2020-21 Regular season- The tax team

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/1/23/22246628/utah-jazz-golden-state-warriors-127-108-game-recap


Another surprise and thing I keep forgetting. Niang has a nice handle on the ball. He had a couple nice drives and behind the back dribbles. If he can learn to hit the 8 foot fadeaway jumper consistently that would really add something to his game.
I am so waiting for the Jazz to play some of the upcoming games. Dallas twice, then some of the top teams in the East. We will have a good idea how legit the Jazz are in a couple weeks but right now it feels like they could beat anyone in the league. Enough offense to win against good offenses and enough D to win when their shots are not falling. Enough depth to make teams pay for not playing good defense all the way down their lineup.

Posted by brianH85 (https://www.sbnation.com/users/brianH85) on Jan 23, 2021 | 10:41 PM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/1/23/22246628/utah-jazz-golden-state-warriors-127-108-game-recap#535752872)


Niang was all Gleague for a reason just like Brantley. They are highly skilled. Niang hasn't had much of a chance to show it with the Jazz. Seeing it a bit more this year. He's got the 8 foot fadeaway already. They wil still have problems against teams with size


The key to the Jazz winning the title instead of making another first round exist is that O’Neale needs to be a more consistent shooter. Apparently, that is the key to Jazz success more than anything Conley, Mitchell, Gobert, or the rest of the gang does. If Royce shoots consistently, Shang-ri-la. If not, the Jazz are doomed to more disappointment.

Posted by jmnunes5 (https://www.sbnation.com/users/jmnunes5) on Jan 23, 2021 | 10:49 PM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/1/23/22246628/utah-jazz-golden-state-warriors-127-108-game-recap#535753091)


they need someone at the 4 so he doesn't have to try to do that and be the perimeter stopper at the same time


Because every NBA team’s title hopes are tied to their 8th man’s shooting stats.
(By the way, just as an aside, does anybody know how to put one of those little smiley face icons into the chat? I’m having a good time with all the trash talk but too many people are getting their panties in a knot because they are taking this way too seriously.)

Posted by jmnunes5 (https://www.sbnation.com/users/jmnunes5) on Jan 24, 2021 | 9:35 AM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/1/23/22246628/utah-jazz-golden-state-warriors-127-108-game-recap#535760669)


Royce is about as valuable as anyone. 8th man! :roll:


As much as I am impressed with how well they are shooting, their defense has been beyond solid. This team could compete for a title.

Posted by JMBDog (https://www.sbnation.com/users/JMBDog) on Jan 23, 2021 | 10:59 PM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/1/23/22246628/utah-jazz-golden-state-warriors-127-108-game-recap#535753273)


it's all about D


We have one good game against them & I’m officially in championship or bust territory.
I’m irrational like that.

Posted by uncle-ingles (https://www.sbnation.com/users/uncle-ingles) on Jan 23, 2021 | 11:06 PM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/1/23/22246628/utah-jazz-golden-state-warriors-127-108-game-recap#535753396)


pretty much. Lakers size will give the trouble


Is defiantly one of the keys to our success. He’s becoming more than just a shooter, he’s creating.

Posted by rubar4 (https://www.sbnation.com/users/rubar4) on Jan 24, 2021 | 8:09 AM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/1/23/22246628/utah-jazz-golden-state-warriors-127-108-game-recap#535758633)


sadly he probably is because he's probably going to play big miutes regardless


I always said that we couldn't compete for a championship as long as we had $30m+ tied up with a player who was playing so terribly. That is too much of a disadvantage for any team to overcome.


Our only chance to compete was for Conley to play like a superstar, and that is exactly what is happening.
If you look at the rest of the team, there aren’t any huge differences between this season and last other than Conley is playing like he’s being paid to play.
Gobert is about the same, but somehow worse on foul shots. Mitchell has been great the last half dozen games, but a disaster for half a dozen before that. Bogie also had a terrible start.
Clarkson is better than last season (he wasn’t even on the team to start last season), and Favors was a nice upgrade, but those two bench players aren’t what’s driving the huge improvement. The Jazz are contenders because Mike Conley is finally doing what he is paid to do, and if they are still contenders come playoff time, it will be because Conley is still playing like a star.

Posted by Kira Argonova (https://www.sbnation.com/users/Kira%20Argonova) on Jan 24, 2021 | 11:05 AM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/1/23/22246628/utah-jazz-golden-state-warriors-127-108-game-recap#535763464)


Mitchell is on a rookie contract and Niang is cheap as well so how much Conley makes isn't make or brea. Bojan's 20 moreso since he brings a lot less to the table or Favors 10 mill. The D is the main reason they are better and Conley's D is a big part of that for sure.


What a ridiculous show that is. The whole thing turns me off the NBA to be honest. If I didn’t love the Jazz I think I would just not bother watching and choose a different sport to follow.

Posted by AussieBBallFan (https://www.sbnation.com/users/AussieBBallFan) on Jan 24, 2021 | 8:19 AM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/1/23/22246628/utah-jazz-golden-state-warriors-127-108-game-recap#535758837)


just stick with Jazz broadcasts and you'll get all the homerism you'll ever care for!

[Xiao Yao You]

Marc J. Spears: Knicks say Frank Ntilikina (sprained right knee) and Austin Rivers (sore right Achilles) are available for tonight’s game (https://*********.com/social/) at Portland. Reggie Bullock (sore neck) is out.
– via Twitter MarcJSpears (https://twitter.com/MarcJSpears)



Ian Begley: Asked about plans for Frank Ntilikina, Tom Thibodeau says his role will be ‘situational’ initially. Thibodeau says Ntilikina’s conditioning isn’t all the way there yet, (https://*********.com/social/) which is what you’d expect following his long layoff.
– via Twitter IanBegley (https://twitter.com/IanBegley)

[Xiao Yao You]

The Kings picked up the final year of Bjelica’s contract during the offseason, which pays him $7.2 million this season. He is an unrestricted free agent this summer and at 32 years old (33 in May), it’s unlikely that he’s part of the plan going forward, especially with Bagley developing and playing major minutes at the power forward position. With Sacramento currently sitting at 6-10 on the season, there is a very good possibility that the team will be active between now and the trade deadline. Players like Bjelica, Robinson III, Joseph, Whiteside and Jabari Parker all are in the final year of their contracts (https://sports.yahoo.com/nba-source-contradicts-report-regarding-005213603.html).
– via James Ham @ Yahoo! Sports (https://sports.yahoo.com/nba-source-contradicts-report-regarding-005213603.html)



Jazz were interested in Robinson III. He's not eligible in trade machine. Maybe send Bojan to another team and get Robinson and Bjelica.

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/sports/2021/1/24/22244855/utah-jazz-nba-dynasty-golden-state-warriors-space-and-pace-three-pointers-shooting-offense


Head coach Steve Kerr created a dynasty team around the idea of space and pace with the Warriors killing opponents with efficient 3-point shooting and with unrelenting fast-break opportunities.




and D which is the key no matter how much you talk about 3's


“They’ve been good for a long time so the continuity is apparent right away, they all know each other so well, they execute their stuff beautifully,” Kerr said of the Jazz. “What’s different this year is they seem to be hunting 3s more quickly and more often and it’s given them an even tougher dynamic.”




the difference between this year and last is D


The Jazz have made three straight playoff appearances and have continued to build trying to get over the hump of the first and second round of the postseason and have started this season off as one of the hottest teams in the NBA. They can still be better, but there’s no reason to think that this team, as constructed, couldn’t win a title.




there's plenty of reasons

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/1/24/22241464/utah-jazz-quarterly-update-season-awards-grades-and-more


I personally expect that one of Rudy or Donovan will end up as the undisputed MVP of this team when all is said and done, but what a luxury it is to have your third best player prove to be capable of leading the team for a quarter of the season.




Likely Rudy maybe Conley.


This one is really tough. While Mike Conley has had the biggest statistical jump from last season to this one, he’s really been returning to normal, rather than improving. Miye Oni has climbed into the fringe of the rotation and deserves some love for that. But the player that truly improved the most was Jordan Clarkson. So here’s his second Quarterly award.



Niang


Quin Snyder has a reputation around the league as an elite coach. On Adrian Wojnarowski’s “Woj Pod” on the 22nd, Woj asked Zach Lowe, “If you opened up all 30 (coaching) jobs, and you had a draft of coaches, he goes what, in your top five?” to which Lowe responded, “Yeah he’s top five, for sure.”




not seeing it


Rudy Gobert: B

A -


Donovan Mitchell (https://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/298013/donovan-mitchell?_ga=2.140735026.1093732573.1610276407-247621959.1589286792): B+

c -. play both ends


Jordan Clarkson: A+

:facepalm


Derrick Favors: B

C +


Georges Niang (https://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/276599/georges-niang?_ga=2.175281698.1093732573.1610276407-247621959.1589286792): C-

B +


He still gives us a scoring punch and effort on defense. Bogie has had it pretty hard from fans and analysts this year.

Posted by JazzHands2017 (https://www.sbnation.com/users/JazzHands2017) on Jan 24, 2021 | 5:02 PM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/1/24/22241464/utah-jazz-quarterly-update-season-awards-grades-and-more#535772873)


D?:roll:



I hear you. I'm just not sure how on a team you ranked A minus you could have a starter logging 30 minutes a game be rated D minus
I would also cut him some slack coming back from his injury and coming off a 7 rebound, 8 assist game. I counted 7 or 8 pretty decent games and he is still shooting 37.4% from 3. Maybe a "inconclusive" would be better lol. And we can give him the 2 games to the real quarter pole to render a decision?

Posted by SKMike (https://www.sbnation.com/users/SKMike) on Jan 25, 2021 | 12:23 AM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/1/24/22241464/utah-jazz-quarterly-update-season-awards-grades-and-more#535783192)



Give Quin a low grade for the 30 minutes


you could say that Tony Bradley is the Most Improved Player because he turned into Derrick Favors.
As far as the player grades, I guess they are relative to pre-season expectations, right? Otherwise, it seems strange to put Favors equal to Gobert, and O’Neale higher than them both. But if we’re talking about meeting expectations, I agree with the grades.
All things considered, this has been a very fun and entertaining start to the season. I hope they will keep it up, and I pray that Covid-19 won’t put an early end to it.

Posted by Kira Argonova (https://www.sbnation.com/users/Kira%20Argonova) on Jan 24, 2021 | 4:47 PM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/1/24/22241464/utah-jazz-quarterly-update-season-awards-grades-and-more#535772577)


D is .5 points better with Favors at 10 mill a year!


When I look back on this Jazz team in the future, I’ll remember the threes but what I’ll remember even more is that the reason they were so good is that they were shooting wide open shots, almost practice shots, because they move the ball around quickly and effectively.
"That Spurs team had Duncan, their only top 5 player but they had a bunch of other weapons such as Leonard (not yet a star player), Ginobili, and Parker and then a bunch of role players like Boris Diaw, Matt Bonner, Danny Green, Patty Mills, and others who knew their roles and executed them within Pops’ scheme. Doesn’t that sound more like that Jazz that a superstar-laden team like GSW? Nobody gave them much of a chance in the finals either. But their execution led to an easy victory over what was arguably a more talented team.
"That is the comparison we should be looking at in my opinion."

Posted by jmnunes5 (https://www.sbnation.com/users/jmnunes5) on Jan 24, 2021 | 10:25 PM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/1/24/22241464/utah-jazz-quarterly-update-season-awards-grades-and-more#535782404)


I'll think D if this team keeps it up

[Xiao Yao You]

https://sircharlesincharge.com/2021/01/24/nba-10-big-questions-first-month-season/6/


Who do we believe in more – the Phoenix Suns or Utah Jazz?



Really? It's hard to go from shit to good overnight.


It’s tough to say, though, I’d lean to being a bigger believer in Chris Paul and Devin Booker. The duo has been great for the Suns this season and has changed the trajectory of their ceiling. Phoenix should be a playoff team and I can’t wait to see what Booker looks like in a playoff atmosphere.




what has Booker done to believe in him? Don't tell me the bubble!

[Xiao Yao You]

Still, it was a bit jarring in this specific instance to hear what he had to say about the Jazz, if only because it’s been probably since the last century that we’ve heard Utah and the proceeding words linked in the same sentence. “Utah is a veteran team,” Kerr said. “They are trying to win a championship right now, and I think they are capable of doing so. You know, they are where we were three or four years ago.” (https://theathletic.com/2341594/2021/01/25/utah-jazz-championship-contenders-steve-kerr-thinks-so/?source=rss)
– via Tony Jones @ The Athletic (https://theathletic.com/2341594/2021/01/25/utah-jazz-championship-contenders-steve-kerr-thinks-so/?source=rss)

[Xiao Yao You]

Adrian Wojnarowski: ESPN Sources: The NBA and NBPA are discussing scenarios to still hold an All-Star game in March. One site under discussion is Atlanta, home of Turner Sports. That idea includes providing support for HBCU’s and COVID-19 relief. (https://*********.com/social/) Story soon on site.
– via Twitter wojespn (https://twitter.com/wojespn)





maybe Cley will finally get in! :cheers:

[Xiao Yao You]

Ben Anderson: There’s a lot of talk about Mike Conley’s +/- over the last eight games, in which he leads the league at +19.4. Lost in that is that Rudy Gobert is second in the NBA at 17.9 (https://*********.com/social/). Those two together this year have been incredibly tough on opponents.
– via Twitter BensHoops (https://twitter.com/BensHoops)





weak stat but not surprising. I'm sure the guys lucky enough to play with those two have good ones as well

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/451834/mike-conley-is-one-of-the-nbas-best-players/


Those experts were right, it just took longer than expected for the prophecy to be fulfilled.




and just think that they didn't want to give up Exum for him! :facepalm


In total, five Jazz players, including Bojan Bogdanovic, Donovan Mitchell, and Royce O’Neale rank among the league’s top 10 in plus-minus during the team’s eight-game win streak.




as I said was probably the case and why it's a lame stat. On the court with Conley and Gobert and you get the rewards!


With backcourt mate Donovan Mitchell performing at an All-NBA level, and Rudy Gobert doing typical Rudy Gobert things, Conley’s rise in play has the Jazz playing as well as any team in the NBA.




Mitchell isn't playing at an all NBA level. Conley and all NBA center Gobert are

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/sports/2021/1/25/22247596/way-too-early-case-for-jordan-clarkson-to-win-sixth-man-of-the-year-utah-jazz-nba


“He’s really just becoming more and more efficient, and the other thing is he’s really committed to defending,” Snyder said. “He’s got a lot of pride on defense, and as good as he is offensively at creating his shot, I think he’s got an awareness of the players around him and he’s been a willing passer.”




willing compared to the bubble anyway

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/sports/2021/1/25/22248623/shaq-might-not-like-the-utah-jazz-but-plenty-of-national-media-do


Sports Illustrated has the Jazz at No. 5 behind the Lakers, Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets. Michael Shapiro wrote that, “Utah will never be acknowledged as a true challenger to either Los Angeles team in the Western Conference, but is that necessarily fair?” Beside the offense, Shapiro also observed that the Jazz are also in the top 10 in the NBA in defensive rating and that in addition to Mitchell, Rudy Gobert and Mike Conley are playing well.




i addition to Mitchell? :roll:

[Xiao Yao You]

https://saltcityhoops.com/sc7-aight-for-eight/


Back in reality, Mitchell’s per-minute figures for rebounds and assists coming into this season are actually right on pace with other modern superstar guards at a similar point in their career, our Zarin Ficklin discovered (see right). So once again, the fellas just plain got caught not knowing the facts behind their shoot-from-the-hip analysis. But even if they somehow accidentally stumbled into something that was statistically accurate, counting stats without context are a stupid way to craft an over-arching analysis about any player. For one thing, Mitchell plays in a system where multiple ball handlers generate the offense, and he plays next to an elite rebounding big. Different things are asked of him than were asked of, say, Dwyane Wade, because of the ecosystem he plays in and the other variables around him. Shaq and Chuck know that, because they’re not idiots. They’re simply too lazy to maintain enough knowledge about the Jazz to put any of that context around Mitchell’s career.




he plays next to an elite rebounding big without the help of a PF. They need him to rebound.


Look, I don’t know what “superstar” means to anybody else. That’s a subjective term. I know that Mitchell is an All-Star, a top-25 talent. I know that he is 24 years old and keeps getting better. I know that he’s gregarious and engaging and the face of a franchise. I know that he has accomplished a bunch of really unique things that seem to indicate he’s on a path to being special. Usually when you share records with names like MJ, Kareem and LeBron, you’re at least on a pretty interesting arc:




the analytics don't support him being top 25 or an all-star. He scores on high usage, low efficiency with little D


Joined Michael Jordan as the only modern players to average 36+ in a playoff series in his age-23 season or younger.
Most points in a single playoff game since 1986 (Jordan).
Most points in a playoff series (254) since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (260) in 1977.


in a loss in a bubble


If that’s what the guys meant, then that’s fair. To Kenny’s credit, his initial point was that Mitchell is seeemingly at a fork in the road: ready to either veer toward that level of megastar impact or instead level off as a very good player who will make All-Star teams and highlight reels but not necessarily hang banners. That’s why we watch: to find out which guys’ hunger will take them that final distance. We don’t know yet if Mitchell will top out as a top-25 guy, as an All-NBA talent, as an MVP candidate, or as one of his generation’s best. It’s a fascinating question that will be answered over time.



we've just had articles about him being all NBA and MVP! :roll:


Friday 1/29, Jazz vs. Mavericks: Defensively, Dallas is a bit of a paradox. They’re decent at preventing close shots, but subpar at affecting the ones their opponents do get (68% opponent FG% at the rim, third worst). Inversely, they’re not great at limiting 3-point looks, but their opponents shoot the third-lowest percentage from outside. Add that up and they still have the ninth best eFG% defense, but since they foul a ton, they have a fairly average defense overall. They’re beatable, but these games literally could come down to who makes free throws.




if it comes down to FT's Jazz are in trouble

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/1/25/22248917/got-3s-jazz-do-utah-golden-state-warriors-mike-conley-donovan-mitchell-nba


Plus we have two all nba caliber defenders
In gobert and O’Neal
And the best backup center in the nba
And the 6MOY
and a minivan

Posted by ThomasSmithjaz1 (https://www.sbnation.com/users/ThomasSmithjaz1) on Jan 25, 2021 | 8:32 PM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/1/25/22248917/got-3s-jazz-do-utah-golden-state-warriors-mike-conley-donovan-mitchell-nba#535815415)


and no PF


We all know the old saying "live by the 3, die by the 3!" Hopefully we are more like the GSW and continue to shoot a high % in the playoffs and not like the Rockets who would "crash to Earth" in later rounds of the playoffs. If the Jazz continue to shoot 40% at the volume they are taking, this could be a special year.

Posted by JMBDog (https://www.sbnation.com/users/JMBDog) on Jan 25, 2021 | 10:55 PM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/1/25/22248917/got-3s-jazz-do-utah-golden-state-warriors-mike-conley-donovan-mitchell-nba#535819351)


defense

[Xiao Yao You]

After lengthy stays in the NBA’s health and safety protocols, Mavericks Josh Richardson, Dorian Finney-Smith and Dwight Powell are listed as questionable for Wednesday’s game at Utah and will travel with the team Tuesday to Salt Lake City. (https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/mavericks/2021/01/26/mavs-richardson-finney-smith-and-powell-have-cleared-covid-19-protocols-and-could-play-against-utah/) Maxi Kleber remains in the protocol and will not travel to Utah.
– via Brad Townsend @ Dallas Morning News (https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/mavericks/2021/01/26/mavs-richardson-finney-smith-and-powell-have-cleared-covid-19-protocols-and-could-play-against-utah/)



Although the three returning Mavericks are all listed as questionable, coach Rick Carlisle said after Tuesday’s practice that he expects that all will get court time on Wednesday and then have their minutes ramped up in ensuing games. “It’s been a long road for these guys,” Carlisle said. “They’ve been through a big process. We’ve just got to get them back into it. There’s going to be a gradual aspect to it. They’re not going to be in game shape overnight, but it’s great having them back on the floor. It’s great having them back in practice. It’s three of our best defenders and most unselfish guys. Having them back in the fold is a big plus.” (https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/mavericks/2021/01/26/mavs-richardson-finney-smith-and-powell-have-cleared-covid-19-protocols-and-could-play-against-utah/)
– via Brad Townsend @ Dallas Morning News (https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/mavericks/2021/01/26/mavs-richardson-finney-smith-and-powell-have-cleared-covid-19-protocols-and-could-play-against-utah/)

[Xiao Yao You]

Eric Walden: Quin Snyder, on the Knicks’ defensive strength: “Their size, first of all, starting with the rim protection. … And then their size across the rest of the frontcourt and their backcourt. When you do drive the ball and you get in the lane, they make it hard for you.” (https://*********.com/social/)
– via Twitter tribjazz (https://twitter.com/tribjazz)




https://*********.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/92/2017/01/i_56_de_37_tom-thibodeau.png?w=190Eric Walden: Thibodeau, on Utah’s winning streak: “Defensively, I think that’s been their staple. Offensively … they’re playing very, very unselfishly; they’re making the extra pass, they’re getting great rhythm shots, and they’re shooting a lot more 3s and they’re making a lot more 3s.” (https://*********.com/social/)
– via Twitter tribjazz (https://twitter.com/tribjazz)




Eric Walden: Tom Thibodeau, on this year’s Jazz: “They’ve added good pieces that fit them well, and they’ve adjusted — they’ve put a premium on the shooting, you can see they changed the composition of their roster, and the way they’re playing is a lot different than they were 3 years ago.” (https://*********.com/social/)
– via Twitter tribjazz (https://twitter.com/tribjazz)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/451908/jazz-vs-knicks-game-night/


While the team officially announced the roster earlier today, they did not indicate how the Jazz plan to use two-way players Jarrell Brantley or Trent Forrest. The Jazz also have the option to send both rookies Elijah Hughes and Udoka Azubuike to Orlando should they see fit.




the 3 rookies should go for sure.

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/451879/utah-legislature-votes-to-recognize-donovan-mitchell-after-shaq-controversy/

why nothing for Rudy when Shaq went at him?

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/1/26/22249399/utah-jazz-jordan-clarkson-nba-6th-man-of-the-year-favorite

Clarkson used to put up a lot of mid and long range twos. He (unrightfully) earned the reputation of a chucker. But honestly, go look at the teams that he has played for throughout his career. They’ve been awful. In fact, I’ll make it easy on you. Here are his teams’ records through the years: 21-61, 17-65, 26-56, 35-47/50-32 (trade mid-season), 19-63, 19-46.
Unrightfully? What else would you call him?

[Xiao Yao You]

https://twitter.com/slcstars/status/1354198116031897606/photo/1

[Xiao Yao You]

Looks like Graves is another non shooting pg. Must play D?

4 guys back from last year. Now to see who else the Jazz send

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50094790/patrick-kinahan-jazz-dont-care-about-shaqs-opinion-of-mitchell


Part of Barkley's criticism of Mitchell centered on his lack of gaudy individual statistics. If the Jazz played a style that focused on Mitchell, Ingles believes he would average in the range of 35 points along with eight rebounds and eight assists a game.




Would he shoot 35% and how many turnovers to get that many assists? They're focused on him more than they should be. He's inefficient

[Xiao Yao You]

https://hoopshabit.com/2021/01/26/utah-jazz-donovan-mitchell-shaq/


Donovan Mitchell’s Utah Jazz just win



thank you for that Rudy!


His best attribute is undeniable: scoring, which has ballooned in effectiveness every year (after starting at 20.5 ppg mind you), while remaining efficient and highly-dynamic – he has a career effective field goal percentage of 50.0 percent on effective field goal attempts.




remaining?

[Xiao Yao You]

Tony Jones: Donovan Mitchell is OUT tonight for the Utah Jazz, as he enters the NBA’s concussion protocol (https://*********.com/social/)
– via Twitter Tjonesonthenba (https://twitter.com/Tjonesonthenba)

[Xiao Yao You]

Bobby Marks: There are 12 players that have an All-Star bonus in their contract (either as a starter or reserve). Notable names that have over $1M include Jaylen Brown, Domas Sabonis, Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle (https://*********.com/social/).
– via Twitter BobbyMarks42 (https://twitter.com/BobbyMarks42)





Rudy's lost a couple of mill the two times he was robbed

[Xiao Yao You]

Andy Larsen: Besides Donovan Mitchell being out, also on the Jazz’s injury report is Derrick Favors, listed as questionable due to lower back soreness (https://*********.com/social/).
– via Twitter andyblarse (https://twitter.com/andyblarsen)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/452012/jazz-vs-mavericks-game-night/


“Donovan is the catalyst for lots of things that we do,” Snyder said. It impacts our depth as well. But I don’t think there’s any magic involved, everybody’s got to be aggressive still. We need to play the same way, we just don’t have a really, really good player out there.”




as great as he supposedly is I'm not sure I'd miss anyone less besides Bojan


Derrick Favors will also miss the game as he deals with lower back soreness.




Morgan and maybe even Udoka

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/451995/salt-lake-city-stars-release-15-game-2021-season-schedule/


All of the Stars’ other games will be available to stream on ESPN+.




lame!!!

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/451960/jazz-win-streak-can-reach-10-games-against-mavericks/


The streak has been fueled by the Jazz hot three-point shooting and elite defensive performances that give the team a level of dominance rarely seen in the NBA.




:facepalm


Tuesday’s key matchup will pair Jazz forward Royce O’Neale and Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic. With Mitchell out of the lineup, the Jazz could opt to start any of Jordan Clarkson, Joe Ingles, or Miye Oni in his absence, though O’Neale will likely be tasked with defending Doncic.




He could but you know it's Ingles

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/1/27/22249953/bojan-bogdanovic-utah-jazz-shooting-3-pointers


Bojan needs to join the Jazz party



needs to be benched/traded


The performance by the Croatian Bogdanovic is yet another lesson in how much can change between seasons and you can assume good things will transfer from season to season. Last year, Bogey lived up to his signing in nearly ever way by averaging 20.2 points, giving Utah its first season with multiple 20+ point scorers since 1991-92 (Jeff and Karl Malone).




what a franchise. Jeff sucked!


Advanced metrics take Bogdanovic’s lack of production and place him among the worst players in the league right now. NBA Math’s Total Points Added metric credits Bojan with a -42.23 mark, the 12th-worst number among all players this season. His VORP is -0.3, tied for 11th-worst and his Box Plus/Minus is at a -4.1, tied for 34th-worst among qualified players.




I could have told you that without the metrics

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/452026/shorthanded-jazz-crush-mavericks/


Outside of his game against the Knicks, Mitchell has been one of the best players in the NBA during the Jazz win streak.




that wasn't the only bad game


The All-Star guard was averaging 27.3 points, five assists, and 4.3 rebounds during the first eight games of the Jazz win streak, and there was a real question about how the Jazz would handle playing without him.




there wasn't in my mind. If it was Gobert, Conley or O'Neale sure


With Favors out, Snyder chose to play second-year big man Juwan Morgan as the Jazz back up center, rather than rookie Udoka Azubuike.




already had earlier in the year. Certainly not surprising. Morgan was solid last year when he played. Udoka isn't ready


It’s not an enormous surprise based on Snyder’s history as the Jazz coach has generally preferred to play experience over youth and has little regard for draft position in his rotational decisions.




before last year really not true especially if they went to Duke


Morgan proved his value for the Jazz last year in the Disney bubble playing valuable minutes in the team’s first-round series loss to the Denver Nuggets when then-reserve Tony Bradley proved too immobile to provide postseason minutes.




proved it before that


If Morgan is the better player at the moment, which Snyder’s rotation would indicate it further begs the question why the Jazz used a valuable first-round draft pick on a player like Azubuike who is going to struggle to crack the lineup ahead of an undefeated second-year big man, much less Gobert and Favors?




They needed a center. Got one with Gobert type potential. Hughes is the pick I'd be questioning


The Jazz first-round pick is now -57 in 11 appearances for the Jazz, including the 1:34 seconds he played to close out the win over the Mavericks. He’s yet to have a positive-plus night in any of his appearances.




+/- in garbage time. Seriously?


The Jazz haven’t needed the contributions of any rookie so far this season, but with strong starts to the careers of Immanuel Quickley, Payton Pritchard, Desmond Bane, and Xavier Tillman, all of whom were drafted after the Jazz initial option to make the 23rd pick in the draft, the Azubuike selection continues to be a curious move.




No rookie has stepped right in and deserved to play for the Jazz. Morgan, Oni and Shaq can't get time over Niang. You think a non Duke pick would have?

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/sports/2021/1/27/22248752/instant-analysis-jazz-keep-winning-streak-alive-with-win-over-mavericks-utah-nba-jordan-clarkson


Jordan Clarkson can do everything. Period. I don’t ever want to hear him described purely as a guy who can get a bucket. He’s completely changed and evolved and improved his game and is a lot more committed on the defensive end than he gets credit for. Whether it’s spin moves, getting low against crafty guards, hitting contested shots, knocking down open 3-pointers or blocking shots, Clarkson is nearly always making good plays.



He's not Bojan but let's not get carried away


The defensive rotations, whether the Jazz were playing man, switching or playing in a zone, were wildly impressive. The Jazz seemed so locked in on that side of the floor and allowed the game to come to them.



The D wasn't really that good after the 1st


There was a play where Miye Oni got switched onto Kristaps Porzingis and recognizing that there was no way to win the height or length battle against the Mavericks big man, Oni instead used every bit of his strength to hold Porzingis back from getting into the paint and close enough to get a rebound or a putback opportunity. The Jazz contested a shot, got the rebound and scored on the other end. That kind of defensive awareness and recognition is why Oni is getting the chance to prove himself this season.



I thought it was because they didn't have anyone better?

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/1/27/22253728/jordan-clarkson-and-rudy-gobert-lead-the-utah-jazz-to-dominant-win-over-the-dallas-mavericks


Mike Conley continues to make a case for the all-star team. His pristine control of the offense while he’s on the floor is Stockton-esque and takes the Jazz offense to levels it hasn’t seen for a long time. His chemistry with Rudy shows in their much talked about league-leading plus minus. Utah is just toying with teams right now and so much of it centers around those Rudy Gobert/Mike Conley pick and rolls that are devastating everyone in the way.




I'd dare say only Stockton has ever been better for the Jazz at the 1


Makes you wonder if the Jazz free up a roster spot and try to fill it with one of Detroit’s stack of big men. In fact they may have a spot open already.
I like how Snyder was running plays for Bogey. His shot still isn’t there but he isn’t turning the ball over any more like the start. I think he will come around. In fact I would love to see Snyder play Bogey in garbage time and tell him shoot every time you touch the ball. Just shoot!
It is going to take a really good game from Dallas to beat Utah. Without Doncic shooting from 3 and Smith not shooting well the Jazz just backed way off on those pick and rolls making it really hard on Dallas. They are really missing Curry as a third shooter. The jazz played Doncic like teams played Rubio.
That’s right Doncic = Rubio <\b>

Posted by brianH85 (https://www.sbnation.com/users/brianH85) on Jan 27, 2021 | 10:14 PM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/1/27/22253728/jordan-clarkson-and-rudy-gobert-lead-the-utah-jazz-to-dominant-win-over-the-dallas-mavericks#535900516)


They have an open roster space now. They obviously don't think they need size


I’d only be worried about big front courts against LAL and MIL. That being said, the reason we brought back Favors was specifically for those two teams. Our FO saw we couldn’t compete with LAL last year because playing a small 4 against them is asking for a bad mismatch.

