What Utah Needs to do to Improve Defensively This Season

The Utah Jazz don't suffer from an offensive identity. With Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., Keyonte George and now Darryn Peterson in the mix, scoring won't be an issue.

They have a defensive issue, and it has lasted the past few seasons.

Utah went 22-60 last season, ranked 29th in defensive efficiency and last in points allowed, allowing 126.0 per game. The Jazz have ranked in the bottom two on defense each of the last three seasons.

Last season, they allowed 15.3 made 3-pointers per game, the most of any defense in the 47 seasons of the 3-point line.

There isn't a crystal ball to tell them what they need to do, but here are a few things that could help even things out.

The first thing they need to do is adjust without Walker Kessler protecting the paint. Kessler is now on the Los Angeles Lakers, and the rim-protection plan is on the shoulders of Jackson, who is a former Defensive Player of the Year. Jackson only played three games for Utah before being shut down with an injury.

Jusuf Nurkic will miss the first few weeks of the season with a toe injury. That leaves Jaxson Hayes and Mo Bamba to step up.

Hayes is an athletic shot blocker, but limited in other areas of his game. One preview acknowledged that the Jazz ranked 30th in the league in defending 2-point shots. Coach Will Hardy will explore playing Jackson at center alongside bigger wings, Ace Bailey and Markkanen.

That lineup could provide some help physically on the perimeter, but it risks getting outrebounded.

On the flip side, Utah signed Josh Okogie and traded for Josh Green, both known as solid wing defenders. Both will take tough assignments on defense and try to cut down open looks from behind the arc.

Veterans can only take so much of the defensive responsibility. George, Peterson and Bailey will play heavy minutes and need to hold up defensively late in games.

Peterson has said that he is trying to learn from Okogie, and Hardy has said Bailey could take a step up defensively.

Finally, simply put, the Jazz need to unlearn the habits of tanking and play to win.

Hardy is holding his team accountable. "Defensively, we've got to take a jump," he said. "And it starts with everybody's individual pride."

The Jazz don't have an elite defense, but they can improve. With George and Markkanen on the floor together, Utah scored 119.8 points per 100 possessions last season. KSL reported that only three teams since 2019-20 have made the playoffs with a bottom-five defense. If they are just a little bit better on defense, they can win tight games and be in the mix.

Utah opens the season in less than a week when it goes to Memphis on Oct. 21. Whether they reach the playoffs depends on getting stops.