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SALT LAKE CITY — Against Golden State, the Jazz had arguably their five best scorers out of the lineup due to injury.

Gordon Hayward re-injured his broken finger against Phoenix, and didn't play. Rodney Hood re-injured his hamstring. George Hill still has a sprained toe, which has kept him in a walking boot for the last 10 days. Derrick Favors is still out with his bone bruise on his knee, and Alec Burks is still recovering from his third leg surgery in the last twelve months.

If you want to sum it up, here's the points per game that each of those players scored in their last healthy stretch of games.

Gordon Hayward: 23.1

George Hill: 20.0

Derrick Favors: 16.4

Rodney Hood: 15.7

Alec Burks: 13.3

Total: 88.5

At the end of the month, Philadelphia had suffered more man-games lost than Utah had, 48 to 46. However, Utah's injuries were to significantly more valuable players (that's why the circle is bigger). Utah has lost more value from injuries than anyone in the NBA, and furthermore, George Hill's two injuries this season are more damaging than any other individual's absences in the league.

And yet, somehow the Jazz have been one of the best teams in the league. Right now, they're sixth in offensive points per possession and eighth in points allowed per possession. Those numbers actually mean that Utah has the fourth-best net rating in basketball, behind only the Warriors, Raptors, and Clippers.

Out of those statistics, it's actually the offensive efficiency that I'm most impressed with. With Hill out for a majority of games, the Jazz have had either Dante Exum or Shelvin Mack playing 48 minutes at one of the most difficult positions in the game. Utah's best scoring big man, Favors, has been out for nearly the entire season, and the Jazz really miss his efficient rim-runs. And of course, in the games without either Hayward, Hood, or both, defenses can absolutely key in on one Jazz wing, making that pick and roll player see three defenders before they have a chance to score.

The other top offensive teams have pretty incredible firepower: the Warriors, obviously, the James Harden-driven Rockets, the Chris Paul/Blake Griffin Clippers, the tremendous backcourt of the Toronto Raptors. And then there's the Jazz.

So what's working? First, they're breaking the paint. The Jazz are fifth in the league in drives per game, and second in the league in passing out of those drives. That usually means either generating efficient looks at the rim or open shots for teammates outside. The Jazz are one of only three teams in the league who are ranked in the top 10 in both the quantity of free throw attempts and the quantity of 3-point shots they get.

They're also fifth in the league in the number of passes overall. That actually represents a decrease in ball movement for the Jazz, after being first overall last season, but still reflects a commitment to unselfishness that seems to get the Jazz good looks.

Related: Does pace matter in the NBA? For years, we've heard analysts talk about the impact of pace of play in the NBA. But how much does it really matter? Some recent studies have looked into the issue.

And honestly? I think we've just gotten to the point where the Jazz have better, more efficient shot makers than their opposition on most nights, even despite the injuries. The Jazz are third in the league in shooting percentage on shots within the restricted area, in no small part because Rudy Gobert has the best field goal percentage in the league. Elsewhere in the paint, they're fourth in the league, because Hill, Hood, Boris Diaw, Joe Johnson, and even Trey Lyles are great from there.

The 3-point shooting is actually only three tenths of a percent better this season, moving from 35.5 percent from 35.8 percent, good enough for 10th in the league. While Ingles, Johnson and Hill have taken steps forward, Mack and Lyles have taken steps back.

Sure, the Jazz don't have a superstar, though Hayward has come close on nights he's available. But what they have accumulated is a group of highly efficient players that run a scheme that suits them. When they can put out lineups with no weak links, they're very difficult to guard.

Looking at the results, ranking sixth in the NBA on offense and fourth overall without a superstar and with a league-leading amount of injuries is a real accomplishment that Quin Snyder deserves a lot of credit for. And as the Jazz's stars return, the results should only get better.

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