The Raptors own the NBA’s second best defense thanks in no small part to their deep talent at the center position. Rudy Gobert and the Jazz will have their hands full tonight containing the Raptors bigs, especially when Gobert needs to sit for a few minutes.
Ever since the All-Star break, Rudy’s basic box-score line has been down. His numbers don’t look very gaudy at 13.1 points and 9.8 rebounds per game, but he still carries the major gravity we all love him for.
If he can deny Gasol and Ibaka from contributing their normal combined 23.4 points per game and make scoring in the paint a painful visit for every other Raptors player, the Jazz will be in good position to win this game.
However, if he can’t combat the Raptors choosing to play five-out offense by stashing Gasol (40 percent) or Ibaka (38 percent) on the 3-point line, it will be a long night for the Utah Jazz.
#Raptors</a> defense is even better than it was last year with Kawhi and a Danny Green. It’s a thing of beauty <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/03/09/utah-jazz-toronto-raptors-matchups/2/"https://twitter.com/BleacherReport?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>@BleacherReport / <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/03/09/utah-jazz-toronto-raptors-matchups/2/"https://twitter.com/BR_NBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>@BR_NBA
https://t.co/8LHL0tGguH
<p>— Will Gottlieb (@wontgottlieb) <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/03/09/utah-jazz-toronto-raptors-matchups/2/"https://twitter.com/wontgottlieb/status/1237029694794428416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>March 9, 2020</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>The Raptors own the NBA’s second best defense thanks in no small part to their deep talent at the center position. Rudy Gobert and the Jazz will have their hands full tonight containing the Raptors bigs, especially when Gobert needs to sit for a few minutes.</p>
<p>Ever since the All-Star break, Rudy’s basic box-score line has been down. His numbers don’t look very gaudy at 13.1 points and 9.8 rebounds per game, but he still carries the major gravity we all love him for.</p>
<p>If he can deny Gasol and Ibaka from contributing their normal combined 23.4 points per game and make scoring in the paint a painful visit for every other Raptors player, the Jazz will be in good position to win this game.</p>
<p>However, if he can’t combat the Raptors choosing to play five-out offense by stashing Gasol (40 percent) or Ibaka (38 percent) on the 3-point line, it will be a long night for the Utah Jazz.</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/2020/03/09/utah-jazz-toronto-raptors-matchups/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Former Grizzlies duke it out </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-82324 size-full" src=https://thejnotes.com/2020/03/09/utah-jazz-toronto-raptors-matchups/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1134,w_1600/https%3A%2F%2Fthejnotes.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1097566506.jpeg" alt="Utah Jazz" width="1600" height="1134" srcset="https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1097566506.jpeg 1600w, https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1097566506-768x544.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Mike Conley, Memphis Grizzlies. Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>Mike Conley vs Kyle Lowry</h3>
<p>It’s crazy to think that these two were once teammates in the early days of their career in Memphis. Back then things were much more tumultuous for the Grizzlies than what we remember the Grit and Grind era to be.</p>
<p><a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/03/09/utah-jazz-toronto-raptors-matchups/2/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/conlemi01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">Mike Conley</a> was clearly supposed to be the franchise point guard they were rebuilding around, as he was drafted fourth overall and playing really well. <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/03/09/utah-jazz-toronto-raptors-matchups/2/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/mayooj01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">OJ Mayo</a> was clearly supposed to be his primary backcourt mate, as he was also a very solid young player at the time.</p>
<p>The Grizzlies had already drafted Kyle Lowry late in the first round back in 2006, but they complicated this matter by signing a washed up <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/03/09/utah-jazz-toronto-raptors-matchups/2/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/i/iversal01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">Allen Iverson</a> ahead of the 2008-09 season.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Mountain Mike with quite a week over the teams' 4-game road sweep: </p>
<p>𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐒: 17.3 points, 5.3 assists, shooting 46% from three.<a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/03/09/utah-jazz-toronto-raptors-matchups/2/"https://twitter.com/hashtag/PlayerOfTheWeek?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>#PlayerOfTheWeek</a> | <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/03/09/utah-jazz-toronto-raptors-matchups/2/"https://twitter.com/Xfinity?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>@Xfinity <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/03/09/utah-jazz-toronto-raptors-matchups/2/"https://t.co/ncuauC4hMq">pic.twitter.com/ncuauC4hMq
<p>— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/03/09/utah-jazz-toronto-raptors-matchups/2/"https://twitter.com/utahjazz/status/1236849941504540672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>March 9, 2020</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>Iverson refused to come off the bench, and ultimately got waived by the Grizzlies. Lowry got traded to the Houston Rockets where he would get more opportunity playing starter’s minutes, which he made the most of.</p>
