The Utah Jazz are off to a bad start in the bubble
The Utah Jazz is only three games into the official NBA’s restart, but it’s safe to say that they’re not off to a great start. After eeking out a win against the New Orleans Pelicans, who only played Zion Williamson 15 minutes, the Jazz has struggled to get back in the win column.
Aside from Donovan Mitchell, Mike Conley Jr. has been the team’s second-best offensive threat. While it’s a good sign that Conley has emerged in the NBA’s restart bubble, it’s concerning that he’s the only player (other than Mitchell) that has stepped up on that side of the court.
Through three games, Conley is averaging 19 points, five assists, and two rebounds per game on 43 percent shooting from the field – all numbers higher than his regular-season averages. Despite this, the Jazz is still missing a third consistent scorer in the offense.
The concerns with the Utah Jazz
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Due to the lack of one, the Jazz has seen their offensive rating take a huge hit in the restart. During the pre-hiatus, the Jazz had a top 10 offensive rating. In the restart, they’ve dropped to the second-worst offensive rating among teams participating in the bubble.
On the flip side, and the good news is all of this, is that the Jazz still sports a top 10 defense in the bubble. With the playoffs quickly approaching, there are legit concerns about whether the team could resurrect its offense in time to pose a real threat in the postseason. As it currently stands, through a three-game sample size, that remains to be seen.
Donovan Mitchell has proven to add the firepower often needed on most nights, but he clearly is missing second and third options to take this team to the next level. Rudy Gobert has been just as sensational on the defensive end but simply doesn’t have the offensive talent to be the consistent scorer that the Jazz need on most nights.
The good news is that if they can correct their offense, they might be fine. Of course, that is if their defense holds up. The bad news is that without Bojan Bogdanovic, the team’s second-leading scorer, it’s difficult to see how the Jazz’s offense is supposed to improve over the course of the next few weeks.
Utah’s fate in the playoffs could already be sealed. Unfortunately, another early-playoff exit could complicate this team’s immediate future even further. For a team that already has personnel doubts about next season, a bad performance in the NBA’s restart bubble will only bring about more doubts for the future.
The Utah Jazz could be on the verge of a true identity crisis this offseason. Just a few months ago, I’m not sure that’s where this team believed that’s where they’d be heading. However, short of a complete turnaround in the bubble over the next few weeks, this is a team that could be in for a big shakeup during the offseason.