Everyone is always talking about the Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns but why are so few people discussing the Utah Jazz?
The Warriors are number one in the West at 29-7 while the Suns are right behind at 29-8.
But did you know that the Jazz are number three with a comparative 27-10?
Donovan Mitchell knocked down 5 three-pointers on his way to 29 PTS as the @utahjazz improve to 27-10!
Donovan Mitchell: 29 PTS, 5 AST, 5 3PM
Mike Conley: 22 PTS, 8 REB, 7 AST pic.twitter.com/qTz0gLSebC #NBA— ACB Jornada Virtual (@ACBJV) January 4, 2022
Yet, few people discuss the Jazz in the conversation for the best in the West.
The Jazz have a big task ahead if they want to take down the Warriors and Suns and make it through the Western Conference Finals but it is possible if they focus on the biggest issues plaguing them.
What are the problems preventing the Jazz from being crowned kings of the West?
What Makes Warriors So Strong And Suns So Bright?
What makes the Warriors and Suns so dangerous is that they are incredible teams for so many reasons.
They move quickly, they shoot efficiently, and they defend super well too.
Additionally, they are deep teams with solid benches.
For the last few seasons, the Warriors have felt like a team consisting of Steph Curry and…no one else.
That’s no longer the case and head coach Steve Kerr has a lot of shooters and defenders to call upon.
As for the Suns, they have one of the strongest rosters in the league with multiple players aside from Chris Paul and Devin Booker who are worthy of being All-Stars.
It’s hard to find a weak spot on either team and that’s something the Jazz will have to do if they hope to surpass them.
The Jazz are deep too and they also have a lot of powerful players.
They also have one thing that neither of these teams do: Rudy Gobert.
Everything On Gobert
Gobert is one of the best players in the league and is a defensive powerhouse who is sometimes unstoppable.
He’s definitely a shining star of the Jazz and one of their most valuable players, along with NBA masterminds Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley.
Gobert grabs an amazing 15.1 rebounds a game and has 2.3 blocks too, along with 15.5 points.
Those are MVP numbers, for sure.
📊 Week 11 rebound leader is still @utahjazz 🇫🇷 defense 'Maginot Line.' pic.twitter.com/tjlE5hCa5i
— AS USA (@English_AS) January 4, 2022
If the Jazz hope to overcome both the Warriors and Suns, they need to stop relying on Gobert so much when it comes to defense.
Utah is full of some great shooters but their defense is lacking – and that’s how Golden State and Phoenix will slip past them.
The team focuses on offense nearly non-stop and almost any major defensive assignment is tasked to Gobert.
That means you constantly see Gobert chasing Curry or Paul all over the court to prevent deadly three-pointers – allowing Curry or Paul to pass to someone who is blocked by a lesser Utah defender.
Boom, easy basket.
Gobert can’t be everywhere at once, he can’t defend an entire team.
If the Jazz really hope to go toe-to-toe with the Warriors and Suns, they will need to step up their defensive game and rely on the entire team, not just their star center.
They have their offensive technique down pat, but they need to improve their defensive approach to conquer the Warriors and Suns.
Once they do that, there is a good chance they could actually secure that number one spot.
NEXT: How The Jazz Can Keep Pace Atop The West