Utah Jazz 73 at Oklahoma City 95 -- Game Recap

The Utah Jazz had their collective souls ripped from their chests tonight.  Rudy Gobert was Utah's leading scorer and he only played 10 minutes.  That should tell you most of what happened in this game.

The Jazz got off to a 3-0 start to begin the game.  After that, the Jazz never looked like their hearts and arrived with their luggage.  They looked slow and disinterested.  The Oklahoma City Thunder, playing without Russell Westbrook (DNP-Opponent Jazz), dominating each quarter.  Kevin Durant scored 19 points on just 9 shots.

By the time the 4th quarter rolled around it looked as though scoring 60 points was out of reach for the Utah Jazz.  In garbage time, the Jazz reserves went on a run a pulled the Jazz within 22 points of the Oklahoma City Thunder.  I know Tyrone Corbin is hoping that Greg Miller carries on his father's tradition of not watching games on Sundays.

Three Positives

• Rudy Gobert and the reserves.  Rudy Gobert entered the game during garbage time in the fourth and quickly tallied 10 Points, 3 Rebounds, 1 Assist, 1 Steal, and 2 Blocks.  He looked like he cared.  In fact, the entire reserves looked like they were not willing participants in the Jazz's impression of the Washington Generals.  Kudos.
• Enes Kanter.  Yes.  Enes Kanter.  He's trying out there.  He also led the Jazz with 10 points.
• Um ...

Three Negatives

• Offense.  This team looks confused out there.  We are now four years removed from Jerry Sloan's beautiful clockwork flex offense.  This offense looks like the Zombie Flex.  It has no order, it's trying to re-animate old/dead tissue, and it's trying to score/eat flesh but is not very effective at it.  This offense looks like a YMCA pick up game brand of basketball.  There are no cuts.  Players are camping out on the 3 point line.  Long 2s.  Hero ball.  And the old man, Richard Jefferson, is trying to be the playmaker.  The Jazz are still the slowest team in the league.  They are one of the youngest teams in the league and still are running at one of the slowest paces.  That's gotta change.
• Defense.  I almost put defense in the positives but I just can't.  If you get blown out by 20+ points you don't get the honor of having a positive defense.  While they are holding people to below 100 points per game that's more a sign of their slow pace rather than their actual defense.  Can you imagine how many points the Thunder would have scored if Russell Westbrook was orchestrating this Thunder team tonight?
• Coaching.  Sorry, Corbin.  You're on this list.  Your team looks like they have given up on you.  Whether that's fair or not, your job is to get them ready to play.  You are approaching the most crucial week of your tenure.  Not many coaches survive going 1-14 to start the season.  The Chicago Bulls, the same team that started your tenure, and the Phoenix Suns who are coached by your ex assistant coach are standing at the door.  THEY ARE THE ONES WHO KNOCK.  The odds get worse if you fall to 1-15, 1-16, or 1-17.  Step up, Corbin, your job is at stake.