The Utah Jazz may be on the brink of an identity crisis. For half a decade the team’s identity revolved around defense and a slow but efficient offense. And the peak, those Jazz teams were defensive juggernauts.
From 2016 to the end of the 2018-19 season the Jazz had the best multi-season defensive rating in the league by a considerable margin according to Basketball Reference. The gap in points allowed per 100 possessions between first-place Utah and second-place San Antonio is greater than the difference between the Spurs and the 11th-place Milwaukee Bucks.
Quin Snyder’s philosophy was a counter to the fast-paced offensive explosion that had recently been made fashionable by the Golden State Warriors dynasty.