Utah Jazz, a Northwest team that has been passing on the legacy !
joined NBA in 1974. After the new team struggled in the first few years, Stockton and Malone joined in the second decade. They formed the ' Utah Double Shame ' that frightened the league, and once led The Jazz have reached the playoffs for 19 consecutive years and reached the Finals twice, making it the team's most glorious history. After the end of the "Utah Double", not long after the beginning of the new century, the Jazz successfully cultivated top guard Deron Williams, and with the help of powerful power forward Boozer , the Jazz was a Western Conference team for a while. The Yao-Mai combination is deeply aware of the suffering. After Deron and Boozer left the team, the Jazz fell silent for several years. During this period, although excellent players such as Hayward joined, they were never the Jazz's destiny until Mitchell was selected in the past two years. With the growth of Gobert and , the Jazz have successfully risen again!
In the new season, Mitchell and Gobert are about to join forces to start the third season. With the help of a group of strong teammates, what expectations will the Jazz have under their leadership?
Looking back on the past - repeated defeats
In the past two years, the term "constant defeats" is the most appropriate word to describe the Jazz!
In the summer of 2017, the Jazz selected Mitchell with the 13th pick in the first round (height 1.91 meters, wingspan 2.08 meters). In the 17-18 season, the Jazz's performance in the first half of the season was not very good. , but after the All-Star Game, they made great progress and finally entered the playoffs with fifth place in the Western Conference. After eliminating the Thunder 4-2 in the first round despite not being favored, in the second round they met the Rockets team, which ranked first in the league, and were eventually easily eliminated by the Rockets 4-1.
18-19 season, the Jazz, who refused to admit defeat, made a comeback and were still ranked fifth in the 'Wild' West. Their first-round opponent was the Rockets who eliminated them last season! This time, the Jazz tried their best to avenge their past humiliation, but were still eliminated by the opponent 1-4.
Comparing these two losses of the Jazz, we can find a set of interesting data.
- 17-18 season, the Jazz's offensive efficiency is 107.4 (16th in the league), and the defensive efficiency is 103.0 (1st in the league); the Rockets' offensive efficiency is 114.1 (1st in the league), and the defensive efficiency is 105.7 (7th in the league).
- 18 -In the 19 season, the Jazz's offensive efficiency was 110.3 (14th in the league) and their defensive efficiency was 105.3 (2nd in the league); the Rockets' offensive efficiency was 114.9 (2nd in the league) and their defensive efficiency was 110.1 (18th in the league).
Yes It is said that the Jazz and the Rockets are typical representatives of the league's "offensive and weak defense" and "offensive and strong defense" respectively. The "strongest spear" has defeated the "strongest shield" for two consecutive years. In the era of relying on defense to win championships It seems to have become a thing of the past...
Offseason - Change of strategy for signings
The Jazz have always been a team known for its defense, but the losses in the past two years have made the management understand a truth deeply - Basketball The essence is still to see who scores more ! Therefore, after being eliminated by the Rockets last season, the Jazz management's goal in the offseason is very clear - to strengthen the team's offensive firepower !
So which position of the Jazz has the weakest offensive firepower? Mitchell is at the shooting guard, Ingles at the small forward is in a sense the core of the Jazz, Favors is at the power forward, Gobert is the best defensive player at the center, and only the organization is left. Defender!
The core organizer of the Jazz in the past two years has been Rubio . In the 18-19 regular season, Rubio averaged 12.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game. His shooting percentage and three-point shooting percentage were 40.4% and 40.4% respectively. 31.1%.The left side of the picture below is Rubio's shooting distribution map last season. The mid-to-long range is indeed a shortcoming. When the shooting distance is greater than 5 feet (right picture below), Rubio's shooting percentage does not reach the league average, especially 31.1. % of the three-point shooting percentage is quite eye-catching!
Rubio is indeed an excellent organizer, but his long-range shooting percentage is too unstable. This is also the main reason why he has not been able to make progress since entering the league !
