2021 post season #1 seed in NBA!

[Xiao Yao You]

:cheers:

[Xiao Yao You]

https://sports.yahoo.com/2021-pbt-awards-defensive-player-200921178.html

:cheers:

[Xiao Yao You]

Lloyd Pierce: I’m still a coach. And so it’s an opportunity to learn a little bit more about Utah spacing on offense and how they’re generating the type of threes they’re generating and why they’re shooting the percentages that they’re shooting. I think Quinn (Snyder) does a tremendous job of getting the corners filled, their downhill attack, and this is in the half court, which makes it even more special. (https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/coaching-and-not-coaching-in-a-pandemic-with-lloyd-pierce/id1078713316?i=1000520598227) The way they can space doesn’t matter who’s in the corner. Gobert, they don’t just have them as a traditional post running to the block. He’s playing through the elbow. He’s playing in the trail spot and he’s obviously going into some pick and roll, some ball screen… So to watch it a little closer to study it.
– via Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/coaching-and-not-coaching-in-a-pandemic-with-lloyd-pierce/id1078713316?i=1000520598227)

[Xiao Yao You]

“A lot of my talent was that I was OK and good at a lot of things but I wasn’t great at anything,” Ingles said. “It wasn’t like, this team needs to bring me over because I’m an elite 3-point shooter or an elite defender or a playmaker.” Whereas Ingles didn’t have one elite skill to bring to the NBA floor as an 18-year-old, Giddey is already arguably the best passer in the 2021 draft class, which should translate from day one in the NBA. Watching film with him over Zoom, he sees everything a step ahead. Although not always as flashy as a Ball or Auburn standout Sharife Cooper, Giddey is unselfish with his hit-aheads. “It’s almost kind of like what people saw with LaMelo in the NBL like, kicking the ball ahead regardless of who it was,” Ingles said of Giddey. “If it was the right play to make, he was making it.” (https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/31439966/2021-nba-draft-how-one-year-nbl-turned-australia-josh-giddey-potential-lottery-pick)
– via Mike Schmitz @ ESPN (https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/31439966/2021-nba-draft-how-one-year-nbl-turned-australia-josh-giddey-potential-lottery-pick)



“Joe was way more like Josh than what he might remember,” said Marty Clarke, the NBA’s Global Academy technical director and a former Saint Mary’s College assistant. (https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/31439966/2021-nba-draft-how-one-year-nbl-turned-australia-josh-giddey-potential-lottery-pick) Clarke also served as the head coach of the Australian Institute of Sport and played a key role in the development of Ingles, Bogut, Patty Mills, Aron Baynes and Matthew Dellavedova. “Joe wasn’t a great shooter back then. Now, he’s a driller. It’s lights out. I think a lot of people get to a level and think they’re done. That’s where Joe is always working for the next thing, ‘What’s my next edge?’ And I think Josh will be exactly the same.”
– via Mike Schmitz @ ESPN (https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/31439966/2021-nba-draft-how-one-year-nbl-turned-australia-josh-giddey-potential-lottery-pick)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://saltcityhoops.com/jingles-or-jc-sixth-man-debate-centers-on-utah-bench-duo/

ingles of stfu!

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/459588/block-king-myles-turner-not-rudy-gobert-wins-season-title/

fun while it lasted

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/459574/utah-jazz-and-the-history-of-the-top-seed/


The team proved they could survive the close to the regular season without Mitchell but will need his elite scoring ability if they want to advance in the playoffs.




should win in the first round unless it's the lakers regardless


Those three players (assuming Mitchell returns) will provide the backbone for the Jazz postseason run, but what can they expect out of Bojan Bogdanovic.




it's more what can they expect of coty. will he bench guys that suck or play ersan like he should. doubt it

[Xiao Yao You]

https://sports.yahoo.com/experts-name-2021-nba-regular-175956400.html


Others considered: Utah's Joe Ingles, New York's Derrick Rose, Dallas' Jalen Brunson, Portland's Carmelo Anthony




:facepalm


Eppers: 76ers' guard Ben Simmons is the most versatile defensive player in the league, who made life miserable for everyone from score-first point guards to the best mid-range shooters.

:facepalm

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50169007/play-in-tournament-rooting-guide-who-should-jazz-fans-be-cheering-for-this-week


That doesn't mean the Jazz wouldn't have a chance. In fact, it would likely be a fascinating series. Would the Lakers' No. 1 defense be able to shut down Utah's elite offense? Could LA's porous 3-point offense (25th in the league) be able to keep up with the Jazz's sharpshooters? And there's one potential upside to the Lakers landing at eight: They might not be completely healthy by the first round, so it could be best to get them earlier than later — and a sign of that might be losing to Golden State in Wednesday's play-in game.



their only chance would be to go big and with Snyder that would probably mean Favors not Ersan/Morgan/Brantley. You'd probably rather face the Lakers now than later though


The Jazz, though, have a couple things working for them: Utah has outscored the Warriors by 52 points during Rudy Gobert's minutes this season (and he'll be playing much more in the postseason); and Utah's bench, featuring two Sixth Man of the Year candidates, is far superior than Golden State's mismatched group of reserves.



Their bench is better because of Gobert/Conley and despite Clarkson

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/2021/5/18/22428792/utah-jazz-injuries-donovan-mitchell-and-mike-conley-turned-into-jazz-assistant-coaches


“Coach has been having me bring the ball up the floor sometimes and I’m kind of lost-minded sometimes on what to call and what plays to run and stuff,” Clarkson said. “Those guys are always there to help and tell me what they see, so it’s been a good experience.”



you only know one play. Clarkson shoots

[Xiao Yao You]

https://saltcityhoops.com/defining-stats-from-a-historic-jazz-season/


Had Donovan Mitchell remained healthy, he would have a strong case for All-NBA (and still has a chance of making it, even after missing 19 games). And who knows what heights the team would’ve reached with better health.



might have did worse with more of their superstar actually


Mitchell improved in nearly every statistical category. More than anything though, he’s become a bonafide pure scorer (which happens to be the most valuable skill in basketball). He finished the season averaging 26.4 points per game, good for 10th best in the league. Some context makes this number much more impressive: Mitchell only played 33.4 minutes per game. If you adjust his scoring to points per 100 possessions, Mitchell averaged 38.5 points. Only 11 players in NBA history have reached a higher scoring rate by their fourth season.



gunner not scorer


While these were Rudy’s defining stats, I also want to note his 6.2% Hall of Fame probability via basketball-reference.com (http://basketball-reference.com/). This number is likely to be much higher after he wins another DPOY and All-NBA team. And even more so now that defensive standout Ben Wallace will join the Hall.



where will the statue go?


Since Donovan Mitchell was injured, Bojan took upon to the primary scoring load, averaging 22.8 points per game since April 17. Bogdanovic started the season slow, possibly due to a nagging wrist injury or fewer touches. While his usage should drop down again when Mitchell and Conley are both back, Bogdanovic has proven himself the capable primary option when needed. And the Jazz may very well need that in the playoffs, when defensive schemes take Mitchell and Conley away. Last year Bogdanovic was sorely missed in the playoff series against Denver. This season we’ll get to see how teams try to take away three legit scorers.



in game 7 maybe. Defense was their problem and he wasn't missed there for sure


Combine this, and the fact that he plays the second most minutes on the team, while still maintaining a 39% accuracy from three, and O’Neale remains the ultimate glue guy in his second season as a full-time starter.



one of their most important players for sure


Jordan Clarkson: 94 consecutive games with a made 3-pointer

who cares with some of the awful nights he had to get it


In contrast to his backcourt mate, Clarkson’s efficiency waxed and waned throughout the season. But his role is more focused as a pure bucket-getter. Yes, Clarkson was sometimes overzealous in his shot hunting. And his accuracy numbers dropped after flirting with the 50/40/90 club at the beginning of the season. But Clarkson is also tasked with manufacturing offense — at times outside of what the opposing defense schemes for. And there’s something to be said for volume scoring off the bench. It’s hard to score 18.4 points per game in less than 27 minutes per game. Efficiency numbers don’t account for degree of difficulty or volume, and watching Clarkson play makes it clear that he’s a skilled scorer.



he's a gunner


How does Clarkson do it? With an improved shot selection. This season only 2% of his shots came from the long midrange, which at early points of his career had been as high as 27%. Now he shoots 55% of his shots from three, dramatically higher than 19% in his first season. If you ever listen to the Utah broadcast, you’ve heard at length about his streak of consecutive games with a made thre, now at 94 games. While the streak itself is not really important, it’s emblematic both of Clarkson’s role a scorer and transformation of his shot profile.



55% of shots from 3 when you shoot 34% isn't good shot selection sorry


Favors’ season can be tricky to evaluate. His minutes dropped from 24.4 per game in the previous season to just 15.3 (and this was no surprise to Favors or the Jazz). At times his athleticism has felt rickety. And he plays behind Rudy Gobert, so the contrast in impact is extra visible. Speaking of contrast, Favors is often evaluated through the lens of not being Tony Bradley. This may not be fair to either player, but the truth is that Utah hemorrhaged leads during backup center minutes last season, and Favors was brought in to steady the ship. We can debate whether 15 minutes of backup center are worth $30 million over 3 years, but those minutes highlight a few important things:



horrible signing. Bradley at 3.5 million and the 10 mill to a stating PF was the way to go :cry:


Favors’ style of play allow the Jazz to play a consistent style of play the entire game




Bradley could play that style too. There's a lot of value in being able to give a team a different look. Not so sure I wouldn't rather Ersan was playing instead of Favors most of the time


Favors’ willingness to sacrifice minutes sets the tone a team that emphasizes unselfishness




I get the impression that he is almost done and happy to play less minutes while getting paid way too much to do so


Favors is good enough to play against opposing starting centers. This allows Gobert to stagger against opposing bench units, to enormous success.




debatable. Was night and day when Rudy was off the floor


You can make the argument that six of the above nine players had a career year. The team itself certainly had a year to remember. Anything can happen in the playoffs, particularly with so many contender level teams in the Western Conference. But no matter what happens, the Jazz provided an enormously entertaining season during a time when fans especially needed it.



Mitchell, Conley, Gobert, Ingles, O'Neale and Niang

[Xiao Yao You]

Shams Charania: The NBA will hold its annual Summer League in Las Vegas, Aug. 8-17, with all 30 teams playing five games and a championship game on Aug. 17 (https://*********.com/social/).

– via Twitter ShamsCharania (https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania)




good news. Dok needs it

[Xiao Yao You]

I’m really trying to help you understand the gapping hole of knowledge between you and the CDC.

[Xiao Yao You]

Ben Anderson: Donovan Mitchell on his availability for Game 1. “That’s the goal, there aren’t any setbacks, God forbid, knock on wood, but that’s the goal.” (https://*********.com/social/)
– via Twitter BensHoops (https://twitter.com/BensHoops)




Ben Anderson: Donovan Mitchell on his first practice: “Practice was good, I got out there and competed. You can tell it’s the first time […] in four or five weeks.” (https://*********.com/social/)
– via Twitter BensHoops (https://twitter.com/BensHoops)







Eric Walden: Donovan, on how his ankle feels after practice: “It’s definitely sore when you haven’t played in five weeks. But thankfully there’s no pain.” (https://*********.com/social/)
– via Twitter tribjazz (https://twitter.com/tribjazz)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/2021/5/19/22425377/utah-jazz-league-leading-season-no-1-rudy-gobert-constant-dpoy-playoffs-nba\


But, despite an unrelenting schedule and the wear and tear of a regular season compounded by the increased number of back-to-back sets, Gobert — arguably the most important player on this Jazz team — remained a dependable constant.



I know it sucks but there is no argument

[Xiao Yao You]

https://saltcityhoops.com/does-gobert-deserve-mvp-buzz-for-fueling-no-1-jazz/



This season, Rudy Gobert finished the season as the league leader in +/- with a total of +728. That is far and away the best +/- in the NBA this season. While fellow Jazzmen Conley (+548), Royce O’Neale (+473) and Ingles (+452) finishing 2nd-4th on this list is evidence of how great the Jazz starting lineup was this season (Bogdanovic finished 7th at +419) Gobert’s place as a +/- leader can be readily distinguished from Prince’s as the difference between Gobert and Conley on the list is greater than the difference between Prince’s league leading +/- and Rip Hamilton’s 5th place +/- in 2006.



Where's Mitchell?


So, if he’s not like Prince then there’s a good case he belongs in one of the other two categories we’ve seen in the last quarter century: Rudy Gobert is either an MVP caliber player or he is teammates with one. Mike Conley has had a long enough career that I think he’s safe enough to eliminate as an MVP-caliber player, especially when considering that he missed 21 games this season. That leaves the Jazz’s third All-Star, Donovan Mitchell as the only other candidate for an MVP-caliber teammate. But much like Conley, Mitchell missed a significant chunk of the season at 19 games and his total +/- was the lowest among the Jazz starting five at +287. I hope that Mitchell reaches his full potential and becomes an MVP-caliber player, I just don’t think there’s a strong argument that he’s there yet.



Their best player?

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/5/20/22445648/what-to-expect-from-the-utah-jazz-playoffs-2021-donovan-mitchell-rudy-gobert


Now that we know a little bit more about their upcoming first round matchup, what can we expect from the Jazz in this year’s playoff? Right now, a big question surrounding game one on Sunday is Donovan Mitchell’s status. He’s been out for over a month now with that ankle sprain sustained against the Pacers (https://www.indycornrows.com) back on April 16. The Jazz struggled without him, but won enough games to secure the one seed. The vibe going around is that the Jazz are being cautious and want to make sure he’s 100%, as they should. It seems like from some things other players have said, that Donovan Mitchell will be ready for game one. Part of me wonders if the Jazz are waiting to see who their opponent is before they decide if they need to unleash Spida-Man Mitchell or not. Maybe he sits game one, and as long as they don’t need him, he keeps nursing that ankle. Either way, at some point hopefully next week Donovan Mitchell is back on the floor in the NBA Playoffs. The world needs more of these 50+ point playoff games from Mr. Mitchell.



13-6 is struggling?


Bojan hitting his stride going into the playoffs might lowkey be the most important thing for this team’s title hopes. Having another scorer that can give you big buckets when you need them is a critical thing to have in the playoffs. Bojan’s shown that he can be superman in clutch moments, and for the Jazz to make a title run, they will need Bojan’s scoring, especially his three-point shooting.



what they need is a coach that will bench guys when they are hurting the team

Imagine, replace Ingles with Draymond this team would be a killer!
Posted by Ray7 (https://www.sbnation.com/users/Ray7) on May 20, 2021 | 12:38 PM (https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/5/20/22445648/what-to-expect-from-the-utah-jazz-playoffs-2021-donovan-mitchell-rudy-gobert#540365495)



:facepalm

[Xiao Yao You]

Rudy Gobert was one of five NBA players named to France’s Olympic men’s basketball roster on Thursday. (https://sports.yahoo.com/rudy-gobert-leads-france-olympic-211739355.html) Gobert, the Utah Jazz center, is joined by fellow NBAers Nicolas Batum, Evan Fournier, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Frank Ntilikina.
– via Yahoo! Sports (https://sports.yahoo.com/rudy-gobert-leads-france-olympic-211739355.html)

[Xiao Yao You]

After the victory against the USA in 2019, do you think you have a chance of beating them at the Olympics? Rudy Gobert: I’m afraid of nobody and my team is afraid of nobody. I never feared anyone, and it won’t change today. (https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/en/news/rudy-gobert-i-ll-get-on-the-plane-to-tokyo-with-the-nba-trophy-in-my-hand) The harder the challenge is, the more motivated I am. And I think it’s the same for my teammates. We hope they have the best team possible, but we know that other teams are strong also. It will be up to us to play our best basketball. As simple as that.
– via Tokyo 2020 @ Olympics.com (https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/en/news/rudy-gobert-i-ll-get-on-the-plane-to-tokyo-with-the-nba-trophy-in-my-hand)




Imagine you had to choose between winning an NBA ring and the Olympic gold medal. What would you choose? Rudy Gobert: I honestly can’t answer that question. Both would be unique, and I hope to be able to win both during my career. With everything we have gone through with the Utah Jazz, (https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/en/news/rudy-gobert-i-ll-get-on-the-plane-to-tokyo-with-the-nba-trophy-in-my-hand) from winning only 25 matches in the first year through to today, when we [won] the Western Conference… we went through a lot. The same goes for the national team. Look at where we started. Obviously, Tony [Parker], Boris [Diaw], Nico [Batum] and others managed to build a real team and gain a lot of respect in the world of basketball. So, winning an Olympic medal would not only be our accomplishment, but also theirs. It would continue their legacy, what they built before we arrived in the national team. Both titles are priceless, and those are the things that you never forget.
– via Tokyo 2020 @ Olympics.com (https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/en/news/rudy-gobert-i-ll-get-on-the-plane-to-tokyo-with-the-nba-trophy-in-my-hand)

