Two Factors That Should Boost Jazz Out of 5-Game Slump
The Utah Jazz have the talent and have been fighting to the buzzer throughout this rough 2-8 stretch, so it is worth analyzing why this rut has paralyzed this team.
These losses are primarily on the Jazz and their execution on both courts' ends. A combination of things attributed to these unfortunate losses.
Utah's struggles over this rough patch can be attributed to a rookie coach, low defensive efficiency, team injuries, and the toughest schedule in the NBA. However, there are two factors that could boost the Jazz out of this five-game slump.
First, it's no surprise that this 2-8 stretch has come during Mike Conley's absence due to a knee injury. The 35-year-old point guard was having one of the best seasons of his career before the injury and was the steady presence that this new Jazz team needed. To state the obvious, Conley is imperative to Utah's success.
Second, Conley's projected two-week knee injury absence is ending and will coincide with the first favorable stretch in the Jazz's schedule. Eight of Utah's next nine games will be at home, giving Conley time to recover and the team some much-needed rest.
As we dig further into 2022-23 schedule, we see the Jazz playing the most back-to-backs in the league at 15, and up to this point, have played the most games in the NBA at 22, which is four more games than the Los Angeles Lakers. According to ESPN, the Jazz rank eighth on their remaining strength of scheduled games.
Although the schedule is challenging, the Jazz have completed a third of their road games, which is an optimistic note, knowing how well they play at home.
This rough stretch cannot be entirely blamed on the demanding schedule because the Jazz have been very competitive in most of these games and positioned themselves to win but have fallen short in the clutch. Clearly, poor transition defense and a lack of overall rebounding have been the main problems.
Head coach Will Hardy is running a pass-heavy, run-and-gun offense. With this style, there will naturally be more turnovers than usual, especially without the efficiency of Conley running the show.
With the NBA cutting out the take foul, the Jazz need to adjust better on the defensive end. Although the Jazz rank first in points scored off turnovers, they also rank second in opponents' points scored off turnovers.
Bottom Line
The Jazz are an inexperienced team with meager expectations coming into this season, so a long home stretch should give them the time to work on these errors as a team and change the outcomes of these tightly contested games.
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