Scouting Report: Week Two

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ICYMI: Playoff seeding, awards, and other predictions are here for your pleasure. Or, read about the various combinations lurking to dethrone the Warriors. Read that here.

The Utah Jazz opened up NBA week with a 2-1 record, only a few bad calls and turnovers away from being 3-0 in the Northwest division to start the season. Beating the Denver Nuggets on opening night was fun, but taking out Oklahoma City on Saturday night was even better. The Jazz used a run in the third quarter that demonstrated depth, defense, and passion headlined by Utah-cult hero Joe Ingles.

Speaking of Ingles: through three games into 2017 the Jingler is averaging 14.7 points, 3.7 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 2 steals a game while shooting 61% from the field and 63% from deep. He’s also been really good at trash talking.

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Joe Ingles is my hero and I’m looking for t-shirts for my birthday. There is one on Amazon that simply says “Joe Freaking Ingles” and that is good, but I’m looking for better. Give me some love if you’ve got any recommendations.

But that is beside the point. The Jazz started out strong being who the diehard fans thought they’d be (all defense, lack of scoring but everyone pitching in, injuries, inconsistent Hood, ball-Wizard Rubio, simple a Tough. Fun. Team.) For a better analysis, read this piece by Kyle Goon from the SL Trib.

This week gives the Jazz three more games, two that are winnable and one toss up with the Clippers. Check in every Monday (or do me and yourself a favor and subscribe to the email) from now on for a Weekly Scouting Report, courtesy of the Jazz Junkie.

Tuesday, October 24 at Los Angeles Clippers

I doubt the Clips need reminding that the boys from Salt Lake defeated them in a playoff series five months ago but they are now plugging along at a 2-0 record in the new season with wins over the Lakers and the Suns. Small sample size, sure, but the two win resume shows that they are 3rd in Points Per Game (119/game) and tied for 2nd in Points Allowed (90/game). That’s quite the one-two punch (probably the punch that Griffin landed on team trainer that broke his hand last February? Too soon?)

They may be minus their floor general of years past, but they also lost Milos Teodosic to a knee injury against the Suns. Griffin, on the other hand, isn’t injured (yet) but averages 29 points a game while Lou Williams pops off the bench for 15. Big DeAndre Jordan is leading the league in rebounds a game, 18.5, while also pitching in ten points a game too.

Highlights for the Clips was not only beating the Lakers on opening night, but Patrick Beverly doing what he does best in shutting down opposing point guards, only this time it was Big Baller Lonzo Ball. As an “initiation to the NBA,” Beverly used his defensive tenacity and trash talking skills to his advantage, right from the get-go.

Wednesday, October 25 at Phoenix Suns

So Eric Bledsoe tweets he doesn’t want to be there. And then, Earl Watson gets fired.

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsI feel for Watson, the Bull Dog. I loved Watson when he was playing in Utah and knew he was a great basketball mind who connected to staff and teammates on a very personal level. That said, I never thought he would be a stud as a head coach and landing in Phoenix was a tough gig. He had a young team, a semi-star (but shooting too much and inefficiently) Devin Booker and not much after that. Last year the team won 24 games and started this year 0-3 which gave Watson the ax.

We all knew they would be bad, but not losing-on-opening-night-by-a-record-48-points-which-is-the-most-by-an-NBA-team-in-a-season-debut-ever-like-ever,ever-which-means-since-1946-bad. That’s bad, but is it firing Earl Watson, bad? I guess so.

The Suns trot out a starting lineup of Eric Bledsoe (used to covet as a Jazz point guard, but that was three years ago), Devin Booker (if you want to see a Twitter storm, ask Jazz fans who we should’ve taken: Trey Lyles or Devin Booker), TJ Warren (won a game with a dunk last year), Josh Jackson (#4 pick from Kansas in the recent draft), and Tyson Chandler (WHY IS HE ON THIS TEAM??). Backup bigs are babies: Dragan Bender (age 19), Marquese Chriss (age 20), Derrick Jones, Jr (age 20) and Alex Len (age 24).

Utah Jazz point guard Earl Watson (11) salutes the crowd after sealing the Jazz victory with a 3 pointer against the Lakers in Salt Lake City Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012. The Jazz won 96-87.

Saturday, October 28 Los Angeles Lakers in Salt Lake City

The Lonzo Ball debut got off to an iffy start. Game one, versus same city Clippers, saw Ball shoot 1/6 with three points but also displayed his all-around skills with nine rebounds and four assists and a block and steal. Game two was much better: 29 points (12/27), 11 rebounds, and nine assists. Accordingly, the Lakers won game two, 132-130, and lost the first 108-92. Late Sunday night the Lakers battled against the Pelicans but came up a bit short: an 11-0 run by the Pellies ended the game and gave them a 119-112 victory. Ball struggled with his shot, like the season opener, to provide eight points but was versatile enough with 13 assists and eight rebounds.

Oh, and Ball released a rap video after his first NBA win, too.

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsKyle Kuzma, the Ute product, was the preseason darling and became a national sensation. In his professional debut, he pitched in eight points in just under 20 minutes, but game two went better for him as well when he got close to thirty minutes of playing time and went 6/7 from the field with 15 points. Against the Pelicans he reached the thirty-minute threshold again and provided 20 points off the bench. He battles Julius Randle and Larry Nance, Jr for playing time, but looks like he deserves it. If the Lakers win enough, he could be in contention for 6th Man of the Year and all-Rookie Team at the end of the year.

I’ll take the Jazz going 2-1 this week, with a loss to the Clippers on Tuesday.

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