When the Jazz were eliminated by the Rockets, it meant that Rubio, who would become a free agent in the summer, had broken up with the Jazz, so the Jazz would definitely strengthen their guards in the summer! Sure enough, before the free market started, the Jazz quietly made a big deal - for Crowder + Korver + Grayson Allen + 2019 first-round pick No. 23 + 2020 receiver Protected the first round pick and traded with the Grizzlies to get Mike Conley !
Although Conley is 32 years old, he still averaged 21.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game with the Grizzlies last season. He can be said to be one of the strongest non-All-Star players in history! Conley is a defender with good organizational skills. His ability to break through with the ball ranks among the top ten in the active league among guards. He also has good long-range shooting ability. Last season, his three-point shooting rate was 36.4%. For such a point guard who combines organization, breakthrough and long-range shooting, there are probably few active defenders in the league who are better than Conley. Therefore, Conley's arrival will largely make up for the lack of offense by Jazz guards!
The backcourt duo of Conley and Mitchell will be one of the most difficult backcourt combinations in the league!
After the problem of point guard is solved, only the power forward is relatively weak among the remaining four positions!
On the one hand, Crowder has been sent to the Grizzlies as a trading chip. On the other hand, Favos's contract expires in the summer and he wants to seek a high-paying contract. Moreover, Favos's style of play is mainly inside. Last season, he exceeded 66% (619 shots, 410 within 5 feet) of the shots were completed in the penalty area under the basket, making it difficult to serve as a space-based fourth position, so it is almost impossible for the Jazz to keep Favors!
When the free market opened, the Jazz immediately signed Bogdanovic for 4 years and $73.1 million!
Bogdanovic averaged 18 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game in the Pacers last season. His three-point shooting percentage was as high as 42.5% and he averaged 2.0 three-pointers per game. He could completely pull off the offense. To the outside! Without Favors, some people may think that the Jazz's defense at the fourth position will have problems, but Bogdanovic is also an excellent defender, and his defensive level is at least above the league average, and don't forget the Jazz There is also the best defensive player Gobert sitting inside!
Therefore, the joining of Bogdanovic allows the Jazz to further strengthen their strength on the offensive end without weakening the defensive end. This is a cost-effective signing!
After the completion of two important signings, the Jazz continued to hunt for treasure in the free market non-stop!
- Space mid-level signing Ed- Davis : The Jazz are missing two insiders, Crowder and Favors. Although Bogdanovic can play the fourth position, the depth of the inside is after all. The problem was basically solved by signing Davis. Davis averaged 5.8 points, 8.6 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game for the Nets last season. He is a hard-working blue-collar insider. Last season's DRPM (real defensive plus-minus) ranked second in the league, second only to Gore. Bell! If it weren't for and Jordan to join , the Nets would definitely not let Davis go. Now Davis and Gobert will join forces to form one of the most powerful defensive interior combinations in the league!
——Signed with Jeff Green for a base salary of US$2.5 million in one year : Jeff Green was one of the earliest "Three Thunder Young Masters", but later suffered from injuries and became "obsolete". Last season, he was The Wizards averaged 12.3 points and 4 rebounds per game, and their scoring average was the highest in the past six years. Green has many suitors in the summer, and the reason why he chose the Jazz has a lot to do with Conley (according to a report by The Athletic reporter Tony Jones).In the new season, the Jazz will most likely be the main substitute at the fourth position, and Green's three-point shooting (34.7% three-point shooting last season) and defense will provide necessary help to the Jazz.
- Signed Mudiay with a basic salary of US$1.73 million in one year : The Jazz signed Mudiay for a very clear purpose, hoping that he can serve as Conley's substitute and become the team's reliable ball carrier at certain times.
- Other insignificant signings and rookie signings will not be discussed in detail. .
The main signings of the Jazz during the offseason are mainly offensive players, which means that the Jazz's strategy has changed from the previous defense to a balanced offense and defense in the new season !
New season - aiming for the championship
"We have formed the lineup, and now it is our turn to win the championship." Jazz owner Gail Miller said with confidence after the team's lineup was upgraded! In the new season, with the current lineup of the Jazz, they are indeed capable of heading towards the championship!