Posted by jazznerd (https://www.sbnation.com/users/jazznerd) on Jan 28, 2021 | 1:19 AM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/1/27/22253728/jordan-clarkson-and-rudy-gobert-lead-the-utah-jazz-to-dominant-win-over-the-dallas-mavericks#535901992)


Lakers are certainly the team they have to prove themselves against. So much for spacing with Favors at the 4. Would be nice to go big on a small team and create a mismatch. What a concept!


Lakers aren't as big this year. Have Gasol now but he has been mediocre at best
And only playing 20 to 24 minures a game. No McGee or Howard to go big with.
The team seems pretty committed to having 4 3-point shooters on the floor at all times to play the same style and system of hunting 3s. And taking chances on D. Zion only guy who has hurt us so far but we took advantage of his D on the other end.
Will be interesting to see how strategies might change for either team in a potential series

Posted by SKMike (https://www.sbnation.com/users/SKMike) on Jan 28, 2021 | 3:06 AM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/1/27/22253728/jordan-clarkson-and-rudy-gobert-lead-the-utah-jazz-to-dominant-win-over-the-dallas-mavericks#535902399)


Gasol and Harrell or Davis is big when Royce has to cover one of them and than Royce can't guard Lebron or Shroeder etc


why you consider Donovan Mitchell A.K.A Spida Mitchell A.K.A "Aight" Mitchell a chucker?
Legitimately curious about why opposing fans think that? Thsnks, Appreciate!

Posted by aitken4bacon (https://www.sbnation.com/users/aitken4bacon) on Jan 28, 2021 | 6:20 AM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/1/27/22253728/jordan-clarkson-and-rudy-gobert-lead-the-utah-jazz-to-dominant-win-over-the-dallas-mavericks#535903955)


you've never seen him play?


His shooting has always been really good for a PF.
I’ve always liked the idea of having him on the roster because Rudy can cover most of his weakness on D: he’s very unathletic, but so is Ingles and Ingles has been a great defender for us over the years. The guys who kill us on D even with Rudy on the floor are those who have no court vision and get burnt on rotations/cuts. Slow guys who can at least kinda stay in the picture are good enough for us to get by defensively. Again, this is only with Rudy on the floor. If we had another center I’m sure I’d want Niang gone 2 years ago.
I’m not saying Niang is some amazing player or anything, but he’s a great 8th/9th piece for this roster who fills a niche here very well.

Posted by jazznerd (https://www.sbnation.com/users/jazznerd) on Jan 28, 2021 | 1:30 AM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/1/27/22253728/jordan-clarkson-and-rudy-gobert-lead-the-utah-jazz-to-dominant-win-over-the-dallas-mavericks#535902033)


his shooting is good for anyone.


For an 8th/9th man making $1.7m, what exactly was expected of him?
I think it came from him having to play significant minutes last season due to the thin bench, especially during the playoffs, but that’s not his fault.

Posted by Kira Argonova (https://www.sbnation.com/users/Kira%20Argonova) on Jan 28, 2021 | 6:08 AM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/1/27/22253728/jordan-clarkson-and-rudy-gobert-lead-the-utah-jazz-to-dominant-win-over-the-dallas-mavericks#535903747)


exactly. It's all about expectations or unrealistic ones. Niang is showing he's capable of a lot more than he's been allowed to show


At the moment, feels more reliable than Bogie

Posted by Bredon31 (https://www.sbnation.com/users/Bredon31) on Jan 28, 2021 | 6:10 AM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/1/27/22253728/jordan-clarkson-and-rudy-gobert-lead-the-utah-jazz-to-dominant-win-over-the-dallas-mavericks#535903781)


who isn't?


Do the jazz even need any mid season trades? I don’t think so

Posted by ThomasSmithjaz1 (https://www.sbnation.com/users/ThomasSmithjaz1) on Jan 27, 2021 | 11:30 PM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/1/27/22253728/jordan-clarkson-and-rudy-gobert-lead-the-utah-jazz-to-dominant-win-over-the-dallas-mavericks#535901415)


Bojan should be traded if possible. Got an open roster spot. Barely over the tax line. Getting under while improving and creating flexibility for buyouts and signing Conley next year would be great


He effectively gives us a big 3 and should be a chance at All Star this year if we can maintain this level. Clarkson obviously is also a massive difference between this time last season and now. How often would we give up leads once we went to the bench with no consistent scoring from the bench? This has to be considered the best trade in Jazz history if he can keep this going. As an Aussie I loved Dante but Clarkson for Exum was ridiculous and has made us a much much better team.
Let’s keep it going Jazz, no one wants to play us at the moment and I am loving it.

Posted by AussieBBallFan (https://www.sbnation.com/users/AussieBBallFan) on Jan 28, 2021 | 2:04 AM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/1/27/22253728/jordan-clarkson-and-rudy-gobert-lead-the-utah-jazz-to-dominant-win-over-the-dallas-mavericks#535902161)


they have a big two and 1 of them isn't their "best player". Horny for Malone. Dantley for Haywood...


Scoring is the most easily replaceable part of basketball.

Posted by Kira Argonova (https://www.sbnation.com/users/Kira%20Argonova) on Jan 28, 2021 | 6:15 AM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/1/27/22253728/jordan-clarkson-and-rudy-gobert-lead-the-utah-jazz-to-dominant-win-over-the-dallas-mavericks#535903881)


to most the only thing that matters oh and +/- of course! :oldlol:

[Xiao Yao You]

https://sircharlesincharge.com/2021/01/27/nba-best-lineups-clippers-76ers-embiid/3/


This lineup is putting together some absurd offensive numbers up as of late thanks to their 3-point shooting proficiency. The starting lineup is hitting eight more 3’s per 100 possessions then their opponents while shooting 15 percentage points better. The offense has Mitchell and Conley switching off being the primary ballhandlers, and then the Jazz use dribble handoffs and Rudy Gobert’s screening to initiate the offense.




more to do with D


The defense is back to elite levels, all thanks to two-time DPOY Rudy Gobert. The Frenchman patrols paint at an elite level as always, only now with more help. Royce O’Neale has done an impressive job with the primary defensive assignment each night, and both Mitchell and Conley are really engaged with their rotations and competing for the ball. Even Bogdanovic, historically a negative defender, has put out together some great efforts on the end of the floor.




others have improved the D. Conley especially. Bojan and Mitchell? :roll:

[Xiao Yao You]

What about the Donovan (situation)? For me, he has been amazing media-wise since he got into the league… …Chuck interjects — Charles Barkley: But yeah, you know Sam, let me tell you something. Me and Kenny actually had a conversation this weekend about this, because (Kenny) was talking to his dad. And his dad says, ‘I was watching the show the other night and I went and did some research (and) Donovan has only had one game of double-digit assists his entire career. He’s had only one game of double-digit rebounds in his career. Kenny Smith had 90. He had 90. And Kenny Smith ain’t half the player Donovan Mitchell is. He had 90 games where he had either 10 assists or 10 rebounds. And that was the point (https://theathletic.com/2351185/2021/01/28/charles-barkley-unplugged-is-inside-the-nba-too-tough-or-are-todays-stars-too-sensitive/).
– via Sam Amick @ The Athletic (https://theathletic.com/2351185/2021/01/28/charles-barkley-unplugged-is-inside-the-nba-too-tough-or-are-todays-stars-too-sensitive/)





Kenny Smith was a pg. Mitchell isn't. He needs to become a better playmaker but he's not bad for a shooting guard and is getting better. The whole triple double thing is one of the most overrated things there is anyway


Charles Barkley: We said the kid was a hell of a player. But as far as being a superstar, nobody’s a superstar until they can win the game multiple ways. And listen, that to me is an indictment on Donovan Mitchell. Come on, man. (https://theathletic.com/2351185/2021/01/28/charles-barkley-unplugged-is-inside-the-nba-too-tough-or-are-todays-stars-too-sensitive/) As much as you have the ball, you only had one game with double-digit assists? And one game double-digit rebounds? Come on. I mean Sam, that’s almost impossible.
– via Sam Amick @ The Athletic (https://theathletic.com/2351185/2021/01/28/charles-barkley-unplugged-is-inside-the-nba-too-tough-or-are-todays-stars-too-sensitive/)





He's not a superstar. He shouldn't even be an all star. It's the NBA and the media that pushes that crap while Gobert isn't even an all star despite carrying the team for more than half a decade

[Xiao Yao You]

Utah has outscored opponents by 153 points during the roll, which is the longest winning stretch in the league this season. The Jazz have prevailed in nine of the 10 games by double digits, the lone exception being a road victory over the Denver Nuggets, the team that eliminated Utah in the Western Conference playoffs last season. – via Tim MacMahon @ ESPN


“It’s exciting, but it’s really early in the season,” said Utah All-Star center Rudy Gobert, who had season highs of 29 points, 20 rebounds and three steals and also blocked three shots versus Dallas. “Our goal is obviously to be one of the best teams in the league, but it’s really to be ready for the playoffs.” – via Tim MacMahon @ ESPN


Utah ranks fifth in offensive efficiency (114.2), the only team in the top five in both categories. The Jazz, 16-of-41 from long range against Dallas, are on pace to be the most prolific 3-point shooting team in NBA history, with 16.6 made treys per game. “We’ve figured out the style and pace and stuff that we want to play at,” Ingles said. “It’s just a really fun group to play with. We play for each other. There’s no egos involved. It’s not as unsalvageable as people think. It’s just a really cool group. Different guys step up at different times. We play the right way. We’re unselfish. We defend. But we’re not satisfied. We’re not going to get over the moon over one win or 10 in a row.” – via Tim MacMahon @ ESPN


Justin Kubatko: Rudy Gobert last night: ✅ 29 PTS ✅ 20 REB ✅ 3 STL ✅ 3 BLK The last player to record at least 20p/20r/3s/3b in a single game for the @Utah Jazz was Karl Malone (March 22, 1988). pic.twitter.com/UxJmkPKhty – via Twitter jkubatko


had several shots at 30 points which would have been nice

[Xiao Yao You]

Marc Stein: The league’s preference is that the 18th roster spot is another two-way contract — restricted to players with 0 to 3 years of service time — with the idea of providing roster relief. The union wants the 18th roster spot to be open to all veteran free agents, sources say (https://*********.com/social/).
– via Twitter TheSteinLine (https://twitter.com/TheSteinLine)





man teams only carrying 14 players now so the two way makes sense. As far as I'm concerned they should let teams sign as many of both of them as they want. The cap and luxury tax will dictate it

[Xiao Yao You]

Brad Townsend: Mavericks media notes ahead of tomorrow’s rematch against Utah show just one player on the injury report: Maxi Kleber, as expected, still out due to health and safety protocols. (https://*********.com/social/) The good news for the Mavs is he’s out of quarantine and nearing a return to games.
– via Twitter townbrad (https://twitter.com/townbrad)

[Xiao Yao You]

Andy Larsen: Both Donovan Mitchell and Derrick Favors are questionable for tomorrow’s game (https://*********.com/social/) vs. DAL.
– via Twitter andyblarsen (https://twitter.com/andyblarsen)

[Xiao Yao You]

George Carter, a former ABA All-Star with the Virginia Squires, died Nov. 18, 2020. Mr. Carter was 76 (http://richmondfreepress.com/news/2021/jan/28/former-virginia-squires-and-nba-player-george-cart/) and living in Las Vegas. Mr. Carter was diagnosed with throat cancer and had fallen out of touch with friends and family. His death was not widely reported at the time.
– via Richmond Free Pres
(http://richmondfreepress.com/news/2021/jan/28/former-virginia-squires-and-nba-player-george-cart/)




Mr. Carter played in the NBA with the Detroit Pistons and in the ABA with Virginia, Carolina, Pittsburgh, the New York Nets, the Utah Stars, the Pittsburgh Condors and the Memphis Sound. (http://richmondfreepress.com/news/2021/jan/28/former-virginia-squires-and-nba-player-george-cart/) The native of Buffalo, N.Y., averaged 18.1 points and 6.8 rebounds for his NBA/ABA combined career over 479 games.
– via Richmond Free Press (http://richmondfreepress.com/news/2021/jan/28/former-virginia-squires-and-nba-player-george-cart/)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://sports.yahoo.com/nba-rumors-veteran-ersan-ilyasova-000729290.html


I think Daryl Morey should at least be making those calls. Ilyasova isn't a gigantic game-changer, but adding an extra big man as a depth piece would be a solid development, particularly given Dwight Howard's penchant for getting into foul trouble, Tony Bradley's lack of range, and Mike Scott's uncertain health.




Tony cetainly has range


Illasoya could make sense for the Jazz but been saying that for years

[Xiao Yao You]

The latest buzz comes from a somewhat offhand remark from Adrian Wojnarowski as he discussed the Beal situation on ESPN’s “The Jump,” but given that Woj is as plugged in as they come, his certainty here is still worth noting (emphasis mine): “There’s not a team in the league who wouldn’t love to find a way to add Bradley Beal… I think for teams like Golden State or the Denvers, teams who have assets who are contenders when they’re healthy, but also, let’s say if you’re Golden State, you’ve got that Minnesota draft pick, if you’re Denver, you’ve got a great young player in Michael Porter Jr., you’ve got an All-Star in Jamal Murray in the backcourt. Now I’m not saying they’re going to do it, but you look at those teams and say ‘they have enough to get in the conversation.’ “And that’s going to be the decision for teams all over the league. Of course the Lakers and Clippers would love to be able to get involved in that, but do they have the draft picks? (https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2021/1/28/22255124/lakers-trade-rumors-bradley-beal-wizards-clippers-woj-report-espn) Do they have the young players it would take that would top a package from some other teams? Maybe not.
– via Harrison Faigen @ Silverscreenandroll.com (https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2021/1/28/22255124/lakers-trade-rumors-bradley-beal-wizards-clippers-woj-report-espn)





Mitchell for Beal if the Jazz were smart. They aren't

[Xiao Yao You]

Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith made $153 million in Qualtrics IPO a day after his NBA team snagged first place – via Ari Levy @ CNBC




maybe he won't be too worried about the tax bill to eep Conley?

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/452070/jazz-fans-can-begin-all-star-voting-today/


Guard Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert earned their first All-Star bids last season in Chicago, while both Mike Conley and Jordan Clarkson should receive consideration due to their stellar play this season.




Conley and Gobert are the only stars. Mitchell most likely unfortunately

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/sports/2021/1/28/22252312/utah-jazz-boast-best-record-after-beating-dallas-mavericks


Despite any fears that anyone on the outside might have had about the second-unit defense suffering without Favors anchoring things, or the overall offense suffering without the Jazz’s leading scorer on the court, the Jazz acquitted themselves in dominating fashion.




yeah since he's a whole half a point better than Bradley was!

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/1/28/22253782/utah-jazz-dominating-nba-wins-streak-rudy-gobert-donovan-mitchell


Possibly the best thing about this Jazz team and their current success, is the sustainability of these wins. If you’ve watched the Jazz over this 10-game win streak, you’ve seen just how deep and balanced this roster is. The Jazz are winning games, but it seems like every win is a little bit of a different story. Some of the nights, Donovan Mitchell has taken over, but not to the level the he was in the playoff series against the Nuggets. Mitchell is averaging 25 points per game on 48/46/87 splits, which is great, but it’s not something so crazy that you might expect to drastically drop in the future. Donovan’s had off games during this stretch, and other players have had to step up in his place. After he was ruled out of last night’s game with concussion-like symptoms, Joe Ingles got his first start of the season and dropped 21 points and 9 assists on 7-11 shooting from three. Rudy Gobert had arguably his best game of the season with 29 points and 20 rebounds. Clarkson scorched for 31 off the bench. No, Mitchell - No problem? Not really, the Jazz definitely need Donovan to have any shot at being a contender, but do you get where I’m going with this?




don't think Mitchell is key sadly since they'll be paying him max money. Gobert, Conley and Gobert they can't afford to lose


The true test of this team’s ability to contend will be in games vs. other actual contenders. Looking ahead to the month of February, we are going to get just that. The Jazz have a stretch from February 9th to February 26th where they play Boston, Milwaukee, Miami, Philadelphia, @ Clippers, @ Clippers, Lakers, @ Miami. WOOF. This stretch will be great to see how the Jazz line up against the NBA’s top teams, especially the Lakers and Clippers who they will probably need to go through to reach the ultimate form of contention. It’s a good time to be a Jazz fan right now for sure. Based on the way this team has played, we have every reason to believe that it’s going to be a great year. Maybe even REALLY great.




we'll see how good they really are. Lakers especially they have to prove they can match up or create mismatches


Lakers can’t win without their star and the
Jazz dominate without their star and primary backup. Against a team with a top five player in Dallas.
Indiana is top three but lost Oladipo in the trade and Lavert, who was supposed to replace him, had surgery. So will have less firepower. I think Warren is injured too so that probably won’t be as tough as it could be.
The jazz had season highs against Dallas but out of those guys, Ingles and Clarkson are capable of doing that any night. Ingles just us content to play facilitator rather than score unless needed. Gobert took advantage of bad defense.
All star vote for Lebron, Ingles, Conley, Mitchell, Gobert
East is crazy but Durant, Brown, Embiid, Giannis, and Beal.
No Westbrook Harden or Irving

Posted by brianH85 (https://www.sbnation.com/users/brianH85) on Jan 28, 2021 | 8:45 PM (https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/1/28/22253782/utah-jazz-dominating-nba-wins-streak-rudy-gobert-donovan-mitchell#535939290)


Jazz can't win without Rudy and they wouldn't be playing like they are without Conley or O'Neale


Losing Derrick Favors last year hurt the team both in lineups and team chemistry. Plus both Rudy and Donovan had new contracts looming in the off season. I don’t think either of those guys let it affect their play but it seemed to be the focus of a lot of questions and discussions.
This year? Mike and Jordan are both locked in and playing fantastic ball and look like they know every move to make within Quin’s lineups. Derrick is BACK (thank the Lord) and quietly doing all those things that last year’s team missed. Rudy and Donovan are both playing fantastic (other than Rudy’s FT’s) and don’t really seem to care what anyone outside of the team is saying about the Jazz. They don’t have to talk about upcoming contracts, just ballin with the team and winning games. On to the next one as they say.

Posted by Old Song (https://www.sbnation.com/users/Old%20Song) on Jan 28, 2021 | 7:56 PM (https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/1/28/22253782/utah-jazz-dominating-nba-wins-streak-rudy-gobert-donovan-mitchell#535937380)


losing Favors helped the offense tremendously. That one has been overblown.


while i appreciate the chemistry on this team and comraddery i feel the GM should be smart enough to move some pieces
anyway, thoughts?

Posted by Ray_Analytica (https://www.sbnation.com/users/Ray_Analytica) on Jan 28, 2021 | 10:01 PM (https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/1/28/22253782/utah-jazz-dominating-nba-wins-streak-rudy-gobert-donovan-mitchell#535941033)


not too familiar with the Jazz?


unless Conley shows some signs of wearing down by the trade deadline, we should keep him. Same with Bogey. His contract isn’t that expensive relatively speaking, and he’ll figure it out. The FO is smart enough to know when to pull the trigger on those if they need to. I wouldn’t mind trading Ingles, I think his contract will age poorly, although he’s a big part of team chemistry this year. Maybe off-season move? I just feel like if we want to make a serious run at a championship, which seems more likely by the day, we need to keep this core together as much as possible, at least for this season, then if it is clear by the deadline that we’re not actually that good, then we start trading pieces. I do think it is likely that something will change this off-season though, and Siakam would be a good fit, if he’s even available.

Posted by PianoGuy13 (https://www.sbnation.com/users/PianoGuy13) on Jan 28, 2021 | 10:10 PM (https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/1/28/22253782/utah-jazz-dominating-nba-wins-streak-rudy-gobert-donovan-mitchell#535941240)


Bojan needs to go regardless if he figures it out. Ingles only has one more year at a lot less than Bojan


Harrison doesn't surprise me
He has been a dumpster fire

Posted by ThomasSmithjaz1 (https://www.sbnation.com/users/ThomasSmithjaz1) on Jan 29, 2021 | 12:09 AM (https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/1/28/22253782/utah-jazz-dominating-nba-wins-streak-rudy-gobert-donovan-mitchell#535942365)


garbage time. I like what I've seen from him

[Xiao Yao You]

Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell refused to remain silent on social justice issues off the court, becoming a go-to guy in NBA circles. His commitment to advance social justice coupled with his passion for education earned him the Offseason NBA Cares Community Assist Award (https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30799649/utah-jazz-star-donovan-mitchell-receiving-nba-cares-award-social-justice-efforts). The award honors Mitchell’s efforts between the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons, including a $12 million pledge to Greenwich Country Day School, which he and his sister, Jordan, attended and where his mother, Nicole, taught for over 10 years.
– via Eric Woodyard @ ESPN (https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30799649/utah-jazz-star-donovan-mitchell-receiving-nba-cares-award-social-justice-efforts)

[Xiao Yao You]

Andy Larsen: Donovan Mitchell is out for tonight’s Jazz game, he’s still in the NBA concussion protocol. – via Twitter andyblarsen

[Xiao Yao You]

Andy Larsen: Georges Niang on the possibility of Joe Ingles passing John Stockton’s Jazz 3PM record tonight: “I say we don’t pass him the ball. John Stockton’s a legend.” (https://*********.com/social/)
– via Twitter andyblarsen (https://twitter.com/andyblarsen)

[Xiao Yao You]

Eric Walden: Rick Carlisle on the Jazz’s balance: “When you have a team that can play fast offensively and still get back and sit down and have a possession mentality defensively, you have the makings of a championship team. (https://*********.com/social/) … They’re in that handful of teams that is really, really good.”
– via Twitter tribjazz (https://twitter.com/tribjazz)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/452141/georges-niang-says-jazz-want-to-do-something-special-this-year-after-last-seasons-ending/


Likely that the Jazz are hunting three-point shots more frequently than they did last season, which may result in the team passing up some decent looks at the rim for more three-point shots.




which isn't necessarily a good thing. A dunk is still the most effective shot in the game and they got the best in the game to do it


The Jazz haven’t been over the luxury tax until this season, so that’s a good start. The Jazz could still get under the luxury tax this year by trimming a few million dollars off their salary and give themselves more breathing room in future seasons to avoid the repeater tax.




which seems unlikely unless they trade one of their core guys which hopefully Bojan will be gone

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/452110/shaquille-oneal-on-donovan-mitchell-he-great-but-he-aint-that-great/


“Instead of listening to how I say it, just listen to what I say,” O’Neal said.




no thanks idiot! :lol

[Xiao Yao You]

https://saltcityhoops.com/an-honest-look-at-conleys-all-star-chances/


But here’s the problem: a lot of guys deserve to be All-Stars. That’s the case every year: 12 spots isn’t enough to recognize all of the brilliant play and positive impact across 15 Western Conference teams.




no only 12 do. The problem is guys make it that don't deserve it


2020 All-Stars Donovan Mitchell, Chris Paul* and Devin Booker are all likely to repeat.



and none deserve it over Conley. No one does really


(*You can quibble with CP3 based on declining stats, but coaches love those emeritus picks, and even though his raw numbers are down slightly, he’s exactly the kind of superstar who often makes it in based on résumé. Also, any counting stats argument you make against Paul (15-5-9) also weakens Conley’s case (17-4-6). The argument for both of those guys is centered on overall impact, not raw numbers.)




mostly based on numbers and hype


The Mitchell/Conley argument is actually kind of fascinating. One is a more traditional type of star with big numbers and highlight plays, while the other has powered the Jazz with the smarts and intangibles behind his league-leading plus/minus. But let’s be honest: Mitchell is going to be the default choice if Western Conference coaches vote for only one Utah guard. His production is basically identical to last season’s, and he’s the guy opposing coaches are primarily game-planning for when they prepare to face Utah’s top-5 offense. So if Conley makes it, it will likely be as a third Jazz All-Star, not by supplanting Mitchell.




sad but true

He deserves it and it will be sad when he doesn't make it

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/1/29/22256586/utah-jazz-mavericks-11th-straight-espn-rudy-gobert-luka-doncic


When will Bogdanovic get going?


when will coty bench him?

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50097730/move-over-john-joe-ingles-moves-past-stockton-to-become-jazzs-all-time-3-point-leader


Ingles reaching the top of Utah's all-time list shows how much the game has changed in recent years. Stockton played 19 seasons and was a career 38% 3-point shooter, including shooting 40% from three in seven different seasons. But the most threes he ever averaged per game was 2.8 (a year he shot 44% from deep). Ingles, who is nearly a 41% career 3-point shooter, has had three seasons, including the current, where he's attempted over five threes per game. That's just a bit more volume.




Not only has the game changed but Stockton was unselfish to a fault which Ingles and O'Neale have had a problem with too I guess

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50097740/uh-oh-bojan-bogdanovic-jazz-send-strong-message-to-rest-of-league-with-11th-straight-win


All the stats say the Jazz are currently the best team in the league, and the eye test confirmed that on Friday.




not until they beat the Lakers


Bogdanovic shot just one 3-pointer in Utah's win over Dallas on Wednesday. To head coach Quin Snyder and the rest of the Jazz, that number was unacceptable. Yes, he has struggled this year at times, but he's coming off the best season of his career. And the only way to get back to that level is to keep shooting.


the best way would be to bench him and reduce his minutes until he earns them back

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/452196/452196/


It was effective, and Dallas closed the Jazz lead from 27 to as little as 14 in the quarter. Though ultimately it didn’t matter, this is where Mitchell has enormous value for the Jazz as some who can create his own shot.




Clarkson does it even better sad to say


Mike Conley can do it for stretches, Jordan Clarkson can too, but neither player can do it as frequently as Mitchell.




they both do it more effectively


Morgan finished the game with 12 points, seven rebounds, and three steals. The second-year big man also connected on 2-4 three-pointers, though he did foul out in 21 minutes.




start him!

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/sports/2021/1/30/22255179/utah-jazz-win-streak-donovan-mitchell-derrick-favors-denver-nuggets-mike-conley-bojan-bogdanovic


“It does bode well for us when we know that guys like Don can miss a few games and we can still win, and especially with Fav out,” Mike Conley said after the Jazz beat the Mavericks, 120-101, Friday. “It’s tough to lose those guys, not have them, but for us to come out and play against a good team, and not only just a good team but two times in a row, and come out with wins, just says a lot about our team and our resiliency.”




I think it shows how overrated both are. If they lose Rudy, Conley or Royce things don't go so well. Also Morgan should probably start anyway

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/sports/2021/1/29/22248763/instant-analysis-utah-jazz-run-win-streak-to-11-victory-over-dallas-mavericks



Morgan played an amazing game, but he also fouled out with a little under two minutes left in the game. He’s still a pretty raw player and that’s going to happen when you don’t get a lot of playing time so it’s not terrible, especially in a blowout, but it’s worth noting.



let's note it when he's playing enough for it to matter


Early in the fourth quarter, Gobert pump-faked while in the left corner and there was a split second where everyone in the building thought he was going to shoot a 3. He did not, but I wish he had. When you’re leading by 25 points in the fourth quarter you can do that! I think we all deserve to see it happen.



Yep

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/1/29/22257370/utah-jazz-reign-fire-on-dallas-mavericks-win-11th-straight-game-nba-jordan-clarkson-rudy-gobert


If Bojan gets back to what he was last year he’s so valuable. Regardless of what the advanced stats say he is someone who’s vital to have in a close game. Love this team!!

Posted by yelrut (https://www.sbnation.com/users/yelrut) on Jan 29, 2021 | 11:58 PM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/1/29/22257370/utah-jazz-reign-fire-on-dallas-mavericks-win-11th-straight-game-nba-jordan-clarkson-rudy-gobert#535977120)


he's really not though. The advanced stats show he brings you little but scoring and he's being paid too much and has too big of a role. They'd be better with Morgan starting


But dante has potential

Posted by ThomasSmithjaz1 (https://www.sbnation.com/users/ThomasSmithjaz1) on Jan 30, 2021 | 12:46 AM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/1/29/22257370/utah-jazz-reign-fire-on-dallas-mavericks-win-11th-straight-game-nba-jordan-clarkson-rudy-gobert#535977362)


so much they couldn't give him up for Conley


Drummond and Rudy are the only active players with a marginal chance of reaching his numbers but they will need to remain amongst the top rebounders late in their 30ies, it’s not a given.
Rudy is also 5th in blocks amongst Jazz players and should pass Malone for 4th this season, and probably Ostertag and Kirilenko next season.
Then Mark Eaton is a tough nut to crack, 4th all time.

Posted by Bigfee (https://www.sbnation.com/users/Bigfee) on Jan 30, 2021 | 9:24 AM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/1/29/22257370/utah-jazz-reign-fire-on-dallas-mavericks-win-11th-straight-game-nba-jordan-clarkson-rudy-gobert#535982511)


not a given? Not likely. Eaton! :roll:

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/1/29/22257314/joe-ingles-passes-john-stockton-as-all-time-leader-in-three-pointers-made-for-the-utah-jazz


Joe Ingles is an all-time Utah Jazz great




now that's a sad franchise!


Odds his number gets retired?

Posted by ThomasSmithjaz1 (https://www.sbnation.com/users/ThomasSmithjaz1) on Jan 29, 2021 | 11:40 PM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/1/29/22257314/joe-ingles-passes-john-stockton-as-all-time-leader-in-three-pointers-made-for-the-utah-jazz#535977009)


shouldn't but I certainly wouldn't be surprised considering who's up there now

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.nba.com/jazz/news/utah-jazz-win-11th-straight-game-record-breaking-night-joe-ingles


“It means a lot for us especially without Donovan,” Bogdanovic said after the game. “He’s our best player and our leader. So it’s great to see all those teams still behind us in the standings. But we have a tough schedule right now. We have to keep going.”




I understand this from the media but I don't see how you could play with Rudy and really believe that

[Xiao Yao You]

https://sports.yahoo.com/nba-fact-or-fiction-old-heads-vs-the-new-guard-the-jazz-as-contenders-and-deandre-hunters-upside-185701898.html


But it is Mike Conley’s resurgence that makes Utah a serious contender in the Western Conference. The 33-year-old’s Jazz tenure began last season with a whimper, and even signs of reinvigoration were stunted by the NBA’s hiatus. He has been open about how difficult the adjustment was after 12 years on the Memphis Grizzlies, from playing off Mitchell to setting up Gobert (https://www.sltrib.com/sports/jazz/2021/01/29/mike-conleys-rough-first/), and the compounding nature of his struggles.




Yep especially on the defensive end

[Xiao Yao You]

Tony Jones: Donovan Mitchell and Derrick Favors are both QUESTIONABLE for tomorrow (https://*********.com/social/) against Denver
– via Twitter Tjonesonthenba (https://twitter.com/Tjonesonthenba)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/452297/utah-jazz-break-rhythm-win-streak-in-loss-to-nuggets/


Meanwhile, Donovan Mitchell looked rusty in his return to the Jazz after missing the last two games with a concussion suffered on Tuesday.




was he out long enough to get rusty? Maybe he just had what is a not uncommon night for him?


The Jazz are already the most prolific three-point shooting team in the NBA, and if Bogdanovic has truly found his footing, he represents another 20 points per game scorer and 40 percent three-point shooter for opposing teams to have to account for.




and not much else. If you didn't notice defense cost them the game

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/sports/2021/1/31/22258594/instant-analysis-utah-jazz-win-streak-comes-to-an-end-denver-nuggets-nikola-jokic-nba


The Nuggets played the best defensive game of any Jazz opponent this season, rotating onto shooters with speed and getting into passing lanes. It’ll be good game tape to go back and watch for the Jazz to look at what the Nuggets were doing to disrupt them so much.



