Utah Jazz Week 2 Review: Big Wins, Hayward Emerges, Home Opener Struggles

Nov 7, 2015; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz guard Trey Burke (3) dribbles the ball as Memphis Grizzlies guard Mike Conley (11) defends during the second half at Vivint Smart Home Arena. The Jazz won 89-79. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

The second week of the NBA regular season has come and gone, with ridiculous stat lines including Stephen Curry’s 53 point explosion and Andre Drummond’s domination on the boards. As for Utah Jazz, they finished with a healthy 2-1 record for the week. The team currently sits second in the Western Conference.

It is quite early for celebration, as the first month’s rankings need to be taken with a grain of salt (The Timberwolves are currently No. 5 for example). That said, November is arguably the toughest month on the schedule for Jazz. If they can navigate the trench, they could find themselves well positioned in the playoff race.

Utah Jazz Scores from Week 2

Observations

• Among players who have played more than 100 minutes, Rudy Gobert is ranked first in blocks and second in Defensive Rating as of this writing. Guess who is leading NBA in defensive rating? Derrick Favors (86 points allowed per 100 possessions). The Jazz have a special frontcourt, which doesn’t have to score to dominate a game.
• Our model seemingly hearkens back to the Eastern Conference power teams of the 90s. It’s different from the Memphis Grizzlies, for example, because we have guards who can score and our best defenders are our bigs. Memphis is dependent on their frontcourt for scoring and Zach Randolph does not inspire confidence defensively.
• Portland was the first semblance of an offensive team that Jazz defense had to face, and they ran the Jazz out of their building. Portland shot the leather out of the ball and the Jazz were caught off-guard by the offensive explosion from a squad pegged by many as a lottery team. It’s an excellent learning experience for the young roster. They need to take the floor each and every game like they are facing champions.
• Gordon Hayward finally broke free in the last two games. After struggling mightily to open the season, Hayward found his stroke against the Denver Nuggets. The Jazz need Hayward at his best if they are to make a postseason return.
• Trey Burke is on a tear, a major development given the past inefficacy of his shot. He has always been an excellent team player, and he has molded himself into a better player in the offseason.We will reserve judgment until we have a larger sample size, but Jazz coach Quin Synder might have solved the Burke conundrum by making the former lottery pick a shooting guard.
• Coach Q has tightened his rotation already. He knows the importance of an early lead in the Western Conference playoff race. We are rarely seeing meaningful minutes from the deep bench, which is a pity because I am a big advocate of Jeff Withey’s game as a bench player.
• Last week showed the importance of Favors to this team. He is one of the most consistent players on the roster and the Jazz struggle on both ends of the floor without him.
• Portland tore up the Jazz with a three-point barrage and floaters in the lane. Portland might have shown other teams how to attack the Stifle Tower. Gobert never committed to challenging the floaters.

Next: PnB Mailbag: Can the Jazz Play .500 Ball Until January?

Next up for the Jazz will be a tricky four game East coast trip–at the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday, at the Miami Heat on Thursday, at the Orlando Magic on Friday and at the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday. This trip will test the mettle on the current Jazz team.