For the first time this season, the Jazz look like the team that they were predicted to be in the preseason. Utah did not play as well as a team during the course of this three-game losing streak this past week.
Multiple issues need fixing
One thing that stood out in all three games was the turnover margin. The Jazz had more turnovers than each of their three opponents, which always makes it harder to win games.
Another reason for the current skid is the performances of the guards. Jordan Clarkson, Mike Conley, and Colin Sexton have not been shooting as well as they had in the first 13 games of the season.
One more key issue is that the defense has not been as stable and has struggled to stop the other team’s star player. These issues alongside other problems have contributed to Utah suffering its first losing streak of the campaign.
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Game reviews
November 12 – @ Washington
After winning four straight games, the Jazz headed to Washington D.C. to play the 6-6 Wizards for the second game of a three-game road trip. In this game, Utah struggled to contain Kristaps Porzingis as he scored 31 points and had 10 rebounds on the night. Former Utah Ute Kyle Kuzma also had 23 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists.
The Jazz had a hard time containing the best players from the Wizards in this one. They also had struggles holding onto the ball, as they committed 12 turnovers compared to just 9 for Washington. When playing on the road, it will be hard to win when losing the turnover battle. The Jazz would go on to lose this game 121-112.
November 13 – @ Philadelphia
This game was all about Joel Embiid, and he was unstoppable on the night. Embiid scored 59 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and tallied 8 assists on the night. Everyone knows that Joel is a superstar player in the league and he is very hard to contain, yet this performance was on another level. Utah could not contain him, no matter what they tried. When one player is having that type of game, it makes it very difficult to win.
This game ended pretty lopsidedly in favor of the 76ers. The Jazz will need to play better defense as a team while also finding a way to contain these star players. The NBA is heavily influenced by superstars and Utah doesn’t have one player at that level this year. That means that they need to be playing very well as a unit to win in these types of games. They did that for the most part during the first 13 games but struggled to do so over the past three.
The Jazz once again lost the turnover battle against Philadelphia (18-12), helping contribute to a 105-98 defeat.
November 15 – vs. New York
After the previous two losses, the Jazz were looking forward to coming back home to face the Knicks.
However, this game did not go in their favor again. Jalen Brunson led the way for New York, scoring 25 points and adding 8 assists on the night. The Jazz were able to keep it close thanks to a strong performance by Kelly Olynyk, who scored 27 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.
The major reason that Utah could not win this game was again the turnovers, as they lost the battle 21-14. When a team is turning the ball over this much and is struggling to shoot the ball, it will be very hard to win. Even on their home court, the Jazz could not find a way to pick up a victory, falling 118-111.
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Can the Jazz bounce back?
After not playing very well for three games in a row, some fans may be wondering if the hot start that the Jazz had was just luck or a fluke. I don’t believe that is the case with this team, however, seeing that it is impossible in NBA to go undefeated and every team will have moments throughout the season where they struggle.
One key reason why I think that the Jazz will bounce back is that they are well-coached, and it seems that Will Hardy will get this team back on track. They need to put more focus on their defense after this losing streak but if they can play complementary, team basketball then they can get back to winning games.
Their next game won’t be an easy one to bounce back, however, as they face Chris Paul, Devin Booker, and the Phoenix Suns.
Up next
The Jazz host the Phoenix Suns at Vivint Arena on Friday, Nov. 18. The game will tip off at 7 p.m. MT. All Jazz games can be seen on AT&T Sportsnet.
