The Utah Jazz are in trouble. The Dallas Mavericks lead them 2-1 in the NBA playoffs and have torched them in each of the past two games. The Mavs have made mincemeat out of the Jazz defense and could obliterate them even further when Luka Doncic returns. Game 4 is when Dallas is planning to reinsert their star back into the lineup.
Donovan Mitchell. Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley and company blew their chances to make Doncic's absence an advantage. They got booed on their homecourt and have little hope for the remainder of the series.
Everything must be on the table for the Jazz. With Doncic coming back and Mitchell having a mediocre series, they can't play it safe anymore. There are two key things they have to do in Game 4 in order to beat the Mavs.
2 changes Jazz must make after Game 3 vs. Mavs
2. Try the small-ball lineup more
Utah head coach Quinn Snyder made the bold decision to bench his $205 million, All-Star center in place of Eric Paschall, who made his playoff debut against the Mavs. Although the 25-year-old only played 10 minutes, he scored six points and gave the Jazz a new look that the Mavs were not ready for.
As the third quarter ended and fourth quarter began, the Jazz were able to go on a huge run with Paschall at center and Mitchell commanding the offense. They cut a 17-point deficit to one point in roughly 12 minutes of game time because they unlocked their offense to the max.
While Gobert does bring valuable defense, he is a black hole on offense. His only skill is finishing lobs and close shots. Removing him opened up the lane for the Jazz, leading to an 18-point third quarter for Mitchell. They didn't miss his defense much, either.
Utah abandoned the strategy later in the fourth quarter, allowing the Mavs to steal the game. Gobert had been rendered almost useless, as his defense can't cover the flaws of his teammates and his value on offense is minimal if it even exists at all. The Jazz have to accept that. They have to play Dallas' game if they want to advance in the NBA playoffs.
If the Jazz aren't going to defend better (and they don't seem like they will), they have to outscore the Mavs. They have to turn the next game into a pickup game if they want to win. The Jazz have to fight fire with fire since their extinguisher is completely ineffective.
1. Pick on Jalen Brunson defensively
Brunson has been scoring at rates that rival Michael Jordan and LeBron James so far against Utah. Doncic coming back will make the Mavs offense even scarier. Trying to stop Doncic will test the Jazz very rigorously, almost to the point that they might not be able to do anything. One thing they should look to do, though, is to neutralize Brunson's threat.
The Jazz can overcome Brunson by targeting him on defense. The 6-foot-1 guard is strong but not shifty enough to stick with Conley or athletic enough to bother Mitchell. Dallas has executed switches on defense and can get Brunson onto a tougher assignment. This could make him more tired throughout the game or get him in foul trouble.
If Brunson has an off night and the small-ball lineup leads to more offense, the Jazz can even up the series again. A deep run in the NBA playoffs may not be in the cards anymore but they can certainly challenge the Mavs better than they have been.
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