Toronto Raptors: 3 keys to W over out-of-tune Jazz

The Utah Jazz meet the Toronto Raptors in an important game for both teams. Utah got hot this time last season, and is fully capable of defeating short-handed Toronto.

The Utah Jazz visit Scotiabank Arena tonight to face the Toronto Raptors. Both teams may be without their starting point guards due to lingering back problems. Kyle Lowry has already been officially ruled out , while Ricky Rubio‘s status won’t be determined until game time.

The Jazz are in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race, which seems like a silly thing to write when they are currently in eleventh place. Yet matters are so close out there that any team which puts together a four-game win streak can leapfrog five teams. Utah is 6.5 games out of first.

You may dispute my “glass is half full” position, but there’s no arguing about the Jazz as a head-scratching team. They are 18-19; after 37 games last season they were 16-21 before catching fire to end with a 48-34 record. That version of the Jazz featured an exciting rookie, Donovan Mitchell, who finished a healthy second in RoY voting. He’s tread water so far, which Utah fans may view as a disappointment. I don’t see why; his numbers are almost exactly the same, except for a dip in his 3-point shooting percentage. He’s their top scorer.

The Jazz knew they had a defensive game-changer in French center Rudy “The Stifle Tower” Gobert a few seasons ago. He’s still a force in the paint – both paints in fact. Rudy can score.

Joe Ingles bookends with Kyle Korver to form a pair of long-range gunners to whom attention must be paid all the time.

Derrick Favors is an inside banger with the skills to create his own shot on occasion. He’s a player I’ve often thought might look better elsewhere, including Toronto.

Their bench will give ours difficulty. Dante Exum was a high lottery pick whose career was nearly ended by injuries before it began. He’s getting better at the point all the time. Jae Crowder is a tough, do-it-all veteran small forward.

3 keys to Raptors victory

1. Attack their ball handlers. Utah is a surprisingly turnover-prone team, ranking 27th with 15.5 per game. Rubio has 113 all by himself, which puts him eighth in this undesired list, and Exum 42.
2. Chase their shooters off the 3-point arc. They aren’t prolific or particularly successful shooters, largely because they only have a few competent ones. We know who they are, so stay with them. Korver has a quick trigger; Ingles not so much.
3.  Box out. I know that’s repetitive, but it has to be said. With Jonas Valanciunas out for some time to come, everyone else has to find a body to get in front of. Utah’s rebounding numbers aren’t impressive, so this isn’t Mission: Impossible.

Prediction

Will the arrival of the New Year mean the end of the Raptors’ shooting woes? That’s pretty hokey, so I’m not betting on it. Our guys will win this one on the strength of defense creating offensive opportunities.

Toronto Raptors 98 – Utah Jazz 92