The Utah Jazz will face what is arguably their biggest defensive challenge of the young NBA season Wednesday.
Portland guards Damian Lillard, the former Weber State star, and CJ McCollum form one of the best backcourts in the league. The explosive duo scores in bunches and can light a team up from the perimeter or in the lane.
The Jazz haven’t seen this type of scoring power yet in an opposing backcourt. They’ve faced Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder, but Oklahoma City’s shooting guard that night was the scoring-challenged Andre Roberson, even if Paul George and Carmelo Anthony were on the wings.
Jazz guards Ricky Rubio, Rodney Hood and Donovan Mitchell will be tasked with trying to contain two of the best scorers in the NBA.
“It’s next to impossible to stop them,” Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. “They are great shooters, they get into the paint and they get to the free-throw line. They read the game very well, and I think people don’t talk enough about that. They are very cerebral players, and that’s what makes it so difficult to guard them.”
Jazz coach Quin Snyder talks at shootaround pic.twitter.com/hSf1DxWqyz
— Tony Jones (@tribjazz) November 1, 2017
Lillard leads the Trail Blazers with 24.3 points and 5.7 assists per game. McCollum isn’t far behind at 23.2 points per game. The two combine to make a better than five 3-pointers per game. They are lethal from the free-throw line, and both are among the best shot creating guards off the dribble in the league.
Utah’s ability to win Wednesday night hinges on its ability to defend. The Jazz are going to have to force Lillard and McCollum to make tough shots, shoot a high volume of shots and limit Portland’s scoring around those two.
That’s where the Trail Blazers have been dangerous in the past. Jusef Nurkic, their physical center, is averaging 12.6 points a game and has provided a reliable third option on offense. Evan Turner is scoring 10.1 points a game. Portland is averaging 107.6 points a game and considered one of the better teams in the league offensively.
“You have to be smart defensively,” Jazz center Rudy Gobert said. “It’s a smart team. They spread you out and make you defend. They make shots, so you have to be in the right spots and you have to be disciplined.”
Utah will be playing its first game without veteran bench scorer Joe Johnson, who will miss at least the next two weeks with tendon instability in his right wrist. Johnson had been struggling with his shot this season, but he was still a reliable shot creator and drew defensive attention because of his offensive reputation. The Jazz won’t have that in their second unit.
That will put more of an onus on Mitchell and Alec Burks to create points off the bench. Jonas Jerebko will see more time with Johnson out. The Jazz also may go small with Thabo Sefolosha playing some at the power forward spot.
The Jazz are 4-3 and looking for their third consecutive win after two straight road losses.
Jazz forward Joe Ingles talks at shootaround pic.twitter.com/X1tZ5b5eAu
— Tony Jones (@tribjazz) November 1, 2017