By Sean Kennedy
After becoming just the 2nd team to lose back-to-back 40-point games in NBA history (the other also being the Sixers during the 1993-94 season, go Philadelphia!), the Sixers head to Utah looking to regain some shred of dignity before their brief hiatus over All-Star weekend. It would also be an ideal time for the organization to showcase their trade assets before the NBA GMs congregate down in New Orleans for the annual hot stove season. Whatever the motive, Philadelphia needs to get back on track in the worst way, and they’ll have one of the best opponents against whom to do so, despite the Jazz time being on a minor run of late.
With a win against the Lakers last night, Utah has won two straight games following a 4-game losing streak, also inexplicably working a win against the Heat into that mix. At 17-33, the Jazz sit just a few games ahead of the Sixers in the standings, so plenty of lottery ball implications are in play for this contest. Utah owns the distinction as being the only team in the NBA worse at defense than the Sixers, but they play at one of the slowest paces in the league, as these two teams prove you can play bad defense at any speed. Part of the reason for Utah’s low defensive rating, is that they don’t force many turnovers, as they’re neck-and-neck with the Lakers for second-lowest rate forced, but we saw a few games back against the Lakers that the opponent’s aptitude for taking the ball away is irrelevant where the Sixers are concerned.
The most disappointing thing about this season for the Jazz (after all, they expected to lose plenty of games), is the failed experiment of the Derrick Favors-Enes Kanter starting frontcourt. They were supposed to be penciled in as the starters for the next half-decade, but instead, Kanter has been relegated to the bench with Marvin Williams getting the majority of the run with the starters as a stretch four. The duo didn’t work well together offensively because they’re both so paint-centric that it bogged things down, and on defense, neither could guard the quicker 4s proliferating throughout the NBA.
Early and often tonight, we’ll see the ball in the hands of Gordon Hayward, who has struggled a bit assuming the role of the offensive focal point for the Jazz. The former Butler star has shot just 40% from the field and 31% from three, but it’s not necessarily fair to indict him for those numbers as teams are just throwing everything they have at him given the limited options the Jazz have surrounded him with offensively. It’s not his fault he’s being over-extended as the primary option when he would be an excellent 2nd or 3rd scorer on a productive team. Guys like Williams and the seemingly-ancient Richard Jefferson (he’s 33) have benefited from defensive attention being elsewhere to both shoot over 40% from three on the year.
When Hayward isn’t at the helm, point guard Trey Burke is running the show. As expected, the ex-Wolverine has struggled with his shot at the professional level, but has experienced a fairly smooth transition running an NBA offense (5.6 assists against 1.9 turnovers per game), and early indications look good for the late lottery pick. Nevertheless, the Jazz are an extremely beatable team, especially coming on a back-to-back, but the Sixers will have to show infinitely more defensive backbone and discipline with the ball than we’re seen from them of late, or they’re not defeating anyone.
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