[Xiao Yao You]

Well, everything except the getting played off the floor during the playoffs part. Anyone who has actually taken the time to watch the Utah Jazz in a playoff series knows that isn’t remotely true. Sorry, critics. Gobert won’t give you that one. “That’s definitely a false narrative,” Gobert told The Athletic in an interview on May 20 (https://theathletic.com/2602980/2021/05/21/one-on-one-with-utah-jazz-center-rudy-gobert-on-his-critics-and-more-in-a-way-they-are-not-wrong/?source=rss).
– via Tony Jones @ The Athletic (https://theathletic.com/2602980/2021/05/21/one-on-one-with-utah-jazz-center-rudy-gobert-on-his-critics-and-more-in-a-way-they-are-not-wrong/?source=rss)




But the other stuff? Gobert knows that criticism exists. And he knows all of the points, rebounds, blocked shots, DPOY’s or All-Star selections won’t shut down the noise. The remedy? Winning at a high level. And Gobert performing at a high level once the postseason starts for the Jazz on Sunday night. “In a way, they (the critics) are not wrong,” Gobert said. “It’s up to me to prove myself and to help my team be in a position to win a championship. I don’t see that as pressure. (https://theathletic.com/2602980/2021/05/21/one-on-one-with-utah-jazz-center-rudy-gobert-on-his-critics-and-more-in-a-way-they-are-not-wrong/?source=rss) I have high expectations of myself. Our team before the season set a goal to win a championship. If you are hard on yourself, it’s hard to see that as pressure. I’m actually pretty excited for the challenge.”
– via Tony Jones @ The Athletic (https://theathletic.com/2602980/2021/05/21/one-on-one-with-utah-jazz-center-rudy-gobert-on-his-critics-and-more-in-a-way-they-are-not-wrong/?source=rss)






Gobert knows this and knows that he has to be prepared to adjust to a number of looks. And he knows that there won’t be any excuse for failure. “Teams have been trying to do things to me like this the entire season,” Gobert said. “I’m way more comfortable guarding any kind of lineup compared to say four years ago. Teams have been trying to minimize my impact in all different ways. So, I just have to be ready for anything, and I have to be confident in what I can do.” (https://theathletic.com/2602980/2021/05/21/one-on-one-with-utah-jazz-center-rudy-gobert-on-his-critics-and-more-in-a-way-they-are-not-wrong/?source=rss)
– via Tony Jones @ The Athletic (https://theathletic.com/2602980/2021/05/21/one-on-one-with-utah-jazz-center-rudy-gobert-on-his-critics-and-more-in-a-way-they-are-not-wrong/?source=rss)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/sports/2021/5/21/22428709/utah-jazz-insiders-newsletter-memphis-grizzlies-golden-state-warriors-fans-this-week


The Jazz would absolutely have a chance to beat the Warriors in a seven-game series, but life would certainly be easier against the Grizzlies.



COTY should be fired if it goes more than 5

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/2021/5/20/22425374/utah-jazz-playoff-preview-jordan-clarkson-make-or-miss-league-playoffs-nba


If you were to scroll through social media during a game in which the Jazz guard is having an off night, it wouldn’t take long to find myriad posts complaining about the way that Clarkson plays, posts calling for Jazz coach Quin Snyder to take Clarkson out of the game, posts saying Snyder is a bad coach for the amount of time that Clarkson has the ball in his hands.



they both suck


Clarkson’s fiery and unrelenting approach to scoring demands attention from the defense, and the more he attacks, the more attention the opposition has to pay him. Teams have double-teamed, blitzed, top-locked and chased Clarkson around the court in an effort to show him down, and when they have to put so much energy into neutralizing one of the Jazz’s reserve players, it starts to open up the floor for everyone else.



playoffs are different. If I'm the other team he's left wide open from 3


“Guys like him, they can win you games, they can win you a series,” Mike Conley said. “With his ability to heat up so quickly, it can just change the flow of a game if things seem to not be going the right way or you’re having a tough time scoring a ball or an off night. He tends to find ways to get going and not everybody has a guy like that.”



more likely to lose you a game


“I keep my head down, keep grinding, keep taking the shots that are there, keep trying to make plays,” Clarkson said. “When shots fall, it feels good, but I’m always confident. I’m always going to take those shots and keep it rolling.”



it's the shots that aren't there that's the problem which is most of them with you

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/2021/5/20/22433101/rudy-gobert-defensive-player-of-the-year-candidates-dpoy-nba-ben-simmons-draymond-green-utah-jazz

the numbers tell me Simmons shouldn't even be in the race

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50171289/there-have-been-plenty-of-doubts-about-the-jazz-this-season--are-they-legitimate


However, against teams that switch the 1-5 pick-and-roll — or run "black" in NBA terms — Utah's offense can get bogged down. That's led to playoff losses in the past under coach Quin Snyder. Oh, and remember last Monday's defeat to the Golden State Warriors (the same Warriors Utah might just play in the first round)? That's what Draymond Green and Kevon Looney were able to do to stifle Utah's attack.



twice they had Rubio and Favors spotting up in the cornmer. Denver didn't stop Utah until game 7. They lost to one of the best teams ever the other time with Hill out and Gobert and Favors playing hurt :facepalm


But Utah went just 1-6 when Mitchell attempted more than 25 field goals this season — showing that still isn't the best option to counter it.



it should only be an option when they can't do it by moving the ball. Sadly Clarkson and Mitcehll don't play that way

The doubt: Utah doesn't have a top-tier star

Gobert and Conley has been this year too. All the focus will be on Mitchell though of course!


But while there should be no doubting Mitchell's playoff prowess — as a rookie, he led the Jazz to a first-round series upset win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, and last season, he had two 50-point games in the first round loss to the Denver Nuggets — the fact is, the Jazz have only made it past the first round once with Mitchell leading the way.



he led?


The origin for this comes from one gif-inducing play against Steph Curry from 2017 and the 2018 second-round series against Houston when Chris Paul got Gobert to switch on him and then hit about a million midrange shots.



yet crappy offense is why they lost to Houston

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/459825/jazz-to-host-grizzlies-in-opening-round-of-playoffs/


The Jazz haven’t won a playoff series in either of the last two seasons, having been eliminated in the first round each of the last two years. The team owned a 3-1 series lead over the Denver Nuggets in last season’s playoff opener but dropped the final three games of the series in a stunning upset.



Denver was favored


Mitchell again carried the Jazz in game two of the series, scoring 35 points for the second consecutive night while Kyle Anderson led the Grizzlies with just 16 points. Memphis shot just 40 percent from the floor and 27 percent from three in the 126-110 (https://kslsports.com/456369/jazz-sweep-grizzlies-for-fifth-straight-win/) loss.



carried! :facepalm

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/nba-playoffs/2021/5/21/22446896/playoff-donovan-mitchell-superstar


That 2017-18 regular season was fun. The Jazz had lost a star player and seemed destined fall down the Western Conference standings. But this team was scrappy. Led by the Defensive Player of the Decade, Rudy Gobert, and the new star on the block, Donovan Mitchell, Utah fought their way into the playoffs. This team was playing with found money. They weren’t supposed to be back into the middle of the playoff race so soon. So when the playoffs started, all eyes were one Donovan Mitchell. How would the star rookie perform?



debatable if he's a star now. Certainly wasn't then


Game one. Utah Jazz vs. Denver Nuggets (https://www.denverstiffs.com). Donovan Mitchell put up 57 points (https://youtu.be/i4EsVY66iIU), nine rebounds, and seven assists. Utah wasn’t able to pull out the win in overtime, but it was clear, this was a new Donovan Mitchell. He went on to play one of the most prolific individual series in NBA Playoff history. 36 points, five rebounds, and five assists per game. 52/51/95 shooting splits. Multiple 50+ point games. Highlight reel dunks. Game sealing shots. This was a historic series. This was what superstars looked like.



what about his D?

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/05/21/utah-jazz-jordan-clarkson-breakthrough/


It’s apparent that Snyder has given him the ultimate green light. After all, Clarkson is also averaging a career-high in 3-point attempts with 8.8 per game, marking the sixth-highest 3-point attempts (https://www.teamrankings.com/nba/player-stat/three-point-field-goals-attempted) per game across the entire league.



for the worst shooter. Ridiculous


In the games without Mitchell, who is arguably the Utah Jazz’s most important offensive player, Clarkson elevated his play in nearly every major statistical category, averaging 22.7 points, 3.0 assists, and 4.7 rebounds per game in the 19 games (https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/jordan-clarkson-without-donovan-mitchell-mike-conley-this-season) that Mitchell was unavailable.



no argument. They just tried to survive through his horrible games

[Xiao Yao You]

https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/262682/Mitch-Kupchak-Hornets-Looking-To-Add-Center-Or-Several-Centers

you want Favors?

[Xiao Yao You]

Eric Walden: Quin Snyder, on Donovan Mitchell’s progress in his recovery: “You don’t go from 0 to 100 right away, there’s an acclimation process. But he’s right where he needs to be in his approach.” (https://*********.com/social/)
– via Twitter tribjazz (https://twitter.com/tribjazz)




Eric Walden: Quin Snyder, on facing the Grizzlies: “Morant’s as dynamic a player as there is in this league. They compete, they play hard. (https://*********.com/social/) …They’re a formidable opponent.”
– via Twitter tribjazz (https://twitter.com/tribjazz)







Eric Walden: Quin Snyder, on the regular-season matchups vs. Memphis: “Such a unique situation, playing them 3 times in a short period of time. You can throw those games out, just like the rest of the regular season. (https://*********.com/social/) … They’re a different team than they were at that point.”
– via Twitter tribjazz (https://twitter.com/tribjazz)

[Xiao Yao You]

Eric Walden: Mike Conley, on what he’s seen from the Grizzlies recently: “They’ve shored up their rotation a bit, had some guys step up. (https://*********.com/social/) And they’ve done a tremendous job of closing out close games, like we saw in the play-in tournament.”
– via Twitter tribjazz (https://twitter.com/tribjazz)

z (https://*********.com/team/utah-jazz/)


Drew Hill: Mike Conley said he was at dinner with his wife and he was watching the game on his phone last night. “Knowing the Grizzlies, that city, and the way they carry themselves, you knew they were going to fight until the end.” (https://*********.com/social/)
– via Twitter DrewHill_DM (https://twitter.com/DrewHill_DM)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/459867/healthy-utah-jazz-host-surging-memphis-grizzlies-in-game-one/


While Jazz coach Quin Snyder was non-commital on how many minutes Mitchell would play, he praised the guard’s preparation for the postseason.



be more concerned if Conley is still on a minutes restriction. They don't Mitchell to beat them. They probably need Mike though


Second-year star Ja Morant was the key factor in the leap. The guard’s shooting percentage from three climbed to 37 percent per game over the final 24 games of the year after shooting just 24 percent from deep over the first 37 games of the season.



that could be big


Morant meanwhile was successful offensively against the Jazz, despite coming up empty in the win column. The star guard averaged 26.7 points, 7.3 assists, and 2.3 rebounds while shooting 51 percent from the floor and 40 percent from three.



slow him down and make him work for it and you should win

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/459849/three-under-the-radar-questions-between-the-jazz-and-grizzlies/


The backup center was a major point of contention last year in the playoffs for the Jazz as any non-Rudy Gobert minutes were a roller coaster ride against the Denver Nuggets. The Jazz tried both Tony Bradley and Juwan Morgan to varying success but decided in the offseason they needed to invest in a more proven option.



and as we've seen they had a lot of other problems than to blame everything of a couple young guys. Favors hasn't been great


When free agency opened, the Jazz signed Derrick Favors to a three-year, $30 million deal specifically for his ability to relieve Gobert in high-leverage games. However, the results were mixed.



nice way of putting it. Not so sure I wouldn't rather have Ersan/Morgan/Brantley taking at least some of those minutes depending of matchups


Favors was the only Jazz player who didn’t end the season with a triple-digit plus-minus, coming in at just +37 over 68 games played, the next closest was Donovan Mitchell who was +287 in just 53 games.



He was always overrated even when he was still good. No PF and you replace a cheap, young improving center with a declining and expensive one. :cry:


The most obvious reason Favors didn’t have a better season was that he played the fewest minutes with Gobert who was the league-leader in plus-minus by a significant margin. While every other Jazz player fed off of Gobert’s enormous impact, Favors was left to clean up the minutes when he was off the floor.



certainly a big part of it but the reason they got him was because they weren't supposed to lose much when he was on the floor which was never the case


In the Grizzlies’ win over the Golden State Warriors on Friday, Jackson Jr. and Tillman played 38 combined minutes and accounted for 21 points in an overtime game.



that is certainly something to watch. They are playing much bigger. Ideally Ersan/Morgan/Brantley would be playing but they won't. COTY might go with Favors at the 4 instead though! :facepalm


Memphis and the Jazz have similar substitution patterns with their starting centers, as both Gobert and Jonas Valanciunas start games, sub out early in the first quarter, return late in the first, then repeat the process in the second quarter, and second half.



I'd expect Gobert to play longer stints especially with Mitchell and maybe Conley on minutes restrictions



Despite Valanciunas having a spectacular under-the-radar year, Gobert was +47 in three games against the Grizzlies this season. But, when Favors was on the floor, the Jazz were -14.



typical for the year and it only cost them 10 million and a valuable roster spot!


While Brooks was a rock in the shoe of the Jazz, Grayson Allen might be the most disliked player across the entire NBA. The former Jazzman entered the league with a reputation as a dirty player having had several high-profile tripping incidents while at Duke.



one of COTY's faves


It will be easy to leave the series saying Valanciunas outplayed Gobert, even if the Jazz eliminate Mephis in five games.



the trolls do regardless. Anyone with a clue and watches the games should know otherwise


After his breakout 35 point performance against the Warriors, the NBA will be hungry to show off their bright young star (especially with Zion Williams missing the playoffs). And truthfully, Morant is worthy of the praise, he’s in the midst of his coming out party much like Donovan Mitchell had against the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2018.



unlike Mitchell he's carried a team that should be tanking the past couple years


At this point in his career, Gobert seems to understand the narrative, can fans grow to accept that their superstar center will always be underappreciated?



underappreciated by his own team, fan base and local media so obviously it won't change

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/2021/5/22/22434149/the-utah-jazz-werent-ready-for-a-deep-playoff-run-last-season-but-this-time-around-they-are-nba


The Jazz were going to be without Bojan Bogdanovic through the entirety of the postseason and Mike Conley unexpectedly had to leave Orlando to fly back home to Ohio for the birth of his third child.



excuses. If COTY plays some of his rookies who actually defend they win


The continuity and continued chemistry building from last season to this season has been invaluable for the Jazz. It’s not hyperbolic to say that fielding mostly the same team and perfecting what the Jazz were working toward last season, has been the biggest benefit the Jazz have had. And that includes bringing back Derrick Favors, who not only already had chemistry with most of the Jazz roster, but is also a huge upgrade over Bradley at the backup center spot.



He hasn't been a huge upgrade though. Quit blaming their problems on Bradley

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/2021/5/22/22447620/donovan-mitchell-play-game-1-mike-conley-memphis-utah-jazz-jaren-jackson-jr-grizzlies-playoffs-nba


“That adds a different look,” Snyder said of Jackson. “They can go big with he and (Jonas) Valanciunas together, he can play the five, he stretches the floor. So, there’s some things that from the personnel standpoint, when we played them early in the year that are different.”



him and Tillman and Morant's improved 3's appear to be the things to watch. Too bad COTY won't play Ersan/Morgan/Brantley to match up with them

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/2021/5/22/22447727/utah-jazz-vs-memphis-grizzlies-matchup-breakdown-round-1-nba-playoffs-analysis-prediction-key-player


If Mitchell is a little bit slow to get back into rhythm, it might be wise for him to play as more of a creator than a scorer.



would be wise regardless


The Grizzlies will need to have big performances from center Jonas Valanciunas in order to have a fighting chance against the Jazz. So, not only will Gobert’s league-leading defense be important in the individual matchup with Valanciunas, but he’ll need to be on a swivel, making sure that players like Brooks and Morant don’t punish the Jazz at the rim.