<p>Fast forward nearly a decade, and both Mike and Kyle are on hefty contracts while playing well into their 30s. Earlier this season Lowry dominated this match-up, but <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/03/09/utah-jazz-toronto-raptors-matchups/2/"https://thejnotes.com/2020/03/07/breathe-easy-utah-jazz-mike-conley/">now that Conley has found himself of late</a>, this should be a more interesting match-up, especially given the historical ties between the two players.</p>
<p>Both players love to win and do what’s right for the team, but Mike is the much more proficient shooter whereas Kyle is the stronger athlete and defender.</p>
<p>I won’t feel too bad if Lowry wins this match-up (he was an All-Star this year), but if Mike can make it a close contest and not a landslide victory for Lowry, then all the better for the Jazz.</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/2020/03/09/utah-jazz-toronto-raptors-matchups/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Royce vs Pascal </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-82322 size-full" src=https://thejnotes.com/2020/03/09/utah-jazz-toronto-raptors-matchups/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2134,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fthejnotes.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1202197064.jpeg" alt="Utah Jazz" width="3200" height="2134" srcset="https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1202197064.jpeg 3200w, https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1202197064-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Royce O’Neale, Utah Jazz (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>Royce O’Neale vs Pascal Siakam</h3>
<p>The most dynamic player on the Toronto Raptors is third year pro Pascal Siakam. He was the NBA’s Most Improved Player of 2018-19, developing into a competent second fiddle to Kawhi Leonard en route to an NBA championship.</p>
<p>This year, the growth hasn’t slowed down at all for the former New Mexico State Aggie. Pascal wasn’t meant to be a role player in the NBA, he was a star just in late blooming. He wasn’t drafted very high (27th overall) and didn’t make any All-Rookie teams his first year.</p>
<p>He goes for 23.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per night, and can create his own shot through isolation or get right to the basket with his good handles and length.</p>
<p>As for how the Jazz will combat that tonight, they will use their own late blooming NBA product <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/03/09/utah-jazz-toronto-raptors-matchups/2/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/o/onealro01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">Royce O’Neale</a>. Royce went undrafted and had to carve out a career overseas.</p>
<p>He caught the eye of Dennis Lindsey and earned a training camp invite in the fall of 2017. He stuck like Velcro to the Jazz, blooming as a 3-and-D ace that can guard power forwards in today’s smaller NBA.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Teams are leaving Utah Jazz guard Royce O’Neale open from 3, but is that a good idea? <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/03/09/utah-jazz-toronto-raptors-matchups/2/"https://t.co/oem1SyWcut">https://t.co/oem1SyWcut <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/03/09/utah-jazz-toronto-raptors-matchups/2/"https://t.co/ce4gkPsNMI">pic.twitter.com/ce4gkPsNMI
<p>— Sarah Todd (@NBASarah) <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/03/09/utah-jazz-toronto-raptors-matchups/2/"https://twitter.com/NBASarah/status/1235768973154795524?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>March 6, 2020</a></p></blockquote>
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<p><a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/03/09/utah-jazz-toronto-raptors-matchups/2/"https://thejnotes.com/2020/03/08/utah-jazz-royce-oneale-stars-defense-starter/">Since being re-inserted back into the starting lineup</a>, O’Neale is proving that the Jazz got a bargain when they locked him up for four years and 36 million dollars. His low maintenance offense allows the four other Jazz starters to get the space and touches they need to operate.</p>
<p>Siakam is a very good defender himself, and Royce will need to be on the ball with his 3-point shot tonight to give the Raptors’ top-notch defense a run for their money. I’m guessing the Raps will assign Siakam to guard <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/03/09/utah-jazz-toronto-raptors-matchups/2/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/bogdabo02.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">Bojan Bogdanovic</a>, but Royce hitting his three point shots will only help.</p>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="10 potential Jazz draft targets in NCAA Tournament" data-url="https://thejnotes.com/2020/03/08/utah-jazz-10-potential-draft-targets-tournament/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background: #00265D" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://thejnotes.com/2020/03/09/utah-jazz-toronto-raptors-matchups/2/"https://thejnotes.com/2020/03/08/utah-jazz-10-potential-draft-targets-tournament/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> 10 potential Jazz draft targets in NCAA Tournament </a> </div>
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<p>As for my prediction of the final score, this ought to be a close game that will be gutted out as both teams are very tired right now. I’ll pick the Raptors to win, 114 to 110.</p><!—pageview_candidate—>">