Entering the 2021-22 NBA season, expectations for the Utah Jazz were sky-high.
Although they struggled in the postseason last year, many believed it would serve as a learning curve for greatness this year. Utah was set to return the game's best defensive player, an elite backcourt, a flamethrower off the bench, and a multitude of other pieces that would provide depth and versatility.
But now, despite all of the offseason acquisitions and the hype surrounding the team, Utah finds itself in a must-win situation Saturday afternoon. Trailing 2-1 in their first round series with Dallas, the Jazz will look to even things up when they host the Mavericks at 2:30 p.m. MST.
"We'll watch the film, and we'll adjust," Donovan Mitchell said Thursday night.
While many in the media believe that this series is effectively over — especially with Mavericks star Luka Doncic expected to return any day — the Jazz aren't listening to what outsiders are saying. Instead, they're focusing on the necessary adjustments needed to win game four and make it a best-of-three series.
"Right now there's a big focus on our defense, Jordan Clarkson said. "Everybody's talking about that and has made a point of emphasis on that. … We're taking account for it."
It's fairly simple for the Jazz when it comes to the adjustments needed.
They've got to do a much better job at preventing Jalen Brunson and Spencer Dinwiddie from beating them at the point of attack. If those two can get into the paint, it opens up many opportunities for the Mavericks, ones they've taken advantage of by shooting 44.9% (40-for-89) from beyond the arc in their past two games.
Even more than preventing them from getting into the paint, Utah understands it must do a better job of rotating, preventing the Mavericks from getting many open looks from beyond the arc.
"I feel like that's somewhere where we've just all got to have each other's back and rotate and communicate," Clarkson said. "When you get called up, you just man up, you've got to lock up. But at the same time though, you've got to know mentally that somebody else is coming behind your back to make sure they've got the rotation and to contest the shot."
Interestingly enough, Utah found success during Thursday's loss when they elected to go small. Using a lineup that showed minimal promise throughout the regular season, the Jazz played some of their most inspirational basketball of the year by overcoming a 17-point deficit midway through the third quarter to trail by one late in the fourth.
Using Eric Paschall at the center spot, Utah could stay out on shooters more and force Dallas to win at the rim — all while staying aggressive on offense with spacing more spread out.
"I thought it was great, thought it was great to give them different looks," Rudy Gobert said of the new lineup that puts him on the bench. "It was good for us to see how they're going to defend against five-out and attack against us switching one through five."
"That's something that we'll look to capitalize on as the series moves on. … We found something unique that we haven't really done, and we'll watch the film," Mitchell added.
As the saying goes, there's nothing more dangerous than a wounded animal — and that's exactly what the Jazz are. They're no longer playing under the weight of expectations — they're a team playing for survival.