I wouldn't be worried about Gobert. Mitchell, Bojan, Clarkson and COTY as always will be the ones to watch


The Grizzlies might have one of the best perimeter defenders in the league in Brooks, but the Jazz consistently have four players on the floor at all times that can be a threat from 3-point range. The Jazz finished the regular season making more 3s than any other team and so long as the Jazz are moving the ball and creating space, they can be deadly from long range.



will Mitchell and Clarkson move the ball or will COTY bench them if they don't is the question


The Jazz just match up better against the Grizzlies than the Grizzlies do and they can switch with better results than the Grizzlies can. Valanciunas has been outstanding this season, but Gobert is better. Brooks is a great defender, but the Grizzlies won’t have too many answers for Bojan Bogdanovic, Royce O’Neale, Clarkson and Ingles. Jackson and Kyle Anderson are a couple of options, but they likely won’t be able to win their matchups. Jackson might have a size advantage over O’Neale and Bogdanovic, but will he be able to keep up with them?



Bojan and Clarkson answer for themselves. Let Clarkson shoot 3's all day and make them and Mitchell and Favors defend at the other end


When the Jazz aren’t shooting well they’ll have to prove that they can score in other ways. Bogdanovic showed more and more as the season progressed that he’s able to score in multiple ways, and the Jazz will need that from him. If the shots aren’t falling and the Jazz don’t change things up a bit, they could find themselves in trouble.



play D and they'll be fine. Bojan certainly isn't the answer


These are all connected and intertwined. Simply put, the Grizzlies are one of the best, if not the best transition team in the league. They force the most turnovers, grab the most steals, lead the league in fast-break points, are third in the NBA in points off turnovers and fourth in the league in defensive rebounding. They like to get out and run and have plenty of players who are faster and more athletic in the open court than those they’re going against. The Jazz will need to execute with precision to keep their turnovers down and maybe choose to get back rather than try for offensive rebounds against the Grizzlies.



definitely some things that could be issues with the Jazz


The Grizzlies have seven players that average double-digit points, but they’ll be relying on Morant to be their leading scorer. At 19.1 points per game, Morant will have to really step up and if he isn’t able to, the Grizzlies will be asking a lot from their supporting cast. And, with O’Neale on Morant, the Grizzlies’ young leader will have as hard of a time as anyone on the floor.



going to need some other guys stepping up

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/5/23/22428867/utah-jazz-vs-memphis-grizzlies-first-round-game-one


It didn’t matter if it was Brooks, Desmond Bane, Justise Winslow, or anyone else, Donovan Mitchell cooked them all. If the Jazz get this version of Donovan Mitchell, it may be a quick series.



should be a quick series regardless


After watching the Play-In Tournament and the first few games of the Playoffs, one thing has stood out to me above the rest. The referees are letting these games get physical.



which doesn't really favor the Jazz. Be nice if Ersan played. He doesn't mind mixing it up


Memphis thrives on physicality. Jonas Valanciunas will be bodying Rudy Gobert up all game. Ja Morant, Dillon Brooks, and the rest of the guards will be swiping at every dribble. The Jazz will be fouled a lot, and they may not get all the calls they want. How will they respond? If Gobert is getting hacked and not getting calls, the Jazz will need him to ignore it and move on. If he hangs back arguing with the officials, things will be ugly for Utah. The Jazz will need to not let the physicality take them out of their game. They will need to just continue to execute regardless of the officiating.



again Gobert is not the worry. You know Bojan will be crying and not getting back

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/5/22/22449547/utah-jazz-playoff-preview-5-questions-about-the-memphis-grizzlies-nba-playoffs-2021-donovan-mitchell



This is a bit of a cop out, but everyone not named Ja Morant. Valanciunas is criminally underrated and is arguably having his best season as a two-way player of his career. Kyle Anderson has played so well he’s in the mix to be considered a finalist for Grizzlies MVP. Desmond Bane and Xavier Tillman Sr. are “rookies” who both played massive roles in the play-in wins over the Spurs and Warriors. Even Grayson Allen has gone from fringe NBA player to fringe NBA starter on a playoff team in two seasons. That doesn’t even mention last season’s bench mob trio of Tyus Jones, Brandon Clarke, and De’Anthony Melton - who all have at some point fallen out of the Memphis rotation. It takes balance. But these Grizzlies have some serious weapons beyond just the stars.



Allen was first round pick. Nota exactly a fringe player


He’s been rusty, with flashes of brilliance. He’s the X Factor in this series. The Grizzlies have terrific depth, but so does Utah - and at this stage of things they’re just physically better. The one guy beyond Ja that is physically capable of taking advantage of his matchups is Jaren. He can force Gobert outside the paint if he’s at the 5. He can attack Bojan Bogdanovic or Royce O’Neal off the dribble on the perimeter. He’s a mismatch nightmare. But he still fouls too much despite his defensive versatility, and his lack of facilitating skill he put the starters in a tough spot at times. If he can get it together and look more like himself from before the injury? Memphis can win this series. But that seems/feels unlikely given how his return has gone so far



him and Tillman and Morant's improved 3 look like the things to watch

5. What’s it like having the rookies Utah should have drafted in Desmond Bane and Xavier Tillman?

unless they went to Duke they would be sitting next Brantley and company. They needed a center. Udoka sounds like the right guy. We'll see

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/05/21/utah-jazz-jordan-clarkson-breakthrough/


Since being traded to the Utah Jazz from the Cleveland Cavaliers in December 2019, the trajectory of Jordan Clarkson’s career (https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/clarkjo01.html) has changed dramatically. While the 6-foot-4 playmaker has been a reliable scorer for every team he’s played on, he’s become one of the most important players on a Utah team (https://thejnotes.com/) that has locked up the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.



he's only important because COPTY let's him gun them out of games


It’s apparent that Snyder has given him the ultimate green light. After all, Clarkson is also averaging a career-high in 3-point attempts with 8.8 per game, marking the sixth-highest 3-point attempts (https://www.teamrankings.com/nba/player-stat/three-point-field-goals-attempted) per game across the entire league.



on a horrible %


His durability throughout the course of this unusual season has also led to Clarkson having the highest usage rate of his entire career at 29.7 percent. That is the second-highest on the team this season, trailing only Mitchell.



him and Mitchell's usage will be their downfall

[Xiao Yao You]

https://hoopshabit.com/2021/05/21/nba-final-awards-ballot-hardware/2/


His teammate, Joe Ingles, also makes a strong case for the award. The raw counting stats are not as impressive but the efficiency is on another level. For players logging at least 25 minutes per game, he is fourth in the league in effective field goal percentage (65.2), behind only teammate Rudy Gobert (67.5), Joe Harris (65.4) and Mitchell Robinson (65.3). On the other side of the country, Derrick Rose has made an impact on the New York Knicks like that of Clarkson. With him in the lineup, the Knicks have gone 24-11 and he is averaging 14.9 points and 4.2 assists on shooting splits of .487/.411/.883.



should be Ingles but won't be


In similarly impressive fashion, Monty Williams took the Phoenix Suns from a young team with a bright future to within a game of the best record in the league. It was clear the leap was coming in the bubble but riding the momentum (and the trade for Chris Paul) to these heights is still impressive. Quin Snyder is the other finalist as the Utah Jazz have been the best team in the regular season since early in the year and never slowed down. They are elite on both ends of the floor and he completely revamped their offense from a season ago.



took more 3's. Conley and Niang improving defensively is the big difference though

[Xiao Yao You]

https://basketball.realgm.com/analysis/262685/Rudy-Gobert-And-The-Case-Against-Defense-In-The-MVP-Race

huge impact at both ends is all that should matter for the best player on the best team

[Xiao Yao You]

Eric Walden: Donovan Mitchell: “I feel good. Always gonna be soreness. I feel good, I’m ready to go tonight. (https://*********.com/social/) No pain. I’m excited to get going.” Declines to say “for game-planning purposes” if he’s on a minutes restriction.
– via Twitter tribjazz (https://twitter.com/tribjazz)




Eric Walden: Donovan Mitchell echoes Quin Snyder’s prior comments about the Jazz going 3-0 vs. Memphis in the regular season: “Throw away what happened [in the 3 games] months ago. Just forget that happened.” (https://*********.com/social/) Said the Grizzlies seem to have figured a lot of things out in the past few weeks.
– via Twitter tribjazz (https://twitter.com/tribjazz)

[Xiao Yao You]

Ben Anderson: Donovan Mitchell on potential minutes restriction in his first game back for the @Utah Jazz. *”I won’t say, just for game plan purposes. (https://*********.com/social/) l won’t say.” @kslsports | #TakeNote
– via Twitter BensHoops (https://twitter.com/BensHoops)




Ryan McDonald: Dillon Brooks said he now has Mike Conley’s old locker in Memphis (https://*********.com/social/)
– via Twitter ryanwmcdonald (https://twitter.com/ryanwmcdonald)






Ben Anderson: Dillon Brooks on the @Memphis Grizzlies mindset: “Guys are happy to be here, but not satisfied. (https://*********.com/social/) So, we’re just going to come out there, play hard, play our game.” @kslsports | #TakeNote
– via Twitter BensHoops (https://twitter.com/BensHoops)






Ryan McDonald: “Quin Snyder’s a great coach who always is going to have something up his sleeve,” Dillon Brooks says (https://*********.com/social/)
– via Twitter ryanwmcdonald (https://twitter.com/ryanwmcdonald)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://saltcityhoops.com/lineups-tweaks-quirks-that-could-shape-jazz-grizzlies-series/


The downside to pulling Gobert early in halves and re-entering him in the 2nd and 4th quarters is that Favors is put out there earlier to defend starting units for a bit. These are typically Utah’s roughest units but they’re still overall positive on the season.



Gobert and Conley



Those +/- numbers are totally insane. Interestingly, Clarkson at the other guard spot is Utah’s 8th most-used lineup (215 possessions), and is -0.1 points per 100 possessions, one of Utah’s rare common units that is negative. Add Favors instead of Gobert (163 possessions), and that figure plummets to -23.4. Snyder should avoid these!



Clarkson sucks. Favors isn't Gobert


As I mentioned in my Sixth Man of the Year musings (https://saltcityhoops.com/jingles-or-jc-sixth-man-debate-centers-on-utah-bench-duo/), one of Clarkson’s valuable roles was soaking up minutes and shots during tired nights of regular season basketball, even though he was quite inefficient in the process. I don’t think you’ll see as many “dead legs” possessions where the Jazz need Clarkson isolation scoring. That potentially reduces the need for him being out there at all. If the starters’ minutes get stretched, Clarkson’s minutes look to be the first (or second, to Niang) on the chopping block.



nice idea but I doubt it happens


The more Clarkson is out there, the more opponents will both (1) target him on defense as Utah’s weakest defender and (2) force the ball into his hands over other, more efficient options.

not sure he's the weakest defender. Certainly the weakest offensive player


As opponents similarly shore up their rotation, teams will absolutely play lineups emphasizing speed and shooting to a degree that a very non-traditional center is manning the 5 spot. Think Marcus Morris for the Clippers or Dario Saric for the Suns (side note: Saric at center has been seemingly mothballed by Monty Williams as of late, but was really effective during the season). Gobert can hang with these lineups, but Favors has lost enough of a step that Snyder might match up his own smaller lineups that shoot and pass better than the opponent. Niang has really blossomed as a one-on-one defender this year in that I could see him as the center, or maybe Snyder goes nuts and puts O’Neale at center.



Ersan or STFU


If Favors or (gulp) Gobert is out, Utah is incredibly thin behind them. The Jazz don’t have a reasonably capable NBA-quality center on the deep roster, like an Ekpe Udoh or Ed Davis. Not to say those players are great, but if you need to eke out a game or three shorthanded, those guys could fit the bill. This year, Utah is left with Ersan Ilyasova (short and slow shooter who takes eleventy billion charges but doesn’t have the same rebounding edge as in his prime), Morgan (woefully undersized but knows the role and screens well), and Udoka Azubuike (athletic rookie who will foul a ton and struggle to keep up). All are bad options.



Morgan has good size and length for small ball center as does Brantley. Along with Ersan they are good options



However, this team construct is not dissimilar to Utah’s 2017 playoff squad against the Clippers, in which Gobert missed 2 games. Instead of playing (very bad) bench center Jeff Withey, Snyder usually just rolled with Boris Diaw at center to give Favors a break. I could see Snyder trusting Ilyasova a bit for spacing and guile, probably more than Morgan and definitely more than Azubuike. Snyder could also just try the center-less lineups described above. I don’t trust Azubuike either, and he has only recently returned from an ankle injury that sidelined his development for several months, but I like the idea of the variance he can provide as a wild young colt going after bench units. If the opponent has a big bench center that will simply overwhelm Ilyasova, Morgan, or Niang (like Ivica Zubac for the Clippers), I wouldn’t be afraid to let Azubuike go commit shitload of fouls in order to retain a critical rim protecting and rebounding edge.



Whitey wasn't bad. Diaw was at that point. Udoka isn't playing



Miye Oni will not play if the team is fully healthy, but he is the only capable defender that fits size-wise between Utah’s undersized starters in Mitchell and Conley and its forward rotation. O’Neale and Ingles are solid defenders but can struggle against quicker, smaller, skilled ballhandlers (see, e.g., 2020 Jamal Murray). Snyder can be stubborn in this respect and trust his regular defenders (especially with Gobert behind them), but Snyder has also surprised us this season by slotting Oni to defend the highest-tier talent of the NBA whenever he got minutes. Oni’s mild ascension in this regard is partly why the Jazz decided to cut ace defender Shaq Harrison. Oni fouled a ton, partially due to officials going on reputation, partly due to…Oni genuinely fouling a ton. If Oni is needed, he’ll be put squarely in the spotlight as a premier defender.



Brantley and Forrest defend with size



The issues faced by the Favors-Gobert frontcourt in the past were a little overblown, mainly due to the Jazz defense being incredible when the two shared the floor. Favors’ declining athleticism, the league’s continued downsizing, and the dominant offense with O’Neale and Bogdanovic at forward means Utah has essentially scrapped the Favors-Gobert combo for the entire season. Favors also needs to be kept on ice to be productive in his short stints. This is probably a Lakers-only card and the end of the day; if the Lakers insist on playing Anthony Davis with a traditional center pairing (Andre Drummond or Marc Gasol), and are successful against Utah to a great degree, Snyder might dust off this pairing for a few minutes.



we better not see it but probably will


Neither of Brantley or Morgan will see the floor unless there are injuries. However, both fit as 2/3/4 tweeners (with Morgan also capable at center). Brantley has more variance, talent, and athleticism, but Morgan is exceptionally bright and aware for a young player. If Utah faces a paucity of healthy forwards, look to see who Snyder trusts first in light of Brantley’s relative improvement against Morgan’s wit and previous playoff experience.



both could help but when you got Forrest around why would they! :facepalm

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50172249/donovan-mitchells-ankle-saga-looms-over-utahs-game-1-loss


"It was a big surprise," Gobert said. "I try to stay out on this; it's just gonna give me a headache. Hopefully he's good for next game; that's what I'm worried about. Obviously when you wake up you get ready for a game and you find out that your star player is not going to play, it throws you off a little bit. But at the end of the day, as long as he's healthy and ready for the next game, that's what matters."



what matters is that he's 100% and it doesn't linger. They should win this round regardless


"He is our leader and best player, but I don't think that played a big role because we played the last 20 games without him and without Mike, and we were playing great," Bogdanovic said. "Of course we missed him, especially in the playoffs — we all know how good he is. I don't know what happened, honestly, with the decision for him and medical staff to keep him out so you should ask him."



:roll:

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50172196/grizzlies-shock-jazz-to-steal-game-1-of-playoffs


"Turnovers. We gave them way too many easy points in transition," said Rudy Gobert, who had 11 points and 15 rebounds. "When they have to play against our half-court defense, it's a different story."

Especially when Gobert, himself, was back there. Due to foul trouble, however, he only played 25 minutes. with 9:03 left in the third quarter, Gobert went to the bench with his third foul; he eventually fouled out midway through the fourth quarter.



yep everything was fine despite Bojan and Clarkson until he got his 2nd foul


"I thought Mike's foul trouble hurt us during that one stretch where he was out because he controls the game for us," Jazz head coach Quin Snyder said.



he and Gobert were out was the bigger problem. They are a lottery team without them

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/459958/grizzlies-steal-game-one-from-ice-cold-jazz/


While the starters finished a reasonable 11-32 from the three-point line, the Jazz second unit shot just 1-15 from deep, including 0-8 from Jordan Clarkson in the loss.

thanks COTY



Bogdanovic and Clarkson combined for eight turnovers, far too many for a team that relied extra on the two shot creators without guard Donovan Mitchell in the lineup.



thanks COTY


While it was a question mark how the Jazz would use Mitchell in his return, it was clear the team missed having him in the lineup in their game one loss to Memphis.



not really clear

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.sltrib.com/sports/jazz/2021/05/23/triple-team-jazz-look/


• The turnovers. The offensive execution was the Jazz at their worst. Whether it was open shots or open lanes to the rim, the Jazz passed up opportunities to instead pass the ball to the Grizzlies (https://www.sltrib.com/sports/jazz/2021/05/23/unfazed-by-utah-jazzs/). Some of these turnovers were just inexplicably bad ball-handling, like this:



Bojan bringing the ball into the front court. Who's brilliant idea is that I wonder?


