Off the deep end: What a deep rotation means for the Jazz


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SALT LAKE CITY — No team has embraced the concept of depth more than this year’s Utah Jazz, who, after losing the duo of Gordon Hayward and George Hill, have refashioned their roster to go 10 deep, and maybe more.

That level of depth has given rise to the idea of deploying a deeper-than-usual rotation — a tactic that both Jazz head coach Quin Snyder and guard Joe Ingles hinted at recently in speaking with media.

From Snyder: "Everyone who comes in the game has to defend at a high level with intensity, running when they need to run, screening when they need to screen. Even if it's not heavy minutes, that's how you gain an advantage."

And from Ingles: "We've got the potential to play all of our guys at different points. The way we want to play and get up and down the floor, we can sub and get guys in and out and play at a pretty high level for most of the game."

As noted by KSL.com’s Andy Larsen, their comments suggest a possible shift towards a Euroleague-style substitution pattern, which, according to a recent Vice profile of Snyder, was something he studied during his stint with CSKA Moscow in 2012-13.

While most coaches prefer their rotations extend to only eight or nine players, the deep rotation approach is not entirely foreign to the NBA. In years past, teams like the San Antonio Spurs and Boston Celtics have employed deep rotations — with Brad Stevens famously utilizing an “8-plus-2” approach—as a way of counteracting perceived talent shortages.

In the case of the Jazz, a move toward an ultra-deep rotation makes sense on multiple levels. While the move introduces its own set of challenges (e.g., establishing rhythm, weaving young with old, matching up with other teams), the benefits play to the team’s strengths and, from a stylistic standpoint, align with how they want to play this season.

For starters, it’s clear that the Jazz want to play with increased tempo this year after operating at the league’s slowest pace in each of the last three seasons. The catch with playing faster is that it requires a greater emphasis on keeping bodies fresh in order to avoid diminishing returns. If the Jazz are to maintain an accelerated pace throughout the season, they would be wise to limit their starter’s minutes by playing their reserves with greater frequency.

Furthermore, by using a full complement of rotation-quality players, the Jazz could ensure that their most important players stay fresh for the most important moments of the game and, by extension, preserve them throughout the crucible of an 82-game season. For a team that’s been bitten repeatedly by the injury bug in recent years, season longevity and injury avoidance loom large here.

From there, the subject becomes twofold: Who plays and who is left out?

On most nights, the Jazz’s starters are Ricky Rubio, Ingles, Rodney Hood, Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert. After that, the safe assumption is Donovan Mitchell, Thabo Sefolosha and Joe Johnson will share the bulk of the bench minutes.

With Dante Exum sidelined indefinitely, the Jazz will likely preview Mitchell as both a backup point guard and off-ball playmaker. Sefolosha, a defensive specialist on the perimeter, will split time between the three and four, as will the offensive-oriented Johnson.

That leaves six players — Alec Burks, Raul Neto, Jonas Jerebko, Ekpe Udoh, Tony Bradley and Royce O’Neal — fighting for the final rotation spots.

The surest candidates to fill out the rotation begin with Burks, who figures to have earned spot minutes after a solid preseason, and Neto, who has found new life on a roster that’s missing its original backup point guard. Beyond that, Jerebko and Udoh will battle for the available backup power forward minutes, though the latter appears to have the inside track at the moment. Bradley and O’Neal are expected to appear mostly in garbage time.

All together, Utah has as many as 12 players with a case for playing time. While there won’t be enough minutes for Snyder to go 12-deep on most nights, the opportunity exists for almost anyone to play themselves into the rotation this season. For the coaching staff, the fact that a deep rotation inspires competition across all areas of the roster is a victory by itself.

More than ever, the Jazz will need all hands on deck this season.

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