The 4-5 Brooklyn Nets, as seen through their record, have experienced an up-and-down season so far. The 7-3 Utah Jazz, meanwhile, have their elite defense and team-oriented offense intact.
The Nets just can’t keep it going
Coming in as winners of two straight solid game, the Nets got manhandled by the Phoenix Suns on Monday, 138-112, and once again showcased their glaring problem on defense. No one went insane on points (for a change), but they made up for it by allowing the Suns to shoot 52.5%, drop 19 threes, and dish 37 assists, all of which are the highest they have given up this season.
The Nets are third in scoring (119.7 PPG), but they are 29th in points allowed per game (121.7) and 25th in defensive efficiency.
Kyrie Irving’s best isn’t translating to wins
Kyrie is having his most productive year thus far, but with a mediocre win-loss card, frustration could be growing fast. He’s averaging career-highs 30 points, 5.6 rebounds, 7.2 assists, and 3.1 threes per game and they can’t even get past the .500 mark.
What’s more frustrating is that Irving – for the most part – is doing a good job getting the other guys involved. Even with all the heavy scoring he’s providing, Caris LeVert is having the breakout season everyone expected and Spencer Dinwiddie is playing like the underrated playmaker that we have seen in the last couple of seasons.
The Jazz’ defense runs like sweet music
The Jazz will roll into the matchup riding a three-game winning streak. It came after two cardiac finishes against top-tier teams – the LA Clippers and Milwaukee Bucks – and a cruising win over the downtrodden Golden State Warriors.
As always, a hounding defense will be the Jazz’s bread and butter. They arguably have the best team defense in the league and would rely on a strong effort from the handful of blue-collar players on the roster.
The Jazz allow the fewest points (98.1) threes (8,8), assists per game (17.3), and they also rank first in opponent three-point shooting (30.6%), and defensive rating.
The recent win over the Warriors, however, also showcased some fine offense. They posted season-highs 122 points and 30 assists, led by Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, and Mike Conley all scoring 22 or more points.
PREDICTION:
The Jazz’s main core – Mitchell, Gobert, Conley, Joe Ingles, and Bojan Bogdanovic – should be able to have their way over the Nets. Each play tenacious defense and will be capable of providing quality offense.
Mitchell and Irving facing each other should result in a handful of highlights. The former leads the career head-to-head, 2-0, but the latter is ahead in scoring (26.5 PPG to 22.5 PPG).