For the first time all season, Jordan Clarkson didn’t make a three. Georges Niang went 1-6 on some really quality looks. Mike Conley missed two threes in the fourth that would have changed the game. And Bojan Bogdanovic hit some big shots, but missed the potential game-tying one.



Clarkson playing 30 minutes was the biggest problem


You look at tonight’s box score, and there’s one player who stands out as having an especially bad game: Jordan Clarkson. Bogdanovic ended up stepping up late, Gobert and Favors both played relatively well, Conley kept the Jazz in it, even if he shot poorly. Royce O’Neale and Georges Niang had tough nights too, but on relatively few shooting attempts.



The sad part is he doesn't stand out. It was a typical game except for the 0 3's


Clarkson, though, was miserable. What a huge sequence this was: the Jazz get a steal are heading the other way, Miye Oni is open and about to get a dunk, and Clarkson never passes it to him.



anyone expect him to pass?


The result is a three the other way. You know, maybe you give Clarkson the benefit of the doubt and say he didn’t think he could get the pass through the Memphis long limbs, but then shooting over those long limbs is not a better decision. There were two reasonable options on the play — pass to Oni, or pass to a trailer — and Clarkson chose option C: YOLO (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YOLO_(aphorism)).



He will almost always choose the option that ends up with him shooting


In general, I just thought there was too much Clarkson YOLO. Here, the Jazz clear out one side to run a Clarkson/Favors pick-and-roll. The Grizzlies help a lot, which means Conley is open for an easy pass, but Clarkson never sees it. Instead, Clarkson attacks the left side, then the baseline, until either losing the ball or trying an insane behind the back bounce pass to nobody.



Clarkson only sees the rim. Conley and Oni were wide open


You just can’t make these kinds of decisions in the playoffs. Clarkson will shoot better from three, but the Jazz can’t have the turnovers or the such-a-bad-shot-they’re-essentially-turnovers plays from Clarkson.



Yeah he might make 2 of 8!


It has to be communicated to Donovan Mitchell, who is the team’s star player. Upsetting him is a terrible thing to do, and surprising him in this way is unfair, especially after he’d been insisting all week he was going to play. This is a big deal: Kawhi Leonard’s relationship with the San Antonio Spurs soured in large part because of team-player injury disagreements, and the discord there set the franchise back a decade. I’m not saying that will happen, but making Mitchell angry is something the Jazz should take big steps to avoid.



him asking out would be the best thing for the franchise


In the end, it’s hard to know how much risk Mitchell was at by playing today. But if he plays in Game 2 (and I think he will, but I’ve obviously been wrong before) it’s hard to imagine that sitting him on for Game 1 was worth all of these negatives — including, but not limited to, an ugly loss.



it's worth it if it helps his ankle last through the next round

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/5/23/22450816/utah-jazz-lose-game-1-to-the-memphis-grizzlies-nba-playoffs


Whatever was the reason, Utah looked terrible to start the game. Bojan Bogdanovic couldn’t stop turning the ball over and was kept out of the game for a good part of the first half being replaced by Miye Oni. At halftime Bogdanovic had 0 points. He also had a flagrant foul that gifted Memphis two points and was passing up open shots. He turned it around in the second half but this bad of a performance for an entire half is difficult to overcome for a team missing its best offensive player.



and Oni gave them nothing. Don't know if Ersan was available but he should have played and if not him Morgan or Brantley


Jordan Clarkson’s line tonight was the worst case scenario for Utah. For the game Clarkson was 5/16 from the field, 0/8 from three and had 4 terrible turnovers. What was puzzling was him playing 30 minutes tonight. Quin Snyder made multiple puzzling moves tonight. This was definitely one of them. Clarkson killed the offensive flow tonight and on a night where Joe Ingles was shooting 3/7 from three, he sat in the corner for way too many possessions without seeing the ball. It feels like Snyder is waiting for Clarkson to turn it on in these games sometimes but it just never turned on for Clarkson tonight and it was a big reason the Jazz could never get over the hump.



nothing puzzling about it. Typical COTY. Kept Bojan in too


Probably the biggest mistake in this game was when Quin Snyder decided to sit both Rudy Gobert and Mike Conley with 4 fouls. That was the moment that really galvanized the Grizzlies. Let’s be clear, Derrick Favors was not the reason the Jazz lost tonight. In fact, he was one of the reasons the Jazz weren’t completely blown out. But when Snyder sat Gobert and Conley with 4 fouls, and had them sit for an extended period, the Grizzlies went on a run that Utah never overcame. What’s even more frustrating is that when Gobert eventually came back in he still fouled out. So by sitting Gobert for foul trouble, the Jazz gave up the run and you didn’t prevent him from fouling out of the game. So not only did you not prevent the run, you didn’t gain any advantage with keeping fouls in check at the end. Lose, lose. Oh and the Jazz lost the game so it’s a lose, lose, lose.



hard to say sitting Rudy was a mistake when he fouled out. Conley played 33 minutes after being on a minutes restriction so I'm not sure that was a big deal either. Bojan, Clarkson and Oni was

[Xiao Yao You]

Eric Walden: Asked what his favorite part of this season has been, Jordan Clarkson replied, “Winning.” (https://*********.com/social/)
– via Twitter tribjazz (https://twitter.com/tribjazz)




Eric Walden: Clarkson: “This team is just amazing, how we bonded together. I know it sounds cliché, but … You don’t get an opportunity like this but once or twice. (https://*********.com/social/) This organization, this team definitely has a different feel.”
– via Twitter tribjazz (https://twitter.com/tribjazz)







Eric Walden: Jordan Clarkson: “It’s been a journey. I’m really excited. It came as a surprise to me.” Thanked former Lakers teammate and 6MOY winner Lou Williams for helping to guide him (https://*********.com/social/).
– via Twitter tribjazz (https://twitter.com/tribjazz)






Eric Walden: Clarkson, talking about his relationship with Joe Ingles: “He’s one of my closest teammates. … We should come out with a beer company soon, for how many beers we drink together on our off days.” (https://*********.com/social/)
– via Twitter tribjazz (https://twitter.com/tribjazz)

[Xiao Yao You]

Joe Ingles: I’ve never been with a coach that can motivate you and make you feel so confident. If he told me I could teleport back to Australia from my living room right now I would believe there would be a way to do it. I would believe him so much. (https://www.gq.com.au/fitness/sport/joe-ingles-on-the-nba-playoffs-and-his-reputation-as-a-trash-talker/news-story/bf9a6ddc90f063a0cbebd843d0c870e4) It’s something special so I’m lucky to have these people that I’ve been coached by.
– via Charlie Calver @ GQ Australia (https://www.gq.com.au/fitness/sport/joe-ingles-on-the-nba-playoffs-and-his-reputation-as-a-trash-talker/news-story/bf9a6ddc90f063a0cbebd843d0c870e4)




Joe Ingles: I’ll never forget in the bubble. It was the first time in my career playing without fans and usually with fans, you can’t hear what Coach is saying when he’s trying to yell at you. It’s like “yeah, yeah, cool, I don’t know what you’re saying.” But with no fans, I caught the ball, and I didn’t shoot it for whatever reason and he yelled out, “Joe shoot the F-ing ball” and I turned around in the middle of the game because I didn’t know what was happening (https://www.gq.com.au/fitness/sport/joe-ingles-on-the-nba-playoffs-and-his-reputation-as-a-trash-talker/news-story/bf9a6ddc90f063a0cbebd843d0c870e4).
– via Charlie Calver @ GQ Australia (https://www.gq.com.au/fitness/sport/joe-ingles-on-the-nba-playoffs-and-his-reputation-as-a-trash-talker/news-story/bf9a6ddc90f063a0cbebd843d0c870e4)







Sixth man of the year? You or [Utah Jazz’s] Jordan [Clarkson]? Joe Ingles: I didn’t even know that I was in the running. I never thought about it. I’ve never talked about it. I’ve never prepared for it. If I happen to get it, cool. If JC got it, I would be so happy for him (https://www.gq.com.au/fitness/sport/joe-ingles-on-the-nba-playoffs-and-his-reputation-as-a-trash-talker/news-story/bf9a6ddc90f063a0cbebd843d0c870e4) because he’s been a sixth man a lot of his career. It’s the role he’s embraced. Myself and him, we’ve taken pride in coming off the bench and trying to make an impact. I couldn’t care less if it’s me. I kind of hope it’s him because he does deserve it. So we’ll see what happens.
– via Charlie Calver @ GQ Australia (https://www.gq.com.au/fitness/sport/joe-ingles-on-the-nba-playoffs-and-his-reputation-as-a-trash-talker/news-story/bf9a6ddc90f063a0cbebd843d0c870e4)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://*********.com/2021/05/21/utah-jazz-rudy-gobert-nba-news-underrated-defensive-player-of-the-year/



According to research from Owen Phillips, only Nikola Jokic has had more calls not in his favor later confirmed as incorrect by the NBA Officiating Last Two Minute Reports (via The F5 (https://thef5.substack.com/p/youd-complain-too)):



give him the respect he deserves!

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50172814/utahs-jordan-clarkson-wins-nba-sixth-man-of-the-year-award


"I kind of took it like, 'Man, he don't think I'm good enough. He gonna play me off the bench? I got to prove him wrong,'" Clarkson said.



he was right


Clarkson credited Quin Snyder for his belief in him and allowing him to play his game and for his teammates for making "winning" the best part of the season.



certainly couldn't have happened without a coach that allows you to suck most of the time

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50172713/this-time-for-sure-jazz-announce-donovan-mitchell-will-be-available-for-game-2


So did Mitchell's sprained ankle suddenly completely heal overnight? Unlikely.

The much more plausible scenario is Mitchell — who admitted that he was less-than-pleased with the late scratch from Game 1 — was able to convince the organization that he was playing. And, frankly, that was that.



if true they are making a mistake. You don't let players dictate the franchise. We can go back to Hayward saying he'd play with Rubio

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/460040/jazz-guard-jordan-clarkson-named-sixth-man-of-the-year/

“Growing up watching Manu, he’s one guy that I really watched growing up and he really made this role, really cool to me,” Clarkson said.

I wish you played like Manu

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/459991/twenty-open-threes-the-jazz-missed-against-memphis/


Jordan Clarkson had the worst shooting night of any Jazz player, going 0-8 from the three-point line and snapping his streak of 94 consecutive makes from downtown.



usually the worst


It’s difficult to knock Miye Oni for missing his lone three-point attempt as his season average would indicate that he would.



can knock coach of the year for playing him 10 minutes


Again, it’s hard to criticize Joe Ingles who was the Jazz most efficient shooter on Sunday, knocking down 3-7 from deep for 42 percent.



I'd criticize him for not doing more

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/sports/2021/5/24/22452203/utah-jazz-jordan-clarkson-named-2020-21-nba-sixth-6th-man-of-the-year

didn't Thurl win it?

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/2021/5/24/22444656/utah-jazz-get-punched-alec-burks-goes-off-other-takeaways-from-the-2021-nba-playoffs-first-weekend


The 12th pick of the 2011 NBA draft by the Jazz, Burks never reached the potential many thought he had thanks in large part to injuries, but he has proven on a number of big occasions that he can get things going.



too bad COTY never let him play his game like he has Clarkson. Much better player

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/2021/5/24/22450850/derrick-favors-was-the-lone-bright-spot-in-the-jazzs-game-1-loss-to-the-grizzlies


On the other hand, he’s certainly an upgrade over Tony Bradley, and it’s really hard to look like you’re playing up to the level of the starter in front of you when his name is Rudy Gobert, a two-time (most likely soon-to-be three-time) Defensive Player of the Year.



debatable. Tony was cheap, young and improving. Favors is expensive and declining. Rather have Bradley and the 10 million for the starting PF they need or just to be under the tax even


On a night when the Jazz were upset in the opening game of the postseason, there was a lone bright spot and a silver lining. The Jazz will need Favors through these playoffs, and if he delivers like he did on Sunday night, he’ll have done his job.



the D was still bad with him

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/5/24/22451437/making-sense-of-last-nights-game-1-playoff-debacle


What was going well early and how did it all fall apart?



Gobert went to the bench with his 2nd foul


“Rudy Gobert couldn’t play due to foul trouble” - This an extension of the first. While he picked up his 4th foul early in the 3rd quarter, Rudy Gobert should have stayed on the court. At the very least, when Utah trimmed the lead to 3 points in the middle of the 3rd, that was the time to come in and retake the lead. That was the most critical moment of the game. If he comes in, maybe the Jazz don’t fall behind by 17 points in the 4th.



Hard to say he should have been on the floor more when he fouled out

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.nba.com/news/without-mitchell-jazz-find-few-answers-against-gritty-grizzlies


So what happens to a team built around a star player and 3-point shooting when that star doesn’t play and those shots don’t fall?



the team is built around Gobert. First paragraph and I already know it's a bad article

[Xiao Yao You]

https://sports.yahoo.com/report-donovan-mitchell-furious-jazz-155156869.html


He got over his feud (https://nba.nbcsports.com/2021/03/11/donovan-mitchell-and-rudy-gobert-friends-after-relationship-perceived-to-be-unsalvageable/) with Rudy Gobert (https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/5197/), after all. Mitchell has generally shown a great attitude and professionalism (https://nba.nbcsports.com/2019/01/08/donovan-mitchell-adjusting-to-elevated-expectations/). Locked into a max contract extension (https://nba.nbcsports.com/2020/11/22/report-donovan-mitchell-signing-max-contract-extension-with-jazz/) for the next four years, Mitchell has only so much recourse, anyway.



He can ask out. Could be the best thing for the Jazz. Get some players that fit better around Gobert and Conley while getting rid of some other bad contracts and maybe getting under the tax and having more flexibility

[Xiao Yao You]

Joe Mullinax: Coach Jenkins was asked about Donovan Mitchell’s impact: They’ll understand Utah’s depth, while also knowing how great of a threat he is as a scorer, shooter, and playmaker (https://*********.com/social/).
– via Twitter sbnGrizzlies (https://twitter.com/sbnGrizzlies)




Joe Mullinax: Coach Jenkins is here. @Drew Hill asked him about making sure they play with that edge through physicality. It’s talked about, and physicality’s got to increase in these situations. Focus has to remain on them, and they got to keep an edge and focus (https://*********.com/social/)
– via Twitter sbnGrizzlies (https://twitter.com/sbnGrizzlies)






Ben Anderson: Mike Conley on the @Utah Jazz crazy last few days “It’s been up and down thirty six hours, a lot going on not having Donovan there and losing, but then to see a guy who is so deserving of an award in JC and even Joe being the one to present it to him says a lot about who we are.” (https://*********.com/social/)
– via Twitter BensHoops (https://twitter.com/BensHoops)






Joe Mullinax: Jonas Valanciunas is up next. @Meghan Triplett asked him about their togetherness and how much they’ve grown here. Achieving the playoffs has helped them grow as a team, because it’s fun to reach your goals. Job’s not finished yet though, and they’re looking forward to it (https://*********.com/social/)
– via Twitter sbnGrizzlies (https://twitter.com/sbnGrizzlies)






Joe Mullinax: I asked JV about the fixes and details into game 2. He does not want to give too much away, but he expects better shooting from Utah, so they got to close out and not rely on them missing shots (https://*********.com/social/)
– via Twitter sbnGrizzlies (https://twitter.com/sbnGrizzlies)






Drew Hill: Jonas Valanciunas on playoff basketball: “It’s not about stats now. It’s not about making nice plays. It’s a battle.” (https://*********.com/social/)
– via Twitter DrewHill_DM (https://twitter.com/DrewHill_DM)






Joe Mullinax: Grayson Allen is here for post-practice. I asked him about adjustments they’re expecting from Utah into game 2. He said they’ll continue to look at 3’s – they gave up some open looks that they usually hit (https://*********.com/social/)
– via Twitter sbnGrizzlies (https://twitter.com/sbnGrizzlies)






Meghan Triplett: Grayson Allen said playing in SLC doesn’t bring back too many memories since he is 2 seasons removed from playing there his rookie season. Grayson said, “..I’ve been in Memphis longer than I was in Utah”…and he doesn’t think about it that much (https://*********.com/social/).
– via Twitter Meghan_Triplett (https://twitter.com/Meghan_Triplett)






Meghan Triplett: When asked about Donovan Mitchell, Grayson Allen said everyone is expecting Donovan Mitchell to play and be ready…Allen said that none of them are betting on his ankle being sore and even if it is, they know Mitchell won’t play like it is (https://*********.com/social/).
– via Twitter Meghan_Triplett (https://twitter.com/Meghan_Triplett)






Joe Mullinax: Xavier Tillman is up next. @Drew Hill asked him about thriving in physicality and trash-talking, and keeping that edge. “We are a team that focuses on us, so if we see someone try to attack one of our guys, that’s the last thing you want to do.” They become more focused/lethal (https://*********.com/social/)
– via Twitter sbnGrizzlies (https://twitter.com/sbnGrizzlies)







Joe Mullinax: I asked Tillman about the road environment and his Game-2 adjustments. He wants to be dialed in on screening and PNR coverage. Called the road environment great with them being nearly full (https://*********.com/social/)
– via Twitter sbnGrizzlies (https://twitter.com/sbnGrizzlies)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50174041/a-look-at-the-stuff-the-jazz-need-to-figure-out-ahead-of-wednesdays-game-2-with-memphis


Utah struggled with four key things on Sunday: turnovers, rebounding, fouls and 3-point shooting — which, not so coincidentally, lines up pretty close with what the NBA calls the four factors.



and often the things that cause them to lose games. Bench guys when they suck! 7 of the 10 turnovers in the first half were by Clarkson and Bojan and they were also shooting them out of the game at the same time. They are bringing you nothing at that point. Ersan should be playing period! I don't know if he was available but Morgan and Brantley should play ahead of Oni. That helps with the rebounding and Ersan and Morgan shoot better than Oni. Thomas is also an option when shots aren't falling. Quit settling for 3's. Drive and kick at least. As far as fouls that isn't usually a problem certainly not from Gobert and Conley


How can the Jazz counter? It sounds simple, but just make smarter decisions. Mitchell coming back probably helps the Jazz here more than anywhere. Jordan Clarkson and Bojan Bogdanovic both had four turnovers apiece — some of those possessions now will go to Mitchell.



