Take out garbage time and it's much worse
How Bad will the Jazz Defense Be This Year?
- Thread starter SoberasHotRod
- Start date
If you have access to the data, please share.
I dont think we have had enough garbage minutes for them to impact. Only like 3 games so far that weren't relatively close towards the end. Maybe 30 minutes of garbage time total?
Now we are about 30% in to the season and our defensive rating has dropped all the way to 25th in the NBA. I think this is more like what we expected at the start of the season, and I'll assume we stay a bottom 10 defensive team. Teams with bottom 5 defensive ratings rarely win more than 30 games, although we do have a top 4 offensive rating, so we might win a little more than that.
Here are the defensive metrics I posted in the OP, but for this season so far:
There are some really interesting numbers in here.
- Gay with unbelievably good defensive numbers and Simone with unbelievably bad defensive numbers. Did losing Gay make us a much worse defensive team, or did we just happen to become a worse defensive team when Gay got injured and it's messing with the numbers?
- As already discussed on this board, the Vanderbilt numbers are real bad.
- Lauri is having his best defensive season of his career. The offensive load he's taken on is pretty incredible, but to improve his defense this much is really remarkable.
- Our best defensive players tend to be our worst offensive players.
- Sexton with good individual defensive impact, but bad team defensive impact.
- Ochai and NAW haven't played enough real rotation minutes to include them, but I was curious so looked them up as well.
There are some really interesting numbers in here.
- Gay with unbelievably good defensive numbers and Simone with unbelievably bad defensive numbers. Did losing Gay make us a much worse defensive team, or did we just happen to become a worse defensive team when Gay got injured and it's messing with the numbers?
- As already discussed on this board, the Vanderbilt numbers are real bad.
- Lauri is having his best defensive season of his career. The offensive load he's taken on is pretty incredible, but to improve his defense this much is really remarkable.
- Our best defensive players tend to be our worst offensive players.
- Sexton with good individual defensive impact, but bad team defensive impact.
- Ochai and NAW haven't played enough real rotation minutes to include them, but I was curious so looked them up as well.
fishonjazz
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Ochai looked really really good defensively last night. It was only like 3 possessions though so doesn't mean much but it was still some very impressive defense.
Simone definitely always seems kind of lost on the court. Maybe it's a language barrier thing?
Gay is kind of weird.
My eye test definitely says his length has helped defensively, but he has absolutely no hustle to grab loose balls.
I'm sure it also helps that Gay was playing during the good stretch and hasnt played during the bad stretch.
My eye test definitely says his length has helped defensively, but he has absolutely no hustle to grab loose balls.
I'm sure it also helps that Gay was playing during the good stretch and hasnt played during the bad stretch.
I will say I do think currently NAW is our best perimter defender. For a while I thought it was THT, but I think THT is more specialized in his defensive strengths whereas NAW is a bit more well rounded.
I do feel like NAW could turn the corner at some point. Could be a really valuable role player if his jumper ever comes around. Could be our poor man's Lonzo.
I do feel like NAW could turn the corner at some point. Could be a really valuable role player if his jumper ever comes around. Could be our poor man's Lonzo.
Gay had really good defensive numbers last year as well. I wrote it off to him playing most of his minutes with Gobert. Now I'm starting to wonder a little bit more. He definitely doesn't seem to be what I think of as a great defender. He isn't super active and seemingly involved. Maybe he's just good at getting his large body in good defensive positions and anticipating where he needs to be on the court. Maybe he is the anti-Vanderbilt.
Keep in mind Gay has played most of his minutes with Kessler this season.
