Minnesota Timberwolves game preview: Oct. 20 vs. Utah Jazz
By Josh Bungum
Major Key for Utah: Find enough scoring
The Utah Jazz is a team who stifles offensive attacks in a manner that can be quite depressing to fans who enjoy high point totals. They ranked third in the NBA last season with a defensive rating sitting at 106.19, behind only the aforementioned Spurs and Golden State Warriors in this category.
Utah Jazz
They are anchored by defensive behemoth Rudy Gobert, whose inhuman wingspan and surprisingly spry athleticism allow him to deter any clean look in the painted area. Gobert is surrounded by solid team defenders such as Joe Ingles, Thabo Sefolosha and Rodney Hood as well as a sound defensive system devised by head coach Quin Snyder.
Stopping buckets is not their issue, scoring them is.
After losing Gordon Hayward (get well soon) to the Boston Celtics in free agency last summer, the Jazz lost their go-to scoring option and leader on the offensive end of the floor. Their additions of players like draft pick Donovan Mitchell and Ricky Rubio will do their part to fill the void of this departure, but alone they cannot hope to replace everything that Hayward brought to the team.
Utah seems to be set on achieving offensive success by committee this season, utilizing a collection of good, but not great, offensive players to keep defenses honest and execute their sets with precision. Their leading scorer is sure to change from night to night.
Who will lead the charge against the Wolves? Be sure to keep an eye on Ingles, Mitchell and the offensive progression of Gobert as the Jazz attempt to fill it up against Minnesota.