The Utah Jazz's defense was certainly a concern going into the 2026-27 season, and the initial results are not great. Over their first three games, of which they've gone 1-2, they have allowed 123, 119, and 132 points. Those are yikes numbers, and they rank the Jazz's defensive rating at No. 28th in the league, allowing 121.8 points per 100 possessions, per NBA.com.
This was a concern going in, especially following the departure of Walker Kessler. That kind of presence at the rim is not easy to make up. Look, Utah knew ahead of time that this was going to be a work in progress, but that doesn't make watching their growing pains any easier.
However, there's a legitimate defense for them. They have been victim to two of the biggest scoring explosions of the season already that will likely be among the highest this season. It started with Ty Jerome going off on Opening Night - putting up 45 points - and then Luka Doncic going off for 52.
Considering Jerome has not eased off the gas pedal since then, and Luka is Luka, it gives the Jazz a plausible defense that they are a victim of circumstance to start this season. They simply got victimized by two of the best scorers in the league.
The only way to know is to see what happens when they're not going up against an offensive juggernaut who decided to pop off for 40 or 50.
That doesn't mean it's not a concern period
Even if their defense being bad can be rooted in the fact that Jerome and Doncic had magnet balls, that doesn't suddenly erase the concern period. The Jazz not only have to figure out how to stop those from happening, but whether they can or can't, they also have to figure out how to weather the storm when that happens.
Hopefully, the Jazz will eventually be able to figure themselves out on the defensive end once they don't have to face a star capable of exploding. In all fairness, Jerome might simply be on a Linsanity run that will fade over time, but whether he is or isn't, it still proves that the Jazz have to do better whether the most random player like him is going off or a proven juggernaut like Luka is.
Even if they boast defenively stout personnel like Jaren Jackson Jr., it is going to be a team effort to figure this out. They don't necessarily have to be elite for now, but they have to prove that their third-lowest defensive rating in the league reflects more on the circumstances than it does on their talent level.
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