I doubt that. Jazz were just bad in the first half

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/1/31/22259381/nikola-jokic-leads-the-denver-nuggets-to-dominant-win-over-the-utah-jazz-game-recap


The other disappointing thing in this game was the play of Donovan Mitchell. Mitchell for the game was 3/12 from the field (with a nice 3/8 from three) 3 assists, 1 rebound and 5 turnovers. That turnover ratio for Mitchell has to improve. If you’re having an off shooting night and have a 3/5 assist to turnover ratio, you’re killing your team on the offensive end. Mitchell’s defense seems to be on the uptick lately but it’s not good enough to overcome that type of performance on offense.




disappointing that he does this a lot?

[Xiao Yao You]

https://hoopshabit.com/2021/01/31/nba-power-rankings-week-6-los-angeles-lakers-top/31/

fun while it lasted

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/452331/jazz-set-nba-record-for-most-threes-made-in-a-calendar-month/

won't last long

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/452327/jazz-assign-udoka-azubuike-to-slc-stars-in-g-league-bubble/

I assume the other two rooks will in them when healthy

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/sports/2021/1/31/22258595/utah-jazz-win-streak-11-denver-nuggets-bad-loss-donovan-mitchell-rudy-gobert-nikola-jokic


“We felt like we didn’t play our best in the loss,” Donovan Mitchell said. “I think that’s what hurts. Especially the way we played the past two games back home against Dallas.”




if you play you're best you probably don't lose. The way you played against Dallas?

[Xiao Yao You]

https://sircharlesincharge.com/2021/01/31/utah-jazz-renaissance-basketball-contender/


Utah is in a unique place where the team has tied most of its future around its foundational pieces and funded the rest of its economy around role players that are a bit past their prime or overachieving within it. Gobert makes the most money on the team with a supermax contract extension and has put up his typical career numbers so far this season. He’ll probably never be the 20-point, 10-rebound interior centerpiece that so many other offensively superior big men are throughout the league.




so many?

[Xiao Yao You]

Sarah Todd: Donovan Mitchell and Derrick Favors are no longer in the Jazz injury report (https://*********.com/social/). OUT – Elijah Hughes (left ankle sprain) OUT – Udoka Azubuike (G League assignment) OUT – Trent Forrest (G League – Two Way)
– via Twitter NBASarah (https://twitter.com/NBASarah)

[Xiao Yao You]

Noah Levick: Sixers two-way player Rayjon Tucker is with the Blue Coats in the G-League bubble at Disney World. He said he’d like to eventually develop into a player like Victor Oladipo, (https://*********.com/social/) who “came out of nowhere, proved himself time and time again when everybody doubted him.”
– via Twitter NoahLevick (https://twitter.com/NoahLevick)





the lottery pick that came out of nowhere

[Xiao Yao You]

Friends, After almost four decades of ownership, Gail Miller, who purchased the Utah Jazz with her late husband Larry in 1985, decided to sell the team this past October for $1.66 billion. The buyer? Ryan Smith, the billionaire chairman and cofounder of Qualtrics — an experience management company based in Utah. The interesting part? He’s quickly become one of my favorite NBA owners already (https://huddleup.substack.com/p/ryan-smith-the-nbas-next-great-owner?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxNjkxNTY4LCJwb3N0X2lkIj ozMjAwOTY0OSwiXyI6ImY3TlBKIiwiaWF0IjoxNjEyMjA5NjU3 LCJleHAiOjE2MTIyMTMyNTcsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0xNzkyMiIsIn N1YiI6InBvc3QtcmVhY3Rpb24ifQ.p_c0ewz99fDEtZRd9jc6m MjXhEQ_HLgJSH_onPZ_hZI). Today, we’ll run through why.
– via Joseph Pompliano @ Huddle Up (https://huddleup.substack.com/p/ryan-smith-the-nbas-next-great-owner?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxNjkxNTY4LCJwb3N0X2lkIj ozMjAwOTY0OSwiXyI6ImY3TlBKIiwiaWF0IjoxNjEyMjA5NjU3 LCJleHAiOjE2MTIyMTMyNTcsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0xNzkyMiIsIn N1YiI6InBvc3QtcmVhY3Rpb24ifQ.p_c0ewz99fDEtZRd9jc6m MjXhEQ_HLgJSH_onPZ_hZI)



First, some history. It’s no secret; you can’t buy an NBA team without being super-wealthy, so how did Ryan Smith make his money? I’ve tweeted about it before, but here’s the story. After his dad was diagnosed with cancer in 2002, Ryan Smith left college and headed back home to Utah. “I just wanted to sit and be with my dad, but he had a lot of downtime between radiation and chemo,” Smith says. To pass the downtime in between his father’s cancer treatments, Ryan and his dad started working on the idea that became Qualtrics (https://huddleup.substack.com/p/ryan-smith-the-nbas-next-great-owner?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxNjkxNTY4LCJwb3N0X2lkIj ozMjAwOTY0OSwiXyI6ImY3TlBKIiwiaWF0IjoxNjEyMjA5NjU3 LCJleHAiOjE2MTIyMTMyNTcsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0xNzkyMiIsIn N1YiI6InBvc3QtcmVhY3Rpb24ifQ.p_c0ewz99fDEtZRd9jc6m MjXhEQ_HLgJSH_onPZ_hZI).
– via Joseph Pompliano @ Huddle Up (https://huddleup.substack.com/p/ryan-smith-the-nbas-next-great-owner?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxNjkxNTY4LCJwb3N0X2lkIj ozMjAwOTY0OSwiXyI6ImY3TlBKIiwiaWF0IjoxNjEyMjA5NjU3 LCJleHAiOjE2MTIyMTMyNTcsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0xNzkyMiIsIn N1YiI6InBvc3QtcmVhY3Rpb24ifQ.p_c0ewz99fDEtZRd9jc6m MjXhEQ_HLgJSH_onPZ_hZI)



Ryan’s dad, a researcher by nature, realized companies had no effective way to survey, conduct market research, and communicate with customers and employees. The solution? Qualtrics — an online software platform that allowed companies to survey and communicate effectively (https://huddleup.substack.com/p/ryan-smith-the-nbas-next-great-owner?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxNjkxNTY4LCJwb3N0X2lkIj ozMjAwOTY0OSwiXyI6ImY3TlBKIiwiaWF0IjoxNjEyMjA5NjU3 LCJleHAiOjE2MTIyMTMyNTcsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0xNzkyMiIsIn N1YiI6InBvc3QtcmVhY3Rpb24ifQ.p_c0ewz99fDEtZRd9jc6m MjXhEQ_HLgJSH_onPZ_hZI). Within a couple of months, Ryan and his father had a product ready to go. The only problem? They needed customers.
– via Joseph Pompliano @ Huddle Up (https://huddleup.substack.com/p/ryan-smith-the-nbas-next-great-owner?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxNjkxNTY4LCJwb3N0X2lkIj ozMjAwOTY0OSwiXyI6ImY3TlBKIiwiaWF0IjoxNjEyMjA5NjU3 LCJleHAiOjE2MTIyMTMyNTcsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0xNzkyMiIsIn N1YiI6InBvc3QtcmVhY3Rpb24ifQ.p_c0ewz99fDEtZRd9jc6m MjXhEQ_HLgJSH_onPZ_hZI)



Given his father’s background, they started with colleges that conducted field research. First up — Kellogg School of Management, which took a year to onboard. Fast forward a few years, and Qualtrics had 250 universities across the country signed up. The best part? As students graduated, their penetration into universities worked as a feeder system into corporations. “Someone took us from Kellogg to Heineken,” Smith says. Sales accelerated. As the company grew, Ryan convinced his brother Jared to leave Google and run the technical team at Qualtrics — “which increased productivity 7x.” That wasn’t even his biggest contribution. Despite being pitched 50x a month, Jared was adamant they didn’t take venture capital (https://huddleup.substack.com/p/ryan-smith-the-nbas-next-great-owner?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxNjkxNTY4LCJwb3N0X2lkIj ozMjAwOTY0OSwiXyI6ImY3TlBKIiwiaWF0IjoxNjEyMjA5NjU3 LCJleHAiOjE2MTIyMTMyNTcsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0xNzkyMiIsIn N1YiI6InBvc3QtcmVhY3Rpb24ifQ.p_c0ewz99fDEtZRd9jc6m MjXhEQ_HLgJSH_onPZ_hZI).
– via Joseph Pompliano @ Huddle Up (https://huddleup.substack.com/p/ryan-smith-the-nbas-next-great-owner?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxNjkxNTY4LCJwb3N0X2lkIj ozMjAwOTY0OSwiXyI6ImY3TlBKIiwiaWF0IjoxNjEyMjA5NjU3 LCJleHAiOjE2MTIyMTMyNTcsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0xNzkyMiIsIn N1YiI6InBvc3QtcmVhY3Rpb24ifQ.p_c0ewz99fDEtZRd9jc6m MjXhEQ_HLgJSH_onPZ_hZI)



From 2013 to 2018, Qualtrics kept growing — going from 5,000 customers to 8,000. With revenue growth north of 50%, the business cash-flow positive, and almost $400 million in annual revenue — Ryan & Jared decided it was time to go public. But SAP had other ideas… Knowing the Qualtrics IPO would be oversubscribed, SAP tried to stop them from going public by buying the company. Ryan Smith declined, insisting the roadshow would go on and gave SAP 7 days to make them an offer they couldn’t refuse. SAP came back with $8B. This time, the brothers accepted (https://huddleup.substack.com/p/ryan-smith-the-nbas-next-great-owner?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxNjkxNTY4LCJwb3N0X2lkIj ozMjAwOTY0OSwiXyI6ImY3TlBKIiwiaWF0IjoxNjEyMjA5NjU3 LCJleHAiOjE2MTIyMTMyNTcsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0xNzkyMiIsIn N1YiI6InBvc3QtcmVhY3Rpb24ifQ.p_c0ewz99fDEtZRd9jc6m MjXhEQ_HLgJSH_onPZ_hZI).
– via Joseph Pompliano @ Huddle Up (https://huddleup.substack.com/p/ryan-smith-the-nbas-next-great-owner?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxNjkxNTY4LCJwb3N0X2lkIj ozMjAwOTY0OSwiXyI6ImY3TlBKIiwiaWF0IjoxNjEyMjA5NjU3 LCJleHAiOjE2MTIyMTMyNTcsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0xNzkyMiIsIn N1YiI6InBvc3QtcmVhY3Rpb24ifQ.p_c0ewz99fDEtZRd9jc6m MjXhEQ_HLgJSH_onPZ_hZI)



Outside of his amazing entrepreneurial journey, which I love, Ryan Smith has consistently impressed me with his generosity before and after becoming the Utah Jazz owner. Here’s what I mean… When the NBA introduced patch sponsors in 2017, while Ryan Smith was still just a fan of the team, Smith bought the rights for his companies philanthropic arm “5 for the Fight.” Rather than use the $15-$20 million annual investment as advertising for his company, Smith raised $25 million (and counting) for cancer research. Today, Smith and the Utah Jazz still have the only cause-related jersey sponsor in the NBA (https://huddleup.substack.com/p/ryan-smith-the-nbas-next-great-owner?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxNjkxNTY4LCJwb3N0X2lkIj ozMjAwOTY0OSwiXyI6ImY3TlBKIiwiaWF0IjoxNjEyMjA5NjU3 LCJleHAiOjE2MTIyMTMyNTcsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0xNzkyMiIsIn N1YiI6InBvc3QtcmVhY3Rpb24ifQ.p_c0ewz99fDEtZRd9jc6m MjXhEQ_HLgJSH_onPZ_hZI). Now that’s amazing.
– via Joseph Pompliano @ Huddle Up (https://huddleup.substack.com/p/ryan-smith-the-nbas-next-great-owner?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxNjkxNTY4LCJwb3N0X2lkIj ozMjAwOTY0OSwiXyI6ImY3TlBKIiwiaWF0IjoxNjEyMjA5NjU3 LCJleHAiOjE2MTIyMTMyNTcsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0xNzkyMiIsIn N1YiI6InBvc3QtcmVhY3Rpb24ifQ.p_c0ewz99fDEtZRd9jc6m MjXhEQ_HLgJSH_onPZ_hZI)

[Xiao Yao You]

Ben Anderson: The @Utah Jazz announce Vivint Arena will open the upper bowl at Jazz games for socially distanced pod seating, beginning Feb. 2. (https://*********.com/social/) The overall capacity will be 3,902 for season ticket members choosing to attend games. All health and safety precautions remain in place.
– via Twitter BensHoops (https://twitter.com/BensHoops)

[Xiao Yao You]

Adrian Wojnarowski: Contact tracing within Pistons is reason for postponement with Nuggets tonight, (https://*********.com/social/) source tells ESPN.
– via Twitter wojespn (https://twitter.com/wojespn)





so much for tomorrow

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/452377/jazz-look-to-begin-new-streak-against-pistons/


The key matchup between the Jazz and Nuggets will pit forwards Bojan Bogdanovic and Jerami Grant against one another.




O'Neale likely covers Grant

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/452360/february-will-be-a-measuring-stick-month-for-the-utah-jazz/


The Jazz three-game road trip beginning on Thursday starts in Atlanta, before traveling to Charlotte, and Indiana.




2 of 3


The Jazz will return home for four contests against the Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat, and Philadelphia 76ers.




tough stretch. Winning 2 might be good


The team then embarks on a two-game road series against the Los Angeles Clippers, before returning to Utah to face the Hornets and Los Angeles Lakers on February 22 and 24.




Lakers the big test. Another tough stretch. Winning 2 would be good


The Jazz finish the month on the road with games against the Heat and Orlando Magic.




maybe both

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/sports/2021/2/1/22260626/the-utah-jazz-just-had-the-best-3-point-shooting-month-in-nba-history

only taken them 6 years to figure it out

[Xiao Yao You]

https://saltcityhoops.com/sc7-bogey-warming-more/


Some of them have just been unexplainable misses, like going up strong with the defender well behind him and just shooting over the rim. But one common problem has been his insistence on focusing on contact. Bogey fervently believes he gets fouled on every paint attempt. Sometimes he’s absolutely right. Sometimes he’s technically right, but it’s a 50-50 call and you don’t get all of those. But at least as often, it’s Bogey who twists and contorts into a mostly static defender, and then casts an evil eye at the zebras when their whistles stay silent.




his whining gets old.


Minnesota recognized the play, and they did what a lot of teams are doing now to blow up this Spain P&R action: they simply have the two smaller defenders switch, and the advantage the Jazz had hoped to create evaporates. Mitchell gives the ball up, and Bogey tries to go to work against the smaller Josh Okogie, but he fails to see that Karl-Anthony Towns has fully committed to stopping his drive. A dish back to Gobert here results in an almost sure dunk, but Bogey has blinders on and instead gets his shot swatted into some unknown realm.




not a playmaker


That’s a patient, precise and aware Bogdanovic. Getting him back on track in these situations is going to unlock more potential in an offense that’s already in the top five. The Jazz don’t need him at 25% usage now that Conley is playing like an All-Star, but a more fully deployed Bogey will raise the ceiling. They don’t run a ton of pick-and-roll for Bogey unless they’re matchup hunting or unless the ball lands with him after the first set of actions3 (https://saltcityhoops.com/sc7-bogey-warming-more/#note-3), but he needs to be able to score putting the ball on the floor if the Jazz hope to weaponize his gravity the way they did last season.




better off not putting the ball on the floor. They don't need him to be the player he was last year


Thursday 2/4, Jazz @ Hawks: Atlanta has won five of its last seven, but all of those wins came at the expense of likely lottery clubs, except the Clippers who were without their two superstars due to contact tracing. In other words, it’s hard to get a handle on how good the 10-9 Hawks actually are. SRS and 538 both see them as a pretty solid top-8 team out east, and they have a top-10 defense and a decent offense. Veteran scorer Danilo Gallinari has also been back in the lineup for them for the last five games (averaging 10 points on a minutes limit), so that should help them achieve some consistency.




I wasn't impressed last game but they were missing some players


Sunday 2/7, Jazz @ Pacers: Indiana peaked at 8-4, but has since teetered with a 3-5 stretch. TJ Warren (foot) and recent trade acquisition Caris LeVert (kidney surgery) remain out indefinitely. All-Star Domantas Sabonis (averaging 20, 12 and 6) and Malcolm Brogdon (23, 40% from 3) have been trying to hold things together, but depth has limited them to being a fairly average team at both ends. They will run when opponents let them, so Utah will have to watch the turnovers here.




god time to be facing them

[Xiao Yao You]

Adrian Wojnarowski: The Detroit Pistons are departing Denver for Salt Lake City, where they’re expected to be able to play their scheduled game with the Jazz on Tuesday, (https://*********.com/social/) sources tell ESPN. Pistons stayed in Denver, retesting players after postponement vs. Nuggets tonight.
– via Twitter wojespn (https://twitter.com/wojespn)



James Edwards III: Hearing the test in question was a false positive for the #Pistons. (https://*********.com/social/) Team is headed to Utah and expected to play.
– via Twitter JLEdwardsIII (https://twitter.com/JLEdwardsIII)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/452405/clarkson-on-more-jazz-fans-in-arena-thats-live-thats-lit/


The Jazz are one of the few teams that seem to have benefited from playing at home this season, though truly their overall terrific play may deserve more credit than the team’s fans.




doubt the fans have much to do with it since Snyder teams have never been great at home

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50099545/patrick-kinahan-the-jazz--legitimate-championship-contender-or-merely-good-team


"They're creating brilliant looks on the perimeter and cashing in so many," Harper wrote. "It's just flat-out overwhelming opponents. If they keep playing like this, they'll have an argument for three All-Stars, which nobody expected prior to this season."




Mitchell has no argument but is most likely to make it

[Xiao Yao You]

https://saltcityhoops.com/threading-the-needle-january-uniform-review/


The gold/mustard/yellow Statement jerseys are always the hottest topic when it comes to Jazz uniforms. Even Jazz coach Quin Snyder and All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell have commented on them in the past, which is saying something. Fans are pretty polarized on the subject, some believing them to be cursed, while others feel it looks too Lakers-esque. Some fans — a seeming minority — actually like them.




hideous


For those who have asked, there has still been no official announcement on the rumored Earned jersey that leaked in December. It’s becoming more likely that it will only be used in the second half of the season the schedule for which has yet to be announced.

no hurry. They might even be worse than the yellow crap

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/2/1/22260446/utah-jazz-vs-denver-nuggets-the-good-the-bad-the-ugly-of-the-matchup-nba


Fortunately, most of these realizations affect matchups with Denver and may not apply to the remaining 28 teams in the league. However, they do suggest the Jazz have flaws, flaws that define a high ceiling for sure, but is it high enough?





who thought they didn't have flaws?

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/2/2/22261821/who-would-win-between-the-deron-williams-jazz-and-the-donovan-mitchell-jazz


At 15-5 and just 0.5 games out of first in the West, scratch that first in the entire league, the Utah Jazz (https://www.slcdunk.com/) are off to a fantastic start this season. In fact, they are off to their best start since 2006-2007*. You know, the last time the Jazz made an appearance in the Western Conference Finals!




only in the finals because of the historic upset in round one by GS though


Mike Conley has been fantastic this year. He’s been every bit the player that the Jazz traded before last season. It took him a while to reach this point, but he’s near-All Star caliber again. Deron Williams in his prime was definitely better, but DWill hadn’t quite hit his prime in 2007. At just 22 years old he was still an up and comer. That season he averaged 16.2 points, 9.3 assists, and 3.3 rebounds on 46/32/77 shooting. His advanced numbers were 111 ORtg, 110 DRtg, 1.3 BPM, .117 WS/48, and a TS% of 53.5%.




Conley is better because he plays both ends


It pains me that I have to put Derek Fisher there. Personally, I remember Ronnie Brewer in this slot a lot more but this is how the majority of the 2007 starting lineup played out. This one obviously isn’t even close as to who the better player is. Don’t get me wrong, Fish played his role well for his limited time in Utah but Donovan would destroy that guy. Fisher was basically just a veteran presence that you could trust to make the right play, meanwhile Donovan is an All Star. I’m not even going to waste anyone’s time putting stats or other arguments here. Donovan >>>>> Derek.




Brewer was a rookie and hardly played. It should have been him. One of those unfortunate Jerry love stories


2007 was definitely not AK47’s best season. That year he put up just 8.3 points but did add 4.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists. More important were his 1.1 steals and 2.1 blocks per game. After his insane All Star season, Andrei kind of just morphed into this Swiss (Russian?) army knife that could do it all. His 3 point shot wasn’t very reliable (just 31% for his career) but he hit some big ones. He could defend literally any position at a high level and was a crafty playmaker. Bojan, meanwhile, is averaging 14.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.0 assists. His overall FG% is quite down but his 3 ball is still going in at a 39.7% clip. The advanced stats definitely lean towards Kirilenko and I think I tend to agree. I think he would win this matchup over Bogdanovic.




AK. Not even worth discussing


Honestly, I have a hard time believing that Derrick Favors wouldn’t be the starting PF in this hypothetical matchup. He just feels like the better matchup against Booz. Carlos Boozer is a tough one for me personally. He was an important player in a very successful era, but I just never really loved the guy like I have some Jazzmen. That being said, he put up some big numbers here, 2007 included. That year he averaged 20.9 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 3.0 assists. The advanced numbers were really good to him as well with a 114 ORtg, 104 DRtg, 4.6 BPM, .185 WS/48, and .588 TS%.




Favors is never the better matchup at the 4. I'll take Royce. Be better to go Ak/Royce and Bojan/Boozer. Probably AK and Boozer in that scenario which is why this position by position crap is stupid



Rudy Gobert is definitely not a stretch big. But boy is he big. You Jazz fans obviously don’t need me to tell you that. He’s the best defensive player on the planet and arguably has become one of the best defensive players this planet has ever seen. And he’s having a really good year so far. He is putting up 13.5 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks. And his defensive is absolutely top notch again (minus that Denver game...). I think Rudy is obviously the better player here. But Memo would make him work and be tough pulling him away from the basket so frequently.




Not close


Ok this isn’t even close. The depth of the 2021 Jazz is almost unfair at times. Especially spots 6-8, each of which could likely start for many NBA teams. I know that playoff rotations tighten up quite a bit, but there’s no way that this discrepancy doesn’t play a pretty big role here. I think the bench minutes, even if limited, would lean pretty significantly in 2021’s favor and gain or stretch leads.




not close for the other side maybe. Millsap was arguably better than Boozer



That being said, can you imagine the chess match between Jerry Sloan and Quin Snyder? I think Quin would come into a 7 game series with the better pieces, but Coach Sloan always got more out his rosters than he should have. I (obviously) give the coaching edge to Jerry here. He’s one of the best to ever do it. But is it that advantage enough? I don’t think so.




but he didn't Fisher starting and Collins and Matt love affairs is getting the most out of them?

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/2/2/22262664/utah-jazz-take-on-the-detroit-pistons-game-preview-start-time


Mitchell is absolutely the Jazz’s best offensive player. He can do everything on that end. The difficult thing for him will be knowing when to play within the flow of the offense and when the Jazz need him to break free and score. If he’s not scoring efficiently, he needs to learn how to still manufacture points efficiently within the offence. Whether that’s with playmaking, getting to the line etc. The Jazz offense breaks down when Mitchell is freelancing and not scoring efficiently. That’s why a game like tonight helps, Mitchell can play against an inferior team and hopefully find that flow again.




he's their best by ppg and usage. Nothing else


The Jazz have some players showing real promise in Miye Oni and Juwan Morgan. Both have shown they can have strong positive impacts on the game. A lot of what they do can be seen on the defensive end where they’ve helped the Jazz continue their winning ways when players like Joe Ingles and Derrick Favors have missed time. Do we see them get some run?




they won't play. Morgan should start

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/452489/jazz-survive-pistons-despite-late-surge/


If the Jazz can continue to run the floor, they might be championship contenders. If not, they could be in for a disappointing finish the year.




it will come down t not having size

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50100037/bojan-bogdanovic-shows-hes-still-clutch-as-utah-survives-detroit-rally


Roberts missed the game due to the NBA's health and safety protocols. It was just the seventh game in 42 years that Robert has missed. He is the longest-tenured PA announcer in the league and the only one the Jazz have ever employed. Roberts' son, Jeremy, said on Twitter that he father is expected to be back in his normal chair for Utah's next home game next week.




that will get him a banner

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.sltrib.com/sports/jazz/2021/02/03/triple-team-jazz-find/


But in the third and fourth quarter, the Jazz started to walk the ball up the court. Mitchell — who was phenomenal tonight by the way, with 34 points on 17 shots — does have a tendency to grab the ball with the lead and walk it up the court with a late lead, playing prevent offense, essentially.





and not get it up in 8 seconds. Should have learned


Now here’s the rub: it’s really really difficult to run this hard for 48 minutes per game, in the course of a regular season, especially a compressed one. The Jazz have played five games in eight days. They came out roaring and running, but to start this game, but once you have a 28-point lead on a terrible opponent, it’s going to happen on both ends — you’ll naturally slow down.





that's on coty. We keep hearing how deep they are. Play more guys. Keep everyone fresh

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/sports/2021/2/2/22260294/utah-jazz-detriot-pistons-score-win-nba-donovan-mitchell


Let’s talk about one of Donovan Mitchell’s many qualities: His ability to control the pace of a game. He had absolutely no intentions at any point on Tuesday of letting the Pistons slow down the game, and he was more than willing to lead the break for the Jazz nearly every time they had the opportunity to get out in front of the defense. It was one of many instances in which he’s done that this season, but he was particularly aggressive against Detroit. And his 32 points — 30 of which were scored in the first three quarters — were pretty nice, too.



but he did slow it down and it almost cost them


I know it’s nit-picky to do this, but I would love if O’Neale would just shoot when he’s open. The Jazz want him to, the fans want him to, I want him to, we all want him to.



He's getting bette just like Ingles did

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/2/2/22263707/utah-jazz-narrowly-beat-detroit-pistons-donovan-mitchell-32-points


One might argue that Mitchell’s mere two-points in a nearly disastrous fourth quarter detracts from the overall performance, but his efforts in the first three quarters were a main reason Utah had such a large lead to nearly blow anyway.




It was a reason. Everything was going right until the end of the 3rd


he’s definitely the best offensive player and needs to get his shots and even some iso possessions (which some fans on this feed seem to treat as evil for some reason), but you also want to keep a basic offensive flow that maximizes the shooting of Bogey, Joe, and Royce and flows through the pick and roll. It’s a balance, and it will be a test of Quin’s coaching ability to coordinate all of that offense.

Posted by GregOstertagged (https://www.sbnation.com/users/GregOstertagged) on Feb 2, 2021 | 11:52 PM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/2/2/22263707/utah-jazz-narrowly-beat-detroit-pistons-donovan-mitchell-32-points#536125571)


if we look at usage and ppg he's the best otherwise far from it

[Xiao Yao You]

But after all these months of scrutiny, and with the Jazz taking so much pride in their ability to come out of such a sensitive situation even stronger, Gobert has turned a tad edgier of late in terms of how he handles this spotlight. His favorite new hashtag — #f—yourpredictions — tells you that much on its own. “The better you get, the more people talk and the more people are either going to praise you or adopt you or criticize you, so I kind of started to embrace it and take every kind of criticism as, in a way, a compliment,” the 28-year-old Gobert explained in our phone discussion late last week. “I mean, look at LeBron (James). He was actually the most criticized player of our generation, and he’s the one who has accomplished the most.” (https://theathletic.com/2363204/2021/02/03/rudy-gobert-interview-donovan-mitchell-utah-jazz/?source=rss)
– via Sam Amick @ The Athletic (https://theathletic.com/2363204/2021/02/03/rudy-gobert-interview-donovan-mitchell-utah-jazz/?source=rss)




So Rudy, a big part of this job is that we write about the tough stuff and we also make sure we write about the good stuff. And from March until now, your team has been on both sides of it. Why do you think things are working so well right now? Rudy Gobert: I think it starts with the group, and I believe we have a group of guys that really play for one another, and that put winning and the team first. When you have that from your leaders, and you have that from every single person from the coaching staff to the players to the organization, you know you already have something special. And then, obviously, we have the talent. (https://theathletic.com/2363204/2021/02/03/rudy-gobert-interview-donovan-mitchell-utah-jazz/?source=rss) We have guys who have experience, we have young guys who have been getting better every single year. We have a great coach (in Quin Snyder), and when you add it all up, you end up with a group of guys that can accomplish something that hopefully we’ve never accomplished before.
– via Sam Amick @ The Athletic (https://theathletic.com/2363204/2021/02/03/rudy-gobert-interview-donovan-mitchell-utah-jazz/?source=rss)




I don’t want to make you look backward too much, but I do wonder: When do you feel like you and the rest of the team — and specifically, you and Donovan — really start healing this and solving it and getting it to a place that’s really positive. How did you get from there to here? Rudy Gobert: It was a tough experience, for me personally and I think for everyone — obviously in the world, but for our team (too). It was tough. But at the same time, I think the experience really helped me and helped us grow. Not as players, but as human beings. For Donovan, I think it really helped us put ourselves in each other’s shoes. For me, it was really that, being able to put myself in his shoes and I think he was able to put himself in my shoes. As two young leaders of this team, when two leaders are able to do that, it can become really powerful. And I believe that’s really how we were able to grow. And in a way, we have celebrated our growth as players, as human beings, as players too. And that’s a big reason why today we believe we can win a championship together (https://theathletic.com/2363204/2021/02/03/rudy-gobert-interview-donovan-mitchell-utah-jazz/?source=rss).
– via Sam Amick @ The Athletic (https://theathletic.com/2363204/2021/02/03/rudy-gobert-interview-donovan-mitchell-utah-jazz/?source=rss)



That’s a very honest answer. So when it comes to the two of you, was it having dinners together or talking on the phone? What did it take to put yourself in each other’s shoes? Rudy Gobert: I think it happened within ourselves first. But then with some articles coming out and some shit coming out about (the team), all that was before the bubble. And I decided to just tell everyone, ‘Let’s just talk on the phone.’ We can’t be having media and people putting out articles about some stuff, that are not helping us and helping the team. So we just had very honest phone conversations. (https://theathletic.com/2363204/2021/02/03/rudy-gobert-interview-donovan-mitchell-utah-jazz/?source=rss) And then after that, I really think we were able to move forward and to grow.
– via Sam Amick @ The Athletic (https://theathletic.com/2363204/2021/02/03/rudy-gobert-interview-donovan-mitchell-utah-jazz/?source=rss)

[Xiao Yao You]

Ben Anderson: Seven guards in the NBA are averaging at least 7 three-point attempts per game while shooting better than 40%. The @UtahJazz have two of them in Mike Conley and Donovan Mitchell (https://*********.com/social/).
– via Twitter BensHoops (https://twitter.com/BensHoops)

[Xiao Yao You]

Jim Owczarski: The #Bucks will try to get rookies Jordan Nwora (Salt Lake City Stars) and Sam Merrill (Memphis Hustle) some playing time in the bubbled G League. Mamadi Diakite is also going down there (Lakeland Magic) (https://*********.com/social/).
– via Twitter JimOwczarski (https://twitter.com/JimOwczarski)

[Xiao Yao You]

The All-Star Case For Donovan Mitchell



there isn't one especially ahead of Conley and Rudy who didn't even get an article!


