Post-Game Adjustments: The Jazz Need To Focus More On Shooters | NBA Playbook

Post-Game Adjustments: The Jazz Need To Focus More On Shooters

Throughout the playoffs, we are going to be looking at the teams that lost their last game and look at what they can do to try and get a win.

Even though Carmelo Anthony went off for 42 points, the game didn’t get out of hand until the start of the 4th quarter.  The Jazz went from being tied to being down 8 in a span of 4 minutes.  Carmelo Anthony only had 2 points during that stretch.  The rest came from J.R. Smith, and that is what the Jazz are going to have to focus on in Game 2, the outside shooters.  Melo is going to get his no matter what, but if the Jazz can prevent the other guys from going off (which they were able to do for the first 3 quarters), they can give themselves a chance to win.

Here, Carmelo Anthony comes off of two screens to get the ball in his sweet spot.  The elbow at the top of the key is a nice place to get the basketball because it is hard to get a double team there.  Also, when the defense starts to focus its attention there, shooters can free up.

Once Carmelo makes the catch, all of the Jazz defenders focus on Carmelo.  Kyle Korver is one of those defenders, and with him paying attention to Carmelo, he doesn’t see J.R. Smith spotting up on the wing.

Once Smith makes the catch, it is hard for Korver to close out on time.  Smith rises and knocks down the big three.

Here is the next trip down the court:

Again, all of the attention to Carmelo Anthony frees up J.R. Smith.  Here, the Jazz are playing a type of match-up zone and once Carmelo makes the catch in the middle of the court, the Jazz run towards him, leaving J.R. Smith wide open.  Smith makes the catch and knocks it down.

With a player like J.R. Smith, once he sees the ball go in the hoop, the other team is in trouble because he starts knocking down everything.  That is the case with this final set:

This is actually pretty good defense, but because Smith was “feeling it,” he takes the shot and makes it.  If the Jazz are able to contain the shooters in Game 2, I think they can put themselves in position to win the game.

19
Apr 2010
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POSTED IN 2010 Playoffs Post-Game Adjustments Utah Jazz
DISCUSSION 4 Comments
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  • http://highnotehoops.com Clint

    It helped in Game 2 that JR went 3-10. Also, Matt Harpring’s defensive advice to Wesley Matthews, pregame, was invaluable. Matthews was stuck like glue to Melo, frustrating him to no end.