NBA Utah Jazz

Enes Kanter Improving Offense For Utah Jazz; Defense Still a Work In Progress

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By @mrmarykateolsen

Enes Kanter Utah Jazz Al Horford Atlanta Hawks Offense

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During their recent eastern swing, the Utah Jazz have enjoyed increased productivity on offense from starting power forward Enes Kanter. Last night against the Atlanta Hawks, Kanter was good for 16 points and was able to connect twice from three-point range — a welcome showing given the team’s attempt to transform the big man into a stretch four. That said, his defense remains a huge negative for the team.

From the first game of the season, Kanter has been consistently victimized by opposing bigs. That night, it was Dwight Howard who was met with almost no resistance. The next, Dirk Nowitzki was the one shredding the nets. Blake Griffin got a turn when the team met up with the Los Angeles Clippers. Granted, the aforementioned comprise the best frontcourt players in the NBA, but the trend has continued on down the line.

The latest forward to go off was the Hawks’ Paul Millsap. Of the former Jazzman’s 13 field goals, six came with Kanter guarding him. Four of those came in the restricted area, where you would have hoped that Kanter’s 6-foot-10, 260-pound frame could deter the undersized Millsap. Alas, some of those points came on the drive or in the pick-and-roll, where Kanter’s lateral movement has been inadequate, and his size never worked to his advantage in other situations. In the end, Millsap finished with 30 points.

On the bright side, Kanter is back on track offensively. Through the first three games of the current five-game road trip, he’s connected on staggering 67 percent from the field and has made 3-of-6 from long distance. Over the course of that stretch, the Jazz are plus-17 with him on the floor. After losing minutes to Trevor Booker in Utah’s first batch of games, Kanter has been able to stay on the floor because his offense has picked up significantly.

His jump shot has looked pretty, and he’s probably passing the ball better than he ever has before. Because of this, the starting five has been more potent than it was last season. Still, Kanter’s defense is a growing concern, and if progress isn’t made over the course of this season, the Jazz will be faced with a difficult decision when the former No. 3 overall pick hits free agency this summer.

Ryan Aston covers the Utah Jazz for RantSports. Follow him on Twitter @MrMaryKateOlsen or add him to your network on Google.

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