Game Thread Jan 25, 2023 08:00PM MT: Jazz at Trail Blazers

[Mikle12]

The most basic way any NBA team can score is the guard iso, which happens to be the one thing we are seemingly unable to defend. Its not even about screens and switches, its that we dont have a guy who can even properly slow down the smaller quicker guards when singled out. Dame, Kyrie, Simons, Mitchell, Fox... the list of guys who have gone off against us is long.

Ochai will hopefully become an option for that but its his first year so he doesnt have the experience of the tendencies and moves some of these guys have. I'm still a bit disappointed Hardy didnt give him much of a run against Dame... with fresher legs towards the end he could have been decent in defending Dame full-court. Its not like the current plan was working.

This is a complete list of box scores against us with someone scoring 35 or more. Embiid is the only big man to do it.. and that was way early in the season mostly against KO/Vando/Lauri FC. Noteworthy is that 6 of these 11 are from January.

View attachment 13750

We desperately need a lock down defender as jingles said Carson Wallace trade Clarkson for a 1st rounder of next draft sexton can move into starting position

 

[HermanG]

We desperately need a lock down defender as jingles said Carson Wallace trade Clarkson for a 1st rounder of next draft sexton can move into starting position

I 100% agree about the need... dont know too much about Wallace though.

I'm also dreadful what SGA will do to us. We havent seen OKC yet but will play them 4 times after the AS break.

 

[Mikle12]

There isn’t really any good defenders that are free agents or can trade for because they are premium so we are better off drafting the best 2 defending guard which is Wallace

I 100% agree about the need... dont know too much about Wallace though.

I'm also dreadful what SGA will do to us. We havent seen OKC yet but will play them 4 times after the AS break.

 

[416Klawzz]

We have never been able to stop Dame and struggle to defend the pg position. This must be addressed for us to get to the next level

 

[fishonjazz]

The longer this season goes on the more I want to just bake the cake. Maybe trade Gay and end of bench guys. Now that Kessler and Agbaji are getting burn it looks promising.

20 for kessler and 12 for ochai aint enough burn. And sexton only getting 22 when he is on is low as well.


Sent from my iPad using JazzFanz mobile app

 

[Ron Mexico]

There isn’t really any good defenders that are free agents or can trade for because they are premium so we are better off drafting the best 2 defending guard which is Wallace

Trent Jr was one of the best guard defenders last year and might be available. He dropped off a little this year defensively but I think the raptors are struggling Internally this year. He's also only 24 which fits well. He is a decent shooter as well. His contract is coming up so it's a gamble to keep him but he is the type we need. People complain he doesn't create for others or himself much but we can get that from another position like pg. If we could somehow add him and OG our defense might actually be good without sacrificing offense.

 

[sahlensguy]

Our momentum stopped when Portland subbed in Eubanks for Nurkic. Kessler was having his way until then. That changed the game.

 

[SoberasHotRod]

When I woke up and saw the score I figured our defense was trash, as usual. Watching the game, I actually thought we played ok defense, at least in the first half, Portland was just making shots. I thought we lost the game in the second half with Vanderbilt guarding Dame and Lillard easily scoring 8 points on him. At that point Hardy really didn't have an answer for Dame.

Sexton had a good game, Mike with some pretty passes, Lauri with a couple of nice drives (always gets me excited).

Beasley takes some incredibly difficult shots. Sometimes it's great, since he's capable of making those shots and sometimes those are the only shots we can get. Sometimes it's just lazy/selfish though, as he doesn't even make an effort to look for a better shot.

 

[HermanG]

We have never been able to stop Dame and struggle to defend the pg position. This must be addressed for us to get to the next level

Its not even all about getting the stops... its also about having a guy someone like Dame has to worry about. Whether its solid defense, steals, physical play.... we dont have anyone who causes concern for opposing guards. So they can play loose and its all about whether they hit their shots or not.

 

[LogGrad98]

20 for kessler and 12 for ochai aint enough burn. And sexton only getting 22 when he is on is low as well.


Sent from my iPad using JazzFanz mobile app

I honestly wish they would start all the young guys except Lauri. Start Sexton, Agbaji, NAW, Lauri, Kessler. I mean what is the worst that could happen, we lose a few more games? Use Clarkson and Conley as change of pace and in a mentoring role. We aren't chasing a ring this year, why not get the young guys as much burn as possible an improve our odds of getting a better pick? If they have to start Conley and Clarkson at least sub in the young guys earlier and give them more minutes, and insert another one into the starting lineup. Like Conley, Clarkson, Agbaji, Lauri, Kessler. We would be better served I think to approach this more as a development year, with heavy coaching and minutes played for the developing guys. And I think we still win more games than anyone expects. I would bet our win rate wouldn't go down much, if at all.

 

[Elizah Huge]

I honestly wish they would start all the young guys except Lauri. Start Sexton, Agbaji, NAW, Lauri, Kessler. I mean what is the worst that could happen, we lose a few more games? Use Clarkson and Conley as change of pace and in a mentoring role. We aren't chasing a ring this year, why not get the young guys as much burn as possible an improve our odds of getting a better pick? If they have to start Conley and Clarkson at least sub in the young guys earlier and give them more minutes, and insert another one into the starting lineup. Like Conley, Clarkson, Agbaji, Lauri, Kessler. We would be better served I think to approach this more as a development year, with heavy coaching and minutes played for the developing guys. And I think we still win more games than anyone expects. I would bet our win rate wouldn't go down much, if at all.

We should just trade Clarkson and Conley at that point.

 

[sip]

Its not even all about getting the stops... its also about having a guy someone like Dame has to worry about. Whether its solid defense, steals, physical play.... we dont have anyone who causes concern for opposing guards. So they can play loose and its all about whether they hit their shots or not.

We have been lit up by Kyrie and Lillard in the last week yet our best perimeter defender in NAW rots on the bench in both games. The NAW situation might be the most baffling that I have ever seen. By all accounts he is a great teammate and he was playing really well but gets benched for no reason. It is so weird.