Breaking: Jazzs Lack Killer Instincts as Experience Pull them Through
One thing has surfaced again and again during the 2023-24 season with the Utah Jazz. It’s been maddening, as they have shown potential to be a good team, even a playoff team at times. At other times, they look like they haven’t played with each other before, or have no idea what it takes to win. It’s back and forth, and must keep Will Hardy up at nights. What do the Jazz lack that teams like Boston, Denver, and past champions like Golden State seemed to have in much greater supply than the Utah Jazz? Killer Instinct.
When you have a team wounded, the best teams pull out the finishing moves and bury their dead. Once you have a 15-20 point lead, it’s time to push that to 25-30 and keep it there until the other coach surrenders and pulls his guys.
This isn’t the pattern for the Utah Jazz, however. Multiple times this season, they have given up leads to bad teams, often of 20 points or more.
It happened again tonight as they held a 20-point lead against the San Antonio Spurs for much of the game, only to let it slip down to 9 halfway through the 4th Quarter, requiring the starters to exert more energy and play until the 2:32 mark to get the lead back to 21, at which point San Antonio waved the white flag. Why do the Jazz struggle to close out teams, especially when they have a big lead?
Mental toughness is part of it, this team does not have a true leader, as Jazz teams in the past have had. Even in the Donovan-Rudy era, they had Mike Conley or before that, Joe Ingles who filled that role. Jae Crowder also comes to mind. Kelly Olynyk filled this role by default much of the last 2 seasons, but now is with the Toronto Raptors.
Some might say that offenses are so good now, it’s truly impossible to close out a team, especially when a few 3 pointhis Jazz team needs to improve their mental toughness and get that instinct to close out games, not allow teams to recover and get hope late in games.
At they can turn a 20 point lead into single digits. And the rules against hand-checking and defense make it easier to dig out of a deficit. Yet, t end of the day, before they will become a consistent winner, they need to find that ability to close out games and impose their will. It’s currently missing in action.
READ MORE…
Jazz’s Taylor Hendricks Dishes on Experience Guarding Victor Wembanyama
The Utah Jazz were able to take care of business on Sunday night as they took down the San Antonio Spurs 128-109. It effectively ended their five-game skid and finally marked their first W in the books since they surpassed the trade deadline.
One of the biggest stories of the night came down to the defensive assignment rookie Taylor Hendricks was matched up with, another rookie and current Rookie of the Year favorite, Victor Wembanyama. It’s no easy task to contain him for any defender in the NBA, let alone a first-year player in his second-ever career start.
However, even with the challenge at hand, Hendricks didn’t back down. The rookie spoke at the podium after the Jazz’s win to discuss his mindset taking on the young French phenom.
“I’m trying to do anything to help the team win,” Taylor said. “Pretty much what I was trying to do was keep him away from the rim. When he gets in the paint, he’s 7’5, so it’s a little easier. So, just trying to push all of his catches out and force him into jumpers.”
In the end, Wembanyama was defended pretty well by Hendricks. He finished with 22 points, ten rebounds, and two assists on 52.9/33.3/75.0 splits in just under 27 minutes.
While Hendricks ultimately fouled out of the contest in 25 minutes after a few consecutive calls in a row in the fourth quarter, he put forth a respectable performance. As for Taylor’s counting stats, he contributed six points, three rebounds, and a block on 50.0/20.0 splits.
The first-year forward was later asked if he felt more comfortable than he did in his second NBA start on Thursday in Utah’s loss vs. the Charlotte Hornets, where he gave a very assured yes.
“For sure,” Taylor said. “Just playing with the guys more, you know, the more you play with a group of guys, the more chemistry you build, more practices. That’s just what comes with it.”
As Hendricks continues to get adjusted and find his role within the league, expect to see a more polished and refined version of him come along with it. After just two starts, we’re already seeing the beginning stages of an impactful player on both ends of the floor for years to come. The Jazz will look to kick off their three-game road trip on Tuesday as they travel to take on the Atlanta Hawks without All-Star guard Trae Young.