) Analysis of the Jazz lineup for the new season
Judging from the Jazz’s several preseason games and the strength of the players, the lineup for the new season can almost be determined:
- Starting lineup: Conley + Mitchell + Ingles + Bo Gdanovic + Gobert
- Main substitute: Davis + Green + Mudiay + Exum + O'Neal
- Third team: Bradley + Miye O'Neal, etc.
The main force of this lineup There won't be much change. It's unlikely that a big deal will happen in the middle of the new season. At most, there will be some minor repairs. The advantages and disadvantages of such a lineup are also very obvious:
- The starting lineup is good both offensively and defensively : The Jazz's starting five may be one of the strongest teams in the league. The configuration is equipped with 'one inside four' With the popular lineup in the league outside, every position on the defensive end will not fall behind, and Gobert on the inside will be a 'mountain' that is difficult for opponents to cross. Whether it is breakthrough, pick-and-roll or the modern popular 3-pointer in the offense, His strengths can be said to be both offensive and defensive!
- The wing has strong three-point shooting ability : Ingles and Bogdanovic's three-point shooting percentage last season was 39.1% and 42.5% respectively. Both are reliable outside shooters! And Conley and Mitchell are both powerful breakthrough players. The Jazz's three-pointers from the wing in the new season will be a huge nightmare for opponents!
- The bench strength is too poor : The Jazz's starting lineup is too strong, and the depth of the bench lineup will also affect the height of the Jazz in the long season. This bench defensive end can compete with most teams in the league, but The offense is so bad that only Mudiay can hold the ball. Once Mudiay is in poor condition, the Jazz's bench offense will be in crisis!
) Analysis of the Jazz's play in the new season
Defense has always been the strength of the Jazz. Coach Snyder has built the Jazz into the league's top defensive team in recent years. While the core defensive lineup remains unchanged, In the new season, the Jazz's defensive strength will still remain among the top five in the league! Let’s focus on the Jazz’s offense:
– Add pick-and-roll tactics : The Jazz’s main ball carriers last season were Rubio and Mitchell. Their round usage rates (USG%) last season were 22.7 and 31.6 respectively. , when Mitchell's passing vision was not developed, Rubio actually took on a lot of pick-and-roll ball-handling offensive work, but Rubio's ball-handling threat was not strong. Last season, he only scored 0.78 points per round in the pick-and-roll. , better than only 38.9% of the league's players. It's different after switching to Conley. Conley scored 0.96 points per round in the pick-and-roll last season (better than 80.9% of the league's players). He is a threatening pick-and-roll player. Once Conley starts the pick-and-roll with the ball, the opponent will be very Difficult to handle.On the one hand, Conley has a strong ability to score independently. On the other hand, Conley's passing vision is no worse than Rubio's. After the firepower on the outside is improved, he can directly throw it to the inside to eat the cake, and when he retreats, he can pass to the outside for a three-point shot!
- Improve the ratio of three-pointers : Last season, the Jazz averaged 12.1 three-pointers per game, ranking 10th in the league. This was because the starting core players Rubio + Favors + Gobert were not good at three-pointers (or not very good). (shooting) situation, in the new season, except for Gobert, the other four starters of the Jazz are very good in three-point ability. Not surprisingly, the Jazz will increase the proportion of three-point shots, and the Jazz's three-point tactics in the new season can Incomparably rich! For example, Conley holds the ball to break through and distributes the ball, Mitchell holds the ball to break through and distribute the ball, the combination of four outside players' continuous sudden passes, and the return passes after the outside players pick and roll...
In addition, the Jazz can even use the ball in the offense. If Gobert is replaced by O'Neal (38.6% three-point shooting rate), the offensive firepower of the "five small lineups" will be increased again, and can be used in special periods to chase points!
Looking at the strength of other teams in the league, the Jazz can indeed aim for the championship in terms of personnel configuration and tactics !
"Our ultimate goal is to win a championship, but we will not fool ourselves as if we really got it. We will prepare for the next game every day." - Conley
summary
In the history of the Jazz, They have always been known for their iron-blooded defense. During this offseason, the Jazz's signings have obviously changed in the direction of offense. This has suddenly made the Jazz a team with a balanced offense and defense, and it is also in line with the modern trend of play. In the new season, the Jazz will have unlimited prospects, and the championship is their goal!
