Utah Jazz Links: Bogus Officiating, Making the Playoffs

Utah Jazz discussion from around the web, including late-game calls, how the team will make the playoffs and a major award.

With the Utah Jazz scuffling to keep pace in the battle for playoff position, a growing point of concern for fans has been the officiating. More specifically, the litany of missed calls that have hurt the team in late-game situations.

This has been a point of contention for Jazz Nation throughout the year and has even begun to elicit reactions from Jazz players. Here’s a Twitter gem from Rudy Gobert on the subject following Sunday’s loss to the Portland Trail Blazers–

Of course, he’s alluding to missed and bad calls that have impacted the results of games recently. Gobert says he’s going to tell the truth on the matter, but what exactly is that truth? Are the Jazz really getting the short end of the stick from officials?

According to a report by KSL’s Andy Larsen analyzing the NBA’s own evaluations of how officials perform in the final two minutes of games, the answer to that question is an absolute, unequivocal yes.

From Larsen’s piece for KSL.com–

"“The Jazz have seen 15 more calls go to the opposition than in their direction since the program began. And league sources who have seen the data that includes all 48 minutes of every game, not just the close ones, indicate that the Jazz face a major disadvantage overall.”"

That’s a pretty damning statement, but not one that comes as a surprise to Jazz players. Gordon Hayward‘s response to the report says it all–

"“To me, it seems like it’s kind of on par with how the rest of the season has been going. They’ve had some tough calls against us, especially in close games.”"

Read Larsen’s full report on the team’s problems with NBA officials HERE.

What the Jazz Need to Do to Make the Playoffs

Here’s an interesting item from D’Joumbarey A. Moreau for our sister site Hoops Habit. Moreau takes a look at five things the Jazz need to do to secure a return to the playoffs in the Western Conference.

One of his sticking points is that the Jazz need to allow Hayward to facilitate the offense. How the arrival of Shelvin Mack will affect this is a developing situation, but here’s Moreau’s take on Hayward’s role in the Jazz offense–

"“Utah’s wisely been playing through the strength of their best player, Gordon Hayward. A lot of people get upset at Hayward because he’s not aggressive enough when it comes to looking for his own shot, but one of the major strengths in his game is his ability to get others involved.”"

It’s an interesting thought and an evolving process as Mack’s role with the team becomes more defined.

For the rest of Moreau’s analysis of what the Jazz need to do to see the postseason, check out Utah Jazz: 5 Things to Do to Make the Playoffs.

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Jazz Marketing Wins an Award

Finally, the Utah Jazz marketing department was recognized with a “best in the nation” award in the social/mobile media category at the 2016 ADchievement Awards. The team received the honor for their coverage of the JP Gibson story.

Gibson’s saga captured the imagination of people around the world and the team’s coverage was one of the highlights of their digital media efforts last year.

For the full story on the team’s ADchievement award, click HERE.