Though Mitchell has seen a slight dip in his scoring and rebounding averages, his efficiency numbers have never been better, and it’s one of the primary reasons the Jazz own the best record in the NBA nearly a month and a half into the season.




it's not one of the primary reasons


Perhaps most importantly for Mitchell’s case, the guard owns the reputation as the best player on the league’s best team, which should not only secure him an All-Star bid but should earn him MVP buzz should the Jazz continue their high level of play.




a rep he hasn't earned


The advanced metrics may not agree that Mitchell is the team’s most impactful player, but the fourth-year star continues to elevate his game and his team on a nightly basis.




far from it. Far down that list


The guard’s biggest competitors will be San Antonio Spurs guard DeMar DeRozan, Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant for the final wildcard spot.




Conley?

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/452514/the-all-star-case-for-mike-conley/


Though this isn’t Conley’s most prolific statistical season during his 14 year NBA career, it’s likely his best overall season as a pro, and he’s one of the primary reasons the Jazz are 11 games above .500 less than two months into the season.




his D is the biggest difference this year


Considering their high-profile status and history as All-Stars, Mitchell, Lillard, and George should be considered near locks for the game.




the fact that Mitchell is considered a lock is a joke

Be sad when Mike doesn't make it

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/sports/2021/2/3/22256497/utah-jazz-quest-for-home-court-advantage-for-nba-playoffs


“Obviously we want to be in a position where we’re one of the top two teams in the West so we can, at the end of the season, be in a great position to have home-court advantage,” Rudy Gobert said.




top seed ideally. Avoid LAL and LAC until the final and hopefully Clippers knock off Lakers so Jazz have a chance


The Jazz want to be known as a good team both at home and on the road. After a recent six-game homestand in which the Jazz won every game as part of an 11-game win streak, they made some headway in establishing themselves as one of the better teams in the league at their home arena.




would be a first under Snyder

[Xiao Yao You]

https://saltcityhoops.com/after-20-games-the-hot-shooting-jazz-appear-ready-to-contend/


The Jazz are also ranked first in offensive rebounding rate, and as Zach Lowe observed (ttps://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/30816424/two-stunning-stats-driving-nba-surprise-contenders), it’s fairly uncommon for teams to be elite in 3-point shooting and offensive rebound rate. The Jazz’s effective pick-and-roll play is putting them in a position to rebound well; Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors often wind up with a size advantage on rebound opportunities, and this year the Jazz are allowing perimeter players like Royce O’Neale, Mike Conley, and Miye Oni to opportunistically chase rebounds from the corners.




Oni?


When the Jazz signed Favors, it felt like the Jazz might switch lineups on a matchup basis, sometimes pairing Favors and Gobert against bigger teams. This has rarely been used. Snyder was okay with Bojan Bogdanovic guarding Zion Williamson, for example. Instead of adapting to other teams, the Jazz are forcing other teams to adapt to them. Basketball executive Dennis Lindsey could have targeted a non-shooting perimeter defender in free agency, but instead built the team in a way that a rim-rolling center surrounded by four shooters are on the floor at all times.




could have targeted a starting 4 which they need desperately


Favors is averaging a ho-hum 6/6/1, but he’s only playing 16 mpg. Adjust for per 36, and most his numbers are on par from his last few seasons. Of note, his block rate is second best in career and and turnover rate is a career best. Favors’ impact goes beyond the numbers. His knowledge of Snyder’s system and play style allow the Jazz to play the same for 48 minutes. He’s also a fantastic locker room presence and beloved by the organization from top to bottom.



for 30 million he better be!


Regardless, even two All-Stars is a great reward for a Jazz team that has finally started a season hot.




a joke if Mitchell is there over Conley or Rudy


It’s still early to evaluate this award, but it’s especially relevant to Mitchell, who stands to earn an extra $6 million a year if he makes the team this year. This will have domino effects on the chances of re-signing Conley or adding other pieces in coming years. Right now, the first four guard spots are likely to be some combination of Damian Lillard, Steph Curry, James Harden and Luka Doncic (assuming LeBron James stays in the forward spot and isn’t considered a guard). Mitchell’s competition includes Bradley Beal (keep on eye on a trade, because it’s hard to make All-NBA with the worst record, even while averaging close to 35 points per game), Jaylen Brown, Kyrie Irving, Trae Young, and the Suns’ guards. It may come down to seeding, and right now Mitchell has a decent shot.




can't see it. They are obviously a lot better at picking than the all star voters are


Conley is a fringe candidate who may benefit from the voters being a mix of sportswriters and broadcasters.




right now he deserves 1st team


The Jazz have also struggled to contain elite guards, like Damian Lillard, Steph Curry, and James Harden. But who doesn’t? The West is loaded with elite guards. The larger issue is when players like Austin Rivers or last year’s Derrick Rose cook the Jazz. This offseason Utah could’ve chased a guard stopper like Kris Dunn, but instead elected to bring back Favors. So far it’s paid off, but the Jazz are still susceptible to quick guards that O’Neale isn’t best equipped to handle. Luckily Conley has proven to be a solid defender at the point of attack this season. Shaq Harrison has the tools to be a defensive specialist, but Snyder has been hesitant to use him outside of garbage time. Ideally Mitchell is able to make a defensive jump.




they could have went after the starting 4 they need so O'Neale could concentrate on defending the perimeter. Mitchell! :roll:


Okay, I’m not sure any team or player can stop Jokic at this point. The Jazz are very familiar with him after last year’s playoff series. But Jokic didn’t have his usual All-NBA game against Utah over the weekend — he had an eviscerating, MVP-statement game. It’s something they may need to figure out, because even if the Jazz’s best case scenario lands them the one seed to avoid playing both LA teams in the first two rounds, they would likely matchup with Denver in the second round as a fourth or fifth seed. Denver has assumed the position as Utah’s primary rival, and they are likely to lock horns over the next few seasons.




I'd be more about the Lakers


Then we have the Lakers. No game is more anticipated, not just because of LA’s star power, but because the champions are the measuring stick for the Jazz right now. Last season the Lakers swept the Jazz, winning 95–86, 121–96, and 116–108. Lindsey has since spoken about how the Jazz added Favors specifically to give them options to match up against the Lakers.




Yeah easier for the best D to defend!

[Xiao Yao You]

https://hoopshabit.com/2021/02/02/ranking-top-5-big-3s-nba/2/


The guy who leads this team though is a two-time defensive player of the year Rudy Gobert. He’s a double-double every night and is currently averaging 2.8 blocks per game, Gobert helps the Jazz on both ends of the court in ways that very few players can.




someone gets it

[Xiao Yao You]

https://fansided.com/2021/02/02/mike-conley-resurgent-season-utah-jazz-contender/


What’s been different for Mike Conley this season?



D!


When three relevant data points align — the tape, impact metrics and box-score production — it’s the mark of a firm conclusion holding merit: Mike Conley is playing his way to his first All-Star appearance and captaining a Jazz team riding continuity up the Western Conference hierarchy.





Be shocked if he made it but he's all NBA in my mind!

[Xiao Yao You]

https://hoopshabit.com/2021/02/02/nba-early-star-selections/3/


Western Conference StartersDonovan Mitchell – Utah Jazz/BC


now he's starting?


Rudy Gobert is arguably as important as Donovan Mitchell for the Utah Jazz since-snapped 11 game winning streak and is the anchor of a defense that is back to being elite. Paul George has cooled off slightly from his scorching start but is still having one of the best seasons of his career and quiet is fine for the Clippers for a change. Anthony Davis is still Anthony Davis. He has missed some games but is still a clear top-10 player. None of these players should be debated.




There's no argument. Mitchell isn't as valuable as O'Neale or Clarkson and maybe not Ingles either


Honorable Mentions: Mike Conley, Ja Morant, Devin Booker, Chris Paul, CJ McCollum, DeMar DeRozan, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, De’Aaron Fox, Brandon Ingram




:facepalm

[Xiao Yao You]

Rod Boone: Terry Rozier (right ankle sprain) is probable and PJ Washington (right foot sprain) is doubtful for tomorrow’s game vs. Utah, James Borrego said (https://*********.com/social/).
– via Twitter rodboone (https://twitter.com/rodboone)



Rick Bonnell: Hornets coach James Borrego wouldn’t speculate whether Terry Rozier goes back into the starting lineup if he’s available vs. Jazz. LaMelo Ball has started the last two games in Rozier’s absence (https://*********.com/social/).
– via Twitter rick_bonnell (https://twitter.com/rick_bonnell)



Rod Boone: James Borrego was non-committal about the starting lineup for tomorrow vs. Utah. Wouldn’t say whether he would keep LaMelo there or put Terry back in. “I’m going to work through that,” he said. “I’m going to get clarity on Terry and I don’t want to speculate right now.” (https://*********.com/social/)
– via Twitter rodboone (https://twitter.com/rodboone)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/2/4/22267612/jazz-defense-paves-path-to-17th-win-of-the-season-over-hawks


Bogey MVP
Clarkson a very close 2nd. Gobert, Mitchell and Conley were meh or average or below average.

Posted by rubar4 (https://www.sbnation.com/users/rubar4) on Feb 4, 2021 | 9:16 PM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/2/4/22267612/jazz-defense-paves-path-to-17th-win-of-the-season-over-hawks#536207647)



Rudy shut them down. One of his best performances. :roll:

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/452693/jazz-prepare-for-healthy-hayward-hornets/


O’Neale is averaging career-highs in points (7.9), rebounds (7.0), and three-point shooting percentage (45 percent). The forward has been tasked with defending the opposing team’s best wing player, and will likely draw the matchup against Hayward for long stretches in Charlotte.




best player usually as long as it's not the center

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/452717/jazz-at-hornets-game-night/


This is the entire crux of the Jazz season. They will win the majority of their games throughout the year because teams have to pick one or the other. What happens in the playoffs when they run into a team (The Lakers) that theoretically can do both?




the bigger problem against the Lakers will be how do you match up. Gobert on Davis. O'Neale on Lebron. Conley on Schroeder. Good luck hiding the others?

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/2/5/22264870/5-things-we-learned-about-the-utah-jazz-this-week-donovan-mitchell-rudy-gobert-royce-oneale-nba


Some will say that it’s continuity of the roster that has created more chemistry between the players on the floor, and there is some truth to that, but it is more their style of play that is creating huge advantages on the floor. Utah is the #3 team in 3-point attempts at 42.4 per game. They’re also #3 in the league at 3-point percentage at 39.8%. Those two things combined have the Jazz as the #1 team in the league at 3-pointers made at 16.9 per game.




defense especially from Conley


Donovan Mitchell is key to taking this team over the top in the playoffs



they're in trouble than


Royce O’Neale is doing things we’ve never seen him do before. He’s showing up in a big way in multiple categories this year. He’s posting career highs in points (8.8), rebounds (6.9) and 3-point percentage (45%). He’s been the answer Utah has been looking for at the 4 for so many years.




Conley is. O'Neale is certainly key


This is the version of Bogdanovic that the Jazz were missing in the playoffs and if he continues to put up these numbers, the Jazz offense will continue to be one of the tops in the league.




but the D?

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/452699/which-jazz-players-will-make-the-all-star-team-and-more-mailbag-answers/


Second, I think Mitchell is probably more deserving of the All-Star game this year, though again, with the West’s loaded guard rotation, Gobert probably has an easier pathway.




Mitchell is better than last year but again not a star

[Xiao Yao You]

Ball shot 14-of-27 from the field with four 3-pointers, one block and zero turnovers. His 34 points are the most by a Hornets rookie since Alonzo Mourning in 1993. Ball remained a starter in Friday’s game despite the return of Terry Rozier, whom the 19-year-old had replaced in the starting lineup the past two games. Ball began the season off the bench but has now started in Charlotte’s past three games. Jazz star Donovan Mitchell called Ball “the real deal” after the game. “I’m not going to lie, I’m very impressed,” said Mitchell, (https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30843819/charlotte-hornets-rookie-lemelo-ball-career-high-34-points-loss-utah-jazz) who helped lead the Jazz to their 14th victory in 15 games. “Not just his playmaking ability and his competitiveness, but his joy. I don’t think I have ever not seen him smile throughout the game.”
– via ESPN News Services @ ESPN (https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30843819/charlotte-hornets-rookie-lemelo-ball-career-high-34-points-loss-utah-jazz)



https://*********.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/92/2021/02/i_67_86_0a_bojan-bogdanovic.png?w=190The Jazz did it in a familiar fashion: pushing the pace, pressuring the rim, and then burying the Hornets under the weight of a franchise-record 26 3-pointers. (https://www.nba.com/jazz/news/utah-jazz-break-another-franchise-record-win-over-charlotte-hornets) The Jazz shot 52 percent from deep, and eight different players knocked down at least one shot from downtown. Bojan Bogdanovic scored a game-high 31 points (7-of-10 from beyond the arc) and Donovan Mitchell scored 30 (5-of-9 from deep). “We are playing great team basketball,” Bogdanovic said after. “Let’s keep going.”
– via NBA.com (https://www.nba.com/jazz/news/utah-jazz-break-another-franchise-record-win-over-charlotte-hornets)

[Xiao Yao You]

Mike Conley subbed out of the game during a timeout at the 6:58 mark of the third and later headed to the locker room. The Jazz announced during the fourth quarter that Conley would not return because of tightness in his right hamstring. There was no immediate update after the game as to the severity of Conley’s hamstring issue or his availability for Sunday’s game on the road against the Indiana Pacers. “We’ll have to wait to get an assessment on where he is from our health and performance staff,” Jazz head coach Quin Snyder said (https://www.deseret.com/sports/2021/2/5/22268185/mike-conley-leaves-utah-jazz-win-over-charlotte-hornets-with-hamstring-injury-nba).
– via Sarah Todd @ deseret.com (https://www.deseret.com/sports/2021/2/5/22268185/mike-conley-leaves-utah-jazz-win-over-charlotte-hornets-with-hamstring-injury-nba)



Last season during Conley’s absence, the Jazz went on a 10-game win streak, and Conley has admitted time and time again that he struggled through most of the 2019-20 campaign. This season however, Conley has been playing some of the best basketball of his career and has been a difference-maker for the Jazz. “Mike just has a way of being out there and kind of calming stuff,” Donovan Mitchell said of his teammate after the game on Friday. “We definitely missed that presence on the offensive end, the offensive mind that he has. (https://www.deseret.com/sports/2021/2/5/22268185/mike-conley-leaves-utah-jazz-win-over-charlotte-hornets-with-hamstring-injury-nba) That was definitely one thing we definitely missed coming down the stretch, just to kind of settle this down in certain instances.”
– via Sarah Todd @ deseret.com (https://www.deseret.com/sports/2021/2/5/22268185/mike-conley-leaves-utah-jazz-win-over-charlotte-hornets-with-hamstring-injury-nba)





miss him even more defensively as we saw tonite

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/452751/jazz-beat-charlotte-but-lose-conley-with-hamstring-injury/


While the majority of the credit belongs to Jazz shooters, eight of whom hit three-pointers, it’s also a testament to Dennis Lindsey, Quin Snyder, and Rudy Gobert.
In April of 2019, after the Jazz had been eliminated by the Rockets for the second straight season, Lindsey, the Jazz vice president of basketball operations said the Jazz would be looking for snipers at any position to put on the floor.


Yeah let's give them credit 6 years later. We saw at the end of Hayward's last year putting shooters around Rudy was the way to go and they should have known earlier than that.. So thanks :facepalm


Simply put, the Jazz offense is putting teams in a Catch-22 every night they suit up, and it’s why they’ve got the NBA’s best record.




no the big reason is the improved D which sucked this game and might continue to without Conley. The offense was great last year


At this point, the Jazz would be wise to give Conley all the time he needs to rehab from the injury, but his absence was apparent in the victory.




be wise but could cost them a top 3 seed and they really need #1 to avoid LAL


Conley isn’t the Jazz best player, that honor belongs to either Mitchell or Gobert, but right now he’s as valuable, if not more so than anyone else on the floor and it lends credence to his plus-minus stats leading the league.




He has been though and Mitchell isn't in the running


The good news for the Jazz is they have the best guard lineup in the NBA and played well last season during the 18 games without him. The team went 15-3 with Mitchell running the point guard position, and the Jazz have yet to lose when one of their guards, be it Mitchell or Joe Ingles has missed a game




weak schedule during that time I believe. Tough coming up

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50102452/jazz-coach-quin-snyder-happy-to-see-gordon-hayward-playing-like-hayward-again


"They're a phenomenal team — they move the ball well, get open shots, and they knock them down," Hayward said.




like your last year. Amazing that it took them so long to get back to it again

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50101709/even-with-some-worry-over-a-potential-all-star-game-rudy-gobert-says-hed-love-to-be-part-of-it


But with Utah currently having the best record in the league, Mitchell and Gobert both seem like locks to repeat as All-Stars this season. It also wouldn't be too surprising to see Conley, who has long been considered one of the better league guards in the NBA, get a strong push to make his first All-Star team.




the fact that Mitchell is a lock tells you what a farce it is

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50102388/another-record-jazz-top-their-3-point-record-again-in-win-over-hornets


Charlotte had a 12-point lead in the first quarter and even looked to frustrate the Utah Jazz with a smaller lineup and constant switching on pick-and-roll.



might be the first team smaller than them


One of those things: switch on picks. The Hornets started a smaller lineup in hopes to use their speed to guard along the perimeter in hopes of sticking with Utah's shooters. This type of defense has been the Jazz's Achilles' heel in the past.




I'd say they did it because they figured they could get away with it because the Jazz play so small


The Jazz didn't have any immediate information on the severity of the hamstring injury. The bad news: It was a hamstring issue that caused Conley to miss a significant portion of last season. The semi-good news: That was his left hamstring. The real good news: Utah's 3-point prowess can probably make up for some missed games.




I'm not sure it being a different hamstring is necessarily good news

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.sltrib.com/sports/jazz/2021/02/06/triple-team-jazz-set/


Bojan Bogdanovic is also adept in the flip side of mismatches, using his bigger body to take advantage of smaller guards in the post.





he's pretty awful in the post


I keep wishing that I could share this revelation with Jazz coaches of the past. Jerry Sloan already had terrific offenses, but man, what if he had John Stockton and Jeff Hornacek, two of the great shooters of that era, take more threes?




yeah right. Jerry would hat what they are doing


A decade later, Kyle Korver had the highest percentage 3-point season of all time, making 53% of his threes that year. So naturally, the Jazz played him only 21 minutes per game in the playoffs that year. Then they let him go to the Chicago Bulls in the offseason. Why, Kevin O’Connor?! You had such a good thing.





Because Jerry loved the guy way too much


And Ty Corbin... in retrospect, he had some really quality shooters on those rosters. Mo Williams, Randy Foye, Marvin Williams, Gordon Hayward, Raja Bell, all absolutely have gravity on the floor from deep. So the Jazz took the 29th most threes in the league and just pounded the ball to Al Jefferson for goofy push shots over and over again in some of the most boring basketball the NBA has ever seen.





that was more on O'Conner for bringing i a black hole when they already had Millsap


Paul Millsap should be the most mad: he worked on the 3-point shot in practice over and over, had this coming out party where his incredible 3-point shooting (https://www.slcdunk.com/2012/9/26/3412850/comeback-day-jazz-paul-millsaps-miracle-in-miami) won them the game in one of the most unlikely regular season comebacks in NBA history, and Corbin still had him keep the three under wraps for the rest of his Jazz career. Then as soon as he goes to Atlanta — where Quin Snyder was Millsap’s favored assistant — he immediately expands his game, takes six times more threes per game, and becomes an All-Star.





I'm the most mad because they let their best player go to tank. Imagine him and Rudy together :banghead:


Ah, what could have been. Still, at least the Jazz had the revelatory moment at some point. Right now, they’re a joy to watch.





you forgot the big one. Rudy putting up over 17 a game with shooters around him. They let Hill go and traded for Ricky and put Hood and Favors back in the starting lineup :rant


By the way, Conley absolutely should be an All-Star this year, given the outsized nature of his impact on the league’s leading team. Whether or not he will be one will be determined by this length of this injury, the voting of the Western Conference’s coaches, and perhaps the decision of NBA commissioner Adam Silver if there’s a Western Conference injury in the weeks leading up to the game.




and less deserving teammates making it instead

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/sports/2021/2/5/22268184/instant-analysis-jazz-break-franchise-record-for-threes-made-in-win-over-charlotte-hornets-nba


Conley leaving with an injury is concerning, not just because injuries are horrible but because of the way the Jazz have handled not having him on the floor. It seems to have been a trend this season that they don’t really react well when he’s taken out in an abnormal way, whether it’s foul trouble or injury, etc.



but Mitchell is their best player!

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/2/5/22267580/utah-jazz-hold-off-the-charlotte-hornets-3rd-win-in-a-row-game-recap-lamelo-ball-donovan-mitchell


This was a game, the back end of a back to back on the road, that the Jazz might have faltered last season. But this year, with their system that is dominating so many teams, the Jazz are becoming immune to things like a back to back. The personel on the floor are all playing at a very high level and shooting lights out. Tonight was not different.




can't see them being immune to no Mike


This Hornets team has the makings of something. Maybe they can make a trade somehow to get Bradley Beal? Maybe they can get a third piece in free agency to compliment Hayward and Ball? Either way they are going to be fun for the foreseeable future.




they have money for a max player next year so they could make some noise


This is now 5 monster games for Bogdanovic in a row. If he can keep this up it can help the Jazz overcome games where they’re missing Conley. Conley has been incredible this year, and so Bogdanovic alone doesn’t make up for it, but if he can shoot like this, it will cerrtainly help them stay at the top of the league record-wise.





he can't relace Conley. Not sure the Jazz can replace what Bojan gives up at the other end


Yup. Gotta pump the stars

Posted by SKMike (https://www.sbnation.com/users/SKMike) on Feb 6, 2021 | 3:04 AM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/2/5/22267580/utah-jazz-hold-off-the-charlotte-hornets-3rd-win-in-a-row-game-recap-lamelo-ball-donovan-mitchell#536247940)


Jazz fans know better than anyone and their best player Mitchell! :roll:


We could’ve been 20-3 right now. I know, first world problems but with this tough stretch coming up it would’ve been nicer to have a cushion on the 1 seed.

Posted by TheNextGM (https://www.sbnation.com/users/TheNextGM) on Feb 6, 2021 | 3:07 AM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/2/5/22267580/utah-jazz-hold-off-the-charlotte-hornets-3rd-win-in-a-row-game-recap-lamelo-ball-donovan-mitchell#536247955)


Could have been but aren't


But the schedule from now on is just too tough – pacers, celtics, heat, bucks, sixers, clippers twice – and we have no Conley.
I don’t know how long hamstring issue takes but doesn’t it takes at least a weak?

Posted by CJ Livinghousen (https://www.sbnation.com/users/CJ%20Livinghousen) on Feb 6, 2021 | 3:38 AM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/2/5/22267580/utah-jazz-hold-off-the-charlotte-hornets-3rd-win-in-a-row-game-recap-lamelo-ball-donovan-mitchell#536248113)


could get ugly in a hurry

[Xiao Yao You]

https://sircharlesincharge.com/2021/02/04/nba-trade-rumors-ideal-fits-pj-tucker-heat/5/


They could use some depth in the frontcourt, however, and adding P.J. Tucker would successfully accomplish that goal. Plus, he’d be an ideal fit next to Rudy Gobert in the starting lineup, if the Jazz would choose to acquire him, and could still provide the floor-spacing that the team needs for Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley to operate.




He's not ideal but certainly would give more options defensively. Bojan needs to go though

[Xiao Yao You]

J. Michael Falgoust: Turner on matchup w/Gobert on Sun: “I wouldn’t necessarily (say) that I circle it. … We’re on a 2-game losing streak. (https://*********.com/social/) This is an important game tomorrow. If I’m looking at an individual accolade (like DPOY), I feel like I’m doing my team a disservice.” #PacersJazz
– via Twitter ThisIsJMichael (https://twitter.com/ThisIsJMichael)

[Xiao Yao You]

Andy Larsen: Mike Conley is out for tomorrow morning’s game vs. the Pacers due to hamstring tightness (https://*********.com/social/).
– via Twitter andyblarsen (https://twitter.com/andyblarsen)



https://*********.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/92/2021/01/i_82_66_b9_trent-forrest.png?w=190Eric Walden: Utah Jazz announce that two-way player Trent Forrest has been transferred from the SLC Stars to the Jazz. (https://*********.com/social/) Which creates questions about Mike Conley’s as-yet-unknown status.
– via Twitter tribjazz (https://twitter.com/tribjazz)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/sports/2021/2/6/22269211/mike-conley-dealing-with-hamstring-tightness-will-not-play-for-utah-jazz-against-indiana-pacers


Though there has been no indication from the Jazz that Conley will miss significant time, the Jazz have gone through the trouble of bringing Forrest back from Orlando in light of the Conley’s injury.




no indication other than all the games he missed a year ago


Since daily COVID-19 testing has been ongoing within the G League, Forrest will not have to quarantine for any extra time before joining the Jazz and will be available to play on Sunday when the Jazz are in Indiana.




never knew he'd been called down. He's way down the line for actually playing anyway

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/2/7/22270825/utah-jazz-road-trip-continues-to-indiana-pacers-for-a-sunday-morning-battle-game-preview


The weight of Conley’s absence will fall primarily on the shoulders of Donovan Mitchell. The Jazz will rely on him to be able to control the offense as a point guard. Joe Ingles will also take a lot of the ball handling duty. If those two have strong floor games, Utah should be able to compensate for the loss of Mike Conley, but that won’t be an easy thing to do. The way the team handles the absence of Conley will be very telling, and will likely determine the outcome of this game.




I'd be more worried about D as we saw last game


Plus, I’m curious if Quin will play Rudy and DFavs together against the Pacers.

Posted by CJ Livinghousen (https://www.sbnation.com/users/CJ%20Livinghousen) on Feb 7, 2021 | 1:57 AM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/2/7/22270825/utah-jazz-road-trip-continues-to-indiana-pacers-for-a-sunday-morning-battle-game-preview#536279539)


let's hope not. Morgan should relpace Conley in the rotation but I'm sure Oni will

[Xiao Yao You]

David Locke: Jordan Clarkson has hit 20 of his last 41 on off the bounce three point shots (https://*********.com/social/)
– via Twitter DLocke09 (https://twitter.com/DLocke09)



Andy Larsen: Jordan Clarkson shooting 40% on pullup threes this year… has hit a 3 in 50 consecutive games… legitimately one of the best shooters in the NBA right now (https://*********.com/social/).
– via Twitter andyblarsen (https://twitter.com/andyblarsen)

[Xiao Yao You]

Eric Walden: Donovan Mitchell, on his triple-double watch: “By the time I realized it, we were up 7. Brought to my attention in a timeout, and I said, ‘We can’t worry about that, we can’t lose this.’ I told Brogdon to shoot it at the end, but that was really the only time I was hunting it.” (https://*********.com/social/)
– via Twitter tribjazz (https://twitter.com/tribjazz)

[Xiao Yao You]

Eric Walden: FINAL: Jazz 103, Pacers 95. Really nice win for Utah, overcoming some heavy legs. They sweep the road trip, win 4th in a row, improve to 19-5 on the season. Donovan with 27p/11a/9r. Rudy with 16p/16r/3b (https://*********.com/social/).
– via Twitter tribjazz (https://twitter.com/tribjazz)



Andy Larsen: Donovan Mitchell had 27 points, 11 assists, 9 rebounds in Conley’s absence, absolutely fantastic. Jazz, somehow, still haven’t had a regular season triple-double since Carlos Boozer against the Sonics in 2008 — my favorite random stat in the NBA (https://*********.com/social/).
– via Twitter andyblarsen (https://twitter.com/andyblarsen)





https://*********.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/92/2021/01/i_58_b4_33_rudy-gobert.png?w=190Didn't shoot well and had too many TO's


Eric Walden: Quin Snyder on the Jazz’s effort: “That’s when your defense has to carry you. We had some excellent individual performances — Royce on Brogdon, Rudy on Sabonis. … And our work on the boards was important tonight — those extra possessions were critical.” (https://*********.com/social/)
– via Twitter tribjazz (https://twitter.com/tribjazz)



J. Michael Falgoust: Asked Bjorkgren about going at Gobert too much 1 v 1 slowing down the offense: “I like the way we were attacking him down there… I liked Domas putting his shoulder into him.” (https://*********.com/social/) #PacersJazz
– via Twitter ThisIsJMichael (https://twitter.com/ThisIsJMichael)





I liked it too and Rudy obviously did!

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50102995/donovan-mitchells-passing-game-is-why-sundays-near-triple-double-isnt-likely-to-be-his-last


Over the last four years, he's learned how to get in positions to use that special ability. That helped him to career-high-tying 11 assists on Sunday.




how many to's?

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50102949/pushing-through-with-tired-legs-and-no-mike-conley-jazz-find-a-way-to-gut-out-a-win-in-indiana


Rudy Gobert put together arguably his best defensive performance of the season, helping hold All-Star center Domantas Sabonis to 7-of-19 shooting. When Sabonis fouled out late in the game, he angrily threw his towel down when he got to the bench. All the frustration had boiled over. The Jazz allowed 88 points per 100 possessions with Gobert, who had 16 points and 16 rebounds, on the floor.




and yet the article has been all about Mitchell. This one was all Rudy sorry

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/452841/tired-jazz-survive-pacers-thanks-to-mitchells-herculean-effort/

So you people actually watch the games. Not a mention of Gobert who carried them at both ends. Not a mention of Mitchell's shooting or TO's either. Hercules! :facepalm

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.sltrib.com/sports/jazz/2021/02/07/triple-team-donovan/


They won with just an incredible defensive performance, holding the Pacers to a 96 offensive rating in the game. This won’t surprise you, but the key man was Rudy Gobert, who was just sensational once again today. As good as that 96 defensive rating looks as a team, when Gobert was in the game, it was just 87.





someone watched


But the Jazz have been just so good defensively in the half court, that their middling transition defense numbers are actually okay. That’s allowed them to keep the offense rolling with these extra second-chance opportunities, which certainly made a difference tonight.





until they play someone where it's not

[Xiao Yao You]

https://saltcityhoops.com/reader-qa-keeping-conley-tax-man-cometh-trade-ideas-more/


The Jazz can definitely re-sign Conley — if they’re willing to pay the luxury tax. The “Bird rights” they acquired with Conley in their 2019 trade allow them to sign him to any number up to his max salary, but even a contract starting at half that number would push them well into the tax for next season. So it’s just a question of what they’re comfortable offering, or whether Conley simply wants to play elsewhere. Given that he’s entering the later stage of his career, Utah probably wants to stay well below max salary on a new deal, but they also certainly recognize his tremendous impact on winning (https://saltcityhoops.com/conleys-evolution-from-memphis-mike-to-mountain-mike/).




the year he is having they might have to pay max


Well first of all, the Jazz very much plan to retain him — or at least to try. It would also be hard to get equal on-court value in a trade given Conley’s age and expiring contract. With a legitimate shot to make some noise this season, I can’t see them downgrading from Conley at this pivotal moment in their window just out of fear for what might happen in August. And if he does leave, it’s not like they get literally nothing in return — if nothing else, his salary slot coming off would give them flexibility to think about how they’d like to use their exceptions. They could also try to work with his new team to create a large trade exception.




