The Utah Jazz are 7-13 and still hoping to find out who they are in time to turn around the season that has quickly gotten away from them. They're plagued by turnovers and poor shot selection, not to mention the awful effort on defense that has really affected the team's ability to mount any type of steady streak of wins.
Former Utah Jazz coach Gordie Chiesa believes he knows why the Jazz is struggling so mightily this season, as opposed to last season where they just narrowly avoided the play-in tournament. Speaking on the Bill Riley show on ESPN 700 (via Sports Illustrated), the former long-time Jazz assistant spoke about the team's struggles, focusing on two key areas that seem to be the most affected;
Their hustle and the turnovers.
Chiesa would go on to talk more about those to factors, saying;
"Loose ball recoveries, the mismatch rebounding battles. Generally speaking, more physicality. Your will to get the job done. ...They’ve got to protect the ball. The Jazz commit the most turnovers in the NBA at 17.5 per game. Besides the passing turnovers, it could be illegal screens, offensive fouls—you have no chance on the road if you lead the NBA in turnovers.”
Nothing Chiesa said is wrong, the team lacks effort and understanding. They're not putting their best foot forward, and a lot of that has to do with the roster's youth and the selection of players that are currently on the roster. The team isn't exactly built to succeed, not without a true point guard that focuses more on distribution and pushing the pace, instead of poor shot selection and turnovers.
The Jazz need someone who can fortify the passing and take the lead offensively when it comes to distribution. They should not be in a situation where the franchise guy; Lauri Markkanen, is taking fewer shots than Jordan Clarkson. Things need to change.