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NBA Opening Night: What to watch for in each match-up

By Joshua Mayer

Oct 19, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; New York Knicks center Joakim Noah (13) grabs the ball against Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart (36) during the first half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 19, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; New York Knicks center Joakim Noah (13) grabs the ball against Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart (36) during the first half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 5, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder talks with guard George Hill (3) in the first half of the game against Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Utah Jazz defeated the Phoenix Suns 104-99. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 5, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder talks with guard George Hill (3) in the first half of the game against Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Utah Jazz defeated the Phoenix Suns 104-99. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports /

Jazz: Point Guard

Before the news came out that starting power forward Derrick Favors is out of this game with an injury, I was going to go with looking at the backup big man minutes to see how the Boris Diaw/Trey Lyles dynamic worked out. With Favors out, both men should see big minutes, and it will be hard to tell which one coach Quin Snyder favors.

Instead, let’s take a look at the point guard spot. Former Pacer George Hill was acquired for the 12th overall pick in the draft this summer. He should be expected to take the starting PG spot, but 2014 5th overall pick Dante Exum is also fully healed from a torn ACL. Exum did not prove to have a capable jump shot in his rookie year, so it should not be anticipated that he sees any time on the court away from ball handling duties. Though he is still only 21 years old, his 2014-2015 shooting was so poor that even an improvement would not warrant time on the wing.

Hill played 34.1 MPG last season and has surpassed the 29.5 MPG total each of the past four years. He is a very good defender (2.8 defensive win shares last season), and is capable of guarding a two guard, as he mostly defended the better guard and allowed Monta Ellis to hide on defense last year.

Shelvin Mack proved to be decent, and Raul Neto is still young and has shooting potential. Both should see some minutes if dressed, but the point guard battle will come down to Exum and Hill.

Make sure to watch Exum’s minutes to see if Hill slides over to the two during those times. Otherwise, the team could conceivably play combos of Rodney Hood, Alec Burks (if healthy), Joe Johnson and Joe Ingles on the wing while Gordon Hayward is out with Hill playing a lot of point guard. The blonde-haired point guard will play 30+ minutes no matter what. Whether or not he moves around positions depends on if the Jazz still view Exum as a key part of the future or not. Keep an eye out for Exum and how he plays.

Bonus to watch for: slow, lumbering Boris Diaw post ups.

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