SALT LAKE CITY, UT - OCTOBER 26: Ed Davis #17 of the Utah Jazz shoots a free throw /SK on October 26, 2019 at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images)
Jazz’s loss to Kings proves costly — Ed Davis suffers fracture
The Utah Jazz fell to the Sacramento Kings in heartbreaking fashion on Friday; Utah lost more than the game along the way.
My J-Notes partner-in-crime Jared Woodcox called it — the Utah Jazz’s Friday night bout with De’Aaron Fox and the Sacramento Kings was a trap game through and through. And, make no mistake about it, the Jazz band got caught, particularly in one crucial phase of the game.
Although the Kings won the rebounding battle by just two boards overall, they absolutely hammered the Jazz on the offensive glass. All told, Sacramento racked up 11 offensive rebounds, include one by Harrison Barnes in the contest’s waning seconds that resulted in a game-winning put-back.
And, to add insult to injury (or vice-versa), the game wasn’t the only thing that was lost by the Jazz in the process.
Per an announcement from the team on Saturday, big man Ed Davis — who exited the Kings game with an injury during the third carom — has suffered a fractured left fibula. He’ll be re-evaluated in one month’s time, but expect a four-to-six-week timetable at the minimum.
For a squad facing big time questions as relates to its ability to board, Davis’ injury is a bad one.
Although he’s still been finding his way as a Jazzman, there’s no doubting that Davis continues to be one of the best rebounders in the NBA. His total rebound rate of 25.2 percent was a top-three mark league-wide last season. Even as his transition to Utah has felt less than smooth at times, his rebound rate has held strong at 25.1 percent.
With Derrick Favors moving on to New Orleans over the summer and the one-huge Jazz suddenly looking short on size, they can’t really afford to lose capable rebounders.
In Davis’ absence, look for third-year man Tony Bradley to get his first real bite at the apple for the Jazz. During the preseason, the 21-year-old put up 12 points and six boards per contest while connecting on 76 percent of his field goal attempts.
He only made 12 appearances for the Jazz over his rookie and sophomore season in Utah, but he’s worked hard to transform his body and develop a skill set that demands to be utilized.
With Davis on the mend, Bradley should be the first center off the bench for Jazz coach Quin Snyder; a development that’s been a long time coming for the former first-round pick.
If he can make good on the extra run, he may have the opportunity to keep a spot in the rotation should Davis remain sidelines for an extended period or continue to struggle upon his return.
