The Athletic Raises Questions on if Jazz Have ‘Reliable Defenders’

Will the Utah Jazz have enough firepower to stop teams this NBA season?

The Utah Jazz were a team that exceeded many expectations last NBA season, but a few holes still lingered that prevented this team from reaching even higher heights, one of those being the overall defensive ability. While they remained a top-ten team on the offensive side of the ball, they stuck towards the bottom of the league in terms of defensive rating.

Rookie of the Year finalist C Walker Kessler did hold the interior superbly well during his first year in the league, but there are concerns extend outside of the paint. Looking at just the backcourt of this roster, it lacks any true defensive-focused player outside of G Kris Dunn, raising questions about this team’s ability to generate consistent stops against some of the top scorers in the league.

Within The Athletic’s initial power rankings for the 2023-24 NBA season, Zach Harper placed the Jazz at 22nd, noting some defensive concerns as a part of his placement:

"What do we question? If this team can stop anybody. Walker Kessler is a really good defensive anchor so early into his career, but who are the team’s other reliable defenders? Kris Dunn and maybe Talen Horton-Tucker? Rookie Taylor Hendricks at some point. But this will be a team that gives up a lot of points if Wil Hardy can’t find a system."

The Jazz stuck pretty conservatively throughout the summer, bringing in F John Collins and three rookies as their most notable additions. The changes improve the overall quality of the roster and the future of the franchise, but some of the immediate worries about how the fit of this team looks in 2023 remain apparent.

Hendricks has the traits of a quality, versatile defender in the league, but if his preseason showing told us anything, he may be a player who needs a couple of seasons or so to truly find an established place in this system. Therefore, the Jazz will need to seek other outlets to provide the coveted defensive prowess.

Especially in a Western Conference full of elite scorers, the Jazz will have a tall task going through some of the best bucket-getters in the association. However, with the proper development underway, Utah will be a force to be reckoned with on both ends of the floor in a few year's time.

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