Jazz Urged to Improve in Transition Defense per Bleacher Report

The Utah Jazz have some improving to do.

Nov 4, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Utah Jazz head coach Will Hardy gestures to his team during the first quarter against the Chicago Bulls at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images / David Banks-Imagn Images

The Bleacher Report has seen enough. With three weeks of the season in the rearview mirror, the popular media outlet singled out one goal each NBA franchise can zero in on for the remainder of the season. 

So, what does The Bleacher Report say about the Utah Jazz? According to Grant Hughes , the Jazz's Achilles heel centers around their transition defense

"The Jazz are dead last in opponent transition frequency, which means they allow teams to get out and run against them at league-high rates"

"That's a problem, because transition offense generates points so much more efficiently than half-court sets. The league wide offensive rating in transition is 123.8 points per 100 possessions, laughably higher than the average half-court offensive rating of 96.3." - Grant Hughes

The defense has been an issue with the Jazz since starting their rebuild when head coach Will Hardy arrived in the summer of 2022. Utah ranked 23rd in Hardy’s first year in defensive rating, and that was followed up by ranking dead last in that category for the 2023-24 season. 

On paper, the Jazz have some nice pieces that could contribute to the defensive side of the court. Their frontcourt has an elite shot blocker in Walker Kessler, and they have some length at the three and four positions. The backcourt has been an issue, with Keyonte George, Collin Sexton, and Jordan Clarkson below-average defenders.

However, transition defense is a different animal and can be improved if Utah does a better job of taking care of the basketball. Utah ranks 24th in the league in turnovers, averaging 16.6 per game. That's only 0.6 turnovers removed from being ranked dead last. Limiting opponents' opportunities to score on fast breaks will go a long way in their transition defense. The main issue could be upgrading the point guard position. 

Utah’s current starting point guard, Keyonte George, has played unevenly this year and is still a work in progress. He's averaging 2.8 turnovers per game, but in a rebuilding year, the Jazz will give the 2023 lottery pick a long leash. 

The unfortunate season-ending injury of Taylor Hendricks was a massive setback for Utah. Another lottery pick in 2023, Hendricks was asked to guard the opponent's best offensive wing, but developing into a potential defensive juggernaut will have to wait until next season. 

Being effective in transition defense also comes down to grit and hustle. This shouldn't be an issue with a team full of rookie and second-year players fighting for playing time. Unfortunately, the effort in Salt Lake City this season has been up and down.

Even in a year in which winning is taking a backseat to player development, the Jazz shouldn’t have any excuses in a statistic that centers around hustle and turnovers. Whether they can improve in that area will be something to watch moving forward.

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