Are the Jazz ever going to try to play some defense?
For a team whose coach constantly preaches defense, their defense is really … offensive.
I know this is probably a topic that has been beaten to death in the media and on message boards, but…come on! The Trailblazers!
Andrei Kirilenko and Ronnie Brewer could probably be exceptional defensive players, if they decided that they wanted to do it.
Instead, Andrei is worried more about touches than getting a hand in the face of the player he is defending. That’s hardly surprising given the fact that he wanted off the team because plays weren’t being run for him and he wasn’t being included in the offense. The Utah Jazz, in order to make their highest paid player happy, has rewarded him with more of a role in the offense including bringing up the ball more and making a conscious effort to get him the ball more. He’s actually making a lot of his shots, too. Now, that isn’t really the problem, but this offense-first mentality of Kirilenko’s might be getting contagious. He certainly isn’t guarding people quite as well as he has in years past, and you have to wonder if it is because he is worried more about his offense or because he just doesn’t have as much energy on defense because he is expending much more on the offensive end of the court.
Ronnie Brewer’s steal numbers are fantastic. (Anyone in a Fantasy Basketball league could tell you that.) But as such a young player, he is often taken advantage of by some of the savvy veterans in the league, catching him flat-footed or out of position on occasion. I’m not really too worried about Ronnie yet, but he probably isn’t learning the best defensive work ethic from his peers.
Well…
They had better get their act together. They have to get better, as a team and individually, if they hope to make any noise in the post-season.
Let’s just say that if defense wins championships, the only way the Utah Jazz are going to make it anywhere in the playoffs is if they play a series against the offensive-minded Golden State Warriors (who they own) or the offensive-minded Phoenix Suns (who they also own).
And that’s if they can even make it to the playoffs.
After all, the Western Conference isn’t a cake walk.
If the Utah Jazz aren’t willing to earn their spot, they aren’t going to be playing in the post-season.