Mitchell's new contract replaces Conley's if he leaves so they don't get anything that way


So yeah, Zarin is right: at this point, the only way to dodge the tax without moving a rotation guy would be to dump two smaller salaries, then replace them with prorated minimum contracts after the deadline. Harrison hasn’t seen real rotation minutes yet (as the meme says, I am disappoint), but someone else would have to be moved as well. Georges Niang is too ensconsed in the rotation. Oni and Morgan have both looked promising when called upon. They probably don’t want to move their 2020 draft picks, Azubuike and Elijah Hughes, in a pure salary dump. So I’m not sure they’ll do it, unless there’s someone they know they can get in the veteran buyout market. Quin Snyder doesn’t use his 11th through 14th men a lot anyway, which is why I initially thought they’d pull this maneuver. But they may just bite the bullet.




Shaq seems the only one likely. I'm hoping they find a deal for Bojan and get a starting 4 and get under the tax and have more flexibility to sign Mike


I don’t agree about Bogey’s effort, and again, I think you have to put a player’s actions in the context of what’s being asked of him within the offensive and defensive systems. I think the Jazz are, broadly speaking, pretty happy with Bogey. He’s not off the table completely, but you’re not likely to get a real star back in a Bogey trade. So would a more lateral kind of trade (think Harrison Barnes or Tim Hardaway Jr.) be worth the possible chemistry disruption? Maybe. Sometimes title teams get over the hump by taking that risk. I think the Jazz keep Bogey, though.




Don't need a star. Need someone to play the 4 at both ends while maybe getting under the tax and getting more flexibility for this year and next. I'd be surprised if they did anything but they should


He could be a little more consistent from outside for someone considered to be a shooting specialist, but I think the key for him to stay in an NBA rotation is staying in front of guys when he’s supposed to.

except for the beginning of the year when wasn't he consistent. I expect it to go down when he shoots


Where do you think Beal ends up? Of his list of five teams, which one do you think is most likely to trade for him? @punk_003



I'd give up Mitchell for him, Make them take Bojan


Trade exceptions can’t be combined with a player, so this trade wouldn’t work. If they wanted Bjelly, they’d have to send out at least $4.06M. (There’s also a chance Bjelica could ask for a buyout since he’s expiring and since they rarely use him.)




He could be a fit

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/2/7/22271484/utah-jazz-gut-out-tough-win-against-the-indiana-pacers-donovan-mitchell-game-recap


Player of the GameDonovan Mitchell

:roll:


His percentages weren’t elite, but Mitchell’s play was. With Mike Conley out, Donovan Mitchell stepped up in a big way setting up his teammates. It’s a reminder that Donovan Mitchell is so much more than just a scorer. Shaq and Chuck on TNT are not as familiar with Mitchell’s game, much like every casual fan out there, but when you watch Mitchell in these situations where he has to step up to the occasion, he always has. That’s who he is.




his percentages sucked


it is even better when you have Gobert and Favors in the paint instead of Gobert and Bradley. or Gobert and someone else.

Posted by jmnunes5 (https://www.sbnation.com/users/jmnunes5) on Feb 7, 2021 | 5:15 PM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/2/7/22271484/utah-jazz-gut-out-tough-win-against-the-indiana-pacers-donovan-mitchell-game-recap#536302040)


Favors hasn't been a lot better though certainly not millions better


I noticed that Oni played almost 9 minutes didn’t score or produce any stats other than a couple of rebounds but yet was second highest on the team in the +/-. Which leaves me to believe that this dude plays some killer defense while in the game.

Posted by rubar4 (https://www.sbnation.com/users/rubar4) on Feb 7, 2021 | 9:12 PM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/2/7/22271484/utah-jazz-gut-out-tough-win-against-the-indiana-pacers-donovan-mitchell-game-recap#536306407)


tells me Morgan when available should play ahead of him and Shaq should get a shot

[Xiao Yao You]

https://sircharlesincharge.com/2021/02/07/nba-pretenders-contenders-lakers-nets-76ers/11/


What has been the biggest change for this team, however, has been the play of Mike Conley. After somewhat of a disappointing first season in Utah, Conley has bounced back in a big way. He’s averaging 16 points and six assists (both up from last year), on 45 percent shooting from the field and 40 percent from 3-point range (also both up from last year). If his play is sustainable, it gives the Jazz a strong top 3 without even mentioning Bojan Bogdanovic or Jordan Clarkson, who have been great for the team this season as well.




Bojan has easily been their worst player. Thanks for paying attention!

[Xiao Yao You]

The Clippers might have a cleaner path to landing Lowry. “I think Toronto would want to send him West,” one Eastern team official said, “but Masai is going to do a deal that brings back the best package.” The Clippers might be able to provide both. Los Angeles has made it widely known that Lou Williams is available, sources said, and there’s a cohort in that front office ready to move on from Patrick Beverley as well (https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2930345-kyle-lowry-and-the-toronto-raptors-need-a-divorce) —although the Clippers have been more in the market for a mid-tier guard than someone like Lowry, sources said. Adding someone of Lowry’s caliber, however, would boost L.A.’s best punch against the West’s other heavyweights.
– via Jake Fischer @ Bleacher Report (https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2930345-kyle-lowry-and-the-toronto-raptors-need-a-divorce)





As much as they need a starting 4 I'd love Beverly. He'd fit right in

[Xiao Yao You]

This brings us to the Utah Jazz. They’ve seemingly perfected their mix around the unique rim-running skills of Rudy Gobert by flooding the floor with knockdown shooters. Of their top six perimeter players — a group who plays the lion’s share of the minutes and would figure to play virtually all of them in a playoff series — five are making better than 40 percent from beyond the arc. It would be six, but that slacker Jordan Clarkson is at 38.7 percent (see chart). As a team, the Jazz are shooting 40.3 percent from 3, and they shoot 3s a lot — a league-leading 42.8 bombs per 100 possessions. Don’t just look at the percentages in this chart, but the insane frequency. Clarkson has the second-highest 3-point frequency in the league; Mitchell and Conley rank in the top 25 (https://theathletic.com/2373090/2021/02/08/nba-utah-making-leap-knicks-derrick-rose-trade-houston-jae-sean-tate/?source=rss).
– via John Hollinger @ The Athletic (https://theathletic.com/2373090/2021/02/08/nba-utah-making-leap-knicks-derrick-rose-trade-houston-jae-sean-tate/?source=rss)



https://*********.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/92/2021/01/i_58_b4_33_rudy-gobert.png?w=190The other subtle piece of Utah’s excellence is that it eliminates all the easy stuff. The Jazz don’t give up 3-point shots because Gobert is good enough in switches to take away a lot of mismatch situations (https://theathletic.com/2373090/2021/02/08/nba-utah-making-leap-knicks-derrick-rose-trade-houston-jae-sean-tate/?source=rss) (and the accompanying help), and the other Jazz defenders know they can hug up on their man because Gobert is behind them. Meanwhile, Utah’s guys never foul, with the league’s lowest opponent free throw rate in non-garbage time. Add it all up, and Gobert is a stealth MVP candidate despite averaging just 13.3 points per game. Surely he is the favorite for Defensive Player of the Year.
– via John Hollinger @ The Athletic (https://theathletic.com/2373090/2021/02/08/nba-utah-making-leap-knicks-derrick-rose-trade-houston-jae-sean-tate/?source=rss)





Wish Rudy could score and guard the perimeter though! :roll:

[Xiao Yao You]

https://sports.yahoo.com/nba-donovan-mitchell-rudy-gobert-black-history-month-call-out-utah-school-allow-students-opt-out-213247733.html

[Xiao Yao You]

Andy Larsen: Mike Conley remains OUT for the Jazz’s game against Boston tomorrow (https://*********.com/social/).
– via Twitter andyblarsen (https://twitter.com/andyblarsen)

[Xiao Yao You]

John Karalis: Celtics list Jaylen Brown as “questionable” for tomorrow’s game (https://*********.com/social/) in Utah
– via Twitter RedsArmy_John (https://twitter.com/RedsArmy_John)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/452912/jazz-return-home-to-host-celtics-on-national-tv/


Key MatchupTuesday’s key matchup will pit Tatum against Jazz forward Bojan Bogdanovic. The Celtics forward is averaging a career-high 27 points per game this season and is shooting 46 percent from the floor and 39 percent from three since returning from COVID-19 protocol.


Royce will be on Tatum. They'll tr to hide Bojan and Mitchell elsewhere

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/452877/how-the-jazz-have-won-15-of-their-last-16-games/


Finally, the Jazz are 6-0 in games when a top eight rotation player is out of the game, including 4-0 without Ingles, 2-0 without Mitchell, and 1-0 without Conley, proving in addition to their versatility, they can win in the face of adversity.



we'll see. I wouldn't want Conley to be gone long

[Xiao Yao You]

https://saltcityhoops.com/salt-city-seven-guys-we-dont-talk-about-enough-lofty-aspirations-more/


O’Neale making passes like that off the bounce is gravy for Utah’s offense, which already has an impossible number of ball handlers, shooters and good decision-makers to reckon with. Royce is playing a career-high 32 minutes per game, in part because he has the best ORtg — yes, offensive rating — of anyone on the team at 119.0.




but mostly because he is irreplacable on D


He converts 65.2% of his shots inside the arc, which ranks in the top two percent of NBA forwards. That includes 70% at the rim (higher than you thought, right?) and a pretty silly 64% from floater range, per Cleaning the Glass. He particularly likes heading down the right side into a layup or floater.




he's capable of a lot more


The Jazz are getting good stuff throughout their rotation. Miye Oni and Juwan Morgan have both looked promising at both ends when they’ve been called upon to supplement this 9-man core, too.




Morgan looks like he should start. Oni should be with the Stars ideally


Now the bad news: we don’t know how long Utah will be without Conley, and for the season they get outscored by 4.4 points per 100 possessions when Conley isn’t on the floor. He’s the only Jazz player whose rests lead to losing basketball (+0.8 when Gobert sits, and it goes up from there). Even during this torrid 15-1 stretch, they have essentially eked out an even NetRtg (-0.3) when Mike has sat. It will be interesting to see how they hold up in whatever games Mike misses — and if the absence will cost the veteran guard a shot at a well-deserved All-Star spot (https://saltcityhoops.com/an-honest-look-at-conleys-all-star-chances/).




I'm surprised O'Neale isn't with those two


Jazz 103, Pacers 95: Rudy Gobert. Down a starter and playing on tired legs, the Jazz looked to their two All-Stars to get them out of Indiana with a win. Gobert and Mitchell were both superb. Mitchell nearly ended a 12+ year Jazz triple-double drought with his 27-8-11 night, and made big play after big play. Gobert was every bit as valuable: 16-and-16, blocked three shots, held Domantas Sabonis to 7-of-19 shooting, and was the central figure in a defensive scheme (https://twitter.com/danclayt0n/status/1358667701061775362) that stifled the Pacers. I literally can’t decide who the actual MVP of the game was, but I know for dang sure I can’t shut Rudy out of Game Ball for the week after what he did defensively on that road trip. So he gets it. But if there was ever an argument to be made for splitting it, it would be this game. Both guys dominated.





it was Rudy easily. He dominated both ends


Denver and Phoenix are next in just about every predictive system or macro model I can get my hands on. The gap between them and everybody below underscores the importance of keeping a top-3 seed. Whoever is fourth is going to have three very good to elite teams in front of them on their playoff bracket.



for the Jazz #1 is important because I don't think they can beat the Lakers but hopefully the Clippers can

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/2/8/22270315/is-it-time-to-give-up-on-donovan-mitchells-defense-utah-jazz


Utah’s offense improved to 10th in 2019-20 and to 4th in 2020-21. Even with the new weapons, Donovan has continued his high usage: 95%tile in his 3rd season, 92%tile in his 4th season (this season). His hands are full on offense, but does the team need him to be?




no. He needs to step up on D


To be clear, Donovan Mitchell is a borderline top-20 NBA player DESPITE his poor defense. He is an incredible player who continues to make strides with his offense, particularly with his passing, efficiency, and 3P shot.



no he isn't. Only advanced stat where he ranks is usage. He's one of the most hyped in the league not one of the best


Hollingers Week that Was showered high praise on the Jazz. He said if this team as they stand isn’t a serious contender then he doesn’t know what is. He also praised Gobert as being the piece that makes all of our offense and defense run.
So glad we paid 205 for him if for no other reason to tick off casuals.
Can’t wait for Donovan’s 25/10/15 triple double against Boston tomorrow and his sure to be great post game interview with the TNT crew.

Posted by aitken4bacon (https://www.sbnation.com/users/aitken4bacon) on Feb 8, 2021 | 12:53 PM (https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/2/8/22270315/is-it-time-to-give-up-on-donovan-mitchells-defense-utah-jazz#536322799)


Hollinger gets it


(BTW, Mitchell is still below league average this season in FG%, 2P%, eFG%, and TS%. And please, don’t reply with 200 comments insisting that .564 isn’t less than .568.)
I have written multiple times on this blog that Donovan Mitchell needs to stop talking about playing defense and start playing defense. Your article was perfect, and the timing was perfect as well, contrary to some dunker’s claims above.
And it is remarkable to me that people are arguing that Mitchell shouldn’t worry about defense because he needs to focus on offense. I’m calling BS! The two things are not mutually exclusive! Offense and defense happen at different times! It is very possible to play both, and play them both well. In fact, all of the best players (Giannis, Kawhi, LeBron, Durant, Gobert, etc.) do exactly that. That is what he needs to do if he wants to become a superstar, so it is remarkable that the same dunkers who insist Mitchell is already a superstar are also arguing that he doesn’t need to improve his defense.
He shouldn’t be getting worn out from playing both ends of the floor. He only averages 33 minutes per game. If he is getting tired, then he should invest in a treadmill.

Posted by Kira Argonova (https://www.sbnation.com/users/Kira%20Argonova) on Feb 8, 2021 | 12:55 PM (https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/2/8/22270315/is-it-time-to-give-up-on-donovan-mitchells-defense-utah-jazz#536322889)


Kira also gets it

[Xiao Yao You]

Magic Johnson: The Tier One MVP candidates are LeBron James, Steph Curry, Joel Embiid, KD, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Dončić, Nikola Jokić, and Kawhi Leonard (http://twitter.com/MagicJohnson/status/1359152652098109449).
– via Twitter MagicJohnson (https://twitter.com/MagicJohnson)




Magic Johnson: Tier Two MVP candidates are Jaylen Brown, Damian Lillard, AD, Paul George, Jayson Tatum, and Bradley Beal (http://twitter.com/MagicJohnson/status/1359152805823537154).
– via Twitter MagicJohnson (https://twitter.com/MagicJohnson)





no one from the top team! :roll:

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/452947/jazz-mitchell-must-fill-big-shoes-without-conley/


During the 2020 playoffs, Conley had to leave the Orlando bubble for the first two games of the postseason to attend the birth of his third child. In his absence, Mitchell averaged 43.5 points, 7.5 assists, and five rebounds as the Jazz split the opening two games of the series with the Denver Nuggets.







lost one of them


When Conley missed 19 out of 20 games in the heart of last season for the Jazz, Mitchell averaged 24.9 points, 5.1 assists, and 3.8 rebounds and led the team to a 16-3 record.




led? Lottery team without Rudy sorry

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/2/9/22274591/2021-utah-jazz-2015-atlanta-hawks-contendor


The 2015 Hawks was also one of their best teams in franchise history. They put together a 60 win (!) season that included a 19-game winning streak. They were firing on all cylinders! Because of that success, they ended up with 4 All Star selections: Paul Millsap, Jeff Teague, Al Horford, and Kyle Korver. They finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference and looked prime for a deep playoff run. Now, technically they did make a deep playoff run. Getting to the Conference Finals is no small feat. But that’s where things came to a screeching halt due to a LeBron James. A 4-0 sweep and the dream season was suddenly over.




and Millsap should have been playing with Rudy


This Jazz team is also extremely balanced. What do you know, they also have 6 guys averaging double figures. It is a very well-balanced and deep roster with he top 8 guys being high caliber players. The case can be made, which Taylor previously did, that this Jazz team also deserves 3 or more All Stars. Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell are probably the favorites to repeat, but with the way Mike Conley has played he (finally) deserves an All Star nod as well. And don’t count out Jordan Clarkson, who has single-handedly transformed the Jazz bench and is the odds on favorite to win 6th Man of the Year.




deserve two and Mitchell isn't one of them


Looking down the roster I think you’d have mostly easy decisions as to which player you would take for your own team. The only super obvious choice from the Hawks here is Paul Millsap. Beyond that I’m not sure you’d really take any of the Hawks guys over any of the Jazz guys.




I'd take Demarre who also should have been on the Jazz

[Xiao Yao You]

John Karalis: Brad Stevens says this Utah Jazz team is the closest thing to the ’14 Spurs that they’ve seen with the way the ball moves (https://*********.com/social/)
– via Twitter RedsArmy_John (https://twitter.com/RedsArmy_John)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://sports.yahoo.com/utah-jazz-having-arguably-top-220002891.html


Utah is more known for their defense because of big man Rudy Gobert. But performances like that encapsulate this season for the Jazz, whose fondness for three-pointers have actually given them one of the most potent offenses in league history.




but the difference between last year when they had great offense is the D

[Xiao Yao You]

StatMuse: Donovan Mitchell before/after Shaq’s comments: Before: 24 PPG 4 RPG 5 APG 44/41/85% After: 24 PPG 5 RPG 5 APG 44/44/82% You can’t take credit, @Shaquille O’Neal. Spida has always been elite. (https://*********.com/social/) pic.twitter.com/LMARAN6sys
– via Twitter statmuse (https://twitter.com/statmuse)


He's yet to be elite but with the max deal that is certainly the hope

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50104653/thank-you-shaq-nah-the-jazz-are-too-busy-thanking-donovan-mitchell-after-win-over-celtics


O'Neal can take all the faux victory laps he wants, Mitchell will just keep leading the Jazz to wins. Utah matched its best start in franchise history by improving to 20-5, and have won 16 of its last 17 games.




I wish Mitchell could get some help from his teammates so he wasn't always carrying them


Mitchell is simply a bonafide star —and he's been that all season; Tuesday was just the latest chapter. He finished with 36 points and nine assists as he pushed the Jazz to their fifth straight win.




:facepalm


It's a progression from an All-Star to a superstar — even if some people haven't taken notice.




I'd be happy if he was an actually star first

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/452996/jazz-stars-outshine-celtics-for-20th-win-of-the-season/


Fox has yet to make an All-Star game but has a good shot of getting there this year. Adebayo is fabulous, but plays second fiddle to Jimmy Butler in Miami. That leaves Mitchell and Tatum fighting for the title of best player from the ’17 draft.




:roll:


The highlight of Mitchell’s career so far has been his two 50+ point outings against the Nuggets in last year’s playoff, but the way he’s performing right now as the best offensive player on the best team in the NBA is extremely impressive.




leading shot taker doesn't make him the best


This is a willingness to adapt that Snyder has that not every coach in the NBA, and it’s the reason why the Jazz have the league’s best record, and why Snyder is the seventh-longest tenured coach in the league.




Adapting to the modern game instead of playing like it's 1980. What a genius! The reason they are the best is because of the roster and he has a job because the Jazz are more about loyalty than winning


In seven seasons in Utah, Snyder has proven he can do both. He helped guide the Jazz through a painful rebuild, turned them into a dominant defensive team, then traded that off to become a top ten offense, before molding the Jazz into a top-five team on both ends of the floor this season.




and yet the defense sucked without Rudy and the offense did without the right players around him


While O’Neale is strong, he doesn’t have either Oni’s length or agility to cut off dribble penetration.




1 inch difference in length


Oni will keep getting minutes as long as Conley misses games with his hamstring injury, but when he returns, it might be wise to keep him in the rotation. The Jazz will inevitably end up needing a bigger, quicker defender for the league’s perimeter stars as the season progresses, and developing Oni more now will pay dividends before the year is over.







he's not ready. Ideally he'd be developing with the Stars. Morgan should play ahead of him and Shaq needs a look

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.sltrib.com/sports/jazz/2021/02/10/triple-team/


That’s the thing that makes this team feel a little different: they really do play for one another, and it’s in large part due to Mitchell’s attitude as the team’s best offensive player.





the best leads in points, attempts and usage. Nothing else

I’ve been thinking about the differences between this Jazz team and last year’s, and I think I’ve identified a big one:





D


• Sheer guessing on calls. Replay wasn’t kind to the referees tonight — it failed to show fouls on numerous drives to the rim where the referees thought there was contact but instead the defensive player got all ball. Likewise, there were a bunch of times where a player ended up on the floor and the referees just kind of assumed that there was a foul on the defensive player.





I hate that. If you didn't see it and just assume it don't call it


• Fouls called after a make or miss. There’s no need to look at the result of a layup when deciding to blow the whistle. If there was a foul, call one. If not, keep playing.





yeah that's bullshit too

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/sports/2021/2/9/22272942/instant-analysis-jazz-improve-to-franchise-best-20-5-start-with-win-over-celtics


Less than nine minutes into the game, Jaylen Brown had already racked up 11 points and the Celtics were leading, and there was a clear vibe from the Jazz that had the mood in the arena light. I don’t know exactly how to explain it other than saying the Jazz looked confident and completely unfazed by what was happening. They were carrying themselves like they knew they were going to win. Honestly, even when the Jazz’s lead was back to single digits in the fourth quarter the Jazz had a swagger about them. It never felt like they were worried.



I'm not either but not sure I ever was post '88


Part of the reason they never looked too worried was because each time the Celtics cut things just a little too close for comfort, Donovan Mitchell made absolutely exquisite plays, pushing in transition, making great passes, chasing down rebounds and hitting absolute daggers.



God imagine if this stud had some help!


There’s been a string of games where Bojan Bogdanovic has looked like he was back to normal. He came out against the Celtics and dunked the ball twice in the first half, made great reads and was scoring by attacking when the Celtics were keeping a guy close to him on the perimeter. I’m calling it — Bogey is back.



not sure how exciting that is unless they look to trade him than yeah!


I truly hope that Derrick Favors’ face is OK after getting raked by Tristan Thompson early on in the game. He came back and was able to play through, but he looked really shaken up and even had to sub out and go back to the locker room for a while.



I thought he got subbed out because he couldn't stop Boston?

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/2/10/22275792/first-place-utah-jazz-remind-boston-celtics-whos-boss-122-108-game-recap-donovan-mitchell


Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert.




Wow it wasn't just about Mitchell!


MVP could have easily gone solely to Donovan Mitchell. He was dominant for large stretches tonight and finished with 36 points and 9 assists. At times, Mitchell looks so poised with grace and agility on the floor that he makes what he does look easy. His length and explosion, improved shooting, and overall effectiveness as a floor general have elevated him into super stardom in my opinion.




If he could do it consistently and play D sure. He hasn't


The Jazz have never had a team with so much balance, where every player buys into their role. Credit must be given to both Justin Zanik, for putting the roster together, and to Quin Snyder for making all of the pieces work. The Jazz roster is incredibly, almost perfectly, constructed to fit Snyder’s system.




Why did it take 6 years to do it is the question? Rudy led them to the 6th best record in 15 and two years later he put up 17 a game with a team similarly constructed as this one and they go in a different direction?


I realize many thought the Jazz overpaid Clarkson and Favors. But, I think the Jazz knew exactly what they wanted and they went out and got it.




Clarkson looks worth it now. Favors never will be


As for Favors, his highlights, or even his stats for that matter, are not as sexy as Jorrdan Clarkson’s. But, on the other hand, does anyone remember what the Gobert bench minutes were like last season? Tony Bradley? Ed Davis? Even Jeff Green got some play at center early in the season. Favors is maybe the best center off the bench in the entire league. This makes a huge difference for the Jazz, ensuring that there is a high quality big in the game for 48 minutes every night.



Bradley did fine and was young, cheap and improving. Have bigger needs.


if I understood him correctly, he seemed to be saying that he had Mitchell as the fifth best guard in the league. That’s actually pretty high — higher than many/most Jazz fans may even put him.

Posted by rschneider23 (https://www.sbnation.com/users/rschneider23) on Feb 10, 2021 | 1:19 AM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/2/10/22275792/first-place-utah-jazz-remind-boston-celtics-whos-boss-122-108-game-recap-donovan-mitchell#536381074)


but he's an idiot


I would definitely throw out a ton of Jazz skewed hot takes over the years that would not hold up well including how Dante Exum had all-nba potential, how good of a deal Ed Davis was for $5M a year, how the core four were going to light the world on fire, etc.

Posted by J-Note (https://www.sbnation.com/users/J-Note) on Feb 10, 2021 | 6:17 AM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/2/10/22275792/first-place-utah-jazz-remind-boston-celtics-whos-boss-122-108-game-recap-donovan-mitchell#536382970)


you and the Wizard





(https://help.twitter.com/en/twitter-for-websites-ads-info-and-privacy)


(https://twitter.com/intent/like?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ct wterm%5E1359388455613194240%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1 _&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.slcdunk.com%2F2021%2F2%2 F10%2F22275792%2Ffirst-place-utah-jazz-remind-boston-celtics-whos-boss-122-108-game-recap-donovan-mitchell&tweet_id=1359388455613194240)

[Xiao Yao You]

:cheers:https://fansided.com/2021/02/09/duke-basketball-mike-krzyzewski-successor-quin-snyder/

there is hope!

[Xiao Yao You]

Justin Kubatko: The @Utah Jazz have won 16 of their last 17 games, 14 of them by double figures. The only team in NBA history to record more double-digit wins over a 17-game single-season span is the 1970-71 Bucks (15). (https://*********.com/social/) pic.twitter.com/Dy5PB75bu2
– via Twitter jkubatko (https://twitter.com/jkubatko)

[Xiao Yao You]

Marc J. Spears: Jazz announce the Black History Heroes program for K-12 students in Utah. Jazz players, coach Quin Snyder and the team governors will share the global impact of Black history heroes. Classrooms throughout Utah are invited to join the streaming series on the Jazz’s YouTube channel (https://*********.com/social/) pic.twitter.com/Ub2k27tIDW

[Xiao Yao You]

Following a rather bumpy ride the past year or so, Tyrone Wallace is looking for another shot at an NBA career. Ironically, his shot — or more specifically his outside shot — might hold the key to him getting there. “I truly believe it’s just about the shooting,” said Wallace, (https://www.bakersfield.com/sports/wallace-hoping-for-another-shot-in-the-nba/article_2f1d31d8-6b38-11eb-838a-07c27a1ad144.html) a career 20% percent 3-point shooter during parts of three NBA seasons. “I think I’ve always done several different things pretty well on the court, as far as defending, driving and I know how to play the game. The biggest thing is to just see the improvement in my shot.”
– via RON STAPP rstapp@bakersfield.com @ bakersfield.com (https://www.bakersfield.com/sports/wallace-hoping-for-another-shot-in-the-nba/article_2f1d31d8-6b38-11eb-838a-07c27a1ad144.html)



In the nearly year since the league shutdown, Wallace says he’s continued to workout, refusing to take time off even as his future was uncertain, and G League officials grappled with whether they would have a season. “It’s been 100% shooting,” said Wallace of his offseason workouts. “I do some other things obviously, ball handling and different finishes sometimes, but the bulk of my focus has been on shooting. (https://www.bakersfield.com/sports/wallace-hoping-for-another-shot-in-the-nba/article_2f1d31d8-6b38-11eb-838a-07c27a1ad144.html) I have had almost a year to just work on that, so that’s been my main focus.”
– via RON STAPP rstapp@bakersfield.com @ bakersfield.com (https://www.bakersfield.com/sports/wallace-hoping-for-another-shot-in-the-nba/article_2f1d31d8-6b38-11eb-838a-07c27a1ad144.html)





improved his body and finish. Always better than Dante

[Xiao Yao You]

Stars beat soundly. Udoka hurt with 2 1/2 to go. At least a bad sprained ankle but maybe a lot worse. Carried off in cast. He looks like he still needs a lot of work and his bubble might be over unfortunately. The Bucks Nwara was their best player. He also sprained an ankle. Wright Forman on the other team coming off the bench. Reduced role to his two way last year

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/sports/2021/2/10/22274405/does-donovan-mitchell-deserve-to-be-a-part-of-the-nba-mvp-conversation-nba-utah-jazz


Does Donovan Mitchell deserve to be a part of the NBA MVP conversation?




the advanced numbers would say no since he's well down the list on his own team despite the media trying to move the narrative another way


The Utah Jazz have the best record in the league. There are certainly arguments to be made about who the best player is on the Jazz, and who is the most impactful. Some would say Rudy Gobert, others would say Mitchell.





there's absolutely no argument for Mitchell unless ppg and usage is the barometer. Conley has a case so far


If you look at some of the most popular overall metrics and statistics, the MVP winners often lead in those categories, but not always.



not only doesn't he lead any metrics he's not even ranked ever!


Through the 2016-17 season, Russell Westbrook didn’t rank in the top 50 in offensive, defensive or net rating, had the highest PIE, was 47th in per-game plus-minus and led the league in scoring. The Oklahoma City Thunder entered the playoffs as the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference.




don't forget the triple doubles! :facepalm


Through 25 games this season, among players who have played at least 20 games, Mitchell is 18th in offensive rating, doesn’t rank in the top 50 in defensive rating, is 22nd in net rating, is 43rd in PIE, 21st in per-game plus-minus and is 20th in scoring.




he is ranked fo the first time ever. Too bad his teammates do much more


There are clearly players who are having a better statistical impact than Mitchell this season and have had a better statistical impact in previous MVP winning seasons, but the fact remains that Mitchell is one of the most important players on the best team in the league so far this year.




one of being key


Maybe he deserves a little more recognition than he’s been getting. The MVP conversation is geared a little more toward individual success, not necessarily toward a player who works toward collective team success. It’s possible that the Jazz culture and style of playing shrinks the chances of earning individual accolades. Maybe if basketball starts to change, the conversation will have to change.




how could he get more. He has teammates that are better and no matter what it's all about him

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/2/10/22275888/mike-conley-injured-point-guard-donovan-mitchell-has-been-unleashed


Then, against Boston he came through in the clutch on national TV with a 36-9-4 line. In the final minutes, his superior playmaking ability led to him scoring or assisting on every single one of Utah’s final seven buckets of the game. His evolution in not just scoring, but passing is turning Mitchell into one of the league’s premier passers (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/2/10/22273292/video-breakdown-breaking-down-donovan-mitchells-insane-passing-wizardry) and an all-around playmaker.




now he's a premier passer!


It gives hope for next season
When conley ultimately departs due to financial constraints. Seeing donavan play pg so well this year means we may not see a big drop off next season. I was worried. Our window may be larger than I previously thought. It kind of felt like this season was a do or die type of year.

Posted by JazzHands2017 (https://www.sbnation.com/users/JazzHands2017) on Feb 10, 2021 | 11:59 PM (https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/2/10/22275888/mike-conley-injured-point-guard-donovan-mitchell-has-been-unleashed#536419562)



he's no where near Mike as a floor general


a capologist that can tell us how much room we have, if any, under the luxury tax next year in various situations might put some threshold numbers that will help fill-in the middle between those extremes, but I think those factors govern. For example, if we win a ring I would think it likely we’d have no problem going into the luxury tax — at least for a couple of years.

