Jazz Enjoy Rare Shootaround Before Meeting With Bucks

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Game day shootarounds traditionally aren’t the most exciting part of an NBA player’s day. The team runs through a few last-minute preparations for that night’s opponent, followed by an informal media session after. But for the Utah Jazz, Friday’s shootaround before facing the Milwaukee Bucks was a welcome change.

Thanks to the NBA’s condensed schedule, and the team being in the midst of a seven-game road trip, the Jazz haven’t had a gameday shootaround since the day after Christmas, their home opener to begin the season.

Between travel, back-to-back home games on New Year’s Eve and New Years Day, and daily COVID-19 testing that eats up valuable time each morning for every NBA team, finding even a few minutes together on the floor in a practice situation has been difficult.

Rudy Gobert on the @UtahJazz getting a rare shootaround.

"It was great to have a shoot around. I never thought I would say that."

— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) January 8, 2021

“It was great, I never thought I said that one day,” Jazz star Rudy Gobert said about the rare opportunity. “But I really feel like we can use that time to get extra shots, just be able to be together outside of a game.”

Had the team been winning, perhaps only seeing each other on the floor on game nights would have been enough. But the Jazz have lost back-to-back games for the first time this season, both coming in demoralizing fashion.

First, the Jazz were run off the floor by Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets. Then, the Jazz let an 18 point first-half lead fade into a 12 point loss to the New York Knicks.

During the process, the Jazz have been unable to get out of their own way, committing reckless turnovers on offense while blowing assignments on defense.

“Work on our plays, work our habits defensively, offensively,” Gobert said of the benefits of shootaround. “Prepare for tonight and for the future games. It’s great that we were able to have one and hopefully we can have many more.”

Jazz Struggling Defensively

The Jazz spent a significant amount of money this offseason hoping to up their defensive prowess. After four consecutive top-five defensive finishes, the Jazz dipped to 15th last season in defensive rating.

To help fix the problem, the Jazz gave reserve big man Derrick Favors the full share of the Mid-Level Exception, nearly $10 million per season over the next three years, but have yet to see the defensive rating improve.

The team enters their matchup with the Bucks owning the 18th best defense in the NBA and allowing 110.3 points per 100 possessions. Over the last two games, that number has soared to 121.0.

Where do the @UtahJazz rank when it comes to the rest of the NBA by the numbers?

We laid it out for you here.

↗️ Rebounds
↘️ Steals#TakeNote https://t.co/3EM53pypSY

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) January 7, 2021

“We want to be the best defensive team in the league, that has to be our mindset,” Gobert said. “It has to be the number one thing that’s on our mind, and not just when we start the games but when things get hard.”

The Jazz started well defensively in New York, holding the Knicks to just 44 first-half points. But after halftime, the Jazz surrendered consecutive 34 point quarters, quickly allowing the Knicks to erase a 12 point deficit.

Now, the Jazz face a much tougher test in Milwaukee. The Bucks lead the NBA in points per game, field goal percentage, three-point field goal percentage, and offensive rating.

In order to beat Milwaukee, the Jazz will have to channel a defensive intensity that to this point in the season has been a rare commodity.

“I think we realized that we won’t be able to be the best team we can be if don’t embrace that mindset,” Gobert said. “We saw that the last two games.”

The Jazz and Bucks tipoff in Milwaukee at 6 pm MT. The game will be broadcast on AT&T SportsNet.