It should be said that the Utah Jazz were without star player Donovan Mitchell in last night’s game. He is, obviously, the best offensive player on this Jazz team. They are not the same squad without him.
It still certainly feels like they should be able to beat these Houston Rockets in his absence. Last night, they were not. The Rockets walked away with just their 14th win of the season in a 116-111 contest.
Utah Jazz fail to make defensive adjustments
This game was a tale of two halves, but neither had a happy ending for the Jazzmen. The Rockets spent the first quarter of this game pummeling the Jazz inside. It was a surprising tactic considering that Rudy Gobert was ready to greet each Rocket on the interior. For a quarter, it worked. The Rockets outscored the Jazz 36-27 in the first inning.
Predictably, it stopped working. The Jazz shut the Rockets down in the second quarter, winning that frame 35-21. Suddenly, frequently challenging the best rim protector in the NBA became a losing strategy for the Rockets.
They adjusted, and the Jazz failed to adjust in turn.
Utah Jazz beat at their own game
In the second half, the Rockets shifted their shot selection and let it fly from three-point range with more regularity. They were wildly successful.
As a whole, the Rockets shot 22/45 from three-point range, good for a 48.9% accuracy rate. The undrafted Garrison Mathews was particularly electric, hitting 5 of his 9 three-point attempts. Meanwhile, the Jazz shot a dismal 10/38 (26.3%) from three-point range.
These Utah Jazz needed to make defensive adjustments as it became clear that the Rockets had shifted their offensive strategy. Granted, many of the three-pointers attempted by the Rockets (in particular, Mathews) bordered on insane. They leaned into deep, unassisted threes in their victory.
The Jazz still needed to contest them. They missed too many rotations, seemingly anticipating drives and failing to react when the Rockets shot instead. The end result was a defeat at the hands of the worst team in the Western Conference.
Should the Utah Jazz ring the alarm bell?
It is readily apparent that something has to give with this Jazz team. Whether it’s a radical overhaul or a more incremental change, they do not look remotely ready to play for the NBA championship. With an aging core and depleted draft capital, that has to be the goal in 2021-22.
If the Utah Jazz can’t win their next game, that sense of urgency may increase even more. They’re playing the Detroit Pistons, who have the worst record in the National Basketball Association.