And? Mitchell doesn't make great decisions and turns it over too


How can the Jazz counter? It sounds simple, but just make smarter decisions. Mitchell coming back probably helps the Jazz here more than anywhere. Jordan Clarkson and Bojan Bogdanovic both had four turnovers apiece — some of those possessions now will go to Mitchell.



again less ball movement with Mitchell. How again does he help there?


"One of the keys for us has been all year, and it continues to be, and it's something that we really have to focus on is to defensive rebound," Snyder said. "Particularly when Rudy's tied up with Valanciunas. We've got to have other guys that are even more determined on the boards."



How about you playing bigger guys?


Gobert, though, may have had a point. A couple of his fouls were suspect and Conley's blocking call at the end of the first half was pretty egregious, and ended up changing Utah's rotation (not to mention the game), in the second half. That said, Conley and Gobert finished as the league leaders in plus/minus this season — they have to find a way to stay on the court.



not worried about their two best players. As always it comes down to Clarkson, Bojan, Mitchell, Favors and COTY

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50173571/dillon-brooks-is-now-the-most-hated-man-in-utah-but-the-jazz-have-other-concerns


Conley said Utah has to match Brooks and Memphis' physicality. But there's a caveat: He doesn't think the Jazz need to necessarily engage in the talking or any of the other extracurricular stuff that only seemed to flip the game toward the Grizzlies.



while not having your two best players in foul trouble

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/460109/jazz-look-to-even-series-against-grizzlies-in-game-two/


The Jazz will be at full strength as Donovan Mitchell (https://kslsports.com/459723/donovan-mitchell-returns-to-practice-for-jazz-expects-to-play-game-one/) is back in the lineup for the first time since April 16.



that's assuming Mitchell is at full strength and not just playing to appease him. Still on a minutes restriction I'd think?


Though Mitchell may be under a minutes restriction, he’ll likely draw Brooks as his primary defender, freeing the Jazz other guards to facilitate the Jazz offense.



I doubt they'll have the ball much when Mitchell is in

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/460069/history-of-utah-jazz-end-of-season-award-winners/


The league’s most prestigious award so far has been reserved for the greatest player in Jazz history.



I'd take Stockton anyday


Jordan Clarkson etched his name into Jazz history by becoming the first player in franchise history to earn the Sixth Man of the Year award.



amazing Thurl didn't win with the numbers he put up in starters minutes

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/460070/jazz-excited-for-game-two-after-tumultuous-weekend/

“We’ll go into game two probably a bit more relaxed,” reserve center Derrick Favors said. “The situation with Donovan, I’m pretty sure JC had the award thing on his mind, just a lot going. So I think going into game two, everybody will be a little bit more clear-headed.”



“We’ll go into game two probably a bit more relaxed,” reserve center Derrick Favors said. “The situation with Donovan, I’m pretty sure JC had the award thing on his mind, just a lot going. So I think going into game two, everybody will be a little bit more clear-headed.”



even more reason to bench Clarkson! :(

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/2021/5/25/22452925/utah-jazz-jordan-clarkson-accepted-role-becoming-the-sixth-man-of-the-year-nba-playoffs-memphis


“I love him, I love him. Write it down. I love him,” Snyder said of Clarkson on Jan. 30, 2020 after he dropped 37 points against the Nuggets (https://www.deseret.com/sports/2020/1/31/21115545/jordan-clarkson-utah-jazz-loss-denver-nuggets-donovan-mitchell-quin-snyder-37-points). “Sometimes a system needs to be malleable. He’s unselfish, he attacks the rim, he gets to the line. If the system is defense, he’s embraced that, and I think he’ll continue to learn.”

unselfish! :roll:

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/5/26/22454866/utah-jazz-look-to-tie-up-series-vs-memphis-grizzlies-in-game-two-donovan-mitchell-ja-morant-gobert


If nothing else, Game 1 of this series has given Utah ample opportunity to evaluate their shortcomings and adjust to those issues accordingly. In taking the “silver linings” approach to that game, the Jazz played without their best offensive player, had one of their worst shooting performances of the season, had their best player in foul trouble all night, and still only lost the game by three points. Obviously, while none of that makes the loss any better, it does show that with only a little bit of improvement, the Jazz can even out this series before it goes to Memphis. To do that, here are where they need to improve upon:



Leading scorer not best offensive player


First, they can go under on every screen. This season, Morant only shot around 30% from downtown. So, the likelihood of him singlehandedly winning the game through three pointers and long two’s isn’t very high. Another option is to hedge/trap him on every screen. In doing so, Utah would force the ball out of his hands and make players like Jaren Jackson Jr. and Kyle Anderson beat them through perimeter shooting. Finally, the last option (and most important one) is that the Jazz do a better job of staying in front of Morant when going 1 on 1. Simply put, in the fourth quarter, Utah’s perimeter players were being cooked by Morant off the dribble. In Game 2, the Jazz just need to provide more resistance off the bounce.



He shot the 3 good to end the year but I'd make him hit a couple first. Same with several other players.

[Xiao Yao You]

Joe Mullinax: Jaren Jackson Jr. is here for shootaround. @Evan Barnes asked him how they shake off the newness of the 1st game. He knows Utah is gonna come out hard, and they’re a good team that’ll have that fire. They want to come ready and have that same energy (https://*********.com/social/)
– via Twitter sbnGrizzlies (https://twitter.com/sbnGrizzlies)




Joe Mullinax: I asked JJJ what he saw from an individual standpoint from film. He wants to stay aggressive during back-and-forth stretches and earlier in the game – make sure to find his rhythm on his shot. He also wants to avoid the fouls where opponents barrel into his body (https://*********.com/social/)
– via Twitter sbnGrizzlies (https://twitter.com/sbnGrizzlies)

[Xiao Yao You]

Joe Mullinax: Desmond Bane is here. @Evan Barnes asked him if he feels like they’re rolling with confidence. “For sure” – added that they’ve grown a lot and they’re handling it all really well for a young team (https://*********.com/social/)
– via Twitter sbnGrizzlies (https://twitter.com/sbnGrizzlies)




Drew Hill: I asked Desmond Bane if Dillon Brooks is as crazy as he seems. He said he has energy all the time, he’s loud on the team plane and loud playing cards. He even said Brooks and Gorgui Dieng used to get into it in the plane because he was so loud Gorgui couldn’t sleep. (https://*********.com/social/)

– via Twitter DrewHill_DM (https://twitter.com/DrewHill_DM)







Joe Mullinax: I asked Bane about what he’s looking to take from film on game 1 into the rest of the series. He wants to stay locked in and physical defensively, while also spacing the floor offensively to give Ja and Brooks the space to operate (https://*********.com/social/)
– via Twitter sbnGrizzlies (https://twitter.com/sbnGrizzlies)

[Xiao Yao You]

Joe Ingles hopes billionaire part owner of the Utah Jazz, Mike Cannon-Brookes, can add more Australians to the organisation after securing minority ownership with the team. (https://wwos.nine.com.au/basketball/joe-ingles-utah-jazz-mike-cannon-brookes/2826cc4a-f657-403d-9518-7cf1ee5aca98) The Aussie tech entrepreneur, who has an estimated net worth of around $14 billion, is understood to have paid hundreds of millions alongside friend and US venture capitalist Ryan Smith, to become a part owner of the team.

– via Sacha Mirzabegian @ Nine.com.au (https://wwos.nine.com.au/basketball/joe-ingles-utah-jazz-mike-cannon-brookes/2826cc4a-f657-403d-9518-7cf1ee5aca98)





Ingles hopes the the addition of Cannon-Brookes will see more Australians come to the club in every capacity, with his last Aussie teammate being former No.4 pick Dante Exum. “It’s about time I’ve been begging for an Australian in this organisation for a long time since we lost Dante,” Ingles said. “The only way we could do it is by having someone buy the team. (https://wwos.nine.com.au/basketball/joe-ingles-utah-jazz-mike-cannon-brookes/2826cc4a-f657-403d-9518-7cf1ee5aca98) Hopefully with Mike on board now and all the other owners there obviously great as well but to have an Aussie own the team hopefully we can bring more Aussie over here.”
– via Sacha Mirzabegian @ Nine.com.au (https://wwos.nine.com.au/basketball/joe-ingles-utah-jazz-mike-cannon-brookes/2826cc4a-f657-403d-9518-7cf1ee5aca98)







“He hasn’t been able to travel because of COVID and I haven’t been home for a couple of years now,” Ingles said. “We text a fair bit. He’s a big supporter of our team he watches every game. His children watch every game decked out in Jazz gear. (https://wwos.nine.com.au/basketball/joe-ingles-utah-jazz-mike-cannon-brookes/2826cc4a-f657-403d-9518-7cf1ee5aca98) “He’s actually building a court on his property with Jazz logos all over it. He’s heavily invested not just financially but also with supporting us.”
– via Sacha Mirzabegian @ Nine.com.au (https://wwos.nine.com.au/basketball/joe-ingles-utah-jazz-mike-cannon-brookes/2826cc4a-f657-403d-9518-7cf1ee5aca98)




time to appease Ingles now

[Xiao Yao You]

Aaron will portray Mark Landsberger, a hulking, lovable oaf. Gibson is Debbie Allen, A bright young star reaching new heights in her career. Hodge will play Ron Boone, a tough, crafty NBA veteran. Davis is Adrian Dantley, a stylish NBA All-Star destined for the Hall of Fame. Cole portrays Ron Carter: A hard-working NBA veteran (https://deadline.com/2021/05/rory-cochrane-danny-burstein-edwin-hodge-among-7-cast-in-hbos-1980s-l-a-lakers-series-1234764541/).
– via Denise Petski @ Deadline (https://deadline.com/2021/05/rory-cochrane-danny-burstein-edwin-hodge-among-7-cast-in-hbos-1980s-l-a-lakers-series-1234764541/)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/460136/ingles-jazz-just-have-to-play-better-in-game-two/


“I think that the offensive rebound and turnovers are two things that we can control a little bit,” Ingles said of fixing the Jazz issues from game one. “Obviously, the rebounding is something we need to focus on.”



can ya? Been a problem throughout the year


“It’ll be exciting to have him out there and getting back into a flow with us,” Ingles said of Mitchell. “Just to have his presence out there his scoring, his attacking, and what he’s done this year defensively as well.”



defensively! :roll:

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/05/26/utah-jazz-donovan-mitchell-production/

hasn't played in over a month. Be happy if he passes the ball and plays hard on D

[Xiao Yao You]

So, when he gingerly got up and was walking around, hopping up and down in the huddle in the timeout that followed the foul, there was a reasonable amount of concern. That concern mounted when he checked out of the game 11 seconds later and went straight to the locker room. But Mitchell said there’s nothing to be worried about. “It wasn’t anything bad,” he said after the Utah Jazz’s Game 2 series tying 141-129 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. “It wasn’t anything to be weary of. I feel good.” (https://www.deseret.com/2021/5/27/22452074/donovan-mitchell-no-concern-over-ankle-after-first-game-back-utah-jazz-memphis-grizzlies-playoffs?utm_campaign=nbasarah&utm_content=chorus&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter)

– via Sarah Todd @ deseret.com (https://www.deseret.com/2021/5/27/22452074/donovan-mitchell-no-concern-over-ankle-after-first-game-back-utah-jazz-memphis-grizzlies-playoffs?utm_campaign=nbasarah&utm_content=chorus&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter)





This rumor is part of a storyline: 147 more rumors (https://*********.com/storyline/donovan-mitchell-injury/) “Just trying to keep it warm,” Mitchell said. “I think that’s the biggest thing. I just haven’t played in five weeks, so all my stuff that I’ve been doing, the ankle is warm. (https://www.deseret.com/2021/5/27/22452074/donovan-mitchell-no-concern-over-ankle-after-first-game-back-utah-jazz-memphis-grizzlies-playoffs?utm_campaign=nbasarah&utm_content=chorus&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter) Every workout, there’s always a time where you’re warm. There’s never a time where you’re sitting and coming back in.”
– via Sarah Todd @ deseret.com (https://www.deseret.com/2021/5/27/22452074/donovan-mitchell-no-concern-over-ankle-after-first-game-back-utah-jazz-memphis-grizzlies-playoffs?utm_campaign=nbasarah&utm_content=chorus&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter)







Eric Walden: Rudy Gobert, on Donovan Mitchell’s return: “It’s been more than a month, so he was really antsy to get back out there. We missed him. We needed his energy, his positivity, his talent. (https://*********.com/social/) Tonight was a great night to have him back.”

– via Twitter tribjazz (https://twitter.com/tribjazz)






Eric Walden: Donovan Mitchell acknowledged it was hard trying not to go all-out early on: “I had a moment before the game, I was talking to myself, trying to calm myself. … It’s easy to go out there and try to hit a home run early, but the game isn’t won in the first five minutes.” (https://*********.com/social/)
– via Twitter tribjazz (https://twitter.com/tribjazz)






Eric Walden: Donovan Mitchell: “Try to impact the game any way I can — tonight it was points. I didn’t have any assists tonight — that’s killing me right now.” (https://*********.com/social/)
– via Twitter tribjazz (https://twitter.com/tribjazz)


bet you're really losing sleep over it!






SportCenter: Only LeBron, Luka, T-Mac and Magic had a 40-point playoff game at age 21 or younger in NBA history. Now Ja’s 47-point game tops the list (http://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1397784941522571264) Fire

– via Twitter (http://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1397784941522571264)






StatMuse: Ja Morant has set the Grizzlies franchise record for points in a playoff game (https://*********.com/social/). 47 PTS 7 AST 15-26 FG 15-20 FT It’s only his 2nd career playoff game.
– via Twitter statmuse (https://twitter.com/statmuse)






Tim MacMahon: Ja Morant’s 47 points in tonight’s loss to Jazz are the most in Grizzlies playoff history and most by a player 21 or younger in NBA history, (https://*********.com/social/) per @ESPNStatsInfo .
– via Twitter espn_macmahon (https://twitter.com/espn_macmahon)







Michael Scotto: Utah Jazz All-Star Donovan Mitchell on Ja Morant: “Give credit to Ja, he had 50 damn near. He’s a hell of a player. I respect the hell out of his game.” (https://*********.com/social/tweets/) (TNT postgame interview)
– via Twitter Money23Green (https://twitter.com/Money23Green)






Eric Walden: Mike Conley: “We can’t give up 30 points in six minutes, those kinds of runs Memphis is capable of.” (https://*********.com/social/)
– via Twitter tribjazz (https://twitter.com/tribjazz)


horrible!






