The Utah Jazz found themselves with a .500 record on Sunday, January 21 with the trade deadline just over two weeks away.
Team CEO Danny Ainge's Jazz have gotten great effort and interesting results out of its young roster this season with both eyes focused firmly on the future.
Recently, Jazz Coach Will Hardy shared his heartfelt reaction to the loss of a Warriors legend. A Jazz star was compared to Dallas Mavs legend Dirk Nowitzki.
As the Jazz trade deadline draws near, the question is whether or not Coach Hardy's team can fortify itself in time for a playoff run.
Jazz Must Improve Shooting at Trade Deadline
The Jazz are the type of team that gets the most out of its talent.
A cursory glance at the NBA's team statistics reveals that shooting is the Jazz's big weakness.
The Jazz rank just 22nd in three-point field goal percentage and 18th in overall shooting percentage. That won't get it done in the playoffs against high octane teams like the Nuggets, Kings, and Rockets, should the Jazz make it that far.
One way the Jazz can improve in this area is by encouraging better shot selection from star forward/center Lauri Markkanen. Markannen is shooting just over 39 percent from three-point land so far on the season on eight three-point attempts per game.
Markannen has the height, smooth shot and skill to shoot over pretty much any player in the game. If he can take better shots and get into a rhythm for Coach Hardy and the Jazz, Utah has a chance to finish strong in the second half of the season.
Hardy can help in this department by drawing up the right plays for Markkanen and his supporting cast.
Better ball movement can lead to better shots. Guard Collin Sexton may be the Jazz's starting two-guard for years to come, but he could stand to improve on his four assists per game average.
The Jazz are currently riding with Kris Dunn at the point guard position and Dunn has had some impressive games. He's not the long term answer at point guard according to most analysts.
The Jazz may need to make a move to balance out their roster, perhaps by trading for a point guard or forward who can distribute and shoot the ball better than the current options on Jazz's roster.
Jazz Could Trade for Zach LaVine
The Jazz have been mentioned as a possible trade deadline destination for Zach Lavine of the Chicago Bulls.
LaVine's addition would be controversial. He would bring talents, skills and abilities to Utah that the team currently lacks, however.
LaVine is averaging 19.5 points and 3.9 assists for the Jazz this season.
His athleticism, rebounding and shooting efficiency give him the ability to affect the game in a multitude of ways. While he is averaging about the same number of assists as Sexton, LaVine brings a high-flying element to the Jazz's offense and defense that the team currently lacks.
The current line of thinking among the media is that Coach Hardy's team might be better off standing pat and waiting until free agency instead of making a big splash at the trade deadline.
The thought here is that Utah would be better off swinging a trade for LaVine, who brings skills that the team currently lacks and could benefit off of both in the long and short term.
Now, it's time for GM Justin Zanik to make the final call. Utah has talented players they can move to upgrade the roster, it's simply a matter of having the guts to make the trades necessary to shake up a stagnant roster, much like the Jazz's current CEO Ainge did as GM of the Boston Celtics many years ago.
Follow Us
Subscribe