Post by repole on Sept 14, 2005 14:43:41 GMT -5
The Utah Jazz have been playing quite well to start off the season, sporting the best winning percentage in the entire UBL. I decided to take a look into statistics to see exactly what makes the Jazz so effective. Of course when you have Boozer, Kirilenko, Curry, Williams, and Walker a team should be winning games, but what makes them mesh together so well?
(Bold are important statistics)
OFFENSE:
10th in PPG (100.3)
5th in RPG (53.0)
17th in APG (23.0)
18th in SPG (9.1)
15th in BPG (5.2)
10th in TOPG (13.3)
offense shooting:
22nd in FGPG (36.2)
23rd in FGAPG (80.1)
8th in FG% (.452)
1st in FTAPG (24.9)
1st in FTPG (34.1)
10th in FT% (.730)
26th in 3PPG (3.0)
24th in 3PAPG (8.8)
25th in 3PFG% (.341)
Boozer knows how to get to the line.
Lets look closely into this. First off the Jazz run a slow pace which is an attempt at turning the game into a defensive battle. The fact that the Jazz take so few shots is contributed to this, and the lack of shots the Jazz take make the number of points they score very impressive. To be top 10 in points per game while running a slow offense and only attempting 80 field goals a game (23rd fewest in the league) is astonishing. What makes this possible is the Jazz ability to get to the line. Taking and making the most free throws in the league is a sure fire way to success, as Boozer dominates this catagory leading the league individually in FTAPG. Curry also cracks to top 10 at 8.5 attempts per game. If the Jazz were to run a fast paced offense, they'd be a sure fire top 5 team offensivly. Why don't they speed up the pace? Because defense wins championships.
DEFENSE:
1st in oPPG (91.0)
1st in oRPG (44.9)
10th in oAPG (22.7)
5th in oSPG (8.5)
22nd in oBPG (6.6)
14th in oTOPG (14.1)
defense shooting:
5th in oFGPG (35.7)
2nd in oFGAPG (80.5)
15th in oFG% (.443)
3rd in oFTPG (16.1)
5th in oFTAPG (23.5)
6th in oFT% (.685)
1st in o3PPG (3.5)
2nd in o3PAPG (10.3)
4th in o3P% (.340)
The best defense in the league is holding their opponents to just 91 points per game. Again, this is where the Jazz slower pace comes into play. Despite their opponents shooting a pretty average percentage from the field (.443) , the Jazz keep their opponents away from the free throw line and hold their field goal attempts to 80.5 per game. The Jazz defense is probably overrated statisticly, but their slow pace makes them look like the best in the league. No matter what they're one of the best, but to be number one shows just how well the Jazz gameplan works.
The Jazz have become a team very similar to the Pistons of 2003, embracing the team concept. People say the Pistons never had stars like the Jazz, but that's far from the truth. Last time i checked Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace, Rip Hamilton, and Chauncy Billups were all stars. Antoine Walker seems to be the Jazz version of Sheed, as he's come in and done nothing but accept his role as a 4th option and played a great all around game thus far.
Toine's enjoying the team game.
So no, it isn't just the players that make the Jazz work. It's the coaching and gameplan. The Jazz decision to play as a slow paced, inside focused team allows them to get to the line at a high rate, and hold their opponents to very few points per game. In my mind anything short of a finals appearence will be a dissapointment.
(Bold are important statistics)
OFFENSE:
10th in PPG (100.3)
5th in RPG (53.0)
17th in APG (23.0)
18th in SPG (9.1)
15th in BPG (5.2)
10th in TOPG (13.3)
offense shooting:
22nd in FGPG (36.2)
23rd in FGAPG (80.1)
8th in FG% (.452)
1st in FTAPG (24.9)
1st in FTPG (34.1)
10th in FT% (.730)
26th in 3PPG (3.0)
24th in 3PAPG (8.8)
25th in 3PFG% (.341)
Boozer knows how to get to the line.
Lets look closely into this. First off the Jazz run a slow pace which is an attempt at turning the game into a defensive battle. The fact that the Jazz take so few shots is contributed to this, and the lack of shots the Jazz take make the number of points they score very impressive. To be top 10 in points per game while running a slow offense and only attempting 80 field goals a game (23rd fewest in the league) is astonishing. What makes this possible is the Jazz ability to get to the line. Taking and making the most free throws in the league is a sure fire way to success, as Boozer dominates this catagory leading the league individually in FTAPG. Curry also cracks to top 10 at 8.5 attempts per game. If the Jazz were to run a fast paced offense, they'd be a sure fire top 5 team offensivly. Why don't they speed up the pace? Because defense wins championships.
DEFENSE:
1st in oPPG (91.0)
1st in oRPG (44.9)
10th in oAPG (22.7)
5th in oSPG (8.5)
22nd in oBPG (6.6)
14th in oTOPG (14.1)
defense shooting:
5th in oFGPG (35.7)
2nd in oFGAPG (80.5)
15th in oFG% (.443)
3rd in oFTPG (16.1)
5th in oFTAPG (23.5)
6th in oFT% (.685)
1st in o3PPG (3.5)
2nd in o3PAPG (10.3)
4th in o3P% (.340)
The best defense in the league is holding their opponents to just 91 points per game. Again, this is where the Jazz slower pace comes into play. Despite their opponents shooting a pretty average percentage from the field (.443) , the Jazz keep their opponents away from the free throw line and hold their field goal attempts to 80.5 per game. The Jazz defense is probably overrated statisticly, but their slow pace makes them look like the best in the league. No matter what they're one of the best, but to be number one shows just how well the Jazz gameplan works.
The Jazz have become a team very similar to the Pistons of 2003, embracing the team concept. People say the Pistons never had stars like the Jazz, but that's far from the truth. Last time i checked Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace, Rip Hamilton, and Chauncy Billups were all stars. Antoine Walker seems to be the Jazz version of Sheed, as he's come in and done nothing but accept his role as a 4th option and played a great all around game thus far.
Toine's enjoying the team game.
So no, it isn't just the players that make the Jazz work. It's the coaching and gameplan. The Jazz decision to play as a slow paced, inside focused team allows them to get to the line at a high rate, and hold their opponents to very few points per game. In my mind anything short of a finals appearence will be a dissapointment.
