Tactics

Quin Snyder has been the head coach of the Utah Jazz since 2014, and he recently signed a long-term contract extension to remain with the franchise. The Jazz are an effective defensive team that utilises it’s athleticism and length to physically frustrate the opposition. Rudy Gobert is arguably the elite NBA defender, and alongside Ingles and Bogdanovic represents an underrated starting trio of defensive talent. Offensively, the Jazz brought in Mike Conley to pair with the exciting Mitchell as their guards. This was a great move for Utah - their weakness has been a truly effective point guard for the last few seasons, and Conley definitely fills that gap. The Jazz employ an offensive scheme known as ‘advantage basketball’. This is where each player who takes possession of the ball will try to create an advantage, no matter the size, for the next player in possession. This is supposed to continue until the player in possession has a great enough advantage that they can score on a high-efficiency shot. The advantages that get created stem from a combination of decision-making, no hesitation, dribble drives, dribble handoffs, and screening actions, as well as high-IQ basketball. This creates an offensive scheme which is driven by many passes, the perfect system for Conley to slot into.

Predicted 2019-20 Record: 51-31

I have the Jazz down to just improve their record on last season, but this is a team that should be considered a genuine threat to win it all. They’ve upgraded at the point guard position with Conley whilst Gobert is set for another dominant season on defense. Along with the ever-improving Mitchell, this Jazz team looks and feels legit. They’re one of the teams whose progress I’m most excited to follow throughout this season, and they’re going to be a nightmare to face in the playoffs.