Last season defense was hard to come by for the Utah Jazz as they allowed an NBA worst 126 points per game. How will they fare this year with Walker Kessler‘s departure and a retooled roster with its sights set on a playoff spot?
There’s no question that losing Kessler to the Lakers is a blow to the team’s defensive potential. In his last full season with the Jazz (2024-2025), Walker posted a gaudy 12.2 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game. By comparison, Kyle Filipowski led last year’s squad in rebounds with 7.2 per game, and Ace Bailey led the team in blocks with 0.7. One of the big questions for the upcoming season is are there enough deputies to replace The Sheriff?
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The projected starting lineup for 2026-2027 certainly has more than enough height to battle for rebounds and affect an opponent’s shots. Both Markkanen and Jackson Jr. are bruisers at 7’1″ and 6’10” respectively and have physiques like NFL tight ends. The three games they shared the front court last season hinted at their potential defensive partnership. The Jazz won two out of the three games, including an impressive away win against the Miami Heat, in which the pair combined for 11 defensive rebounds and the team as a whole held the Heat to 111 points. Jackson Jr. also showcased his ability to pick the other team’s pocket and create additional possessions for his teammates, averaging 2 steals a game.
But neither big man is known as a shot blocker nor is expected to consistently produce double digit rebounds. Other players will need to step in to make up the deficit. Ace Bailey at 6’9″ has added muscle in the off season, which will help his ability to contend in the paint and build on his team leading block totals from last year. There is also the option of starting Jusuf Nurkic at center, who showed last season that his ability to rebound the ball is underrated. He didn’t play enough games for his statistics to count in team leading averages, but in the 41 games he did play, he pulled in an impressive 10.4 rebounds a game, including 7.8 on the defensive end. The Jazz would give up some athleticism starting Nurkic over Bailey, but they would also benefit from having a savvy veteran with a nose for the basketball.
One of the most intriguing questions for the upcoming season is how Darryn Peterson and Keyonte George will mesh in the backcourt. This will be especially important defensively as the Jazz’s perimeter defense last year was like a sieve. As a 6’5″ 199 lb guard, Peterson brings size to the position and a defensive intensity which produced 15 blocks and 34 steals in 24 games at Kansas. The big question is how this will translate in the NBA and whether he can maintain that intensity without getting in foul trouble. And if as a tandem, he and George can provide some consistent resistance to the skilled ball handlers and three-point assassins on opposing teams.
The supporting cast’s defensive development will also go a long way in how successful the Jazz are this season. John Konchar made a name for himself as an all-round defensive pest, averaging 2 steals and 1 block in the 26 games he played last season. Bez Mbeng showed glimpses of his defensive prowess in the short time he’s been with the Jazz. Will Kyle Filipowski and Cody Williams take a step forward defensively? What roles will new additions Jaxson Hayes and Josh Okogie play in the defensive development of the team? Will the second coming of Mo Bamba provide a much-needed boost from the bench? So many questions…
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The key is that one player is not the answer in turning arguably the worst defensive team in the league last year into a coordinated group which can hold its own when it matters most. Coach Hardy’s challenge is molding the players’ defensive strengths into a cohesive unit, one that will bend, but not break. Games often come down to key defensive moments—who can forget Lebron racing the length of the court to block Iguodala‘s shot in the 2016 NBA Finals?—and the Jazz have an opportunity to use them as momentum to finally propel them into the post season.
