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NBA Week 8 Rewind: Don’t overlook the Spurs and Cavaliers

By Tom West

Dec 17, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) guards Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) in the first quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 17, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) guards Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) in the first quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 16, 2015; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) loses control of the ball as he falls to the floor during the second half against the New Orleans Pelicans at Vivint Smart Home Arena. New Orleans won 104-94. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 16, 2015; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) loses control of the ball as he falls to the floor during the second half against the New Orleans Pelicans at Vivint Smart Home Arena. New Orleans won 104-94. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports /

Who’s Struggling?

The Utah Jazz have lost six of their last 10 games, and despite the ability they’ve shown at times this season, they’re now eighth place in the West. Even after winning their last two games against the Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns, the Jazz have still struggled to maintain a .500 record. At 12-14 they’re still relying on their defense to win them games, which isn’t necessarily a bad strategy if you have a top-tier defense. You can’t get by without scoring in today’s three point crazy NBA, though, and as the Jazz rank 24th in points per game (97.5), that’s essentially been the case.

However, their signature defense has taken a major hit after losing star shot-swatting center Rudy Gobert to a left knee sprain. He’s been out since November 30, and over December, the Jazz have a mere 3-6 record. Their once formidable rim protection and defense now ranks 17th in efficiency, and for the month so far they’re 26th in blocks per game. It shows just how much of a force Gobert is, but it also reveals how much they rely on him to compete. He holds together their defense, and their offense isn’t nearly enough to get by without him.

The Chicago Bulls are coming off a tough week. They landed two solid wins against the 76ers (what a nice gift so close to Christmas) and Memphis Grizzlies, but lost three straight after that. It all started with the quadruple overtime marathon they had against the Pistons that we looked at, as it depleted so much of their energy that it’s hardly surprising they didn’t have enough gas in the tank to defeat the Knicks the following day. After all, they’re only human.

As for their loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Monday 21, Derrick Rose struggled (3-of-11 shooting) and they simply lost a close game 105-102. Anything can happen on any given night and the Nets have shown this season that they can surprise top contenders, but the Bulls can’t have such a hard time getting teams that are 8-20. They still have some adjusting to do as Rose tries to be efficient and Joakim Noah comes off the bench, and they’ve simply been fairly average so far. A 15-11 record is just that, and despite their stellar defense (2nd in the league) their 27th ranked offense won’t cut it.

Next: The NBA's Best Highlights of Week 8

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