Rudy Gobert is a 3-time Defensive Player of The Year but the Jazz big man often gets called out when the team have a poor game defensively. Following the loss against the Golden State Warriors last week, the Jazz again failed to control the Warriors offense, who put up 123 points over the course of the game shooting over 53% from the field as well as from three-point range.
While Gobert himself is a monster in the paint, the Jazz lack players that can defend at an elite level on the perimeter. Their starting 5 includes players like Donovan Mitchell, Bojan Bogdanovic and Mike Conley, none of whom are known as defensive stoppers.
These woes have cost them in the playoffs in recent years and they might have to find a way to improve quickly if they don’t wish to crash out in the early rounds once again. And NBA analyst Kevin O’Connor has spoken about the need for them to address this concern in his piece on The Ringer.
“The Jazz have too many rotation players who can’t get stops on the ball. But they are also important cogs on offense. Knockdown shooters who can also handle bring constant value and aren’t easy to find. Together, they’ve helped the Jazz have the NBA’s top-ranked offensive rating. But Utah needs to find some help on defense.
“To increase their odds of defeating Golden State or any team with the ability to space the floor in a playoff series, the Jazz would be wise to at least explore the trade market for defensive stoppers.
“Players such as Jerami Grant stand out (more on him later). Thad Young wants out of San Antonio, but how much does he move the needle? Perhaps overspending on a player like Houston’s Jae’Sean Tate is worth looking into. Tate isn’t readily available, but Houston stinks and his versatile defense can help a contender.
“For that matter, why not call the Thunder for Lu Dort? You can get as creative as you want with potential Jazz trade targets because Danny Ainge will do the same.”
The Jazz are currently the 3rd seed in the Western Conference with a record of 26-10 but they have always been an excellent regular season team during the Gobert-Mitchell era. A key change here or there could really help this roster as they aim to take the next step and go deep in the playoffs this season.
