Utah Jazz vs Brooklyn Nets: 5 Things to Watch

1. Post-Timberpup hangover

I didn’t watch the Timberwolves game, but by all means, it one to miss. That was the worst home loss Quin Snyder has ever suffered.

It’s unlikely the Jazz will lose as bad as this at home again (knock on wood), but they really need to come out and absolutely dominate from start to finish the worst league in the team.

2. Injuries?

Rodney Hood didn’t play in the Timberwolves game due to “right knee soreness”, and he will be out again on Friday. He’s appeared in just 6 of the last 19 games. On the other hand, the Nets are healthy, with Jeremy Lin set to start his fourth game back from a hamstring injury.

But Derrick Favors, George Hill, and Boris Diaw have been struggling with injuries all year. The Jazz really need to rest up and make sure that everyone is healthy for the #playoffpush. Will Quin rest some or all of them against the Nets? All indications point to no, but minute reductions should be in order.

3. Rotations, rotations, rotations

Against the Timberwolves, Dante Exum lead the team in minutes (28) and points (15, 6/12 shooting, 2/5 3pts). Trey Lyles played 20 minutes and made his first field goal since February 11th. George Hill took 3 shots and made 2 points in. What were the rotations in this game?

Hopefully from here on out, Quin can re-establish a more regular rhythm with his players. Everyone needs to be giving 100% in the minutes they are playing, and should be resting up when they aren’t.

4. The Three-Ball

The Jazz got torched by the Thunder (15/22) and the Timberwolves (8/16) in their last two losses. That’s wholly unsustainable, but I can’t help but feel that there have been as many three point splashes as splashes made by this ridiculously cute dog.

On the season, the opponents of the Jazz have shot 35.7%. That’s just about league average. The Jazz need to do much better than that if they want to keep their status as one of the premier defensive teams in the league. The Nets are shooting 34% on the season, but OKC was shooting 32% (now 32.8%) coming into that game. Anything can happen if you’re not careful.

5. Trevor Booker/Randy Foye revenge game?

Trevor Booker is probably the Nets’ third or fourth best player, leading them in rebounds per game (8.6), steals per game (1.2), and field goal percentage (0.530). In the game against the Jazz, he had 17 points and 15 rebounds.

Randy “will always be better than Alec Burks” Foye is also somehow still in the league, and started 17 of 46 games he’s played in this year. He’s only averaging 19 minutes a game, but hit this crazy shot to beat the Hornets earlier this year:

Will either of these two former Jazzmen pull off something crazy and bring out the pain from the past?

Probably not. But in this crazy NBA season, who really knows any more?

Go Jazz Go!