Ja Morant: #ProtectOurPlayers (https://*********.com/social/tweets/)

– via Twitter JaMorant (https://twitter.com/JaMorant)

[Xiao Yao You]

Donovan Mitchell looked into the sea of red and yellow in the stands of Vivint Smart Home Arena. He demonstratively pointed to the ground, then verbally threw the gauntlet down on Dillon Brooks. “I’m on his ass,” Mitchell yelled. “I’m on his ass!” This was only the first quarter of what would be a 141-129 Game 2 (https://theathletic.com/2611288/2021/05/27/we-missed-him-donovan-mitchell-re-energizes-jazz-in-game-2-win-over-grizzlies/) win over the Memphis Grizzlies for the Utah Jazz. And the Jazz would have to survive building a 20-point lead and watching it melt to a single basket, a Mitchell re-injury scare, 47 points from Ja Morant and some anxious moments. But it was in this moment, early in the first quarter after a four-point play, when Mitchell showed everyone what the Jazz have been missing most from him with his sprained ankle.
– via Tony Jones @ The Athletic (https://theathletic.com/2611288/2021/05/27/we-missed-him-donovan-mitchell-re-energizes-jazz-in-game-2-win-over-grizzlies/)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50174543/donovan-mitchell-returns-with-25-points-as-jazz-even-up-series-with-grizzlies


After mostly a dud of a performance in Game 1, it felt like the Jazz finally showed up for the playoffs Wednesday. The team played with an energy that was completely absent from the series-opener on Sunday.



With their worst defensive quarter and half of the year?


"They're gonna be wired and geeked up for Game 3," Mitchell said. "We gotta be able to continue to play this way because when we play this way — outside of the few mistakes we made in third to kind of let them come back — we're tough to beat."



129 points :facepalm

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/460176/jazz-all-stars-outduel-morant-in-game-two-victory/


Despite Mitchell’s brilliance, there were several scary moments when the All-Star appeared to favor his injured ankle after attacking the basket.



8-19?


When attacking the rim, the guard didn’t have his typical bounce near the rim, shooting just 3-9 inside the arc and landing hard on the floor on several trips into the paint.



he's not good around the rim


Mitchell’s hot three-point shooting was key in his return, but how can he impact the game if his shot abandons him? Does the injured guard have the ability to get downhill and attack the paint, or will he be relegated to the three-point shooter for the remainder of the series?



I'd love to see him spotting up from 3 with Conley and Ingles running the offense like we saw at the first of the game. Ball was moving. Pitck and roll couldn't be stopped. Unfortunately we'll get more of Clarkson and Mitchell ISO


Those are questions Mitchell and the Jazz will have to find the answer to in the coming days, and they might ultimately determine who emerges victorious from the series.



defense will not how many Mitchell and Clarkson put up

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.sltrib.com/sports/jazz/2021/05/27/triple-team-mike-conley/


And yet, it hasn’t been the domination you’d expect to see out of a No. 1 seed against a youthful No. 8 seed that they really do match up well against. The Jazz made 48.7% of their threes tonight, for example, and that’ll be difficult to replicate. At one point, the Jazz allowed the Grizzlies to score on 15 straight possessions — is that the mark of an NBA champion? You’d have to say no.



I don't think their D has been consistently great all year yet they were 1st in the league. Says a lot about the league right now


But I think there are still definite items of improvement that we know the Jazz are capable of. Mitchell’s presence is one of them — he played very well tonight, but only in 26 minutes. What if he plays 36; aren’t the Jazz better? What if Clarkson, to be frank, starts using his brain when making decisions? He’s actually shown himself to be capable of that this season, and he would be really helpful.



less Conley pick and roll and more Mitchell Clarkson ISO will make them better?


Their potential to win a second-round series looks pretty good right now, too; the Mavs have throttled the Clippers in the first two games on the road, and I think the Jazz actually match up relatively well against Dallas. Yes, stopping Luka Doncic would be a huge challenge, and one they’ll only be able to do semi-successfully, even if they do well. But Kristaps Porzingis has been a liability against the Jazz in the past, and Dallas’ defense hasn’t been strong enough to consistently get stops, either.



Dallas is certainly who they want

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/2021/5/27/22451334/analysis-jazz-improve-in-just-about-every-area-to-beat-grizzlies-in-game-2-tie-series


Donovan Mitchell is back, and he made an immediate difference. He didn’t try to do too much and was effective with his limited minutes. He finished with 25 points on 8-of-19 shooting, including going 5 of 10 from 3-point range and a perfect 4 of 4 from the free-throw line. He did it all in limited time, playing just under 26 minutes for the night.



3 of 9 from 2 not really effective


Most of the things the Jazz did poorly in Game 1 they cleaned up in Game 2. They didn’t turn the ball over as much, they kept the Grizzlies off the offensive boards better, they played better defense, they spaced the floor with more intention and they won the game.



the D was a lot worse in the 2nd half and especially in the 3rd quarter. Maybe the worst of the year


The unselfishness of the Jazz was really impressive. Even with Conley racking up most of the assists, Royce O’Neale, Joe Ingles and Gobert each had three apiece. The Jazz were looking for the open man and doing what they do best when the defense collapsed.



except for their two ISO specialists anyway


The Jazz’s third quarter was not good. They were outscored 43-29 with Morant and Brooks combining for 24 points. They didn’t get stops, the offense got stagnant, and they let the Grizzlies dictate everything. Memphis had five of its nine offensive boards in the third quarter. More than anything though, the Jazz just looked flat and disinterested in the third quarter. File this under a silver lining. The Jazz can do better. The Grizzlies are going to go on their runs, but the Jazz have to match the intensity for 48 minutes, not 36.



they scored 29. Nothing wrong with that

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/5/26/22456177/utah-jazz-get-decisive-victory-in-game-2-over-the-memphis-grizzlies-nba-playoffs


Having Mitchell on the floor does so much more than get inferior defenders in foul trouble, though. Mitchell is the catalyst to everything the Jazz do on offense. He is what bends the defense more than anyone else on the floor. His penetration forces defenses into rotations and because he makes the right play, it creates much more open, comfortable looks for his teammates than they would get otherwise.



you watched a different game than me. Memphis had no answer for the pick and roll and ball movement. Not Mitchell's strong suit


But on top of that Mitchell brings an intensity and fire that this team was seriously lacking without him. That courage and leadership was palpable to start the game and you could see the swag was completely taken out of the Grizzlies from the beginning of the game. The Jazz need to be a tougher team. There are too many instances where they get lackadaisical on defense watching Rudy, or pull their foot off the gas with big leads. Having Mitchell come on the floor and lead them emotionally is something that doesn’t get enough credit. The incredible scoring and facilitating obviously is the most important part, but his demeanor is invaluable.



yeah thanks for your D!


Rudy Gobert was god-like at times tonight. He was 9/11 from the field for 21 points, 13 rebounds, 4 block and 3 assists. There are so many times that Gobert changes everything. He comes in and the Memphis offense just stalls. But that’s what happens every game. The only thing you could complain about with Gobert is that he didn’t play enough, but that’s not his fault. For the game, Gobert played just under 36 minutes and that was having played the entire 4th quarter. Gobert has to be on the floor more and Snyder has to recognize that. Derrick Favors has looked really solid this series, it’s a great sign, but even good Favors pales in comparison to what Gobert is doing this season. You play your stars in the playoffs, and Quin Snyder needs to play Gobert more, especially if they want to steal games in Memphis.



But they don't lose anything with Favors! Rudy shouldn't have to play huge minutes against this team

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/05/27/utah-jazz-best-9-man-rotation-display/


Utah Jazz: NBA’s best 9-man rotation now on full display

unfortunately not the Jazz's best 9

[Xiao Yao You]

https://sports.yahoo.com/donovan-mitchell-sparks-jazz-past-051120742.html


Beyond swagger (https://nba.nbcsports.com/2018/02/16/overlooked-no-more-donovan-mitchell-ready-for-his-time-in-all-star-spotlight/), Mitchell (25 points in 26 minutes) provided much-needed offensive creation. Utah’s system is designed for him to be the centerpiece. His presence allowed everyone to move back toward more-comfortable roles.



actually it's not as we saw with the pick and roll and ball movement

[Xiao Yao You]

The Utah Jazz have banned three fans indefinitely for their behavior at Wednesday’s playoff game against the Memphis Grizzlies. At least one of the fans was ejected from the arena for making an offensive sexual comment directed at Ja Morant’s mother, a source said Thursday (https://dailymemphian.com/section/sportsmemphis-grizzlies/article/22227/three-fans-banned-by-jazz-after-grizzliess-playoffs-game-2).
– via Drew Hill @ Daily Memphian (https://dailymemphian.com/section/sportsmemphis-grizzlies/article/22227/three-fans-banned-by-jazz-after-grizzliess-playoffs-game-2)




Tim MacMahon: The banned Jazz fans made separate vulgar or racist comments to Ja Morant’s parents, his father Tee Morant told ESPN. “I know heckling,” Tee Morant said. “But that’s different than heckling. That’s straight up disrespectful.” (https://*********.com/social/)
– via Twitter espn_macmahon (https://twitter.com/espn_macmahon)

[Xiao Yao You]

Adrian Wojnarowski: A Utah judge tossed out a $100M suit against Russell Westbrook and the Utah Jazz filed by two fans banned from Jazz games after taunts toward Westbrook in a March 2019 game, per court documents. Shane Keisel and Jennifer Huff claimed defamation and infliction of emotional stress (https://*********.com/social/).
– via Twitter wojespn (https://twitter.com/wojespn)





Tim Reynolds: Utah Jazz announce they banned three fans for incidents at their game last night (https://*********.com/social/).
– via Twitter ByTimReynolds (https://twitter.com/ByTimReynolds)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50175036/donovan-mitchell-says-he-felt-better-than-i-anticipated-after-return-in-game-2


"I feel good," the All-Star guard said. "I have put myself in kind of treacherous situations to come back to be ready for playoff intensity. I felt better than I anticipated."



you and your private staff thought you were ready for weeks. Which is it?


"Any time you've been out for a significant period of time, I think there's a tendency to try to really put a stamp on the game," coach Quin Snyder said. "I thought he really let the game come to him. He was patient. He got a few catch-and-shoot 3's early where he got good looks, got off the ball and kind of made a simple play.



started that way anyway before delving into his old ways

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/460223/breaking-down-the-grizzlies-third-quarter-against-the-jazz/


The Jazz were burned on three consecutive possessions when they went under the screener.



that was the game plan I imagine. Memphis isn't a good 3 point shooting team though Morant was hitting it down the stretch


These are the types of plays defensively that make it look like Mitchell’s ankle isn’t at 100 percent.



seriously? When has Mitchell ever played D? His personal staff says he's ready so he's ready! :roll:


With Bogdanovic going under the Valanciunas screen, Morant hits Jackson Jr. for a good look from three. Jackson Jr. is shooting 28 percent from three in the series, so this is a look the Jazz can probably live with.



another negative defender


Mitchell’s help here (he does have to be mindful of Morant) makes me wonder how much he actually trusts his ankle right now. pic.twitter.com/jf0EbNOcyL (https://t.co/jf0EbNOcyL)



:facepalm


Morant easily displaces the flatfooted (injured) Mitchell of the dribble in isolation, forcing Gobert to rotate as the helper.



can't wait until he's 100% and making defensive stops again!


On another Valanciunas pick and roll, Conley gets caught up on the screen as Derrick Favors switches onto coverage against Morant.




Valanciunas posts up against Favors again and hits a tough contested turnaround baseline fade away with the shot clock expiring.



maybe stick with Gobert when the D is struggling?


Off a missed Valanciunas, Conley fails to put a body on Morant who corrals the long rebound and easily finishes at the rim.



no PF


The Grizzlies have now gone at Favors on five straight sets. As soon as Gobert subbed out of the game, Morant attacked Favors for a push shot, then Valanciunas tried a hook shot, before making a mid-range fade away. Valanciunas then attempts a top of the key three, and finally another hook shot.



same old story. But it was all Bradley's fault! :lol


Brooks kicks the ball back to Anderson to steps back for a three as Ingles fights to recover on the closeout after defending the rim.



not a great shooter. Live with that one


First, while Morant was dominant, scoring 11 points on 5-5 shooting, he was matched identically by Brooks who also had 11 points on a perfect 5-5 shooting. That’s the payoff Taylor Jenkins got for leaving Brooks in the game even after he picked up his fourth foul early in the second half.



good gamble. Jazz needed to go hard at Brooks during that time


Ultimately, the Grizzlies’ rare and impressive run resulted from a perfect storm of defensive errors by the Jazz, strong execution by Morant, Brooks, and Valanciunas, and hot shooting from the entire lineup.



looks like a lot of it was their bad defenders Mitchell, Bojan and Favors being left on the floor because COTY won't bench them no matter what. As I've said for the past month plus they are a better defensive team without their best player Mitchell as they were in the bubble last year without their difference maker Bojan

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/2021/5/27/22454934/utah-jazz-donovan-mitchells-relaxed-approach-in-nba-playoffs-just-what-team-needed


Reserved and unselfish attitude made Mitchell’s transition back into the rotation seamless for the No. 1 seed Jazz



0 assists! Very unselfish to force your way back on to the court!


Donovan Mitchell (https://www.deseret.com/sports/2021/1/13/22217489/utah-jazz-donovan-mitchell-rudy-gobert-nba-max-contracts-pressure-expectations) is capable of scoring 50 points in the playoffs. We’ve seen it before (https://www.deseret.com/sports/2020/8/17/21371976/utah-jazz-donovan-mitchell-57-points-denver-nuggets-nba-playoffs-jamal-murray).



no more bubble. He can certainly help give up almost 50 outside the bubble


It would have been understandable if Mitchell, frustrated that he didn’t play in Game 1, came out of the gate guns blazing, looking to beat every man in front of him. But the Jazz are at their best when they are playing team basketball and not relying on one player to win in isolation.



yes they are. Too bad Mitcehll and Clarkson don't understand that


He would go on to score 25 points in just under 26 minutes — a restriction made by the Jazz medical and training staff — including shooting 5 of 10 from 3-point range.



lucky he and his personal staff agreed!


The Jazz’s spacing and ability to swing the ball to open shooters improves just by having Mitchell on the court. Additionally, the trickle-down effect of having Mitchell back in the rotation, gives Conley more options and allows some relief for Joe Ingles.



all true but he has to give up the ball. They looked great when Conley brought the ball down, ran the pick and roll and the ball moved. Mitchell go wide open looks. Much better than Mitchell or Clarkson bringing it down and no one else involved in the play


It’s no secret that the Jazz are a better team with Mitchell on the floor, but that doesn’t mean that he has to score 50 in order for them to win. Sometimes, with Wednesday’s game serving as the perfect example, it’s smarter for him to play with a slower and more deliberate approach.



it's debatable

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/2021/5/27/22456657/would-the-utah-jazz-prefer-the-dallas-mavericks-or-la-clippers-in-the-2nd-round


Would the Jazz prefer the Mavericks or Clippers in the second round?


