that the Jazz went on a 29-6 run to close out the season last year and Ricky was a huge part of that.

Come playoff time, his effectiveness didn’t diminish one bit as Rubio was a crucial performer in the series against the Oklahoma City Thunder. In the five games he played before suffering an injury in Game 6, he averaged 16.8 points per game and in several occasions he outplayed Russell Westbrook and was more than respectable against him on defense.

No game stood out more than Rubio’s triple-double performance in Game 3 (26 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists) whereas Westbrook finished with just 14 points on below 30 percent shooting from the field. Unfortunately, thereafter Rubio was unavailable for the series against Houston due to the injury he suffered versus OKC and his presence was undoubtedly missed.

Having him in action this time around could be monumental for the Jazz as Rubio will spend a significant amount of time working to keep James Harden in check. The bad news for Jazz fans, though, is that Rubio has been dealing with continual injuries and while he’ll more than likely play in Game 1, he is actually on the injury report as ‘probable’ with a right quad contusion. If he continues to be banged up, it could spell trouble for him and his Jazz team.

Not only that, but unlike a season ago where Rubio had that breakout stretch from February to April, he truly hasn’t been all that impressive for Utah consistently in his second season with the Jazz. His points per game, field goal percentage and three-point percentage are all down significantly from a year ago and his post-All-Star break numbers (albeit hampered by injury) are even worse than his pre-break stats.

That doesn’t bode well at all for the answer to this question posed here being favorable. But that doesn’t change the fact at all that it’s extremely crucial. If Rubio can somehow channel his inner ‘OKC series Ricky’ prowess, he could be the key difference maker in the series. Rubio has often been referred to as Utah’s barometer – as he goes, so go the Jazz. They’ll need him to be red-hot, focused and firing on all cylinders in order to topple an elite Rockets team.

The scary thing is, if recent performances are any indication, then depending on Rubio to be a saving grace in this series may just be a sign of turbulent times ahead for the Utah Jazz.