The Utah Jazz may have begun this season with higher aspirations than they now look poised to meet. They’re still in contention for the NBA championship, but their odds are longer than fans would like.
Of course, it’s easy to say that after a 28-point loss at the hands of the Boston Celtics. True, the Cs are the hottest team in the league. That’s little consolation: contenders shouldn’t lose by 28 to anybody.
It’s not all gloom and doom. These Utah Jazz have the talent, structure and offensive philosophy to beat anybody. They just also have some exploitable weaknesses. Covering them up will be vital towards the goal of making a deep playoff run.
Here are 3 of those weaknesses.
Utah Jazz playoff concern #1: Consistency
Sometimes, it feels like nobody knows which version of the Utah Jazz will show up on a given night.
It might be partly due to their reliance on three-point shots. That’s an offensive strategy with a high degree of variance. The Jazz tend to feast or famine depending on their long range accuracy.
In the postseason, inconsistency will bury you alive. It’s the time of year where you only play quality opponents. The Jazz need to do something to ensure they’re one of those on a nightly basis.
It might mean an adjustment to their shot diet (although, that’s unlikely at this point in the season). It might mean a more staunch commitment to defense (more on that later).
Whatever it takes, the Utah Jazz need to do it. There’s a lot riding on this postseason.