Likes and Dislikes: The Good and Bad from a 4-7 Jazz Start

November 17th, 2023 | by Steve Godfrey

John Collins has been a bright spot for the 4-7 Jazz. (Francisco Kjolseth, The Salt Lake Tribune)

“Hey Steve, what do you like and not like in the NBA season so far?” said Nobody. 

“Well, let me tell you in a column,” I responded. 

Like: John Collins

With or without Walker Kessler, I have liked the addition of John Collins in the frontcourt for the Utah Jazz. He’s been one of the more solid, consistent pieces out of the rotational players.

While the win over the Portland Trail Blazers wasn’t reflective of his typical 2023-24 self, Collins is averaging 15 points and 8 rebounds a game, and he also leads the team in field goal percentage at 54%. More importantly, while it may be a small sample size, it’s nice to see that his shooting touch is coming back. That was a big concern as Collins only shot 29.2% from three-point range last year while playing with a hurt finger, but this year it’s clicking in the right direction with 43% on 3.5 attempts a game. I thought he would be a good addition, but this has been even better. He’s rebounding at a high clip, shooting efficiently, and providing energy with dunks like this:

Like: John Collin’s Nickname

Also, I like his John The Baptist Nickname. After that aforementioned dunk, the announcers brought it to life by proclaiming the gospel. I was watching the game with my six-year-old dude who saw an opportunity to make a joke that would push the line a little bit. With a slight smile breaking his lips, he innocently began to ask, “Did he just dunk on Jesus?” I couldn’t help but brim with pride at his attempt to be clever. 

(We also have bonded over our love of this JC and JC the original. My dude calls Jordan Clarkson “JC Double Zero” and Collins “JC Two-Oh.”)

Dislike: Memphis’ Special Court

If Eeyore created a basketball court, I would imagine it would look similar to what the Grizzlies showcased for Utah’s first In-Season Tournament game last week: gray, dreary, blah. I’ve heard many pundits say a lot of courts were gray, but the Jazz was the complete opposite in bright purple, so I neglected to look at the rest. After seeing what was done in Memphis, I get the skepticism. 

Like: Donovan Mitchell Showing Love

When Keyonte George got his first start last week, it happened to be his birthday. The rookie turned 20. To celebrate, he balled out with nine assists to one turnover in a loss to the Indiana Pacers. He followed that debut with another great facilitator game, dishing out 11 assists to two turnovers in the win over the Grizzlies. Against Portland, George handed out seven assists, scored fifteen points, and was a +8 while on the court. When Tony Jones of The Athletic tweeted his praises of the rookie’s early work as a starter, Mitchell responded: 

Dislike: Delta Center wifi

Look, I cried when Michael Jordan hit the shot and the Jazz lost out on an opportunity to win a championship. It was devastating. But, like a big “But…” that Sir Mix-A-Lot likes, it was 25 years ago. Also, did Jordan really push off? Sure, but would you have called it? I guess you would have since you are a Jazz fan, but like, put yourself in those shoes. Bryon Russell did. He said, “He pushed me — obviously, ” Russell said. “But they wouldn’t have called it because it was all about Jordan back then. He did what the greatest player was supposed to do.”

Dislike: The Jazz losing

The Jazz are 4-7, with two of those wins coming against the shorthanded Memphis Grizzlies, and, guess what, we won’t play them every week from now on. As Dan Clayton recently pointed out in the “Future Focus” of his Salt City Seven, 10 games are enough of a track record to see predictive indicators. Even simple math can tell us that this pace would put the Jazz around 24 wins. They’ve had a tough strength of schedule, yes, but five of the losses haven’t even been competitively close. As has been noticed and discussed, the defense is a part of the problem.

According to NBA.com’s weekly powering rankings, the Jazz have allowed more than 120 points per 100 possessions six times, tied (with the Hornets) for the most in the league.  Even more recently, they allowed more than 128 points per 100 possessions before finally holding a team under 100 points in the win over Portland on Tuesday.  NBA.com also points out turnovers and causing turnovers as a problem for the boys in Utah. Specifically, the Jazz rank last in turnover differential, having committed 5.8 more per game than their opponents. Over their three games last week, their total turnover margin was 66-31. Is it too much to say that I would like better defense, less turnovers, and more wins in general? 

    Like: The Jazz winning (especially for the In-Season Tournament)

    The Jazz are 2-0 in the new tournament, kind of tied with the Los Angeles Lakers for the lead in Group A (Lakers have a +30 differential compared to the Jazz at +22, so technically, they have the lead). Believe me, the Jazz have no shot at winning the NBA Championship this year, but could a few things happen in their favor to advance to the knockout round of this inaugural In-Season Tournament? So far, yes. Battles with Phoenix and L.A. await, but the odds are still favorable with the ins and outs both those teams are having with depth and injuries. I am a big fan when the Jazz win; it’s fun to see Clarkson net 30, Kelly Olynyk hit 2/3 from deep off the bench, and a scattered play that results in a perfect alley-oop, all of which happened in the 115-99 win over Portland on Tuesday night. 

     

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