Posted by rschneider23 (https://www.sbnation.com/users/rschneider23) on Feb 11, 2021 | 1:28 AM (https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/2/10/22275888/mike-conley-injured-point-guard-donovan-mitchell-has-been-unleashed#536420038)


they can pay him whatever they have to. If they don't like their tax bill there's many guys to trade ahead of Mike

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/2/10/22273292/video-breakdown-breaking-down-donovan-mitchells-insane-passing-wizardry


Donovan has been proving that he has all of the tools to be one of the league’s premier passers




at best he's 3rd on his own team


you will see multiple passes to Gobert that are below his waist. Two were low bounce passes. Gobert starts with his hands up high, has to come way down to collect the pass, and then all the way back up for the bucket. A better pass would be above his head (yes, 11 ft up would be nice). In the clips above, there is only one example of a high pass to Gobert. I fully recognize that such a pass is not always possible, but you won’t see Jingles throwing the ball to Gobert’s waist.
Also, the last couple of games have provided more evidence that Mitchell is best when he is playing PG.

Posted by Kira Argonova (https://www.sbnation.com/users/Kira%20Argonova) on Feb 10, 2021 | 11:25 AM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/2/10/22273292/video-breakdown-breaking-down-donovan-mitchells-insane-passing-wizardry#536393268)


they still haven't figured that out



It was Stockton's fourth season when he became a legit superstar.
Mitchell is now in his fourth. . .

Posted by Kira Argonova (https://www.sbnation.com/users/Kira%20Argonova) on Feb 10, 2021 | 2:03 PM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/2/10/22273292/video-breakdown-breaking-down-donovan-mitchells-insane-passing-wizardry#536399566)



Stockton was playing behind an all star who he was better than immedately. Mitchell took the spot of someone that should have never started. Mitchell isn't a superstar.


Some of those passes in the clips above show such power and accuracy. A baseball background really helps with that.

Posted by Fesenko for President (https://www.sbnation.com/users/Fesenko%20for%20President) on Feb 10, 2021 | 5:57 PM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/2/10/22273292/video-breakdown-breaking-down-donovan-mitchells-insane-passing-wizardry#536406731)



those are the ones that standout

[Xiao Yao You]

https://sircharlesincharge.com/2021/02/10/utah-jazz-threat-lakers-west-title/


The Utah Jazz is the biggest threat to the Los Angeles Lakers



I think other teams match up better against LA


It’s still very early in the season but if the Jazz continues their winning ways and remain on this trajectory they are on, then it’s not hard to see them competing for a title. They have all of the necessary ingredients to make it happen.



We'll see. A starting 4 would b nice


Utah has one of the young up-and-coming stars in Donovan Mitchell (https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/mitchdo01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-), they have one of the best defensive anchors in the middle with Rudy Gobert (https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/goberru01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-), they have a veteran point guard who can provide guidance and leadership in Mike Conley (https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/conlemi01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-), and they also have a deadly assassin in Jordan Clarkson (https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/clarkjo01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-) coming off the bench.




let's not forget O'Neale who may be the 3rd most valuable guy or Ingles


The Jazz is winning games in dominating fashion with an 8.8 point differential winning 16 out of 20 by double-digits. Gobert is a huge reason for the Jazz’s success as he impacts the game with his defensive prowess and rebounding.




someone gets it


Gobert is a 2-time Defensive Player of the Year, a 4-time All-Defensive player, and a 3-time All-NBA performer who is making his case to be a top 5 player at his position. Gobert’s strengths are catching lob passes and using the screen-and-roll to create mismatches in the paint.




all NBA means he's top 3


Role players are also contributing to the Jazz’s success. Joe Ingles and Bojan Bogdanovic have similar styles of play as both are efficient shooters who can play multiple positions. Both players are double-digit scorers and are capable of knocking down shots in any situation.




nothing alike


Last year, Conley averaged 14.4 points and 4.4 assists per game while shooting 37.5 percent from downtown. This season, he is averaging 16.6 points and 5.9 assists while shooting 41.9 percent from deep.




but D is the big difference


This should be the year Mitchell reaches elite superstar status as last season’s playoff performance showed he has the heart, confidence, and hustle to get the job done. he is only 24 years old and is really just getting started as he will be expected to lead this franchise for years to come.





why can't it be help lead when others are performing better?

[Xiao Yao You]

https://fansided.com/2021/02/10/nba-power-rankings-utah-jazz-gauntlet/


But despite their incredibly strong performance to this point, the Jazz don’t necessarily have the feel of a favorite, of a juggernaut waiting on history. But that might change over the next few weeks. In their next 11 games, which will take them to the All-Star break, they’ll see the Bucks, the Heat (twice), the 76ers (twice), the Clippers (twice) and the Lakers. That’s three games against last year’s NBA finalists and five more against other likely top-three playoff seeds.




Laers and Philly could be tough matchups for them

[Xiao Yao You]

https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/261464/Jazz-Optimistic-Mike-Conleys-Hamstring-Injury-Not-As-Serious-As-Last-Season

good news?

Udoka?

[Xiao Yao You]

Andrew Greif: Per the NBA, the Clippers-Utah matchup on Feb. 19 will now be televised by ESPN (https://*********.com/social/).
– via Twitter AndrewGreif (https://twitter.com/AndrewGreif)

[Xiao Yao You]

Andy Larsen: Mike Conley went through portions of today’s Jazz practice, but not the full session (https://*********.com/social/).
– via Twitter andyblarsen (https://twitter.com/andyblarsen)

[Xiao Yao You]

In the process, he’s also helping the G League fend off global competitors for players with NBA potential who want to be paid now for their abilities on the court. “They shouldn’t have to go halfway across the world to do something that they can do here,” G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim said this week, before Green and the Ignite kicked off their season on Wednesday in Florida. “Young men shouldn’t be pigeonholed into doing one thing. … We wanted to make sure that we had something in place that more young players that thought this was right for them, they could take advantage of it.” (https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/02/11/g-league-ignite-jalen-green-draft/?fbclid=IwAR0BvLU9NxIJjmscnOw3X0saInbQWV6TuwRhXCfI wTCS4cR12MZIFGrELJc)
– via Michael Lee @ Washington Post (https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/02/11/g-league-ignite-jalen-green-draft/?fbclid=IwAR0BvLU9NxIJjmscnOw3X0saInbQWV6TuwRhXCfI wTCS4cR12MZIFGrELJc)



But college basketball in those years has been plagued by scandal and a lower quality of play. Meanwhile, players with no interest in attending school have had to find creative alternatives, mostly overseas, for their NBA-mandated gap years. That’s why Abdur-Rahim pushed the G League, which typically functions like the NBA’s minor leagues, to offer financial, personal and professional incentives to keep elite high school players in the states. The result was the Ignite, a separate team of elite prospects, surrounded by handpicked veterans, that has no affiliation with an NBA franchise (https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/02/11/g-league-ignite-jalen-green-draft/?fbclid=IwAR0BvLU9NxIJjmscnOw3X0saInbQWV6TuwRhXCfI wTCS4cR12MZIFGrELJc).
– via Michael Lee @ Washington Post (https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/02/11/g-league-ignite-jalen-green-draft/?fbclid=IwAR0BvLU9NxIJjmscnOw3X0saInbQWV6TuwRhXCfI wTCS4cR12MZIFGrELJc)



The G League was already moving toward offering prospects a professional path before Abdur-Rahim took over in December 2018, hoping a $125,000 salary would be enough of a lure. It wasn’t. As Abdur-Rahim pushed the issue, basketball people he respected, including his friend and former agent Aaron Goodwin, convinced him the league needed to drastically increase the compensation and create a more refined program (https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/02/11/g-league-ignite-jalen-green-draft/?fbclid=IwAR0BvLU9NxIJjmscnOw3X0saInbQWV6TuwRhXCfI wTCS4cR12MZIFGrELJc).
– via Michael Lee @ Washington Pos (https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/02/11/g-league-ignite-jalen-green-draft/?fbclid=IwAR0BvLU9NxIJjmscnOw3X0saInbQWV6TuwRhXCfI wTCS4cR12MZIFGrELJc)



It worked: For a salary that reportedly exceeds $500,000, Green agreed to bypass a scholarship at Memphis to get on board, giving the G League a face for the program and a magnet for more talent. Isaiah Todd soon followed, shunning a scholarship offer from Michigan. Then came Daishen Nix, Jonathan Kuminga and international projects Kai Sotto of the Philippines and Princepal Singh of India. The team started training in Walnut Creek last August, preparing for a nearly one-month G League season being staged in the same Walt Disney World “bubble” outside Orlando where the NBA played its pandemic-shortened season last year. “These guys are NBA players,” Abdur-Rahim said. “They’re going to play in the NBA. I try to take that anxiety away from them. I don’t think anybody expects them to just go out and dominate.” (https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/02/11/g-league-ignite-jalen-green-draft/?fbclid=IwAR0BvLU9NxIJjmscnOw3X0saInbQWV6TuwRhXCfI wTCS4cR12MZIFGrELJc)
– via Michael Lee @ Washington Post (https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/02/11/g-league-ignite-jalen-green-draft/?fbclid=IwAR0BvLU9NxIJjmscnOw3X0saInbQWV6TuwRhXCfI wTCS4cR12MZIFGrELJc)





headed in right direction

[Xiao Yao You]

Kyle Neubeck: Ben Simmons said “I think I’m the best defensive player in the NBA” (https://*********.com/social/) while talking about the pride he takes guarding guys like Damian Lillard
– via Twitter KyleNeubeck (https://twitter.com/KyleNeubeck)





just in time for Rudy to read before they play! :cheers:

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50106156/a-long-comprehensive-journey-how-quin-snyder-crafted-utahs-explosive-offense


You could say the seeds of Snyder's space-based system were planted when he was on Duke's Mike Krzyzewski's staff. The Blue Devils spaced out on the perimeter — even often playing with a shooting power forward — to give space for players to drive inside. Basketball philosophy aside, Snyder took a bigger lesson from his six years there.




Really? He's come up with something new? He's late to the game if anything. Put shooters around your best player. Real ingenius!


"I can remember coming from Atlanta and the rage in the league was pace in space and that was not necessarily my expectation, but in the immediate past that's the way we have played," Snyder said. "We had Enes Kanter, Derrick Favors, Trevor Booker, Rudy Gobert, and we were starting two bigs. And that was our team. We weren't a pace and space team.




but should have had Millsap


He wasn't going to box the Jazz into a certain style of play. Sure, the Warriors were taking over the league by playing a fast and open style but could Utah with Gordon Hayward, Trey Burke and Joe Ingles on the perimeter really outshoot those guys?




Trey! :lol


But through the years, the Jazz roster changed, making way for a team that is less about "running the ball," to use Snyder's football term, and one that is focused on airing it out. It's a further sign that Snyder is not committed to playing a certain style, but instead building one around the players he has.




not really. nothings really changed about what they do other than having guys than can hit shots spotting up instead of guys that can't


"We don't need to be as open to shoot. ... Oftentimes a look early in the possession is going to be a better look than we get later in the possession," Snyder said. "The more you move the ball, the chances of you making a mistake become greater. If you come down and shoot without passing the ball, you're probably not going to turn the ball over."




and his teams have always made plenty


In short, Snyder is never going to be mad with a shot — and that attitude has trickled down to the rest of the team. In a game earlier this month, Gobert got the ball and was open in the corner. He lifted the ball up and for a second it appeared as if he was going to shoot. That might have been the one time Snyder and the Jazz would have questioned a 3-pointer (though since the Jazz held a big lead, it would have been easily forgiven.




should have taken it

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/453101/jazz-face-stiff-competition-in-contending-bucks/


Rather than a key matchup consisting of two specific players, Friday’s game will likely be decided by the two teams’ three-point shooting.




defense

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/sports/2021/2/11/22268540/taking-stock-of-all-star-outlooks-for-donovan-mitchell-rudy-gobert-and-mike-conley-could-a-jazz-trio


The Jazz have three players that are deserving of being named 2021 All-Stars. But, being deserving of an honor and actually receiving that honor are two totally different things




2 and everyone's favorite isn't one of them


There are also players that are voted in just because they are fan favorites, not because they have played well in a particular season.




not Mitchell's fault he doesn't deserve it


Simply put, Mitchell is the best player on the best team in the NBA, a fact that should make Mitchell a shoo-in on the All-Star team.



he's not though no matter how much you write it


Through the first 24 games of the season, Gobert had the fifth best total plus-minus in the league behind Conley, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard and Khris Middleton. That puts him in front of two-time reigning MVP and reigning DPOY Giannis Antetokounmpo.




where's their best player?


“Of course I would love to be a part of it,” he said.




a million reasons to be


Why should things be different this year for Conley? He’s having arguably his most successful season and doing it on the team with the best record in the league.




and ben their most valuable player


Conley leads the league in nearly every cumulative advanced metric and of starters who have played at least 15 games he has a league-leading defensive rating of 98.9.




and yet we keep getting article after article about their so called best player

[Xiao Yao You]

1. For the first half of last season, the Jazz did not have Jordan Clarkson. The bench was super thin due to the Conley trade. Moving Exum for Clarkson will go down as one of the best trades in franchise history. Not only do they have him from the beginning of the season, but he is significantly better than he was last season. During his time with the Jazz last season, he had .089 WS/48. So far this season, he is at .139 WS/48, and he is doing it on higher minutes per game.
2. We didn’t have Bogey in the bubble. Just as we got Clarkson, we lost our #2 scorer. He’s back now.
3. Conley missed 25 games with injury last season, and when he was playing, he was a stinking pile of dog crap. Last season, he had .089 WS/48. He has more than doubled that to .207 WS/48 so far this season, and he is doing it on slightly more minutes per game. And it’s not just his shooting that has improved; virtually every part of his game is significantly better this season.
4. The addition of Favors is often understated. The national pundits often follow-up their comment about our roster not changing by saying something like, "The only change to their roster is Favors coming off the bench"—as if that is some small thing. But Jazz fans who were paying attention last season know that the Jazz were amazing when Gobert was on the floor and terrible when he was on the bench. Every game thread mentioned that we would kill teams if we could just break even while Gobert sat. Favors gives us that, or pretty close.
Our starters are better and our bench is better. This is far from the team that we had last season.

Posted by Kira Argonova (https://www.sbnation.com/users/Kira%20Argonova) on Feb 11, 2021 | 1:43 PM (https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/2/11/22278564/utah-jazz-espn-bpi-model-western-conference-finals-rudy-gobert-donovan-mitchell#536439911)


Clarkson was in the bubble and was horrendous. They were thin because they chose to not have a PF and 6 rookies. Better without Bojan. They weren't beating good teams last year with those guys. Conley improved defensively is te main reason I see. Favors isn't much better than Bradley and much more expensive. Not close to Rudy


It was just a few months ago that several dunkers were calling for O’Neale to be traded, and saying that his contract was bad. I strongly defended him as being a valuable rotation piece on a team-friendly contract, but now he is looking like one of the better contracts in the league.
I wasn’t so friendly toward Mitchell. I mentioned that he had not really improved over his first three seasons. This season, he has certainly made a jump. He needs to make another jump to become a superstar, but this is shaping up to be his best season, by far.
It’s also nice having an improved Oni as insurance.

Posted by Kira Argonova (https://www.sbnation.com/users/Kira%20Argonova) on Feb 12, 2021 | 6:24 AM (https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/2/11/22278564/utah-jazz-espn-bpi-model-western-conference-finals-rudy-gobert-donovan-mitchell#536461114)


'Neale one of the 3 most valbale on team. Rather have Oni in the bubble and a proven vet like Shaq


ok, it never dawned on me that the Millers were running crack houses in Tooele and Orem.


And here I thought it was thru car sales and movie theaters, lol Whole new meaning to coke sales at the games and movies.

Posted by SKMike (https://www.sbnation.com/users/SKMike) on Feb 11, 2021 | 6:22 PM (https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/2/11/22278564/utah-jazz-espn-bpi-model-western-conference-finals-rudy-gobert-donovan-mitchell#536448837)


Car dealers and loan companies are shady


It is fun times to be a Jazz fan. But you know it wouldn't be that bizarre if we lose 4 of our next 5; heck all 5 is possible.


I wonder if the gloom and doom crowd would come out then? I guess it depends on how we might lose them. I’m sure many in the national media would be going "see, I told you so". But even here on slcdunk the skeptics would resurface.
I’m loving this run but realistically it is hard to imagine us winning at a 94% (16/17) pace or even an 80% pace. Although I did just look it up and there have been 18 teams finish with an 80.5% winning percentage or better. So it is not out of the question. GSW was 89% in their historic 2016 season. Was it really 5 years ago? wow

Posted by SKMike (https://www.sbnation.com/users/SKMike) on Feb 11, 2021 | 9:59 PM (https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/2/11/22278564/utah-jazz-espn-bpi-model-western-conference-finals-rudy-gobert-donovan-mitchell#536456817)


The Conley is a lot more important than Mitchell crowd would


That’s a rough start for him, but now Rudy and Favs have to stay healthy.

Posted by Big_B (https://www.sbnation.com/users/Big_B) on Feb 11, 2021 | 10:29 PM (https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/2/11/22278564/utah-jazz-espn-bpi-model-western-conference-finals-rudy-gobert-donovan-mitchell#536457539)


don't think Favors has been healthy all year. Not sure they wouldn't be better with Morgan anyway

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/2/11/22278564/utah-jazz-espn-bpi-model-western-conference-finals-rudy-gobert-donovan-mitchell


Are the Utah Jazz WCF favorites?





if they show they can play with the Lakers which I don't think they can


As far as odds go, Vegas still has the Lakers (https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/) (+250) and Clippers (+600) as favorites to make the WCF. The Jazz aren’t too far behind at +900, which if you’re looking for an easy way to make some money that might be a pretty dang good bet.





you better have money to lose if you're crazy enough to bet on them


The video is really well put together, and gives some great insight on how the Jazz have been able to be successful this season. O’Connor praises Rudy Gobert, tabbing him as “the best defender in the NBA, period”. He also said Gobert is his DPOY favorite, as well as Jordan Clarkson for Sixth Man of the Year. O’Connor did a good job making up for his blunder putting the Jazz 6th in the power rankings, and Jazz fans should accept this video as a humble apology. Kevin O’Connor is back on good terms with Jazz fans.




but what about their best player


As long as LeBron James lives, the Lakers are favorites and should be.
We have several things going for us, though, that I think are worth mentioning:
(i) We resemble the 2014 Spurs with our offensive scheme and ball movement, but we’re doing it with Morey math. That’s a problem for teams.
(ii)The quality of our shooters and the way we explode offensively is 2017-Warriors-esque, only…mathematically better. Steph, Klay, and KD took 23 of GS’s 31 threes per game at 41%, 41%, and 38% respectively. The team shot 35% of their shots as threes and hit 38%. We’re shooting 42 threes per game at 40% as a team. I don’t think we are putting the fear into the casual fan the way that Steph and Klay did during their ascendance and, later, KD’s sycophancy, but I think we’re doing that to opposing coaches.
The big difference is star power offensively, at the end of the day. Individual shot creation is something we need for when teams clamp down. Maybe the combination of Mike, JC, and Donovan can put us over the hill, but then we’re relying on some small dudes to do it, in a league whose stars tower above 6’4" (unless, of course, Steph, who really doesn’t count).
So, the idea of "favorites" is daunting to me or even winning two playoff series. But we remind me of the ’14 Spurs with a Daryl Morey approach to shooting and a 2017 Warriors in terms of exploding offensively and drowning teams with barrages of "wtf just happened" experiences. I love this team.

Posted by Karl Stalone 32 (https://www.sbnation.com/users/Karl%20Stalone%2032) on Feb 11, 2021 | 1:05 PM (https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/2/11/22278564/utah-jazz-espn-bpi-model-western-conference-finals-rudy-gobert-donovan-mitchell#536438393)


as long as they don't have a PF other than Favors or Morgan who won't play the Lakers are the favorite.


if we can get both la teams on same side of draw in the playoffs it would help a lot as i think kawhi might find way to beat lebron


ultimately you have to say the road goes thru the lakers til it doesn’t.

Posted by utahcoyote (https://www.sbnation.com/users/utahcoyote) on Feb 11, 2021 | 2:43 PM (https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/2/11/22278564/utah-jazz-espn-bpi-model-western-conference-finals-rudy-gobert-donovan-mitchell#536442067)



that's the best hope


actually mack > rubio



Posted by its_computers (https://www.sbnation.com/users/its_computers) on Feb 11, 2021 | 9:11 PM (https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/2/11/22278564/utah-jazz-espn-bpi-model-western-conference-finals-rudy-gobert-donovan-mitchell#536455791)



and everyone not named Dante or Trey


, it was painfully obvious that, by the very next season, he wasn’t going to be the PG to push us over the hump.

Posted by uncle-ingles (https://www.sbnation.com/users/uncle-ingles) on Feb 12, 2021 | 6:21 AM (https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/2/11/22278564/utah-jazz-espn-bpi-model-western-conference-finals-rudy-gobert-donovan-mitchell#536461081)


was obvious from the moment they got him that he made no sense


I have never understood the avalanche of criticism he got (and continues to get two years later).

Posted by Kira Argonova (https://www.sbnation.com/users/Kira%20Argonova) on Feb 12, 2021 | 6:26 AM (https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/2/11/22278564/utah-jazz-espn-bpi-model-western-conference-finals-rudy-gobert-donovan-mitchell#536461148)


wasting another 2 years of Gobert's career when the formula was obvious

[Xiao Yao You]

Because for nearly a decade, from 1983 to 1991 — contrary to popular belief — there was jazz in Utah. And the nightly experience was nothing short of rhapsodic. (https://theathletic.com/2383021/2021/02/12/utah-jazz-band-charles-barkley-opposing-players-hated/?source=rss) It had to be. What was known simply as The Utah Jazz Band, the ensemble not only immediately changed the game-day experience for a franchise that was historically bad up until 1983 but paved the way for Jazz fans to collectively go berserk rather than sit on their hands.
– via Christopher Kamrani @ The Athletic (https://theathletic.com/2383021/2021/02/12/utah-jazz-band-charles-barkley-opposing-players-hated/?source=rss)



For nearly a decade, the Jazz Band was everything. They wore lampshades on their heads bought from a yard sale or tuxedos. Predictably, members were crushed. There was some community backlash, too. Former local sports radio host, the late Chris Tunis, had Evanoff on for a live hit and informed him the band was canned and not being brought back. Evanoff laughs about it still. “It was a 10-year run. Who gets that?” said Evanoff. “I still run into people my age and older that see me and go, ‘Hey, Jazz Band guy!’” (https://theathletic.com/2383021/2021/02/12/utah-jazz-band-charles-barkley-opposing-players-hated/?source=rss)
– via Christopher Kamrani @ The Athletic (https://theathletic.com/2383021/2021/02/12/utah-jazz-band-charles-barkley-opposing-players-hated/?source=rss)

[Xiao Yao You]

Eric Walden: Jordan Clarkson, on how many All-Stars the Jazz should get: “Rudy and Donovan are the two locks, (https://*********.com/social/) Mike and Bojan are the sleepers.” And should he get a spot? “If it happens, it happens, but I’m cool, I’m chillin’. I’m just trying to get that Sixth Man and win some games.”
– via Twitter tribjazz (https://twitter.com/tribjazz)





Bojan? :roll:

[Xiao Yao You]

The Milwaukee Bucks have recalled Jordan Nwora from the Salt Lake City Stars of the NBA G League. (https://www.nba.com/bucks/news/bucks-recall-jordan-nwora-salt-lake-city-stars) Assigned to the Stars on Feb. 3, Nwora appeared in one game with Salt Lake City and scored a game-high 26 points (9-14 FG, 3-5 3FG) with four rebounds, an assist and a steal in 24 minutes against the Erie BayHawks on Wednesday.
– via NBA.com (https://www.nba.com/bucks/news/bucks-recall-jordan-nwora-salt-lake-city-stars)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/453133/jordan-clarkson-campaigns-for-all-star-teammates-sixth-man-award/


“I think you’ve got Mike Conley, [and] Bojan [Bogdanovic] playing at a high level,” Conley said. “Shoot, Rudy [Gobert] and Donovan, those are really the locks. I feel like our two sleepers are really Mike a Bojan.”




why the players shouldn't vote :facepalm

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/sports/2021/2/12/22279536/utah-jazz-national-attention-nba-power-rankings


“Donovan Mitchell was downright masterful down the stretch of Utah’s win over Boston on Tuesday. Mitchell finished the night with 36 points and nine assists, and he scored or assisted on each of the Jazz’s final 18 points down the stretch. Mitchell sports the mentality of a true superstar. He’s everything you want as a franchise anchor from a personality and leadership standpoint. Is he talented enough to lead a team to a Finals berth? Time will tell. 2021 marks the best chance of his career to date.” — Michael Shapiro



:facepalm

[Xiao Yao You]

https://saltcityhoops.com/using-past-teams-to-chart-a-championship-path/


In the playoffs Curry went to a different level, averaging 28/6/5. Mitchell made a similar playoff leap last postseason, averaging 36/5/5. Some of that could’ve been matchup or bubble noise, but he proved capable of superstar play when the stakes were high.




bubble :roll:

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/453185/jazz-cruise-as-bucks-blink-in-second-quarter/


But, it would be unfair to mention Clarkson without discussing just how much fun Donovan Mitchell is to watch. The guard started his career as a high-flying dunker, then became a prolific scorer, then became a clutch scorer, then scored 50 points twice in the playoffs, then, this season became one of the most exciting passers in basketball.




I guess I'm the only one but Rudy playing D is as exciting as it gets

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/453183/four-players-combine-for-105-points-lead-jazz-to-franchise-best-start-with-win-over-bucks/


Gobert dominated both ends of the floor. He helped control the Bucks’ offense and limited the impact of the two-time league MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo. Gobert ended the contest with a double-double. In addition to his scoring, Gobert had 12 rebounds and four blocks.




just glad he has Mitchell to carry him

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.sltrib.com/sports/jazz/2021/02/13/triple-team-jazz-with-jaw/


In the NBA’s version of the optimal stopping problem, we’ve learned an important lesson over thousands of games: players tend to overrate the value of waiting to shoot. In general, the better shots come earlier in the shot clock. Again, from Whitehead’s article:





good thing you coach Utah Quin and have years to figure these things out


Here are the Jazz’s top 3 players by on-court defensive rating so far this season:

1. Mike Conley: 98.9 defensive rating

2. Georges Niang: 99.6 defensive rating

3. Rudy Gobert: 102.8 defensive rating






:cheers:

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/2/12/22281347/the-league-leading-utah-jazz-take-down-the-milwaukee-bucks-to-win-their-sixth-straight


Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert were owning the paint on both ends of the court. This was the first time this year that we saw the “Wasatch Front” play extended minutes together. Those minutes went as they tend to. The Jazz defense was impenetrable, while it’s offense was somewhat awkward. When Gobert and Favors saw the court individually, they both were dominating. Gobert was shutting down the paint to the Bucks on defense, and getting dunks or free throw attempts on offense.




awkward is being kind. Tell me again why they have Favors instead of a modern starting 4?


Although there are four legitimate candidates tonight, Rudy Gobert is the easy choice. Anybody watching this game can see why he deserves to win another Defensive Player of the Year. He was scaring Bucks away from the hoop all night. He was blocking Khris Middleton (https://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/324784/khris-middleton) three pointers, he was grabbing rebounds, and, oh yeah he was scoring 27 points as well. Rudy owned the paint on both sides of the court tonight, and that’s really hard to do when you’re going against the Greek Freak.




another night at the office. Glad he has Mitchell leading him!


I’m curious how we play against Philly, they have length, athleticism, and Embiid in MVP mode.

Posted by CJ Livinghousen (https://www.sbnation.com/users/CJ%20Livinghousen) on Feb 13, 2021 | 3:48 AM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/2/12/22281347/the-league-leading-utah-jazz-take-down-the-milwaukee-bucks-to-win-their-sixth-straight#536496051)


yep not a good matchup for the Jazz


I’m confident that this current version of the Jazz can beat anyone, though.

Posted by uncle-ingles (https://www.sbnation.com/users/uncle-ingles) on Feb 13, 2021 | 4:19 AM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/2/12/22281347/the-league-leading-utah-jazz-take-down-the-milwaukee-bucks-to-win-their-sixth-straight#536496221)


on a given night sure like pretty much any season. In a series I'm not convinced


-I wanted to see the Gobert/Favors pairing in this one. Never want to see it again.
Overall super happy to get this win sans Conley. I feel like this game told me more about Milwaukee than it did about the Jazz. The Bucks, as currently constructed, I don’t believe are a championship contender, but they could definitely get to the Finals, so maybe they actually are. They would be, of the teams who can win it, the most flawed team to do so.

Posted by Karl Stalone 32 (https://www.sbnation.com/users/Karl%20Stalone%2032) on Feb 13, 2021 | 5:06 AM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/2/12/22281347/the-league-leading-utah-jazz-take-down-the-milwaukee-bucks-to-win-their-sixth-straight#536496466)


someone gets it and the only other option is Morgan or Brantley and COTM isn't going for that

[Xiao Yao You]

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo certainly didn’t enjoy suffering a 129-115 road loss to the Utah Jazz at Vivint Arena on Friday night, but he couldn’t help but admire how “simple” the game looked to them. More important, the Jazz earned his respect: Antetokounmpo said they’re the “best team in the West.” (https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30890948/milwaukee-bucks-giannis-antetokounmpo-calls-utah-jazz-best-team-west)
– via Eric Woodyard @ ESPN (https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30890948/milwaukee-bucks-giannis-antetokounmpo-calls-utah-jazz-best-team-west)




https://*********.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/92/2021/01/i_05_d8_4d_donovan-mitchell.png?w=190“I don’t think we’re that satisfied just yet,” said Ingles, who went 4-for-4 from 3-point range. That’s because their goals are much bigger than the regular season, especially after last season, when they blew a 3-1 lead to Denver and were eliminated in the first round. “We don’t want to be the best team in February; we want to be the best team in July,” Mitchell said (https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30890948/milwaukee-bucks-giannis-antetokounmpo-calls-utah-jazz-best-team-west).
– via Eric Woodyard @ ESPN (https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30890948/milwaukee-bucks-giannis-antetokounmpo-calls-utah-jazz-best-team-west)

[Xiao Yao You]

Callie Caplan: Mavs are transferring Nate Hinton from the Long Island Nets to the Santa Cruz Warriors in G League bubble (http://twitter.com/CallieCaplan/status/1360641934369427459). For those trying to keep track of the Mavs’ other rookie transactions in Disney World: Tyrell Terry is still with Memphis Hustle, Tyler Bey with Salt Lake City Stars.
– via Twitter (http://twitter.com/CallieCaplan/status/1360641934369427459)

[Xiao Yao You]

Andy Larsen: Mike Conley remains out for the Jazz game against Miami tonight. (https://*********.com/social/) His hamstring injury lingers on.
– via Twitter andyblarsen (https://twitter.com/andyblarsen)

[Xiao Yao You]

Andy Larsen: Quin Snyder again declined to give any information on Mike Conley’s injury at today’s pregame press conference (https://*********.com/social/).
– via Twitter andyblarsen (https://twitter.com/andyblarsen)





what info do you expect? He'll be back when he's at least a 100% I imagine. We saw what happened last year

[Xiao Yao You]

Ben Anderson: Erik Spoelstra on the @Utah Jazz with Bojan Bogdanovic and his injury last year. “They were a championship caliber team last year, a legit contender.” (https://*********.com/social/)
– via Twitter BensHoops (https://twitter.com/BensHoops)





https://*********.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/92/2017/02/i_49_ee_be_quin-snyder.png?w=190:roll:





Ira Winderman: Quin Snyder, on Heat, “Their offense puts a lot of pressure on you. So you’ve got to be careful not to make mistakes.” (https://*********.com/social/) Said Jazz have moved on quickly after Friday win vs. Bucks.
– via Twitter IraHeatBeat (https://twitter.com/IraHeatBeat)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/sports/2021/2/13/22278410/defense-ruled-the-day-utah-jazz-win-over-milwaukee-bucks-nba-royce-oneale-georges-niang-rudy-gobert


“That’s where it all starts,” Donovan Mitchell (https://www.deseret.com/sports/2021/2/10/22274405/does-donovan-mitchell-deserve-to-be-a-part-of-the-nba-mvp-conversation-nba-utah-jazz) said after the game. “Threes are threes, and I’ve said this for years ... we bring defense everywhere, defense travels. There’s times where you may not make a three. But at the end of the day we can bring the effort on defense.”





