Minneapolis • No team gets back on defense like the Utah Jazz.
The Jazz are currently the No. 1 team in the league in terms of getting back after they miss a shot, something that they heavily emphasize in practice. According to CleaningTheGlass, the Jazz allow transition opportunities on only 22.9% of possessions after a defensive rebound by the other team, best in the league.
And that translates to effective defense, too, where the Jazz only allow teams to score 96 points per 100 possessions in those situations, per Inpredictable.
“Usually when teams go on runs, it’s transition defense,” Jazz coach Quin Snyder explained. “Defending after missed layups is really hard, sometimes harder than defending after a turnover because you’re essentially down a man. So it starts with the urgency to get back.”
For two consecutive games, the Jazz held the Minnesota Timberwolves to just eight fast break points, when the league average is 13.5.
Where the emphasis has perhaps cost the Jazz is on the offensive glass, where they rank last in the league. As the Jazz run back early, they don’t have anyone beyond Rudy Gobert down low crashing the boards to get those offensive rebounds.
On Wednesday, though, they were much improved. Against the Timberwolves, they scored 18 second-chance points after 13 offensive rebounds.
Closing out on shooters without fouling
With the 3-point weapon used more often than ever before, teams have to get creative to stop opponents from behind the arc. But there’s one thing that coaches hate more than anything: fouling jump shooters. So how do you weigh the two?
“A common phrase that we use, and you hear versions of it from other teams, is to be the second jumper," Minnesota coach Ryan Saunders said.
Snyder said that the idea reminded him of his time as an assistant under Mike Brown with the Los Angeles Lakers, beginning in 2011.
“Mike Brown was really big on when I was an assistant, for guys to be the second player to leave the floor,” Snyder said with a smile. “I remember the exact terminology because it was something that was emphasized.”
Stars to host three games at Vivint Arena
The G League Salt Lake City Stars went on a three-game winning streak to get to 3-2 in early season play. Led in scoring by Jazz two-way player Justin Wright-Foreman, the Stars have been playing most of their minutes without a traditional center on the floor to good results.
They also recently announced that they’ll play three games at the home of the Jazz this season: Dec. 28 vs. Austin, Jan. 24 vs. Stockton and March 2 vs. South Bay. All of their other home games are played at Bruin Arena on the campus of Salt Lake Community College.
