Following a charismatic 130-126 win in Memphis, the Jazz (9-15) return home to take on the Mavericks (10-16) on a Monday night. Let’s rip the band-aid off all at once, shall we? A loss tonight creates some marginal separation in the Tankathon standings between the Jazz and Blazers, whilst also inching closer to the Hornets’ #7 spot, who hold an 8-18 record. No doubt an important matchup tonight if the Jazz admit old habits die hard. Utah’s tug-of-war game with itself for their own first-rounder has been quite the developing story as the season rolls on. The Jazz have always been clear, even before the season began, that they wouldn’t manipulate the lineups or injury report to purposely win games, but Will Hardy’s power of friendship poses a serious threat once again. Old habits die hard.
Yet however, it’s hard not to be excited about what the Jazz are building with their current team. Keyonte continues to play at a high level even when the nagging voice at the back of your head screams, “But the metrics! But the advanced statistics!”— Shush, brain. Here’s a near-40 bomb for you to ingest.
Keyonte’s scoring leap (16.8 points per game to 22.9 points per game) has been really cool to watch, and it’s come from a balanced approach to his shot chart. Less bailout shooting and low-value pull-ups, and applying more pressure at the rim and getting to the charity stripe. Though it’s interesting to watch how he plays against top-ranking NBA defenses. He scored 28-4-8 on 8-14 shooting against Houston and 28-6-7 in Golden State, but he’ll have the occasional blunders, such as his recent 8-point performance versus OKC on 3-12 shooting. He’s got the body and skillset to bully shorter guards like Ryan Nembhard or Brandon Williams, which could prove to be the secret advantage to an illegal Jazz win tonight. The Mavericks have been a top-ten defense, thanks to the immense vocal push from professional basketball executive Nico Harrison. Opponents only attempt 33.9 threes vs Dallas (fourth in the league) and only sink 33.4 percent of those looks (first in the league). An interesting combination to say the least, when Utah’s offense emphasizes a heavy 3-point barrage (39.6 three-point attempts a game), led by Markkanen and George, who attempt a combined 14.9 triples. Like we saw in Memphis and previous games, the Jazz can go on brutal, prolonged periods without scoring if they’re not hitting it from beyond the arc. A drought like that against the Mavericks could prove to be deadly.
It had been a cruel first month of the year for Dallas fans, despite only crushing every Jazz fan’s dream on draft night. They were 3-8 on the season before Nico Harrison’s firing. Though the sunny side is just in view, their squad has won five of their last six games in the past few weeks. Undrafted rookie Ryan Nembhard stepped onto the scene with big games against the Nuggets, Lakers and Heat. In fact, their team has averaged 28.5 assists in the last six outings, ranking 6th in the league during that game frame. Though the offense is still a meek product for them. They’re still 28th in offensive rating (108.8). No matter what, the Jazz can’t just fall flat on their behind by letting a double-digit lead appear out of nowhere, especially against a below-average scoring team. Gain control of the possession game and play to your strengths on the offensive end.
Of course, Cooper Flagg is labelled a generational prospect because, yes, he’s a generational prospect. With averages of 17.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game, it’s going to pose a challenge to defend him inside the arc when the Jazz are missing Nurkic at the five. Flagg has played heavy positionless basketball, including being their team’s starting point guard, with Jason Kidd at the helm. For the second time in his career, the Mavericks rookie finished the 119-111 victory over the Nets with 22 points, eight assists, and zero turnovers. These are the only two NBA games in history where an 18-year-old has achieved those benchmarks, according to the NBA’s official Twitter account. He’s achieving a level of offensive responsibility that’s years ahead of his draft class peers, even despite Ace Bailey’s significant improvement as a passer and catch-and-shoot player.
_**OUT**_ \- Jusuf Nurkic (rest), Georges Niang (left foot, fourth metatarsal stress reaction), Walker Kessler (left shoulder surgery)
_**QUESTIONABLE**_ \- Anthony Davis (left calf contusion), Daniel Gafford (right ankle injury management)
_**OUT**_ - D’Angelo Russell (illness), Dereck Lively II (right foot injury management), Dante Exum (right knee surgery), Kyrie Irving (left knee surgery)
Who: Utah Jazz vs. Dallas Mavericks
When: December 15th, 7:00PM Mountain Time
Where: Delta Center, Salt Lake City
Radio: 97.5/1280 The Zone
See More:
* [Jazz Game Preview](/jazz-game-previews)
* [Utah Jazz Game Coverage](/utah-jazz-game-coverage)