Utah Jazz: 3 Goals for the Upcoming 2018-2019 Season

Goal 2. Have the League’s Best Defensive Rating

In 2017-18, the Utah Jazz had the league’s second-best defensive rating, only trailing the Boston Celtics. They have a long list of contributors on the money end of the floor, which usually allows them to hang around in games, even if their offense isn’t clicking.

Rubio and Mitchell can end up being one of the best defensive backcourts (and really backcourts in general) in the NBA as they get more time playing together next year. They are both strong and quick enough to play sound against both backcourt positions and are long enough to play admirably against wings.

Rubio has a 6-foot-9 wingspan and Mitchell’s is 6-foot-10. Those two, combined with Allen in spurts, should do a quality job of preventing penetration and playing well in the passing lanes. Both of those players finished in the top 13 among qualified players in the league in total steals last season, per Basketball-Reference.

With Dante Exum (who missed most of the regular season with a dislocated shoulder) healthier, that would be yet another perimeter defender that provides a big impact. Exum, (along with O’Neale), made it tough on James Harden on a number of occasions in the postseason last year before going down with a knee injury in Game 4 of that semifinal round.

With versatile defenders on the wing in Crowder and Ingles (who can also be viable small-ball fours), Utah has a bunch of players that fit the two-way description. All their regular rotation players fill necessary roles. O’Neale is a good off-ball defender, too.

That’s a nice combination with a good post-up defender (and solid rim protector with 1.3 career blocks per game) in Derrick Favors (along with Ekpe Udoh at times), not to mention Gobert. Gobert has emerged as one of the most valuable defenders in the league over the last four years. Last season, he was the Defensive Player of the Year, with 2.3 blocks and 10.7 rebounds per game. Among qualified players, he only trailed Andre Drummond in defensive rating and defensive box plus-minus, per Basketball-Reference.

He’s the key reason the Jazz surrendered the second-lowest amount of paint points to opponents, per NBA.com. If he can stay healthy, (he missed 26 games last year due to a left knee injury), Utah is an elite defensive team. Combined with them conceding the lowest amount of assists and fifth-lowest amount of three-pointers made per game, they’re outstanding across the board on the defensive end, and could easily be the best defensive team in the NBA with a minor improvement.