Does we include you?

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/2/13/22281866/utah-jazz-look-to-keep-their-winning-ways-against-the-miami-heat-game-preview-donovan-mitchell


At a certain point you have to acknowledge who Donovan Mitchell is, and that’s one of the most versatile players in the league.




certainly one of the most hyped


If you didn’t appreciate Mitchell before, which would be weird, this should help. He’s a winner that will take on whatever the role the team needs him to. Anyone who doesn’t think he has a case for MVP is mistaken.




:roll:


Remember all the discussion last year and this summer about how he was in decline?
About how giving him that extension was just foolishness, overpaying him, etc?

Posted by SKMike (https://www.sbnation.com/users/SKMike) on Feb 13, 2021 | 5:07 PM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/2/13/22281866/utah-jazz-look-to-keep-their-winning-ways-against-the-miami-heat-game-preview-donovan-mitchell#536517182)



he did drop off the past two years. Said he stayed in Utah this year. Maybe that made a dference?

[Xiao Yao You]

The Jazz went 3-for-21 from deep in the opening half on Saturday night, then came out of the locker room and shut the Miami Heat down, outscoring them 16-0 over the first six minutes of the third, and reminding everyone, in a 112-94 victory, that the NBA’s No. 1 team can win in more ways than one. “We’re versatile,” said the Jazz’s versatile wing defender Royce O’Neale. “Our 3-point shots weren’t falling so we knew our defense was going to kick in.” (https://www.deseret.com/sports/2021/2/13/22275096/instant-analysis-utah-jazz-beat-miami-heat-for-seventh-straight-win-nba-rudy-gobert-royce-oneale)
– via Sarah Todd @ deseret.com (https://www.deseret.com/sports/2021/2/13/22275096/instant-analysis-utah-jazz-beat-miami-heat-for-seventh-straight-win-nba-rudy-gobert-royce-oneale)



They were the main catalyst for the Jazz having a 31-15 third quarter over the Heat. They were just incredible all game. “All-defensive team, that’s where he should be at the end of the season…Every single night he has a challenge, whether he’s guarding a power forward — somebody like Giannis [Antetokounmpo] — or guarding a talented guard, he’s most of the time guarding the best player, the best scoring player. He’s bringing it every single night and is a big part of what we do.” — Rudy Gobert on Royce O’Neale (https://www.deseret.com/sports/2021/2/13/22275096/instant-analysis-utah-jazz-beat-miami-heat-for-seventh-straight-win-nba-rudy-gobert-royce-oneale)
– via Sarah Todd @ deseret.com (https://www.deseret.com/sports/2021/2/13/22275096/instant-analysis-utah-jazz-beat-miami-heat-for-seventh-straight-win-nba-rudy-gobert-royce-oneale)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/453255/jazz-turn-in-dominant-defensive-effort-to-temper-heat/


The team’s start to the third quarter was particularly impressive. Mitchell did what superstars are supposed to do and recognized that there was an opportunity to jump on the Heat out of the halftime gate, and he did exactly that.




let's stop with the superstar stuff already


Both Houston Rockets guard Victor Oladpio and Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal are available and would be stellar additions to any roster, but particularly in Miami.




Beal isn't available

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50107207/the-jazz-dont-live-by-the-3-and-they-sure-didnt-die-by-it-in-blowout-win-against-miami


"When you play really fast and the ball's moving and everybody has an opportunity to touch it, it's like passing money around at a casino — everybody gets a little piece," Georges Niang said. "I think everybody knows how that feels or at least I hope you know how that feels."




you're talking to a bunch of mormons Georges! :lol


But while the long ball has gotten the attention, Saturday was proof Utah's dominant stretch is still built on the 7-foot-1 frame of Gobert.




and he wasn't even mentioned in the last article. Hard to talk about anyone but Mitchell

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/sports/2021/2/13/22275096/instant-analysis-utah-jazz-beat-miami-heat-for-seventh-straight-win-nba-rudy-gobert-royce-oneale


Georges Niang finished the game with a season-high tying 14 points to go with five assists and three rebounds. He was doing a little bit of everything — throwing lobs to Gobert, hitting threes, rebounding hard, playing good defense. Again, another well-rounded night.



everyone but Callystar apparently enjoying the fun

[Xiao Yao You]

Andy Larsen: Mike Conley out again tomorrow (https://*********.com/social/) for Jazz vs. Sixers.
– via Twitter andyblarsen (https://twitter.com/andyblarsen)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/453281/utah-jazz-wrap-up-homestand-against-motivated-sixers/


Tobias Harris is the second leading scorer averaging 20 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Ben Simmons is having a solid year, posting averages of 14.1 points, 8.3 boards and 7.9 assists per contest.




Mitchell is an MVP superstar and 14, 8 and 8 is solid! :lol

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50107567/slc-stars-waive-former-byu-uvu-guard-toolson-after-foot-injury


The former BYU and Utah Valley wing was waived by the G League affiliate of the Utah Jazz (https://www.ksl.com/article/50084234/back-to-the-bubble-g-league-season-will-be-played-at-disney-with-slc-stars-among-18-teams) on Sunday, just days after suffering a foot injury that proved to be season-ending.




Figured something must've happened when he went from starter to DNP

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/sports/2021/2/14/22280670/utah-jazz-mailbag-trade-deadline-future-miye-oni-georges-niang-nba-second-half-schedule-celtics


If the Jazz feel that Miye Oni and Georges Niang are going to continue to improve and help them over the next couple of years there’s no reason to not keep them under contract. The Jazz are going to be in a really tight or over the cap situation so retaining players that you already have on the payroll is the absolute best way to field talent that you already trust.




Niang is a free agent. He's going to get a decent raise minimum. Oni might be too.


I’d like to push back a little on what our friend CR says here. I would say that there is a reasonable argument to be made that the Los Angeles Lakers are a team capable of taking their game to another level come playoff time. There isn’t another team in the Western Conference playoff race that has proven they can do anything. So I don’t think it seems like top teams are cruising along.




Kawai has proven it for sure


The other argument would be for the Warriors if they were at full strength, but they’re not. The Clippers proved last year that they can completely fall apart and the rest of the teams are as unproven as anyone else.




bubble. Different year. Different team


The Jazz’s continuity and familiarity is something that the Jazz came into the season really happy about, and it’s also something that other NBA coaches have pointed to as a reason for the Jazz’s success. I don’t think the Jazz would get rid of any of their main rotational pieces at the trade deadline this season and there’s no reason to tinker around on the fringes when everything is working so well right now. I tend the think they’ll take the ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ approach this season.




Probably but they do have an open roster spot and guys on buyouts will want to join the best team. I'm sue if someone they love is available they'd do something


Since this is really for Jazz fans I’m going to try to make this succinct. The Celtics need to make some moves, probably at the trade deadline and definitely in the offseason. They don’t have time to waste when they have two guys as talented as Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Those are real top-level players. But even the best players can dwindle and fade out with nothing to show for their efforts if they front office and ownership don’t surround them with the right pieces.




Jazz wasted the last 6 years surrounding Rudy with the right pieces

[Xiao Yao You]

Well, they’re back. Gobert is a 98th percentile defender, Conley 97th; with player development success stories in Georges Niang (94th), Royce O’Neale (88th); and Derrick Favors (75th) covers the paint well when Gobert rests. The team sits second overall in team defense. Gobert’s first in the league by defensive rating and win shares. He’s top five in practically everything on that side of the ball: blocks per game, block percentage, rebounds, rebound percentage. (https://www.truehoop.com/p/rudy-goberts-revenge-tour?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxNjkxNTY4LCJwb3N0X2lkIjo zMjU3MTMyOSwiXyI6Ilo3LzRXIiwiaWF0IjoxNjEzNDE5MTA0L CJleHAiOjE2MTM0MjI3MDQsImlzcyI6InB1Yi01OTczIiwic3V iIjoicG9zdC1yZWFjdGlvbiJ9.rWhshHaeYa7OJ_6op2gZDxxP shnmILwN5UYKMv8VMO0) He’s the reason the Jazz lead the league in rebounding percentage. And knowing he’s back protecting the rim empowers Jazz perimeter defenders to get cozy with opposing scorers.
– via Henry Abbott @ TrueHoop (https://www.truehoop.com/p/rudy-goberts-revenge-tour?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxNjkxNTY4LCJwb3N0X2lkIjo zMjU3MTMyOSwiXyI6Ilo3LzRXIiwiaWF0IjoxNjEzNDE5MTA0L CJleHAiOjE2MTM0MjI3MDQsImlzcyI6InB1Yi01OTczIiwic3V iIjoicG9zdC1yZWFjdGlvbiJ9.rWhshHaeYa7OJ_6op2gZDxxP shnmILwN5UYKMv8VMO0)





but let's talk aout the superstar leader of the team instead!


https://*********.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/92/2021/01/i_49_d4_c5_giannis-antetokounmpo.png?w=190
Interestingly, when Gobert sits the Jazz miss him almost as much on offense as on defense. Now that all the attention is on the Jazz’s 3s, Gobert delivers maximum punishment on the highest percentage shots inside. It’s an annual tradition that Gobert and Giannis Antetokounmpo battle to lead the league in dunks. Or it has been. Right now, Gobert leads 88-70 (https://www.truehoop.com/p/rudy-goberts-revenge-tour?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxNjkxNTY4LCJwb3N0X2lkIjo zMjU3MTMyOSwiXyI6Ilo3LzRXIiwiaWF0IjoxNjEzNDE5MTA0L CJleHAiOjE2MTM0MjI3MDQsImlzcyI6InB1Yi01OTczIiwic3V iIjoicG9zdC1yZWFjdGlvbiJ9.rWhshHaeYa7OJ_6op2gZDxxP shnmILwN5UYKMv8VMO0).
– via Henry Abbott @ TrueHoop (https://www.truehoop.com/p/rudy-goberts-revenge-tour?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxNjkxNTY4LCJwb3N0X2lkIjo zMjU3MTMyOSwiXyI6Ilo3LzRXIiwiaWF0IjoxNjEzNDE5MTA0L CJleHAiOjE2MTM0MjI3MDQsImlzcyI6InB1Yi01OTczIiwic3V iIjoicG9zdC1yZWFjdGlvbiJ9.rWhshHaeYa7OJ_6op2gZDxxP shnmILwN5UYKMv8VMO0)



led him at least the last 3 season I believe






He’s also second in the NBA in screen assists (defined as screens for a teammate that directly lead to a made field goal). His screens are not only excellent, but extra valuable—so many of them set up 3s. (https://www.truehoop.com/p/rudy-goberts-revenge-tour?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxNjkxNTY4LCJwb3N0X2lkIjo zMjU3MTMyOSwiXyI6Ilo3LzRXIiwiaWF0IjoxNjEzNDE5MTA0L CJleHAiOjE2MTM0MjI3MDQsImlzcyI6InB1Yi01OTczIiwic3V iIjoicG9zdC1yZWFjdGlvbiJ9.rWhshHaeYa7OJ_6op2gZDxxP shnmILwN5UYKMv8VMO0) And, as the Heat discovered, trying to make those screens less effective is precisely how you make conditions ideal for Gobert to dunk. Gobert made all but one of his seven shots, which resulted in 16 points. The Jazz outscored the Heat by 17 when Gobert was in the game.
– via Henry Abbott @ TrueHoop (https://www.truehoop.com/p/rudy-goberts-revenge-tour?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxNjkxNTY4LCJwb3N0X2lkIjo zMjU3MTMyOSwiXyI6Ilo3LzRXIiwiaWF0IjoxNjEzNDE5MTA0L CJleHAiOjE2MTM0MjI3MDQsImlzcyI6InB1Yi01OTczIiwic3V iIjoicG9zdC1yZWFjdGlvbiJ9.rWhshHaeYa7OJ_6op2gZDxxP shnmILwN5UYKMv8VMO0)






They not only set up the 3's but the pick and roll game which creates many opportunities all over the floor. His screen assists are down this year. I assume because they are taking so many early 3's






https://*********.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/92/2021/01/i_05_d8_4d_donovan-mitchell.png?w=190Even Mitchell’s first breakout moment in the regular season for Jazz fans came on a spectacular putback dunk against the Los Angeles Lakers, proving that his elite athleticism and knack for highlight-reel plays would translate to the NBA. And yet, something has changed for the All-Star guard this season. Mitchell has just six dunks in 27 games so far and is missing dunks at the highest rate of his career. “I make the joke that I’m getting old,” Mitchell said. “So I stopped dunking.” (https://kslsports.com/453294/donovan-mitchell-slowly-saying-goodbye-to-dunks/)
– via KSL Sports (https://kslsports.com/453294/donovan-mitchell-slowly-saying-goodbye-to-dunks/)



As mentioned, the guard has just six made dunks on 12 attempts. At this rate, the fourth-year star will attempt a career-low 32 dunks and is on pace to complete just 16 of them (https://kslsports.com/453294/donovan-mitchell-slowly-saying-goodbye-to-dunks/). Yet, the guard doesn’t seem concerned about his changing reputation. Mitchell said the value of saving his legs far outweighs the cachet of being one of the league’s premier dunkers. “You’ve just got to save them for as much as you can for as long as you can,” Mitchell said.”
– via KSL Sports (https://kslsports.com/453294/donovan-mitchell-slowly-saying-goodbye-to-dunks/)



https://*********.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/92/2021/01/i_b0_e0_9d_derrick-favors.png?w=190Considering what the Jazz are today — a team that can hurt you in so many different ways, with so many different players — it’s fitting that those were the words Snyder uttered from the very first practice in 2104. “When Quin got there, there was a changing of the culture,” Favors said. “The previous culture was Ty Corbin and Jerry Sloan. And that was a great culture. But Quin brought a fresh new energy into the players and the franchise and the locker room. (https://theathletic.com/2388294/2021/02/15/utah-jazz-title-championship-contenders-nba/) As players, we all fed off of it in a positive way. Quin laid down the foundation and said this is how we’re going to build. We wanted to share the ball. We wanted to establish pace and we always wanted to attack the rim.”
– via Tony Jones @ The Athletic (https://theathletic.com/2388294/2021/02/15/utah-jazz-title-championship-contenders-nba/)

But it wasn't until the emergence of Rudy that the foundation was really laid








But Favors has done a few things for the Jazz. His addition allowed Gobert to expend more energy defensively without fear of fouling, knowing that Favors is a starting-caliber center who just happens to be coming off the bench. It’s allowed Snyder to play Favors against starting centers in the back half of quarters, which allows Gobert to play against second units, giving the Jazz a big advantage nightly. “I think everyone has come into this season with a mindset of sacrificing,” Favors said. “And that’s how it’s working. This is an unselfish team. It doesn’t matter who scores. We’ve built the culture here and we know how fun it is to play this way.” (https://theathletic.com/2388294/2021/02/15/utah-jazz-title-championship-contenders-nba/)
– via Tony Jones @ The Athletic (https://theathletic.com/2388294/2021/02/15/utah-jazz-title-championship-contenders-nba/)





but it's kept them from having a starting PF which will be their downfall yet

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/2/15/22284180/utah-jazz-host-philadelphia-76ers-in-battle-of-conference-leaders-donovan-mitchell-game-preview


Considering the current trends of the league, the contrast in three point shooting between the Jazz and Sixers is a reflection of coaching. Simply put, in my opinion, it is unacceptable for the Sixers to be 28th in the league in three point attempts. Sixers coach Doc Rivers should absolutely have his team shooting more threes.




More about the rosters. Simmons is their Gobert and while Embiid can hit them how much do you want him out of the paint?


On the other hand, Jazz Coach Quinn Snyder has the Jazz taking and making threes at a historic rate. Snyder deserves credit for creating an overall philosophy that continues to spread the floor and produce the most important, effective, and efficient shot in modern basketball.




Has the players. Didn't take a genius. The fact that it took 6 years should be the question?

[Xiao Yao You]

Mike Conley: His name is @JordanClarksons !! Happy for you bro!!! #6thman #NBAAllStar #mostimproved Give him everything! (https://*********.com/social/tweets/) https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.0.1/svg/1f937-1f3fe-200d-2642-fe0f.svghttps://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.0.1/svg/1f440.svg #TakeNote
– via Twitter MCONLEY10 (https://twitter.com/MCONLEY10)

[Xiao Yao You]

Michael Scotto: Ben Simmons, who scored a career-high 42 points, on Rudy Gobert: “I loved when I saw Rudy was guarding me. I love being able to go at somebody like that. I felt like it was a little bit of disrespect putting him on me, (https://*********.com/social/) but it is what it is.”
– via Twitter MikeAScotto (https://twitter.com/MikeAScotto)



Yeah putting the best defender in the league on you is so disrespectufl!



Rich Hoffman: Tobias Harris had a long answer about the 3-point volume, admits that Sixers could shoot more. “Simple math, 3 is more than 2.” (https://*********.com/social/)
– via Twitter rich_hofmann (https://twitter.com/rich_hofmann)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/453338/oneale-and-clarkson-carry-jazz-over-76ers/


Ben Anderson


@BensHoops


(https://twitter.com/BensHoops?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembe d%7Ctwterm%5E1361533191354466310%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon %5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fkslsports.com%2F453338%2Fone ale-and-clarkson-carry-jazz-over-76ers%2F%3F)

(https://twitter.com/BensHoops/status/1361533191354466310?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5 Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1361533191354466310%7Ctwgr% 5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fkslsports.com%2F453338%2Fone ale-and-clarkson-carry-jazz-over-76ers%2F%3F)
Royce O’Neale being the 7th best player on your roster is an incredible luxury.



7th? :roll: Can't imagine them without him

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/453324/joe-ingles-passes-pistol-pete-maravich-for-7th-in-jazz-history-in-career-assists/

Looks like he'll get to at least 5th

[Xiao Yao You]

Andy Larsen: Mike Conley is upgraded to Questionable for tomorrow’s game (https://*********.com/social/) vs. the Clippers.
– via Twitter andyblarsen (https://twitter.com/andyblarsen)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50108470/from-the-comments-ranking-the-jordan-clarkson-trade-after-his-40-point-explosion-against-philly


"Trading Dante Exum for Jordan Clarkson was one of the best trades the Jazz have ever made." — jaredteerlink



doesn't make up for drafting him, signing him to an extension and refusing to include him in the Conley trade


Spencer Haywood for Adrian Dantley (1979): The Jazz sent Haywood to LA for the 23-year-old Dantley, who became the Jazz's first star of the Salt Lake City era. Dantley made six all-star teams while in Utah and led the franchise to its first playoffs in 1984. Haywood was dismissed by the Lakers in 1980.



went to Europe I thought


Jeff Malone and a first-round pick for Jeff Hornacek (1994): Hornacek is often credited for getting the Jazz over the hump and to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history. Meanwhile, Jeff Malone played just 78 more games in his career after the trade.



I thought about as much of Malone as I did Exum. Thought a lot more ofHorny than Clarkson


Three first-round picks for Deron Williams (2005): The Jazz sent the picks that would become Martell Webster, Linas Kleiza and Joel Freeland to the Portland Blazers for the rights of Deron Williams. By 2007, the Jazz were playing in the Western Conference Finals behind their new star point guard.



the fact that they didn't take Paul makes this a lot worse


Second-round pick and cash for Rudy Gobert (2013): This was less of a trade and more just smart investing. The Jazz bought back into the first round to take Gobert, who has become the centerpiece to the franchise.



and Denver didn't want the pick


Dante Exum and two second-round picks for Clarkson (2019): The Jazz moved on from the oft-injured Exum last winter, and in return found the perfect bench player for Quin Snyder's system. Clarkson is averaging a career-high 18.2 points this season on career-high shooting numbers. Exum has played just 30 games since the trade.



the bigger problem is that Exum just sucks. 2 2nd rounders just to get rid of his ass when they could have had Conley :facepalm


Mitchell: fresh-faced star at the perfect time
Dantley: legitimized the franchise after its arrival in Utah
Hornacek: Finals appearances speak for themselves
Williams: new star following the Stockton-to-Malone era
Gobert: this one loses points because it feels more like a purchase than a trade (yeah, semantics, but remember these are meaningless)
Clarkson: if the Jazz end up being as good as they look right now, this will get a big bump.


Gobert. 3rd best player in history

Dantley their star before Stockton/Malone

Williams their next star after the aforementioned

Horny the missing piece almost

Mitchell might move up

Clarkson Exum going was best part of trade


The Jazz are slowly winning believers throughout the basketball world. Really, it's hard for any team to go 19-1 over a 20-game stretch. There should be no doubt left that Utah is a legitimate title contender — the last week just helped solidify that even more. Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo called the Jazz the best team in the West and seemed genuinely jealous of how they were playing. Meanwhile, ESPN, NBA.com and The Athletic all have Utah as the No. 1 team in their weekly power rankings.




still plenty of doubt. It's Utah

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50108424/patrick-kinahan-jazz-making-case-for-best-team-in-franchise-history


Based off of playoff reputation, the Jazz team is no competition for the Stockton and Malone bunch. The two stars were in the midst of a playoff run they began together when Malone joined the team in 1985, one year after Stockton was drafted out of Gonzaga.




A playoff run that started before John


Mitchell's bold statement had better prove accurate this postseason. At this point, barring a horrendous run of injuries or COVID restrictions, anything less than advancing to the second round would be considered a major disappointment and render hollow any regular-season accomplishments.




anything less than a title should be a disappointment at this point


The Gobert factor also is a huge advantage that favors this year's team. Nobody on the finals team could come close to match his defensive ability, especially recalling that Mark Eaton had retired by then.




Eato was a big reason they took another step. Not playing 4 on 5 on offense does wonders for ya

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/453381/magic-johnson-says-jazz-are-contenders/

but have no MVP candiadates! :lol

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/453367/where-does-clarkson-trade-rank-in-jazz-history/


Williams quickly became one of the premier point guards in the NBA, while draft picks Martell Webster, Linas Kleiza, and Joel Freeland experienced moderate success during their much less notable NBA careers.




No one knows who the Jazz would have drafted. We just know it wasn't Paul


Dantley would make six All-Star appearances in seven seasons and was eventually inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2008. Though Dantley’s individual resume is better than any other player the Jazz have traded for, the team’s success was limited during his time in Utah.
Dantley’s Jazz qualified for the postseason only two-times during his seven seasons with the team before being traded to make way for Stockton and Malone.


stuff Mithell hasn't done :facepalm


Though Donovan Mitchell’s resume isn’t as impressive as Dantley’s, it’s likely only a matter of time before the fourth-year guard racks up career accolades that outshine the former Jazz All-Star.




Likely? AD was one the best offensive players ever


The Jazz would have paid a king’s ransom if they knew what they were getting in Mitchell, but the fact that they offered so little makes the trade even more impressive.




wouldn't say it was little. Yet to replace Lyles


Likely the only thing separating the Mitchell trade and the Rudy Gobert trade is the fact that the Jazz gave up two first-round picks for Mitchell, while they landed Gobert in exchange for second pick Erick Green and cash.




the thing that separates them is the past 6 years


Though Gobert has only made one All-Star team, he is a three-time All-NBA center, four-time All-Defensive team member, two-time Defensive Player of the Year, and is easily one of the five best players in Jazz history.




3rd. No one else in the discussion


However, with Clarkson on pace to win the Sixth Man of the Year Award on one of the best teams in Jazz history, it’s fair to consider that Clarkson’s move to Utah may soon resemble the team’s trade to acquire Hornacek in the early 90s.


no it's not

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/sports/2021/2/16/22285765/ben-simmons-says-he-felt-disrespected-being-guarded-by-utah-jazzs-rudy-gobert-philadelphia-76ers


“Yeah, I loved when I saw Rudy was guarding me,” he said, chuckling. “I mean, I love being able to go at somebody like that. I felt like it was a little bit of disrespect putting him on me, but it is what it is.”




who else would they put on you?

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/sports/2021/2/16/22284081/jordan-clarkson-season-high-40-bench-sixers-utah-jazz-had-to-say-6th-man-6moy-nba


Quin Snyder: “I think the mix that he has of his aggressiveness both from the 3-point line and at the rim — we really talked a lot about his ability to shoot 3s as opposed to settling for the midrange when he’s he’s so good at the rim — and one of the things he’s doing is when he does get into paint, he’s such a good finisher, but he’s also got his eyes out, and we want his eyes on the rim, (laughs) but he’s also been unbelievably unselfish. I believe in him and his teammates believe in him. He’s confident to begin with, but I think that takes him to a really good place mentally. I just like the other things he’s trying to do as well. I think the way that he’s thrown himself into the game — you see him on the offensive glass, you see him trying to defend — and I think that helps him stay focused. He doesn’t need to be too open to be aggressive and shoot the ball and that’s what we want. That’s what his teammates want, too.”




unselfish? :D

[Xiao Yao You]

Jazz were looking for a scorer who could break the paint when they traded for Jordan Clarkson (https://*********.com/rumor/jazz-were-looking-for-a-scorer-who-could-break-the-paint-when-they-traded-for-jordan-clarkson/)https://*********.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/92/2020/12/i_ac_e9_c4_jordan-clarkson.png?w=190The urgent need to add another wing would lead to the Clarkson trade, with one source who was involved in the process saying the Jazz were looking for a scorer who could shoot and “break the paint.” (https://theathletic.com/2393642/2021/02/17/nba-trades-revisited-the-clarkson-wiggins-morris-capela-deals-a-year-later/) Utah’s front office was exploring other scenarios to fill this role at the time, but Jazz president of basketball operations Dennis Lindsey & Co. turned their attention to Clarkson when Cavs general manager Koby Altman made it clear he was available.
– via Sam Amick @ The Athletic (https://theathletic.com/2393642/2021/02/17/nba-trades-revisited-the-clarkson-wiggins-morris-capela-deals-a-year-later/)



I was just hoping for anyone that wasn't Dante! :cheers:

[Xiao Yao You]

Quin Snyder of the Utah Jazz will coach the Western Conference entry in next month’s All-Star Game, (https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30918272/sources-utah-jazz-coach-quin-snyder-lead-western-conference-all-star-game) sources told ESPN.
– via Tim Bontemps @ ESPN (https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30918272/sources-utah-jazz-coach-quin-snyder-lead-western-conference-all-star-game)



While the league has not officially announced the game is taking place March 7, if it holds to its typical timeline of selecting the coach of the team with the best record as of two weeks before the game — which sources say the league intends to do — then Snyder officially locked up the honor with Utah’s win over the Philadelphia 76ers Monday night (https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30918272/sources-utah-jazz-coach-quin-snyder-lead-western-conference-all-star-game).
– via Tim Bontemps @ ESPN (https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30918272/sources-utah-jazz-coach-quin-snyder-lead-western-conference-all-star-game)



Snyder will be the first Jazz coach to represent the West in the All-Star Game since Frank Layden in 1984. (https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30918272/sources-utah-jazz-coach-quin-snyder-lead-western-conference-all-star-game) Remarkably, despite all of his success in Utah, Hall of Fame coach Jerry Sloan never did so in his more than two decades
– via Tim Bontemps @ ESPN (https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30918272/sources-utah-jazz-coach-quin-snyder-lead-western-conference-all-star-game)






job security doesn't equal greatness

[Xiao Yao You]

Where did this dominance come from? On the surface, the adage persists that a team that can rest in the top 10 of the league offensively and defensively has a chance to win a lot of basketball games. The Jazz are top-five in both. Offensively, they can shoot you out of the gym. Defensively, they squeeze you like a boa constrictor. (https://theathletic.com/2388294/2021/02/15/utah-jazz-title-championship-contenders-nba/?fbclid=IwAR39hJU3zs_lUYYjkTO-HfI4My8FsAb2jHXfSI7ESFOiChfh26TQLbm25b0) They are 11 deep with legit rotation players. Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert are All-Stars and All-NBA candidates. Mike Conley, Bojan Bogdanovic and Joe Ingles are elite veteran role players, with Conley having an All-Star argument in his own right. Jordan Clarkson would be the runaway Sixth Man of the Year if the season ended today. The Jazz are versatile, they are capable of beating you in a number of different ways, and they are, at the very least, an NBA title contender.
– via Tony Jones @ The Athletic (https://theathletic.com/2388294/2021/02/15/utah-jazz-title-championship-contenders-nba/?fbclid=IwAR39hJU3zs_lUYYjkTO-HfI4My8FsAb2jHXfSI7ESFOiChfh26TQLbm25b0)





Oni isn't a legit role player yet. End of the bench energy guy that should be with the Stars ideally. Morgan might be but we haven't seen enough to know for sure. Ideally he'd be with the Stars or starting not at the end of the bench not watching. Or maybe you're talking Shaq who we've yet to see?


“People think we win games because we hit a lot of threes,” Utah center Derrick Favors told The Athletic. “The reason we win games is because of how we defend. (https://theathletic.com/2388294/2021/02/15/utah-jazz-title-championship-contenders-nba/?fbclid=IwAR39hJU3zs_lUYYjkTO-HfI4My8FsAb2jHXfSI7ESFOiChfh26TQLbm25b0) The defense sustains us when things aren’t going well offensively, until we can hit some shots.”
– via Tony Jones @ The Athletic (https://theathletic.com/2388294/2021/02/15/utah-jazz-title-championship-contenders-nba/?fbclid=IwAR39hJU3zs_lUYYjkTO-HfI4My8FsAb2jHXfSI7ESFOiChfh26TQLbm25b0)



Going deeper, nobody foresaw this. Except for maybe the Jazz themselves. While the rest of the league talked, the Jazz themselves stayed quiet. Utah went out in the first round of the postseason in the bubble, but privately, the Jazz didn’t think they were far away. A healed injury here, a free agency signing there and internal improvement everywhere has led to the best start in franchise history. “I just wish you guys had been there to see us during our offseason workouts,” Mitchell said. “Everyone worked their behinds off because we knew what we had a chance to be. Whatever guys had to do in workouts, that’s what guys did.” (https://theathletic.com/2388294/2021/02/15/utah-jazz-title-championship-contenders-nba/?fbclid=IwAR39hJU3zs_lUYYjkTO-HfI4My8FsAb2jHXfSI7ESFOiChfh26TQLbm25b0)
– via Tony Jones @ The Athletic (https://theathletic.com/2388294/2021/02/15/utah-jazz-title-championship-contenders-nba/?fbclid=IwAR39hJU3zs_lUYYjkTO-HfI4My8FsAb2jHXfSI7ESFOiChfh26TQLbm25b0)



Utah, however, has been a surprise. They are the team that’s crashed the party. They are the uninvited guests. The ball movement. The shooting. The ability to defend. The depth. It’s all drawing comparisons to great teams of yesteryear. “They are so difficult to defend because they have answers to every coverage you throw at them,” Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. “They’ve got excellent one-on-one players in Mitchell, Bogdanovic and Clarkson, and then they’ve just got a ton of guys that shoot it, move it, or drive it. I think it’s the closest team to the 2014 San Antonio Spurs that we’ve played, the way the ball moves and how quickly the right decision is made. The ball doesn’t stick.” (https://theathletic.com/2388294/2021/02/15/utah-jazz-title-championship-contenders-nba/?fbclid=IwAR39hJU3zs_lUYYjkTO-HfI4My8FsAb2jHXfSI7ESFOiChfh26TQLbm25b0)
– via Tony Jones @ The Athletic (https://theathletic.com/2388294/2021/02/15/utah-jazz-title-championship-contenders-nba/?fbclid=IwAR39hJU3zs_lUYYjkTO-HfI4My8FsAb2jHXfSI7ESFOiChfh26TQLbm25b0)

[Xiao Yao You]

Cody Taylor: The Mavericks announced today that they have flex-assigned rookie Josh Green to the G League’s Salt Lake City Stars (https://*********.com/social/).
– via Twitter CodyTaylorNBA (https://twitter.com/CodyTaylorNBA)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://saltcityhoops.com/how-the-jazz-can-improve-their-roster/


How the Jazz Can Improve Their Roster (https://saltcityhoops.com/how-the-jazz-can-improve-their-roster/)

get a starting PF!