Mavs certainly

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/460332/donovan-mitchell-says-ankle-feels-better-after-game-two/


“It’s good,” Mitchell said of his ankle Friday after the team arrived in Memphis. “It’s gotten better since I played, these things can go one of two ways and I feel like it’s going the right way.”



good to hear since you forced your way on to the floor

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/460320/jazz-head-to-memphis-for-game-three/


Though the Jazz shot just 25 percent in their series opener, they’d gladly welcome 40+ attempts for the remainder of the series, especially with the quality of look they are getting.



as long as Clarkson isn't taking too many and of course he will be


In addition to creating open looks, the Jazz have punished the Grizzlies with their pick and roll play. Mike Conley is averaging 13 assists per game through two games and surgically picked the Memphis defense apart, including an eight-point, eight-assist fourth quarter on Wednesday.



sadly we'll see less and less of that as Mitchell comes back


Conley doesn’t have to outscore Morant for the Jazz to win in Memphis, but he’s got to keep his shooting percentages up and keep his team from panicking while playing in front of the fan base that once worshiped him with the Grizzlies.



might be able to pick it up defensively as he goes back to spotting up in the corner while Mitchell goes 1 on 5

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/460306/four-takeaways-from-the-jazz-and-grizzlies-so-far/


First, the team was without their leading scorer Donovan Mitchell who was a late scratch from the opener under bizarre circumstances.



no excuse


Second, the team may have been a bit rusty, having had a full week off while the Grizzlies had played two high-leverage games in preparation for the game one. The rust resulted in 14 turnovers, including 12 steals by the Grizzlies leading to easy transition baskets.



maybe but it was pretty typical


Third, the Jazz shot bizarrely poorly (https://kslsports.com/459991/twenty-open-threes-the-jazz-missed-against-memphis/) in their opener, connecting on just 12-47 of their three-point attempts, their second-worst shooting performance of the season.



yeah but Gobert fouled out was the main reason and as usual they aren't very good without him


As good as Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks have been through the first two games of the series, Memphis needs more firepower if they want to keep up with the Jazz hot shooting.



or better D. Jazz certainly need better D


And, he’s doing this against Jonas Valanciunas, one of the better seven-footers in the league. Not only has Gobert been impressive statistically, he’s had several eye-opening highlights including a massive block on Morant who challenged him at the rim, and an unstoppable offensive performance in the fourth quarter of game two.



blocked Morant in game 1 as well


Jazz fans have been singing the praises of Gobert for several years now, though the nuances of his game don’t lend themselves to more casual NBA Fans.



some. Others chant MVP for Mitchell :facepalm


If the Jazz want to end this series in short order, they’ll have to avoid full quarter letdowns.



been a problem all year. Despite their #1 D they rarely do it for 48 minutes which is more a statement on today's game than anything else

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/2021/5/28/22458411/utah-jazz-vs-memphis-grizzlies-game-3-preview-ja-morant


The Jazz are their own worst enemy when it comes to the offense slowing down. At times the ball can stick, making off-ball movement and drive-and-kick plays more difficult. This was a particularly egregious problem in the third quarter of Game 2, when the Grizzlies outscored the Jazz 43-29.



only going to see more of it as Mitchell comes back

[Xiao Yao You]

Two NBA people I respect suggest the Cavs trade Sexton. One likes him a lot, one is lukewarm. But their point is the team should only sign Allen (a restricted free agent) to a $100 million deal. (https://www.cleveland.com/cavs/2021/05/what-about-koby-altman-kevin-love-the-future-terry-plutos-cavs-scribbles.html) Because of the Love contract, the Cavs can’t pay Allen and Sexton tons of cash without crushing the salary cap.

– via Terry Pluto @ Cleveland Plain Dealer (https://www.cleveland.com/cavs/2021/05/what-about-koby-altman-kevin-love-the-future-terry-plutos-cavs-scribbles.html)



similar numbers to Mitchell but two years younger and cheaper. Can't be any worse defensively

[Xiao Yao You]

After struggling to find a consistent rhythm throughout much of his first season in Utah, Conley appears to have found the groove in his second campaign that helped make the Jazz the No. 1 team in the Western Conference all season. He went 7-of-10 from the 3-point line on Saturday, tying his career high for 3-pointers in a game. “I think the biggest thing is he’s just locked in,” Mitchell said. “He just has a different look. (https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/31536252/mike-conley-leads-utah-jazz-victory-surreal-return-memphis) And that’s one of the things that I saw from him in the bubble, and I’ve seen it at an even higher level now. He understands it. He loves — he played for Memphis, what, 13 years. At the end of the day, there’s still love. You can see it. And there’s also love in competing against them. And I think it is impressive, because it’s easy to be distracted …

– via Nick Friedell @ ESPN (https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/31536252/mike-conley-leads-utah-jazz-victory-surreal-return-memphis)





Ben Anderson: Mike Conley on playing against Memphis: “Sometimes you just live long enough to become the villain and I’ve become that for the Memphis Grizzlies now so, you’ve just got to take that in stride.” (https://*********.com/social/)

– via Twitter BensHoops (https://twitter.com/BensHoops)






Eric Walden: Mike Conley, on facing Ja in Memphis: “It’s surreal — him wearing the jersey I’m so used to wearing, getting the cheers I’m used to hearing. (https://*********.com/social/) You live long enough, you become the villain — and I’ve become that for the Memphis Grizzlies.”

– via Twitter tribjazz (https://twitter.com/tribjazz)






Marc J. Spears: Grizzlies say Ja Morant is the fourth player in NBA history to score 100+ points over his first three playoff appearances (https://*********.com/social/) and the first since 1970. He joins Wilt Chamberlain (116 points in 1960), George Mikan (107 points in 1949) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (102 points in 1970).
– via Twitter MarcJSpears (https://twitter.com/MarcJSpears)







Eric Walden: Quin Snyder, on Donovan down the stretch: “He’s such a competitor, and he’s thinking about winning. (https://*********.com/social/) When you have a guy that believes in himself that much, believes in his teammates, has that competitive fire, he’s going to make things happen.”
– via Twitter tribjazz (https://twitter.com/tribjazz)



He's going to keep gunning anyway






Meghan Triplett: Coach Jenkins said the Jazz were really physical w/ Jonas Valanciunas and put a lot of attention on him. (https://*********.com/social/) Jenkins said he was glad he found a way in that 3rd qtr but they will have to go watch film & see what they need to do for Game 4.

– via Twitter Meghan_Triplett (https://twitter.com/Meghan_Triplett)

[Xiao Yao You]

Eric Walden: Rudy Gobert, on Mark Eaton: “It’s tough. He’s someone I really appreciated. He was a great guy. I texted him a few days ago. (https://*********.com/social/) … He had a great career, but he’s an even better person. Definitely gonna be missed.”

– via Twitter tribjazz (https://twitter.com/tribjazz)





“I know that if he was here I would have got a text after the game saying, ‘way to protect the paint big guy,’” Gobert said with a smile after the Jazz’s 121-111 Game 3 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. “I know he’s watching, and I know he’s going to be watching through the rest of the playoffs and everything else. I feel his presence.” (https://www.deseret.com/2021/5/30/22458906/rudy-gobert-played-for-mark-eaton-on-saturday-game-3-utah-jazz-memphis-grizzlies)

– via Sarah Todd @ deseret.com (https://www.deseret.com/2021/5/30/22458906/rudy-gobert-played-for-mark-eaton-on-saturday-game-3-utah-jazz-memphis-grizzlies)







That’s what keeps coming up when talking to people about Eaton. Over and over you’ll hear those that knew him say that he was a great listener, a superb friend, and unendingly kind to everyone he encountered. “Obviously he had a great career, but as a human being as a person, he was someone that I related a lot,” Gobert said. “I learned a lot just from being around him. He’s definitely going to be missed, and not just by me but in the community, with all the great things that he’s done and all the people he’s been inspiring his whole life.” (https://www.deseret.com/2021/5/30/22458906/rudy-gobert-played-for-mark-eaton-on-saturday-game-3-utah-jazz-memphis-grizzlies)

– via Sarah Todd @ deseret.com (https://www.deseret.com/2021/5/30/22458906/rudy-gobert-played-for-mark-eaton-on-saturday-game-3-utah-jazz-memphis-grizzlies)







Snyder added that he always appreciated the rare occasions when Eaton would speak to the team. “He would come in the locker room occasionally; he was always very sensitive to his presence and what his purpose was, and you almost had to encourage him to come in, because every time he did, he touched players, he touched coaches,” he said. “He had a way about him that would [make you] want you to open up, and he motivated in very specific ways and also in very subtle ways depending upon the situation and what was needed. The subtleties of all that, I think, speak to the compassion, with which he lived.” (https://www.sltrib.com/sports/jazz/2021/05/29/mark-eaton-remembered-by/)

– via Salt Lake Tribune (https://www.sltrib.com/sports/jazz/2021/05/29/mark-eaton-remembered-by/)






“He was always at games early in my career, and he just used to always come up to me and give me advice about certain things,” Favors said. “You know, we just used to talk, and he’d tell stories.” Favors, who stands 6-foot-9 and weighs about 265 pounds, recalled how Eaton was one of the few people he’d ever come across who could make him feel small. “I mean, he was how tall — 7-3, 7-4? Yeah, 7-4. The only other player that I played against that was taller than that was Yao Ming, my rookie year,” Favors said. “He was a big guy, he was a big guy. There was a reason why he was one of the best shot-blockers in the NBA at his time.” (https://www.sltrib.com/sports/jazz/2021/05/29/mark-eaton-remembered-by/)
– via Salt Lake Tribune (https://www.sltrib.com/sports/jazz/2021/05/29/mark-eaton-remembered-by/)



Boban






“God could not have put a gentler, kinder soul in a big body than Mark Eaton,” Bailey told The Athletic. “I have a lot of great basketball memories because his story is so unique. He worked his tail off to be one of the best. He learned how to protect the paint, and he saved his teammates. We relied on him sometimes too much.” “He was the Rudy Gobert of our time.” (https://theathletic.com/2621589/2021/05/29/he-was-the-rudy-gobert-of-our-time-those-who-knew-mark-eaton-speak-of-the-player-and-man-he-was/?source=rss)

– via Tony Jones @ The Athletic (https://theathletic.com/2621589/2021/05/29/he-was-the-rudy-gobert-of-our-time-those-who-knew-mark-eaton-speak-of-the-player-and-man-he-was/?source=rss)






“He had an effect on winning with us,” Bailey said. “Before Mark came, we didn’t have that much success as a team. But he was always mentoring me. He was always optimistic. We just developed a really great relationship. The moments that mark and I had, we would just go have a beer and talk about life. That was the difference. We talked about family, about things we wanted to do during the summer. We talked about music. We had very intellectual conversations. Mark was like a family member to me.” (https://theathletic.com/2621589/2021/05/29/he-was-the-rudy-gobert-of-our-time-those-who-knew-mark-eaton-speak-of-the-player-and-man-he-was/?source=rss)
– via Tony Jones @ The Athletic (https://theathletic.com/2621589/2021/05/29/he-was-the-rudy-gobert-of-our-time-those-who-knew-mark-eaton-speak-of-the-player-and-man-he-was/?source=rss)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50176612/i-know-hes-watching-rudy-gobert-honors-mark-eaton-on-and-off-the-court


Wilt's advice? Eaton never will be able to catch or keep up with those athletic guards.



never was

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50176471/hes-going-to-make-some-things-happen-donovan-mitchells-late-surge-lifts-jazz-over-memphis


Up to that point, Utah's All-Star shooting guard had struggled to find his shot. He was 7 of 21 from the field for 19 points and looked to be playing through some pain. He seemed to forget all of that pretty quickly.

there can't be pain. He and his team said he is ready!



The plays a superstar makes. Morant is on his way there — Mitchell has already arrived.



I guess. I'd take Morant anyday

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50176444/sometimes-you-live-long-enough-to-become-the-villain-conley-helps-break-memphis-fans-hearts-as-jazz-go-up-2-1


But it was clear on Saturday: Conley has been Utah's best player in the series — and, therefore, one of the main reasons the Grizzlies are two losses away from their season being over.



him and Gobert anyway. That must've been tough. Mitchell is usually the only guy the media wants to fawn over

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50176282/utah-jazz-legend-mark-eaton-64-dies-following-apparent-bicycle-crash


"As much as Stockton and Malone were the face of the Utah Jazz, so was Mark Eaton — everyone associated him with the Utah Jazz," said former Houston Rocket guard and TNT analyst Kenny Smith.



:facepalm

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/460445/mitchell-conley-carry-jazz-over-memphis-in-game-three/


Conley dished out 26 over the first two games of the series, repeatedly abusing Memphis in the pick and roll largely as a result of the Grizzlies’ willingness to go over the top of Rudy Gobert screens above the three-point line.

In game three, Memphis generally preferred to dip under the screen, limiting Conley’s ability to get into the paint, so he punished them from the three-point line instead.


the fact that the Jazz are running anything other than pick and roll is stupid. Memphis has no answer. Got to get Mitchell, Clarkson and Bojan their looks though!


The Jazz acquired Conley with the hopes that he would relieve the ball-handling and playmaking pressure off Mitchell for stretches during the playoffs, and they’re reaping the rewards of that move in this series.



Conley and Ingles should do all the ball handling


Jordan Clarkson may have broken out of his shooting slump to open the series in the second half, scoring eight points on 3-4 shooting including 2-2 from downtown, but was just 2-7 from the three-point line on the night and was a team-worst -7 for the night.



but the big news is COTY actually cut his minutes!

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.sltrib.com/sports/jazz/2021/05/29/triple-team-jazz/


Regardless, he was a hero to the Jazz. Not only did Conley brush the weird feelings off, he thrived in his unusual scenario, performing as the Jazz’s best player once again in a 27-point, eight assist, six rebound performance in which he shot 8-16 from the floor, and 7-10 from 3-point range.



as long as D isn't considered


Here, he does it perfectly: Clarkson’s not really in good position, so he picks up the ball for safekeeping, takes two steps, and lobs it to Rudy Gobert.



If ytou mean Clarkson isn't in good position because he can't shoot than yeah! :lol


And he’s right, sometimes. Like, you can see what he’s talking about here: the Jazz are in panic scramble mode defensively, so Kyle Anderson can just sneak down to the paint. I suppose the box-out should be Jordan Clarkson’s, but Clarkson is busy boxing out someone else after all of the rotations.



but Clarkson sucks


Sometimes, it was the perimeter players who didn’t show enough urgency. Bojan Bogdanovic has to know what the situation here is: if the shot misses, Valanciunas is going to get 2 points. So push, fight, grab, and battle before and while the shot goes up. If it’s a loose ball or defensive foul, that’s a much better outcome than JV getting the easy 2.



Yeah Bojan is going to fight for boards! :roll:


The Jazz have to clean this up: their whole defense is predicated on forcing tough shots and getting the rebound. They force next to no turnovers. If they want to be good defensively, they have to complete the play.



Play Ersan, Morgan and/or Brantley or play guys that don't rebound. There is a choice


The Jazz have been limiting Mitchell’s minutes over the last two games; tonight, he only played in 30. I think it’s something to watch moving forward, Mitchell’s energy level. He had two days off before Saturday and still felt like he needed to conserve energy in Game 3. How will he look with one day off in between games in Game 4?



only 30? He's pretty much back to full minutes


Regardless, the Jazz were lucky to have him tonight, no doubt. His presence has changed this series. They’ll just also want him at full strength — and full energy — by the time the second round comes along.



lucky? The game would have been over long before if not for Clarkson and Mitchell keeping Memphis in it with their bricks

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/2021/5/30/22459020/donovan-mitchell-wants-to-win-the-mental-battle-through-the-nba-playoffs-utah-jazz-memphis-grizzlies


The Jazz would close the game on a 21-11 run that included 11 points from Mitchell, seven points from Mike Conley, and a string of defensive stops that put the game out of reach for the Grizzlies.



no need to mention who made those :facepalm

[Xiao Yao You]

https://sports.yahoo.com/nba-gm-player-empowerment-worst-220020973.html

seeing it with Mitchell right now forcing himself into the lineup when it sounds like his ankle isn't really ready

[Xiao Yao You]

Joe Mullinax: Quin Snyder says he expects a combination of Grizzlies adjustments as well as staying with their initial gameplans. Points out the offensive rebounds and the Grizzlies making Jazz pay for mistakes with fastbreak points (https://*********.com/social/)

– via Twitter sbnGrizzlies (https://twitter.com/sbnGrizzlies)




play Ersan/Morgan/Brantley

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/460491/jazz-can-take-commanding-lead-over-grizzlies-in-game-four/


It’s been no secret that Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley have been the key to the Jazz success in games two and three.



Mitchell has mostly sucked after forcing his way onto the court but ok I guess :facepalm


In fact, Morant and Brooks have combined to score 182 of the Grizzlies 352 points throughout the series, more than 51 percent of the team’s production. And, they’ve done it at an efficient rate.



who cares about efficiency eh Mitchell and Clarkson!


Tonight’s key matchup will pit Mitchell against Brooks in a rivalry that has been brewing throughout the season. The players had two competitive battles during the regular season which carried over in the opening-round playoff series.

Fortunately for the Jazz, Mitchell has gotten the better of the Grizzlies’ standout defender.

In 24 possessions (https://www.nba.com/stats/team/1610612762/matchups/?Season=2020-21&SeasonType=Playoffs&Matchup=Offense&sort=OFF_PLAYER_NAME&dir=1) when Brooks has been Mitchell’s primary defender, the Jazz All-Star has scored 19 points on 5-7 (71 percent) shooting, including 4-6 (66 percent) from the three-point line, while earning seven trips to the free-throw line.

In roughly 49 possessions against all other Grizzlies defenders, Mitchell has scored just 35 points on just 12-35 (35 percent) shooting from the floor and 3-14 (21 percent) from three, while earning eight trips to the free-throw line.

