The Silver Lining in the Jazz’s Disorganized Early Season Offense

Starting the season with a 3-7 record, things could certainly look better on both ends of the floor for the Utah Jazz. The persistent turnovers on the offensive end have been a bit of a sore spot, along with the overall defensive shortcomings that pair with it.

However, there is some optimism to be had with this unit. We know that this core has the talent and potential to be a top-ten offense in the NBA, given they reached those heights a season ago. It just comes down to leaning into this team’s strengths and putting all of the pieces together.

There has been one spot in this Jazz offense that has shined early in the year, and that's their ability to shoot beyond the arc. Through their first ten games of the season, they’ve shined throughout every major three-point statistic as a team.

They’re sixth in the NBA in three-pointers made, third in three-point percentage, and ninth in three-point attempt rate. They’re also one of the best teams in the league when it comes to shooting in the corner, as they rank second in the NBA for threes attempted from the corner and first for corner three percentage.

A lot of that success can be attributed to the elite efficiency and shot-making ability of F Lauri Markkanen. In his first ten games, he’s averaging four threes a night on an insane 44.6% clip. Without a concrete primary facilitator or guard to rely on, the responsibility has fallen onto the Jazz All-Star to be an enhanced initiator. A small sample size, but it looks like he is fully capable of stepping up to the task.

Most C&S Threes Made & 3P% after Week 3

1. Lauri Markkanen - 38 (45.2%)
2. Steph Curry - 32 (53.3%)
3. Dorian Finney-Smith - 31 (46.3%)
4. Grayson Allen - 25 (51.0%)
5. Max Strus - 24 (37.5%)
6. Jordan Hawkins - 23 (33.8)
7. Buddy Hield - 22 (39.3%)
8. Tim Hardaway Jr - 22… pic.twitter.com/7jolvx44uw
— Facts & Stats Network (@FactsandStats_) November 13, 2023

We’ve also seen some stellar production from deep within guys like F John Collins and F Kelly Olynyk, who also are hitting above 40% on the season. It’s an encouraging sign to see these numbers from someone like Collins, considering the shooting struggles we saw in his 2022-23 campaign. Now established in a new situation in Salt Lake City, it seems he’s turning a new leaf in his career.

While seeing this offense back at its best must come with increased security of the ball, seeing how well this team can shoot the pill makes the overall concern with this unit a bit lower than we initially thought.

The Jazz will have the chance to rattle off their second-straight win once they return home on Tuesday to take on the Portland Trail Blazers for their second In-Season Tournament game at 7 PM MT.

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