Utah Jazz: One thing each key role player needs to improve in 2019-20

Emmanuel Mudiay – Finishing at the rim

In a recent article from my J-Notes colleague Hayden Van de Maat, he brought up an extremely good point. Namely, that although Emmanuel Mudiay’s career up to this point has been considered a disappointment, the former seventh overall pick in the draft has been in some pretty unfavorable situations that have likely contributed mightily to his struggles.

First, he was thrust into a role that was likely way over his head as the starting point guard for the Denver Nuggets as a mere 19-year-old. After the Nuggets gave up on him, he suited up for the New York Knicks, a team with an abysmal reputation as it pertains to developing players and churning out talent. And to his credit, he actually looked much improved there as he posted 14.8 points per game in his first full season and upped his shooting efficiency considerably.

Given that he’s had a slow start to his career, Jazz fans would be wise to temper their expectations. However, it will be intriguing to see what he can do now that he’s finally on a team renowned for player development and that he will likely be able to fill a role on this Jazz squad that’s more suitable to his abilities. The Jazz have helped players dramatically enhance their game, and it’s entirely plausible they could do so again with the 23-year-old Mudiay, who appears determined to work his tail off.

There are several things he could look to get better at, but the principal one that stands out to me right off the bat is his finishing at the rim. Mudiay is athletic and certainly has the ability to be a slasher who can get into the paint, but unfortunately once he’s there, he hasn’t really been all that effective.

Within 0-3 feet of the basket last season, Mudiay shot 53.8 percent. That may not sound bad on the surface, but compare that to Ricky Rubio, who Jazz fans came to know as someone who notoriously missed easy looks at the rim but wound up with a percentage of 58.2 percent in shots 0-3 feet from the rim, and it’s easy to see why the former’s mark is a little concerning. For further context, Donovan Mitchell went 61.9 percent at the rim last year and 63.8 percent his rookie season, significantly better than both marks.

To Mudiay’s credit, he did go 64.7 percent at the rim in his first 22 games in 2017-18 after being traded to the Knicks, but his career mark of 51.3 percent, far less than even the poor percentage he shot last year, doesn’t inspire much confidence. Then again, at least in that instance he tops Rubio, whose career number is a mere 50 percent.

If we broaden the scope just a little bit, on shots within 10 feet, Mudiay shot just 49.5 percent last season. Rubio on the other hand, who again we know was not effective in close range, went 53.4 percent. Once again, that’s not an encouraging mark on shots close to the hoop.

Considering that shooting efficiency as a whole hasn’t been a strong suit for Mudiay, it will be absolutely critical that he improves his ability to finish at the rim. If he can do that and allow his driving prowess to become more of a weapon, it should heighten his overall efficiency dramatically while also making him a much more valuable and versatile offensive option for the Jazz.