Utah Jazz: Three pros and cons of loss to Nuggets

Offensive Rebounds

That picture above tells the whole story.

The Nuggets absolutely crushed the Jazz on the battle for offensive rebounds. On possessions where the Jazz were able to force a Nuggets miss, oftentimes Rudy Gobert was pulled out of the paint covering Nikola Jokic on the perimeter, meaning the Jazz’s best defensive rebounder was away from the basket.

Other times, Jokic simply dominated. He would be boxed out by one or two Jazz players, yet still find a way to get possession of the ball. His sheer weight and soft touch make him a dangerous weapon for put-backs that give Gobert trouble.

https://twitter.com/nuggets/status/1225249695942901761

That’s saying something. There’s not many players in the league that can give Gobert (who has a 9-foot-7 standing reach) a hassle on the glass. In addition to offensive boards Jokic gave the Jazz problems by setting screens as strong as a brick wall.

When you run right into his 250 pound body with his feet set, he’s not going anywhere, and you better get around him before your man is at the rim.

The Jazz have to continue to preach crashing the defensive glass as a team effort. The Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets exposed Utah’s kryptonite of pulling Gobert out of the paint with a stretch 5, and it will take all hands on deck to not get crushed on the offensive glass.