The biggest separation between the Jazz and the consensus title-favorite Lakers team is a bonafide superstar. We’ve debated whether Utah’s collective contribution can overcome players of LeBron James’ or Anthony Davis’ calibre. We’ve talked about how Donovan Mitchell has shown a superstar level in the playoffs already. The Jazz will have to prove it this post-season, because there aren’t any available moves to add a superstar to this team.




The bubble! Biggest difference is their size


Lastly, the Jazz still have the option to reduce their tax bill. They can replace Shaq Harrison and another player to save money, in a maneuver our Dan Clayton has described (https://saltcityhoops.com/reader-qa-keeping-conley-tax-man-cometh-trade-ideas-more/) where they’d trade two inexpensive players and then replace them on partial season deals. It seems unlikely they salary dump Miye Oni, Juwan Morgan, or Elijah Hughes, but they can do so if they want to forego a luxury tax bill this season.




the love of Hughes is still amazing to me. Maybe he'll show me tomorrow with the Stars?


Impressively, the Jazz are undefeated in all those games. Ingles has shifted into a starting role in games missed by his peers, and Oni and Morgan have filled in the bench minutes freed up by Joe’s promotion to the starting five. We have yet to see a starting big man miss games, so it’s unclear how Snyder will handle those scenarios. If O’Neale is injured, for example, a low usage defensive player like Oni or Morgan might be better with the starters. So far, Oni has been the clear 10th man, and Morgan the 11th.




O'Neale isn't a big!


Another intriguing name is Rudy Gay. He’s playing 22 minutes per game for the Spurs, who if you haven’t noticed, are 8th in the league. It seems unlikely that San Antonio would buy him out at this point, but if they trail off and Rudy wants to play for a contender, they may grant his wish. At 6-foot-8 and shooting 37% from three, he could be an excellent fit for the Jazz.




trade Bojan for him!


Maybe a small move for a player like Raul Neto or the aforementioned Temple happens. Perhaps a bigger wing like Danuel House or Dorian Finney-Smith becomes available. But a trade feels pretty hard to pull off at this point.




leave Neto alone. Coach doesn't like him


If we’re talking about hard to pull off, we might as dive into the deep end for a moment. Let’s look at Utah’s current situation: they’re the number one seed in the league. Anthony Davis is out for several weeks with a calf injury. Without Davis, the Lakers are vulnerable (although I would never write off LeBron, even without AD). Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are banged up. Nagging injuries or COVID protocols could hinder either LA team during the playoffs. The Jazz may look at this year and deem it their best opportunity to win a championship.




they certainly may never have another shot. They should certainly be all in but it's the Jazz so...


The Jazz would be paying a high price for a half-season rental. All of those players are seeking big deals next season, and Utah couldn’t keep them without an insane tax payment or trading away a bigger salary. Perhaps Bojan could be included in a deal, or the Jazz could engineer a sign-and-trade next season. In any scenario, it’s a risky move.



Bojan is the guy they should be looking to move


The Jazz can’t offer a very big role. Lauri and John have started their whole career and play 30+ minutes per game. Even Hart is playing 28 minutes off the bench. The Jazz could move Bojan or Royce to bench (hard to swallow) or give up Niang’s plus part of Favors’ or Ingles’ minutes … again, this is really hard to pull off.



all of those make sense except for O'Neale to bench

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50109635/rudy-gobert-was-so-dominant-in-utahs-win-over-the-clippers-that-even-the-box-score-showed-it


During the Jazz's historic stretch, they have gone 2-0 without Mitchell and are now 6-0 without Mike Conley after he missed Wednesday's game due to right hamstring tightness. Mitchell is a lock to be an All-Star and Conley will garner plenty of interest, too — the Jazz have still won (and won easily) without them. It's hard to imagine Utah continuing the same level of dominance without Gobert in the lineup; he's too important.




but they don't lose anything with Favors!


Sure, the Clippers were without Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Nicolas Batum, but this was far from a one-game occurrence. Gobert is playing at a higher level than he ever has — he's even getting some fringe MVP buzz due to this simple reasoning. He's the reason the Jazz are the best team in basketball, and doesn't that mean he's the most valuable?




someone getting it?


The real good news for the Jazz: He only appears to be getting better. Mitchell, who had 24 points, seven assists and seven rebounds (in what would be considered an uneven performance — just another example how good the Jazz have been as of late), said he believes Gobert is currently playing the best basketball of his career.




an all too typical performance from their superstar

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/453502/gobert-helps-jazz-conquer-shorthanded-clippers/


Ivica Zubac is one of the better true seven-footers in the NBA, and though he had a strong eight point, 10 rebound performance in a little over 20 minutes against the Jazz, the Clippers were -16 in the limited minutes he was on the floor.




He's good but one of the better ones?


If Snyder would be willing to rest a few Jazz players, most notably Mitchel and Gobert, he could buy them up to 96 hours without playing in a competitive game in a season where rest is at an absolute premium.




Hard to sit Rudy. Got to get 1st seed. Snyder could go to his deep bench more but as we saw tonite that's hard for him even when the other team waves the white flag. Rudy's numbers aren't heavy this year anyway

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/sports/2021/2/17/22286402/instant-analysis-utah-jazz-beat-los-angeles-clippers-improve-to-24-5-on-the-season-nba-rudy-gobert


I have to give a lot of credit to Mitchell and Clarkson because even on low-efficient nights they were shooting through their difficulties. That doesn’t always make for very nice looking basketball, but it’s important for offensively powerful players to be confident in playing through a slump, whether that’s over the court of multiple games or in the course of a single game. The put up a combined 45 shot attempts and scored a combined 42 points. Like I said, not always the prettiest, but the Jazz needed what they brought in the second half.



what was great was COTM sitting Bojan when sucking for a change!

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/2/17/22288746/rudy-gobert-and-the-utah-jazz-stifle-depleted-la-clippers-donovan-mitchell-jordan-clarkson


These are the things that Mitchell is doing that are making him an MVP candidate. He had a rough first half then comes out in the second and takes over. It’s also a credit to Quin Snyder who comes out after halftime with a game plan that wins the game.




:facepalm


Rudy Gobert was easily the best player on the court tonight. During a sloppy first three quarters, Gobert held it down in the paint. And, as good as Favors is, there was clearly a drop off defensively when Gobert rested on the bench.




as there almost always is

[Xiao Yao You]

Ben Anderson: Joe Ingles on Quin Snyder: “He’s the best coach I’ve ever had.” (https://*********.com/social/)
– via Twitter BensHoops (https://twitter.com/BensHoops)





sorry to hear that Joe

[Xiao Yao You]

Ben Anderson: Donovan Mitchell received the fourth most votes among fans and media to start for the Western Conference playoff team. He was fifth among the media (https://*********.com/social/).
– via Twitter BensHoops (https://twitter.com/BensHoops)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://twitter.com/AndrewGreif/status/1362558027304374272/photo/1

Looks like the media ought to do the voting. Players voting for Zion and Ingram over Rudy. The same players that run from him on the floor! :roll:

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50110398/charles-barkley-says-its-unfortunate-donovan-mitchell-wont-be-starting-the-all-star-game


"When you have the best record in basketball that says a lot. … Donovan Mitchell should be rewarded in my opinion," Barkley said.




When Gobert and Mitchell are better?


"He's been the best bench player in the NBA this season," Barkley said. "They have the best record in the NBA. Most people don't know that he has been fantastic this year. That's why I got him on my list."




ahead of Conley and Gobert?

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50110083/from-the-comments-the-jazz-have-been-so-good-that-end-of-games-have-been-quite-boring


Utah is also currently the only team in the league that has a top five offensive and defensive rating — a staple of those Warriors squads (and frankly, many title teams). But before you get too far ahead of yourself: There were two teams that finished in the top five in both categories last season — Boston and the LA Clippers. Neither made it to the Finals.




The bubble! :lol

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/453538/jazz-buyout-candidates-and-mailbag-answers/


Anderson: I do think the Jazz should explore the buyout market as it comes closer to reality, and it’s likely their best option to improve. As of now, I wouldn’t trade any of the team’s top nine rotations pieces (Conley, Mitchell, Bogdanovic, O’Neale, Gobert, Clarkson, Ingles, Favors, Niang) and I am not sure anyone behind them (Oni, Morgan, Harrison, Hughes, Azubuike) has more value around the league than they do to the Jazz.




I'd trade anyone if it made sense especially if they got a starting PF


Unless the Jazz have seen something in Bogdanovic this year that makes them think there’s going to be a significant drop in his play and now is time to get away from the remaining two years and $38 million left on his deal, (it would make re-signing Conley easier) then I don’t see where the Jazz would want to make a trade.




Bojan can play at the tp of his game and they need to look to move him.


He could provide emergency depth if the team has an injury on the guard line, but he might not leap Oni on the depth chart.




likely he would. Already played for Snyder


If he got waived, he’d have to clear waivers first before the Jazz could talk to him, and he’d have plenty of suitors for playoff teams wanting a floor-spacing veteran. And to that point, he may not clear waivers.




they could claim him on waivers. Don't need a shooter


He’s not better than Royce O’Neale at this point in his career, and he’s not as prolific of a shooter as Bogdanovic, but he’s better defensively. The Jazz could certainly use Ariza, even if it’s only for spot minutes in the postseason.




starting 4!


Porter is a name I’d keep a close eye on, and as a 40 percent three-point shooter on more than four attempts per game, he could really help.




starting 4!


The idea of Mike Muscala has probably always been better than the reality, but a backup four that shoots 38 percent from the three-point line and has played in more than 400 career games is nothing to shake a stick at.




4?


They already waived Alex Len this season, so they may not want to do that again while lacking depth in the frontcourt, but the Baynes experiment has been a failure and they likely have no interest in picking up his player option next season.




He'd be nice at the end of the bench


Mike D’Antoni teams couldn’t ever overcome this problem in Phoenix or Houston, but the Warriors won three titles in five years. Last season the Milwaukee Bucks were incredibly difficult to plan for with one day of preparation but were pretty easily eliminated in the playoffs.




the bubble!


It starts with committing to slowing the pick and roll with only two players, and not bringing help defenders. Then, those other three defenders have to nearly faceguard the other Jazz shooters on the floor to make sure the team’s perimeter shooting never gets going.




Go big and create mismatches with the Jazz small lineup and hope they put Favors at the 4 and lose their spacing

[Xiao Yao You]

Mitchell’s pure statistical case might be the weakest of any West candidate actually. Despite the highlight reel, his percentages have never been that high for a leading man on a good offense because he relies on so many tough 2s. (https://theathletic.com/2398815/2021/02/19/nba-jimmy-butler-all-star-case-john-hollinger-reserves/?source=rss) His true-shooting percentage of 55.9 this year is right at his career level but pales next to most other West hopefuls; Booker and Conley are above 59 and DeRozan is at 60.3, for instance, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is at 61.2. On the other hand, Mitchell is the highest-usage payer on the league’s best non-garbage-time offense, and there is nothing even remotely outlier-ish about what he’s done this year. That’s important in the still relatively small sample of this season; we can still be a little more suspicious of players like DeRozan and Gilgeous-Alexander keeping this up for another 40-plus games.
– via John Hollinger @ The Athletic (https://theathletic.com/2398815/2021/02/19/nba-jimmy-butler-all-star-case-john-hollinger-reserves/?source=rss)





someone gets it

[Xiao Yao You]

A proposed concurrent resoultion aims to honor the life and achievements of former Utah Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan. S.C.R. 7, sponsored by Senator Lincoln Fillmore (R-Salt Lake), “honors the life and legacy of Jerry Sloan, (https://www.abc4.com/news/politics/life-and-legacy-of-jerry-sloan-honored-in-proposed-utah-concurrent-resolution/) basketball player and coach, for his achievements and the positive impact he had on the state of Utah.”
– via Addy Bink @ ABC4 (https://www.abc4.com/news/politics/life-and-legacy-of-jerry-sloan-honored-in-proposed-utah-concurrent-resolution/)



Sen. Fillmore’s resolution highlights not only Sloan’s achieve on the court, but his legacy beyond, drawing attention to the Bobbye and Jerry Sloan Hand-in-Hand Foundation, (https://www.abc4.com/news/politics/life-and-legacy-of-jerry-sloan-honored-in-proposed-utah-concurrent-resolution/) which helps “individuals and organizations reach their full potential, demonstrating not only his generosity but also his efforts to support his community.”
– via Addy Bink @ ABC4 (https://www.abc4.com/news/politics/life-and-legacy-of-jerry-sloan-honored-in-proposed-utah-concurrent-resolution/)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/sports/2020/12/7/22158571/quin-snyder-nba-utah-jazz-jordan-clarkson-derrick-favors-donovan-mitchell


The Utah Jazz made two big offseason moves: re-signing Jordan Clarkson and bringing back Derrick Favors. Both players could have made more money playing elsewhere, could have signed-short term contracts and they had options.





confirmed? It sounded like the Jazz were bidding against themsleves to me


There are a lot of reasons that Clarkson and Favors decided to stick with the Jazz on long-term deals, but one of the biggest reasons is the team’s head coach.




I think the money and the years was the main reason

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/sports/2021/2/19/22291285/is-jordan-clarkson-an-all-star-why-charles-barkley-believes-in-the-utah-jazz-guard-sixth-man



Why Charles Barkley thinks Utah Jazz sixth man Jordan Clarkson should be an All-Star




he's an idiot?

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/2/19/22291639/utah-jazz-2013-14-atlanta-hawks-2013-2014-san-antonio-spurs-2003-04-detroit-pistons-donovan-mitchell


Now Utah’s offensive system is very much in the vein of those Atlanta Hawks, but it is superpowered by star players like Donovan Mitchell, Mike Conley, Jordan Clarkson, and Rudy Gobert.




star gets thrown around too loosely

[Xiao Yao You]

Tim MacMahon: Mike Conley, who has the unofficial label as the league’s best veteran who has never been an All-Star, believes that he’s earned his spot this season. His answer when @andyblarsen asked Conley about his All-Star chances: “That would mean the world to me obviously. It would say a lot about me as a person after the year I had last year to come back and compete at the level that I’ve competed at. I do feel like I’ve played well enough to be in that conversation and to quite frankly be one of those reserves. I think this year everything has fallen into place where we [have] the best record and we’ve got a coach coaching the team. It’s all falling in line, so if it’s not going to happen this year, that would be tough.” (https://*********.com/social/)
– via Twitter espn_macmahon (https://twitter.com/espn_macmahon)





Agreed. Be surprised if you made it

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50111145/donovan-mitchell-calls-loss-to-clippers-a-bump-in-the-road-to-bigger-goals


"I thought our defense was pretty good until the heroics of Donovan Mitchell down the stretch. And he got going," Clippers coach Ty Lue said.




heroics or George stupidity?

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/453667/jazz-show-well-in-loss-to-clippers/


The Jazz allowed too many second-chance opportunities throughout the game which led to a 16-8 scoring advantage for LA on 11 offensive rebounds. Kawhi Leonard grabbed two offensive rebounds on one possession with less than a minute to play which kept the Jazz from ending a good defensive sequence from Royce O’Neale, ultimately sending Leonard to the free-throw line.




Maybe if they had a PF?


The Jazz will still close games with O’Neale, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Gobert in the playoffs regardless of who the Clippers chose to play at center, but having a defender for a few minutes a game that can cover Morris more effectively could be the difference in a postseason series.




having a starting 4 instead of Bojan or even Morgan would make a big difference


Juwan Morgan could be an option internally and there are ways to scheme for Morris’s offensive attack, but this was good exposure for the Jazz that they would prefer to see in the regular season rather than in game one of the playoffs with little time off to solve their issues.




he could be but you'd need a new coach


“I think this is a bump in the road and a good one, in my opinion,” Mitchell said. “I think this is something we can look at and say ‘Okay, we stayed with them but t




you playing a crappy 1st was the difference

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/sports/2021/2/19/22290131/instant-analysis-los-angeles-clippers-utah-jazz-nba-west-top-teams-kawhi-leonard-donovan-mitchell


There were a couple of things that happened that should be a little concerning though. When the Clippers had both George and Leonard sitting through a stretch in the fourth quarter, the Jazz had a chance to close the gap and even take the lead, but they didn’t. They need to be able to kick into a higher gear and capitalize on those moments.



Clippers are deeper after all the talk about how deep the Jazz are


When the Clippers went with a smaller lineup the Jazz were not great, they ended up leaving Beverley and Marcus Morris wide open for shots and didn’t rotate quick enough to make a difference on the defensive end.



going small on the Jazz. Jazz can't go any smaller other than Morgan at the 5

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/2/19/22292471/utah-jazz-winning-streak-ended-by-the-los-angeles-clippers-game-recap-donovan-mitchell


(on a side note, Snyder also sat Mitchell for an extended amount of time because he got 2 fouls early. It’s something I don’t always understand from Snyder. Mitchell ended the game with 4 fouls but because he sat, and because he was tentative when he came back in, it felt like he was avoiding fouls and his defense struggled because of it. And do we honestly think Mitchell will be in any sort of situation where he might foul out? Maybe, but it does feel like this is a rote rule for Jazz rotations that could use a little bit more spirit of the law.)




no he wouldn't foul out because he'd avoid playing any D not that he plays much now. Good reason to sit him and he sucked anyway

[Xiao Yao You]

Kostas Koufos is the new addition on the roster of Olympiacos with the two sides agreeing to join forces for the remainder of the 2020-21 season, (https://www.eurohoops.net/en/euroleague/1171848/olympiacos-near-a-deal-with-kostas-koufos/) the Reds announced Saturday. The Greek-American center as a free agent was aiming for an NBA return after his season with CSKA Moscow, however, Olympiacos convinced him to join its Turkish Airlines EuroLeague squad.
– via EuroHoops.net
(https://www.eurohoops.net/en/euroleague/1171848/olympiacos-near-a-deal-with-kostas-koufos/)




The deal between the Greeks and Koufos does not include an option for the 2021-22 season (https://www.eurohoops.net/en/euroleague/1171848/olympiacos-near-a-deal-with-kostas-koufos/).
– via EuroHoops.net (https://www.eurohoops.net/en/euroleague/1171848/olympiacos-near-a-deal-with-kostas-koufos/)





Always liked him. Too bad Jer didn't

[Xiao Yao You]

Lakers guard Dennis Schroder tested negative for COVID-19, but he will be out at least a week because of potential exposure to the virus through contact tracing, (https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30936431/los-angeles-lakers-dennis-schroder-tests-negative-7-day-quarantine) sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Lakers coach Frank Vogel said Saturday the team has a “more firm timeline” on Schroder, who will be sidelined an additional three games after being a late scratch in Thursday’s loss to the Brooklyn Nets because of the league’s health and safety protocols. He missed Saturday’s 96-94 loss to the Miami Heat and will also be out Monday versus the Washington Wizards and Wednesday at the Utah Jazz.
– via Dave McMenamin @ ESPN (https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30936431/los-angeles-lakers-dennis-schroder-tests-negative-7-day-quarantine)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50111335/from-the-comments-did-the-clippers-expose-the-jazz


Los Angeles needed some big moments from Patrick Beverly and Marcus Morris and some late offensive rebounds to clinch the game, and the Jazz had some bad 3-point luck (going 12-of-34 from deep).




having a 4 or one that COTM would play anyway could have changed that


When passing lanes get filled and plays get blown up, it's often up to one player to make things happen. Mitchell, like he did during last year's postseason, showed he can do that. Look at this play in the third:




to bad his play in the 1st was the game


The Jazz are fourth in the league in offensive rebounding percentage, according to Cleaning the Glass, but were beat to the boards Friday by a longer and taller team. On Leonard's late-game rebounds, for example, he was able to outreach Royce O'Neale (you could argue O'Neale's boxout could have been better, though).




Morgan? Someone else not named Favors?


Utah's lack of length on the wing hurt them on Friday and that may be something to keep an eye on going forward. The Jazz are the No. 1 rebounding team in the league, but that stat might not mean much in a seven-game series against teams with good rebounding forwards.




wing isn't the problem especially if O'Neale isn't playin' the 4

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/sports/2021/2/20/22291310/silver-linings-utah-jazz-loss-los-angeles-clippers-lessons-nba-western-conference-donovan-mitchell


The last thing they want is to learn tough lessons in the playoffs. That’s what the old Utah Jazz did, and this Utah Jazz team wants to be different.




good luck with that

[Xiao Yao You]

Sarah Todd: “I definitely think he deserves it, more than anyone.” Derrick Favors on Mike Conley potentially being an All-Star (https://*********.com/social/).
– via Twitter NBASarah (https://twitter.com/NBASarah)



Eric Walden: Mike Conley discussing his hamstring injury, said he mentioned in the last Charlotte game that it had tightened up a bit and wanted to get it stretched, (https://*********.com/social/) but “as soon as I said ‘hamstring,’ they took me out.” Said overall it was very mild, far less problematic than last year’s.
– via Twitter tribjazz (https://twitter.com/tribjazz)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/sports/2021/2/21/22291312/mike-conley-nba-all-star-reserve-disappointed-deserving-utah-jazz


Commentary: If Mike Conley is not named an NBA All-Star, we should all be disappointed




who cares as long as their elite superstar is there


The starters are voted on by the fans, media and players with 50% of the weighted vote going to the fans. It’s pretty much a popularity contest. But it’s the coaches that decide the reserves, and they should know better than most who is deserving of the honor.





we know the coaches suck at picking too. Media is best as sad as that is


Many who watched Conley struggle through the 2019-20 season had all but written him off as a washed veteran and then he completely flipped the script. He was outstanding in the NBA’s Orlando bubble and has come back this season looking like ... what‘s the word? Oh yeah, an All-Star.




he was fine most of last year

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/2/21/22294291/utah-jazz-news-and-notes-justin-zanik-woj-pod-donovan-mitchell-maria-taylor-espn-the-jump-nichols


Mitchell is getting some much earned attention for is play this year. As the lead offensive player for the #1 team in the league, Mitchell deserves to be considered one of the premier players in the league so it’s nice to see him get this attention.




leading scorer not one of the premier players on his own team


If Leonard did get those 2 offensive rebounds
we may have won the game

Posted by statpower (https://www.sbnation.com/users/statpower) on Feb 21, 2021 | 5:24 PM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/2/21/22294291/utah-jazz-news-and-notes-justin-zanik-woj-pod-donovan-mitchell-maria-taylor-espn-the-jump-nichols#536794114)



if Mitchell shows up in 1st they win

[Xiao Yao You]

Jazz forward Georges Niang specifically remembers a game in Boston last March: “I do remember Coach telling me: Shoot the f—— ball!” (https://www.truehoop.com/p/shoot-the-****ing-ball-d0e) What they do now is fascinating, brilliant, and profoundly different than the old Jazz. (Rockets employees have noticed and feel partly responsible.) The Jazz don’t lead the league in passing anymore. Instead, they lead the league in firing 3-pointers as fast as humanly possible—and now they’re 24-6, 2.5 games ahead of the Lakers, with the best record in the NBA.
– via Henry Abbott @ TrueHoop (https://www.truehoop.com/p/shoot-the-****ing-ball-d0e)

[Xiao Yao You]

If Jayson Tatum and Khris Middleton are selected, as expected, for spots as frontcourt reserves, it would leave only one spot for Sabonis, Randle, Bam Adebayo, Gordon Hayward, Tobias Harris and Nikola Vucevic. Unlike the frontcourt in the East, where much is up for debate, there should be no controversy out West for Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert, who is playing All-NBA-level defense for a team that has the best record in the NBA. Like last year, he will earn a $1 million bonus for being selected (https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/30917191/which-players-track-cash-all-star-all-nba-other-contract-bonuses-2021).
– via Bobby Marks @ ESPN (https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/30917191/which-players-track-cash-all-star-all-nba-other-contract-bonuses-2021)



Gobert also has a $500,000 bonus if he is named All-NBA First-Team Defense at the end of the season. One name not mentioned is Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry, who has appeared in five straight All-Star Games, earning a combined $600,000 in bonus money. Lowry has $500,000 in All-Star incentives this year and, despite ranking No. 4 among all point guards in real plus-minus, will likely not get named because of a crowded group of guards and the inconsistent play of the Raptors in the first half of the season (https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/30917191/which-players-track-cash-all-star-all-nba-other-contract-bonuses-2021).
– via Bobby Marks @ ESPN (https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/30917191/which-players-track-cash-all-star-all-nba-other-contract-bonuses-2021)





He was robbed of his million twice

[Xiao Yao You]

Eric Walden: Gordon Hayward on the Jazz: “Utah’s playing extremely well. A team that’s been together for awhile and know each other really well. They’re jelling on both ends. … Really imperative that we rebound well and defend against this team.” (https://*********.com/social/)
– via Twitter tribjazz (https://twitter.com/tribjazz)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/2/22/22293266/utah-jazz-charlotte-hornets-rudy-gobert-donovan-mitchell-lamelo-ball-terry-rozier-game-preview


Another interesting issue that popped up against the Clippers was defensive rebounding. Nothing was more painful than seeing Ivica Zubac grab OREBs on multiple possessions and Kawhi grab two in a row during crunch time in the fourth. Cody Zeller and Bismack Biyombo are an excellent center rotation at offensive rebounding - the Hornets as a whole are among the best OREB teams, tied with the Jazz and Celtics (https://www.celticsblog.com/) for 4th at 11.1 per game. (The Pelicans lead the league at 11.6.) For a team that doesn’t generate many turnovers, the Jazz need to take care of the ball defensively and end possessions, or risk giving their opponents additional extra chances. Rudy, Derrick, and Royce are holding down the fort, but the wings and guards (especially Bojan and Joe, who average around 4.5 per 36 min) need to step it up. Against the Clippers, Bogdanovic, Ingles, Conley, and Clarkson totaled 3 rebounds in their collective 111 minutes on court. Rebounding is just one of those fundamentals that casual fans likely underrate in importance when it comes to stellar defense and winning games. With this game against the Hornets, look for the Jazz to rebound and start another winning streak.





pretty sure Ingles has picked up his rebounding this year. Something he's never done. Can't really expect it now just because you choose not to play with a PF

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/453760/why-do-the-jazz-lose-games/


While Mitchell’s poor shooting appears to be a culprit in the Jazz losses, there’s less of a pattern when looking at the season as a whole.




Mitchell and Bojan. Mitchell at least brings some other stuff to the table

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/sports/2021/2/22/22291314/utah-jazz-mailbag-playoffs-buyout-market-trade-deadline-offensive-rebounding-nba-rudy-gobert


First off, Jeff Green was an offseason acquisition (https://www.deseret.com/2019/7/2/8935355/jeff-green-agrees-to-one-year-2-5-million-deal-with-utah-jazz) that didn’t work out for the Jazz. He was part of a bench unit that included Tony Bradley and Ed Davis as backups for Rudy Gobert. I don’t think Green was the cause of any chemistry problems, I just think the Jazz weren’t that deep of a team and there were players that didn’t fit.




Bradley played after Green was let go but let's continue to blame him for all their problems! Green was certainly a big part of their problems mostly because the Jazz expected too much for a minimum contract


There’s always room for improvement and if the Jazz could do a better job of rebounding it would certainly make them more lethal. The simple answers are better communication and basic positioning and boxing out. That’s how the non-center players can do better. It also would be nice if Gobert had a better sense of where he was batting the ball when he taps out offensive rebounds, that kind of awareness could result in more offensive boards or just cut down on transition opportunities for the other team.




two words. Starting PF


As for developing a hook shot or even something else that he could use away from the basket, I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for that either. He definitely could work on it but that’s more of an offseason task than anything. It’s not going to happen between now and May 22.




his hook and face up both look good. Confidence is the issue

[Xiao Yao You]

https://saltcityhoops.com/sc7-takeaways-contender-clash-all-star/


So far, there’s little reason to believe they can’t hang with anybody. (They’ll get their first look at the Lakers this week, albeit without All-NBA big man Anthony Davis or starting guard Dennis Schroder.)




plenty of reason to think they can't hang with he Lakers


The Jazz didn’t stay in rebuilding mode for long, partially because Snyder just couldn’t help himself. He identified the unique ability of a gangly 22-year-old and decided to reimagine his team’s whole identity as a function of this raw youngster who his predecessor had mostly left on the shelf.




Really? Not sure they've figured it out still 6 years later


Gobert’s selection is probably the most secure, and the reasons why have very little to do with the number above. The coaches who select Western All-Stars are the ones who have to build game plans to deal with Gobert’s ridiculous impact at both ends of the court. The way that Utah’s entire defense is structured around his game-changing ability to guard multiple people on the same play, to deter, to scare the crap out of people. But also the way Utah’s offense is predicated on Gobert’s roll gravity. His rim-finishing ability and sheer, unblockable size open up a ton of Utah’s league-leading 3-point attempts.




twice he didn't make it when he should have so he's hardly more secure than Mitchell. PPG and hype wins out sadly


Mitchell, an All-Star last season, is subtly better at just about everything today. He’s also doing it in fewer minutes, since his 24-6 Jazz are kicking everybody’s butts and earning him some early rest in most games. Mitchell was third in the NBA in clutch field goals last season, but this year has barely had to play clutch minutes at all — only 20 total minutes all season where the margin has been withing five points coming down the stretch.




didn't deserve it last year


Jazz 112, Clippers 116: Donovan Mitchell. This was a pretty easy call, even before his late heroics (12 points in the final minute and a half) gave Utah a bit of hope down the stretch. He and Bojan Bogdanovic (23 points) were the two Jazz players who consistently produced offense against LAC’s solid defense, and Mitchell did enough other stuff to edge Bogey, including very solid defense on the much bigger Paul George (who didn’t get a shot off in the 40% of his night that Mitchell was guarding him). Mitchell logged a 35-4-5 line, plus three steals.




his play in the 1st was the game so no!


Wednesday 2/24, Jazz vs. Lakers: The Jazz finally get a look (sort of) at the team that has to be considered their biggest obstacle on the path to contention. They were 0-3 against LeBron James’ squad last season, and a lot of their offseason retooling had to do with preparing themselves to see the supersized Lake Show sooner or later in the postseason. Davis (Achilles strain) and Schroder (health & safety) will both miss Wedensday’s game, and they’re two of LAL’s three top scorers and minute-getters. Not that it’s much consolation, though, as Utah will still have to deal with the MVP frontrunner. The Lakers have lost three of four, and three of the four before that included at least one overtime — making their regulation record 2-3-3 in the last two weeks and change.




yeah Favors was the answer! :roll: