Christmas may be a time of giving, but even members of the Utah Jazz aren’t immune to the desire to receive.
We don’t know what material possessions any of these guys may covet, but we can take some educated guesses about what they might like to receive on the basketball floor. We won’t be able to play Santa Clause: only Quin Snyder or practice could grant these guys these gifts. We’re just here to help them figure out what to ask for.
Here’s one basketball related gift for every member of the Utah Jazz
One gift for every member of the Utah Jazz
Trent Forrest, Miye Oni, Jared Butler, Elijah Hughes, Malik Fitts, Udoka Azubuike: An opportunity
We’ve grouped every Jazzman playing fewer than 10 minutes per game into the same category. That’s not laziness: we can safely assume they’d all ask for the same thing.
Each of these players have shown varying degrees of potential. Each of them are also a young player on a veteran heavy, contending NBA team. It’s safe to assume that each would like a bigger opportunity to showcase their abilities.
Mike Conley: More shot attempts
Conley is hitting the shots he’s taking, with an impressive 62.0 True Shooting % (TS%). He’s simply not shooting very often. His 10.4 field goal attempts per game are his lowest since 2009-10, his third year in the NBA.
Meanwhile, that sterling TS% is the best mark of the floor general’s 14-year career. With a wealth of offensive options at his disposal, we’re not suggesting Coach Snyder overhaul his offensive strategy. Two or three more field goal attempts per game for Mike Conley, however, may pay dividends.
Bojan Bogdanovic: Better defense
Heading into the 2021-22 season, we identified several goals for Bogey to aspire towards. One of those goals was to hit a career high in Defensive Box Plus/Minus (DBPM).
Call us crazy, but we’re starting to wonder if Bogdanovic even reads the J-Notes at all!
His subpar -1.4 DBPM is a regression from last season’s -0.9, and matches his overall career average. Bogdanovic is having a strong season, and nobody is expecting him to contend for an All-Defensive team. Still, a little more effort on that end might go a long way.