Two ways the Utah Jazz can catch up with the West’s best
Utah Jazz need to improve Turnover Percentage
We’ve just outlined how the Jazz could benefit from stealing the ball more often. They’d also benefit from doing a better job of holding onto it once they do.
As it stands, the Jazz rank 21st in the NBA in Turnover Percentage at 13.4%. Such a low placement could be justified if those turnovers coincided with a high volume of assists, but that isn’t the case for the Utah Jazz. The team’s Assist Percentage of 54.2 is second-last in the entire NBA, ahead of only the mediocre Toronto Raptors.
We’re not going to suggest that the Jazz need to boost that statistic. Their Offensive Rating of 115.5 is the best in the entire National Basketball Association. Obviously, their reliance on unassisted three-point attempts is paying off. However, if they’re not going to take the risks involved in trying to set teammates up with passing, they shouldn’t be turning it over so frequently either.
The Golden State Warriors are particularly prone to turnovers. Their Turnover Percentage of 14.7 ranks second to last in the league, behind only the woeful Houston Rockets. However, that percentage is a product of a frenetic offensive system that leans heavily into ball movement: their 70.6 Assist Percentage paces the Association.
Meanwhile, the Phoenix Suns rank 7th in Assist Percentage at 61.8, and 9th in Turnover Percentage at 12.1. They play a brand of basketball that effectively splits the difference between Utah and Golden State’s attacks.
If the Jazz could cut down their Turnover Percentage, they could assemble an offensive attack designed to counteract the Warriors’ strengths: less assists, but fewer turnovers. Meanwhile, they probably won’t match Phoenix’s excellency in terms of assists-to-turnover ratio, but a lower Turnover Percentage could allow the Utah Jazz to beat the Suns in a playoff series with their own strengths: quality shots that result in the league’s best Offensive Rating.
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The Utah Jazz are enjoying a quality 2021-22 season. At 14-7, their fanbase should be encouraged. However, by simultaneously stealing the ball more often, and protecting the ball more carefully, they could catapult themselves to truly elite status in the Western Conference.