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Defense, as they say, is their calling card, and the Utah Jazz certainly have let the NBA know it this season.
The Jazz have been the second best defense in the league through their first 43 games, a fraction behind the top-rated Golden State Warriors. But that doesn't mean they feel satisfied with what they've accomplished.
"There's always a place for improvement," center Rudy Gobert says.
The 7-foot Gobert has put together a resume worthy of a Defensive Player of the Year award this season, averaging 2.6 blocks and 12.5 rebounds a game, while anchoring the Jazz's stifling defense. But the man in the middle of the action believes his squad has been inconsistent doing what it does best.
"I feel like there are a few games where maybe we don't have as much energy and as much focus," Gobert said. "We have to be focused every night and bring it every night. When we do it, it's hard to score on us."
The Jazz, who love to grind down teams with the league's most plodding pace, have held their opponents to 90 points or fewer 16 times this season, the most in the NBA. Meanwhile, they have allowed just 101.2 points per 100 possessions, per NBA.com, a tenth of a point worse than the No. 1 Warriors.
Given an influx of new players and an opening act to this season that was plagued by injuries, Jazz coach Quin Snyder said he's been surprised by his team's sustained success defensively.
"We've worked at it and you start to see some compounding of the investment that you make over a period of a couple years … start to take hold a little bit," he said. "We can become more connected and more consistent, but I think the emphasis is there for our guys. We understand that's where we're going to have success, if we're going to have it, is on that end."
Still, Snyder wants more.
"Harder, smarter and longer," point guard George Hill said. "That's what coach would say."
At his best, the 6-3 Hill is one of the league's top defenders at his position and his return to the starting lineup was supposed to help solve the Jazz's struggles with opposing speedsters. But the Jazz have seen Magic guard Elfrid Payton and Suns guard Eric Bledsoe flirt with triple-doubles against them in their last two contests, even with Hill matching up against them.
"It happens," Hill said, saying he wasn't worried about a trend continuing. "It's the NBA. They're good players. I'm sure there are reporters who write good stories and reporters who don't, am I right?"
The Jazz want those guards moving toward the paint.
"We're one big unit," Hill said. "It's not just one guy that's doing everything. Rudy's the anchor in the back, but the guards, our job is to funnel them to the big and make it where they're shooting tough shots and giving Rudy the opportunity to use his length and what he's special at in blocking shots."
Still, they know they have to be better on the ball, at the point of attack, to avoid getting burned in the future.
"Guys are getting into the paint a lot against us," Gordon Hayward said, acknowledging that's part of the team's scheme. "They're having a hard time converting … but it still would be nice if we could keep them out of there altogether."
Snyder cited his team's perimeter defense as a prime place for his second-ranked defense to make gains.
"I think that comes from more action on our wings," he said. "We can just be more aggressive, whether it's guarding screen actions or in help situations, those wings using their length and size can create some more deflections and turnovers."
The coach added later, "I'm not looking at rankings and scores, but you watch our team play, and I know we can get better."
Twitter: @aaronfalk —
Jazz at Mavericks
At American Airlines Center
Tipoff • 6:30 p.m. MT, Friday
TV • ROOT
Radio • 97.5 FM, 1280 AM
About the Jazz • Have beaten the Mavericks twice this season, both times in Salt Lake City. … With 17 points against the Suns, Gordon Hayward passed Mehmet Okur for ninth all-time on the Jazz career scoring list. … Shooting guard Rodney Hood (right knee) will not play Friday.
About the Mavs • Have won three in a row, including a hard-fought 99-98 victory in Chicago on Tuesday. … Forward Harrison Barnes leads the team in scoring, averaging 20.6 points per contest. … Former Utah star Andrew Bogut has been dealing with a right hamstring strain.