Utah Jazz (Russell Isabella-USA TODAY Sports)
Utah Jazz continuity
As previously mentioned, the Lakers will endeavor to incorporate Russell Westbrook, a system within himself, and LeBron James, a (more efficient) system within himself. Last season, Westbrook finished 8th in the NBA with a Usage Rate of 38.7. Directly below him, we find none other than LeBron James, clocking in at an extremely similar 38.6.
It’s no secret that both James and Westbrook are accustomed to dominating their team’s offenses. The predominant concern for the Lakers this season will be determining Westbrook’s role. He is, infamously, a walking triple-double, but his career effective Field Goal percentage (eFG) of 46.7% does not bode well for his fit with James, who traditionally thrives alongside floor spacers and secondary playmakers. Russell Westbrook’s poor shooting is the stuff of legends, and his style of playmaking has not been described as “secondary” in any context throughout his NBA career.
Furthermore, the Lakers are bringing in seven(!) new bodies besides Westbrook. The Utah Jazz, meanwhile, made adjustments on the margins, but will likely be running back a similar core group featuring Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley Jr., Bojan Bogdanovic, Joe Ingles and Jordan Clarkson.
There is great value in continuity. These guys know how to play under Coach Snyder, they know how to play with each other, and they know their roles. They certainly won’t have the same conflicting Usage Rates. Mitchell actually paced both Westbrook and James in Usage Rate last season, with a robust 39.1 mark. The next highest ranking member of the Utah Jazz in that stat was Jordan Clarkson, who racked up his 33.8 usage rate as the team’s sixth man. In other words, Clarkson was quite often carrying the offense with Mitchell off the floor.
The Lakers will not have the luxury of staggering James and Westbrook in that same fashion. That’s what happens with two guys who are making over $40 million dollars a year: they both expect to be on the court in critical moments. Time will tell if the two superstars can co-exist in the same lineup. Time has already told us that the Jazz’s main rotation players can.
Utah Jazz</a> have had a meaningful-but-understated offseason to date, adding quality rotation pieces in <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2021/08/06/3-reasons-utah-jazz-counter-lakers/2/"https://thejnotes.com/2021/08/04/utah-jazz-grading-rudy-gay-signing/">Rudy Gay</a>, <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2021/08/06/3-reasons-utah-jazz-counter-lakers/2/"https://thejnotes.com/2021/08/04/utah-jazz-free-agency-hassan-whiteside/">Hassan Whiteside</a> and Eric Paschall while retaining veteran floor general Mike Conley Jr. None of these moves necessarily broke the internet, however, each represents a logical addition to a squad that finished the 2020-21 NBA regular season a league best 52-20.</p>
<p>The Los Angeles Lakers, by contrast, had arguably the most eventful off-season in the NBA. They acquired Malik Monk, Kendrick Nunn, Carmelo Anthony, Wayne Ellington, Kent Bazemore, Dwight Howard, Trevor Ariza, and most significantly, former MVP Russell Westbrook.</p>
<p>Pairing Westbrook with LeBron James is akin to a black hole sucking an entire galaxy up and spitting it out on top of another one. Will they collide and explode upon each other, or, will they merge into a new, more powerful super galaxy?</p>
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<p>You’d have to ask a theoretical physicist, and frankly, it may take a genius to predict whether James and Westbrook can effectively play together too. However, it is a little easier to foresee that the Utah Jazz will enter the 2021-22 season with plenty of optimism surrounding their ability to succeed against these substantially starrier Lakers.</p>
<p>Here are three reasons the Utah Jazz are designed to counter the Los Angeles Lakers.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #00265D" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://thejnotes.com/2021/08/06/3-reasons-utah-jazz-counter-lakers/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 1. Continuity </a>
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<span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> 'LeDonovan' transforming Salt Lake City into East LA </a> </div>
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<p>Few could argue that the Los Angeles Lakers are not more talented than the Utah Jazz, with two former MVP winners and a third perennial candidate. Nonetheless, fans in Salt Lake City have ample reason to like their chances against the Lakers. Specifically, those reasons are continuity, spacing and roster construction.</p><!—pageview_candidate—>">