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It seems like wherever you look you’ll hear about the Utah Jazz and their difficult schedule, especially December, that has left the Jazz with a record of 14-17 and the 14th spot in the Western Conference.
Now that we’re in the heart of this difficult December schedule, the Jazz are facing probably the toughest week of the year starting with the Golden State Warriors then Portland twice then Oklahoma City and finally the Philadelphia 76ers.
This week very well could decide what happens with the team the rest of the year.
After a terrible loss to Orlando in Mexico City and a heartbreaker against Houston, Utah has to find a way to do something they haven’t all season: Beat the odds.
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Last year’s win streak started with a win against the Raptors that was followed closely by a surprising win against the Warriors.
Could a surprise win against the Warriors tonight be the thing that gets them on the right track? We’ll see, but if it doesn’t happen now, it may not happen ever. January’s schedule is tougher than you think and if the Jazz fall even farther below .500 the parity of the league is going to make it near impossible to make up ground.
Look at the standings on NBA.com and you’ll see the biggest win streak is six games for the Brooklyn Nets. Teams just aren’t streaking because there aren’t a lot of tanking teams this season with most teams believing they can make it to the playoffs.
The solution for Utah is simple: Win.
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Good Guy Joe Ingles spent time with kids at Shriners Hospital.
Joe Ingles spent time this afternoon meeting with kids at @ShrinersHospSLC ❤️#NBACares | @JazzDoingGood pic.twitter.com/lT07YFxYH1
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) December 19, 2018
As frustrating a season as this has been on the court, off the court the Jazz continue to show incredible character and kindness. It’s nice to know that, no matter what, the Jazz have great people representing the team.
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This chart by P3 Sport Science shows a naming system for players based on their physical characteristics. It’s really interesting to think of players in a different light like this. Here is the overall chart and I’ll link some of the names and examples of the players they talk about.
We've done the same thing using movement data. We aren't describing what kind of player you see on court, but rather the unique physical systems that allow these athletes to perform the way that they do. pic.twitter.com/sY0pKB7s5K
— P3 (@P3sportscience) December 18, 2018
1. Traditional Big
— P3 (@P3sportscience) December 18, 2018
- Size is the dominant characteristic of this group
- Lack explosiveness in both the vertical and lateral planes
- Most effective athletes in this cluster combine elite size with at least one other elite skill
Archetype Athlete: Nikola Jokic
2. Big-Plus
— P3 (@P3sportscience) December 18, 2018
- Share similarly elite size characteristics with Traditional Bigs
- Pair this size with impressive movement quality
- Relative to Traditional Bigs, these athletes are more effective moving laterally
Archetype Athlete: Andre Drummond
3. Force Movers
— P3 (@P3sportscience) December 18, 2018
- Force production number rate impressively
- Generally possess impressive traditional performance metrics
Archetype Athlete: Stanley Johnson
4. Kinematic Movers
— P3 (@P3sportscience) December 18, 2018
- Kinematic values rate highly compared to NBA athletes (particularly in the lateral plane)
- Generally average to below-average measureables
- Average traditional performance metrics relative to guards/wings
Archetype Athlete: Bradley Beal
5. Hyper-Athletic Guards
— P3 (@P3sportscience) December 18, 2018
- Generally lack the anthropometric measures of the typical NBA athlete
- Make up for lacking-measureables with impressive acceleration in all directions
- Efficient kinematics in all directions
Archetype Athlete: Damian Lillard
6. Specimens
— P3 (@P3sportscience) December 18, 2018
- Anthropometric measures typically resemble the average NBA wing
- Elite vertical plane prowess
- "plus" lateral plane movement
- "plus" efficiency
Archetype Athlete: Zion Williamson
7. Minus-Perimeter
— P3 (@P3sportscience) December 18, 2018
- Adequate size for an athlete playing on the perimeter
- Limited lateral plane power and efficiency
- Below-average vertical plane numbers
- Overall: flawed movers with a limited athletic ceiling
Archetype Athlete: can't share :/
Fascinating stuff! Which types do you think each Jazz player falls into?
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I’m a sucker for new jersey and court concepts. I always enjoy vibrant color with jersey’s and court designs (like Miami’s Miami Vice themes). This one really pops!
Haven’t showed twitter yet but.... Utah Jazz City x Throwback (collab with my bro @parkerhandley56 )
— brendon (@ujcdsgn) December 18, 2018
•RATE 1-10!#takenote #utahjazz #jazznation #teamiseverything #jazz #nba #art #design #graphicdesign #photoshop #nike #jerseys @utahjazz @JazzNationNews @slcdunk @barnesdesign pic.twitter.com/HdwDrMuNho
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Grayson Allen, Tony Bradley and Georges Niang were on assignment again with the Stars. It’s nice to see their commitment to improving. Quin Snyder really appreciates guys that work hard and are willing to do whatever it takes to get better. The time they put in now will pay huge dividends down the road.
.@GraysonJAllen, @ToBrad1 and @GeorgesNiang20 were on assignment with us from the @utahjazz for today’s practice. from today’s session. pic.twitter.com/ChtVk5QVjb
— Salt Lake City Stars (@slcstars) December 19, 2018