2 Crucial Keys to a Jazz Victory vs. Brandon Ingram-Led Pelicans
After falling into a four-game skid, the Utah Jazz have a massive game ahead on Saturday night against the 9-7 New Orleans Pelicans to return to winning form.
Utah currently sits at a 4-11 record, good enough for 13th in the Western Conference. Given the expectations of this team piecing together a competitive roster to make a Play-In Tournament push, things will have to turn around relatively quickly to hold onto hope.
While the Jazz will have the benefit of not going up against the bruising Zion Williamson, 1x All-Star Brandon Ingram is geared up to play, who currently averages 24.5 points a night on an effective 50.6% shooting form the field.
Here are three keys to success for the Jazz to take down the Pelicans to secure their fifth win of the season:
Mend a Balanced Offensive Attack Together
Both of Lauri Markkanen (and Jordan Clarkson (illness) will be unavailable for Saturday's game, which effectively creates some questions about how this team will fair offensively. Without both of their most reliable scorers, the Jazz will have to turn their head elsewhere to recover some of that lost production.
It starts with running the game through Keyonte George’s playmaking ability. While the standings may not show it, this team has looked much more fluid and polished on offense since George has found a spot as the starting point guard. Granted, in each of those games, he has been able to appear alongside Clarkson, so tonight might be a bit of an adjustment for the rookie.
If the Jazz want to find success on the offensive end while short-handed, run the game through your best distributor, limit turnovers, and seek out efficient and wise shots through your other stronger scorers like John Collins and Collin Sexton.
Overcoming the Pelicans’ Perimeter Defense
Through the first 16 games of New Orleans’ season, the team has held opponents to the lowest three-point percentage in the league (31.7%). Thanks to scrappy defenders like Herb Jones and Jose Alvarado, this team simply locks up from beyond the arc.
Thankfully, the Jazz stand as one of the more successful three-point shooting teams in the association, ranking top 10 in percentage, as well as threes made. While Utah will be without some of their more effective shooters in Markkanen and Clarkson, they will have to find their way to getting some open and smart looks from range.
Whether it comes down to the backcourt generating some shots like Sexton or George, or we see guys like Collins or Kelly Olynyk start heating up from three, this team has to stay ahead when shooting the pill.
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