![]() But there are nights when he doesn’t look like the Jazz’s most versatile wing defender and instead is a part of the problem. Nevertheless, O’Neale is up to the challenge - most of the time. That, paired with the fact that the Jazz’s perimeter defense is often broken due to inefficiencies surrounding O’Neale, means that he is asked to do probably too much. 1 option, which has to be tiring considering the wide range of skills that each player he defends has on any given night. O’Neale is tasked, more than any other player in the league, with guarding the opposing team’s No. Royce O’Neale is supposed to be the Jazz’s best perimeter defender. Though there hasn’t been huge changes in his game, there are incremental improvements to his post work, handling and interior finishing that have made this a positive season for Bogdanovic. But it’s the gravity that Bogdanovic provides on the offensive end, and the spacing he provides that is most meaningful for the Jazz. While not considered a lock-down defender, Bogdanovic has proven to be useful in situations where a matchup calls for him to play against larger forwards. He’s hitting 2-point field goals at a career-best clip of 54.3% this season while also rebounding a career-high 4.2 rebounds per game.īogdanovic has been a steady contributor and has continued to cut down his turnover rate in each season with the Jazz. But, Bogdanovic, who is known as a 3-point shooter, has elevated his interior game. Through the first 41 games of the season Bogdanovic shot 41% from 3-point range, a great metric by anyone’s standards. In 2019-20, Bojan Bogdanovic’s first season with the Jazz, the forward averaged a career-best 20.2 points per game. Though his 2021-22 midseason average is slightly less (18.2 points per game) he is playing more efficiently and effectively at all levels. His shot attempts are down just a hair and as such so are his point totals, but so are his turnovers. While other players have seen shooting dips this season, and Conley is coming off of a 2020-21 season that was his most efficient, Conley is on pace to blow his previous numbers out of the water.Ĭonley has been the Jazz’s best 3-point shooter this season, hitting at a career-best 43% from deep while making 2-point field goals at a career-best clip of 50%. He is still agile and quick and can be matched up against rookie guards that are destined for greatness and lock them up. Of the Jazz’s perimeter players, Conley has arguably been the most consistent and the best defender.ĭespite being 34 years old, Conley has shown almost no signs of aging in the way that he plays the game. But Mike Conley is often a lone bright spot for the Jazz even when they are struggling in that realm. ![]() This season, perimeter defense has been a hot topic for the Jazz, because it’s the one area they could improve and the one area that seems to be holding them back from entering an elite tier. The fact that he has improved and looks even more impressive makes the grade an easy one. If Gobert had stayed consistent and been playing at the same level he had last season, he would probably be getting an A for his efforts, because he’s that good. Gobert is averaging a career-best 15.2 rebounds per game, is hitting shots at a career-best 71.4% and is on pace to have his most efficient free-throw shooting campaign. The gravity he provides allows the other Jazz players to orbit in space and find open opportunities to punish teams that collapse around him. He is the anchor to everything they do defensively, he is the person who cleans up and tries to minimize the defensive flaws the Jazz have on the perimeter, and on the offensive end he is the sun. Gobert’s value to the Jazz cannot be overstated. Though he won’t be the popular choice, and he’s unlikely to win the award, Gobert has garnered some Most Valuable Player buzz, in a season where the MVP race promises to be quite crowded. After winning a third Defensive Player of the Year award, it’s hard to imagine that Rudy Gobert could look better than he did last year, but he’s done what seemed nearly impossible and has proven his value is even higher than previously believed.
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