Brooks has however continued to punish the Jazz offensively. The fourth-year wing is averaging 27 points per game, the second-most of any player in the series while shooting 53 percent from the floor and nearly 36 percent from three.



good thing Mitchell is carrying them! :lol

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/2021/5/31/22461787/game-4-preview-utah-jazz-need-to-stop-relying-on-rudy-gobert-in-order-to-beat-memphis-grizzlies


“Sometimes we are looking at the ball instead of hitting our guys,” Bojan Bogdanovic said.



too bad they don't have a coach that will put guys in the game that want to hit guys like Ersan


Additionally, the Jazz would make things a lot easier on their centers if they would put more pressure on the ball and make things more difficult from the perimeter. It’s obviously the Jazz’s defensive scheme to funnel things into Gobert’s orbit, but that doesn’t mean they can’t try to slow things down before it gets to Gobert.



If you're Mitchell, Clarkson and Bojan it means exactly that

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/5/31/22462238/utah-jazz-seek-a-commanding-lead-over-the-memphis-grizzlies-nba-playoffs-donovan-mitchell


Game 3 also showed that the Jazz have a multitude of weapons that can beat you on any given night. If Bogdanovic or Ingles are having a sub-par game, Conley and O’Neale are capable of stepping up like they did. But it’s not as possible without Mitchell. Mitchell’s presence means every piece on offense is in its rightful spot. You aren’t asking Jordan Clarkson to play 30 minutes, or Joe Ingles to take on too much of the playmaking load. Everyone is tasked with the right amount of weight and nothing is too reliant on any single role player.



you should be asking Ingles to step up as a playmaker when Conley isn't in the game


Having Mitchell back puts Ingles back with the bench unit and keeps his minutes down, which is a good thing in the long run if you can keep Ingles fresh, but the Jazz need Ingles’ ultra efficient production when he’s on the floor to win these games. His shooting and playmaking can decimate defenses and lighten the load for Mike Conley and Donovan Mitchell. Ingles having the ball in his hands also makes Jordan Clarkson more of an off ball player and can get him more efficient shots rather than constantly having to create something out of nothing. Clarkson’s ability to create something when everything breaks down is a nice advantage for the Jazz, but things are better when the team is moving the ball and creating advantages. That’s where Ingles makes his biggest impact. He takes the right shots or creates better ones for his teammates. The Jazz just need that to happen when he’s on the floor.



Clarkson will have as many iopen looks as he wants. Too bad he doesn't want them and can't shoot anyway


The Dillon Brooks villainy has been one of the main storylines of this series. The thing is, he’s not a supervillain. Since Donovan Mitchell has returned the Jazz have torched Brooks. He simply can’t stop Donovan Mitchell in the slightest.



the last post says the opposite

[Xiao Yao You]

Eric Walden: Rudy Gobert, on the role players: “They’re the difference between us being a very good team and a great team. (https://*********.com/social/) … Having guys like Joe and Jordan, who can give us a big spark off the bench, that’s what makes us special this year. It’s hard for teams to guard us for 48 minutes.”
– via Twitter tribjazz (https://twitter.com/tribjazz)




Eric Walden: Rudy Gobert, on the Jazz responding to Memphis’ rallies: “It’s resilience. And the most important part is continuing to trust each other. When it gets tough, we raise our level, and we do it together.” (https://*********.com/social/)
– via Twitter tribjazz (https://twitter.com/tribjazz)






Eric Walden: Donovan Mitchell: “[The Grizzlies] a team that’s never gonna quit, —up 30, down 30, whatever quarter. (https://*********.com/social/) … Too many times tonight, we get up 9 and get careless. I threw a baseball pass for a turnover. I had another bad pass. Those are the things we have to nip in the bud.”
– via Twitter tribjazz (https://twitter.com/tribjazz)






StatMuse: Donovan Mitchell is averaging 27.4 PPG in his playoff career. That’s the most in Jazz franchise history (min 25 games) (https://*********.com/social/).
– via Twitter statmuse (https://twitter.com/statmuse)

[Xiao Yao You]

Meghan Triplett: Donovan Mitchell walked off the court and gave his kicks to 2 Jazz fans (https://*********.com/social/).
– via Twitter Meghan_Triplett (https://twitter.com/Meghan_Triplett)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/460579/full-team-effort-helps-jazz-sweep-games-3-and-4-in-memphis/


If you recall, Bojan Bogdanovic missed the entire postseason after undergoing season-ending wrist surgery in May, while Mike Conley missed the first two games of the series to attend the birth of his child. Additionally, the Jazz have replaced the backup center minutes of Tony Bradley and Juwan Morgan with veteran Derrick Favors.



They won one of the games Conley missed and it's debatable rather the rest makes them better


Now, just as it was when they swept the Grizzlies over three games in four outings in March, it’s apparent the Jazz simply have more talent than the young Memphis roster. If Rudy Gobert isn’t playing well, Favors will. If Conley is having an off night, Jordan Clarkson will be on. If Joe Ingles is quiet, Royce O’Neale will be loud.



No chance without Gobert and Conley playing well. One of the worst teams in the league :facepalm


After losing game one last season, the Jazz won three consecutive games in Orlando without ever having a home crowd behind them. Then, just as the winds shifted in their favor, they turned once again on the Disney World Campus as the Jazz watched three close games slip out of their hands.



didn't have a home team against them either


“You get the sense that when he misses, he keeps shooting,” Snyder said of the Sixth Man of the Year award winner. “To that extent, he’s mentally tough enough to take the next shot, but he’s also someone that cares so deeply about that playing well and about helping the team.”



he sucks


The dedication to maintain bench minutes has led to two rough stretches to open the fourth quarters in Memphis but has left extra gas in the game to close games. In game three, the Jazz closed the final four minutes on a 14-2 run to secure the victory.



not going to work in the next round

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/460537/derrick-favors-gives-jazz-big-boost-off-the-bench-in-first-quarter-of-game-4/


After Dillon Brooks had a dunk on the other end, Joe Ingles and Favors ran their famous pick-and-roll in consecutive plays. Favors has been a massive addition this season for the Jazz after returning to the organization following a one-year stint with the New Orleans Pelicans.



massive?

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/460532/jazz-finding-new-offensive-balance-in-playoffs/


“I like to give those guys the freedom to make some of those decisions on their own. We’ve got smart players, and they’re unselfish and when that’s the case, the ball tends to find the open man.”



for some strange reason Mitchell and Clarkson are open more than anyone

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50177282/the-jazz-arent-worried-about-jordan-clarkson--game-4-showed-why


The Jazz aren't worried about Jordan Clarkson — Game 4 showed why

they should be


To be frank, Clarkson had more than struggled in the first-round series. He was 3 of 21 from 3-point range through the first three games and was shooting 37% from the field. The man the Jazz call for instant offense off the bench was bringing anything but that.



he's been awful for months


It wasn't just his shooting, either. He had four turnovers in Game 1, failed to get a rebound in Game 3, and was making head-scratching decisions along the way.



same decisions he always makes. Shoot, shoot shoot!


"Not a lot of teams have a guy that can legitimately get you 40 points in 30 minutes or however minutes he plays," Mike Conley said, before adding: "He's gonna win us games."



and make it tough to win a lot more

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50177218/jazz-put-grizzlies-on-brink-of-elimination-with-game-4-win


"Don (Donovan Mitchell) had done a lot during the game. and was wearing down a little bit so I gave him a couple possessions off," Conley said. "I've been in that position plenty where I feel real comfortable with the ball in my hand later in the game and was able to knock down a couple good ones."



it's ridiculous that the ball isn't in Conley or Ingles hands all the time. Memphis has had no answer for the pick and roll but instead Mitchell and Clarkson are gunning! :facepalm


Mitchell finished with 30 points and eight assists in the win for the Jazz. His 35 minutes seemed to at least show that his minute restriction from the injured ankle had been raised, if not eliminated altogether. And he looked much more like his normal self, springing off the floor for layups and rebounds, especially one high-rising one in the third.



yep 8-22 he's back! :cheers:

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/2021/6/1/22461927/analysis-utah-jazz-3-1-series-lead-memphis-grizzlies-30-points-donovan-mitchell-game-4-nba-playoffs


There was a spring in Donovan Mitchell’s step on Monday that we didn’t see in Games 2 and 3. He was turning corners a little faster, getting up higher for rebounds and was more explosive on his drives. His game-high 30 points never felt forced or even overt. He quietly led the game and the Jazz.



8-22 isn't forced?


Royce O’Neale has been aggressive, kept the ball alive, hit shots, defended well and has been instrumental in the Jazz winning three games in a row against this Grizzlies team. The thing that impresses me the most about O’Neale is that he’s faster than he looks like he might be and is a great rebounder.



imagine if he didn't have to play out of position!


After a Game 3 in which Joe Ingles was nearly invisible save a single 3-point shot, the Aussie looked much more intentional on Monday. Not only was he more involved and creating at a higher rate on the offensive end, he was engaged on defense. That’s the thing with Ingles, it’s excellent when he’s firing from 3-point land and hitting, but he’s such an effective creator and so valuable defensively that as long as he is playing within himself it almost doesn’t matter if he’s scoring at a high rate, the Jazz have a lot of people that can score the ball. He just can’t fall off the map like he did on Saturday.



He doesn't have to score but he needs to take open shots, playmake and defend


Gobert went up for a layup, was fouled and before he even had a chance to hear that the official behind him had whistled the play, he looked at the baseline ref, and was incensed to the point of punching the stanchion multiple times. He was headed to the free throw line but his reaction gave Memphis some free points first. Can’t do that. Just because you think the official closest to you wasn’t the one that called the foul doesn’t mean that you should lose your cool when you are leading a series and about to win to go up 3-1. That’s not the right time or the right reaction.



nothing wrong with playing emotional and getting a T as long as you don't get two

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/6/1/22463163/utah-jazz-net-rating-indicates-deep-nba-playoff-run


The Utah Jazz are primed for a deep playoff run

At least according to a common advanced stat



struggling with Memphis

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/6/1/22462610/utah-jazz-take-3-1-lead-against-the-memphis-grizzlies-nba-donovan-mitchell-ja-morant-rudy-gobert


Now, as it pertains to Mitchell, this game was both really good and really bad for him. When it comes to the positives, he did a much better job of facilitating tonight, ending the game with 8 assists. He also did a fantastic job of getting to the line. During the second half in particular, Mitchell was getting some super-star level calls, leading to 13 free-throw attempts for him on the night. At points during throughout the game, I had no idea how the Grizzlies were supposed to defend Mitchell because they kept getting called for any contact they gave him on drives. This, obviously, is a great thing for Utah. I don’t think it can be overstated how important a whistle like this could be for them moving forward. If Mitchell gets James Harden-esque officiating, Utah’s ceiling skyrockets.



3 TO's 8-22


As for the negatives, it concerned me to see how easily the Grizzlies scored on Mitchell throughout the game. I’m scared that when the Jazz face a better team, one with multiple dynamic offensive threats (like the Clippers), Mitchell will become a big target. While part of this could be his ankle, watching Mitchell die on almost any kind of off-ball or on-ball action tonight was not very confidence-inducing. He simply has to do better than getting easily beat off the dribble by Grayson Allen for the Jazz to beat the Clippers or the Lakers in the future.



seriously going to blame his ankle? When has he ever played D?


Mitchell also just had a poor shooting night. While ended the game with 30 points, it was mostly thanks to getting a plethora of free-throw attempts. This isn’t at-all concerning because bad shooting nights just happen. However, I will say that I think part of the reason why he shot poorly was because of some bad shot selection. I think Mitchell has to stop settling for contested mid-range jumpers moving forward.



it should be concerning because he's a gunner


However, per-usual, I think this one has to go to Rudy Gobert. He ended the night with 17 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks, and changed the pace of the game in Utah’s favor multiple times. At this point, I think we know the equation pretty well: if Rudy Gobert plays well, the Utah Jazz play well.



he pretty much always plays well. The difference is how much help he gets

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50178256/patrick-kinahan-mitchell-on-target-to-become-most-clutch-player-in-jazz-history


For all his greatness, Malone was known for coming up short occasionally in the playoffs. But he also had plenty of stellar moments, leading the Jazz to phenomenal success over the years.



When did Mitchell not come up short?


Only 24 years old and in his fourth season, Mitchell is on pace to shatter every expectation after he went 13th in the 2017 draft. Through his first 25 playoff games, he averaged 27.3 points, trailing Kevin Durant, LeBron James and Anthony Davis as the only active players to average more than Mitchell in their first 25 playoff games.



expectations have been very high since early in his rookie year and he's fallen way short so far


As the two-time All-Star knows full well, legends are not made in anything but at least the conference finals, a place the Jazz have not come close to achieving recently. At the same time, as their best record in the regular season showed, this Jazz team is the best during Mitchell's four years in the league.



yet 13-6 without Mitchell


Rather than bore you with a slew of mind-numbing stats, ask yourself one simple question: With the game on the line, who is the Jazz go-to player? Undoubtedly, the basketball belongs in Mitchell's hands.



belongs in Conley or Ingles hands


Already, at his tender age, Mitchell is the team's most clutch player (https://www.ksl.com/article/50176471/hes-going-to-make-some-things-happen-donovan-mitchells-late-surge-lifts-jazz-over-memphis). The great thing about this season is the Jazz have plenty of weapons, meaning he is not required to take every big shot and can use his incredible athletic ability to act as a distributor and take pressure off his teammates.



Rudy has made way more clutch plays. No cares about D sadly though


For sure, Mitchell has a long way to go before cementing his legacy in franchise history. But it's obvious to see he's on the path to greatness, possibly beyond anything his predecessors ever accomplished.



hard to compare eras but he doesn't compare with Gobert or Conley at the moment

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50177911/will-this-year-be-different-the-jazz-look-to-finish-off-3-1-lead-this-time-around


It's impossible to know if Utah would have been the best team in the league in the regular season or if it had fully committed to a new offensive identity if last season's embarrassment wouldn't have occurred. But, regardless, the Jazz view that collapse as the driving force to its entire season.



they were the best team because the D was much better not the offense


But the Jazz aren't the same team they were last season. For starters, Bojan Bogdanovic is back after missing last year's playoffs. He's averaging 18.8 points and shooting 42% from three. The Jazz also have Derrick Favors who has been a revelation backing up Gobert in the first four games of the series. Mike Conley is more comfortable (https://www.ksl.com/article/50176444/sometimes-you-live-long-enough-to-become-the-villain-conley-helps-break-memphis-fans-hearts-as-jazz-go-up-2-1), Jordan Clarkson more reliable (https://www.ksl.com/article/50177282/the-jazz-arent-worried-about-jordan-clarkson--game-4-showed-why), and the team has a whole different mindset.



A revelation! Clarkson is worse than ever! :facepalm

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/460615/utah-jazz-and-the-history-of-the-3-1-playoff-lead/


Had the Jazz had the ability to play any of their three closeout opportunities against Denver at home, the series may have had a different outcome.



plus 3 in Denver. Mitchell certainly wouldn't have had the series he duid. Murray probably wouldn't have either

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/460602/jazz-look-for-close-out-in-game-five-against-grizzlies/


The key matchup in game four will pit the Jazz role players against the Grizzlies’. Games 1-3 had been dominated by big statistical performances from Donovan Mitchell, Mike Conley, Rudy Gobert, Ja Morant, and Dillon Brooks.



O'Neale

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/460591/jazz-coach-quin-snyder-ted-lasso-share-mutual-admiration/


“Coach Snyder’s defensive strategy should be required viewing for all coaches,” Lasso tweeted, “(no 🤞 needed).”




the strategy with or without Rudy?


Snyder led the Jazz to the NBA’s third-ranked defense this season, and the top record in the NBA.



What did the D rank without Gobert on the floor?

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/2021/6/2/22464960/danny-ainge-leaves-boston-celtics-could-reportedly-be-headed-to-utah-jazz-byu-basketball

If he replaced the Wizard the future might have hope after all!

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/2021/6/1/22463939/memphis-grizzlies-say-wednesdays-game-5-will-be-utah-jazzs-hardest-to-win-yet-taylor-jenkins


With the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year (https://www.deseret.com/sports/2021/5/24/22452203/utah-jazz-jordan-clarkson-named-2020-21-nba-sixth-6th-man-of-the-year) award winner — veteran sharpshooter Jordan Clarkson (https://www.deseret.com/2021/5/25/22452925/utah-jazz-jordan-clarkson-accepted-role-becoming-the-sixth-man-of-the-year-nba-playoffs-memphis) — and one of the other leading candidates also on their bench, the Utah Jazz (https://www.deseret.com/utah-jazz)are naturally going to get more scoring production from their non-starters than any team in the NBA.



a guy that misses more than he makes is a gunner not a sharpshooter

[Xiao Yao You]

https://saltcityhoops.com/jazz-grizz-parallels-schemes-and-possible-g5-wrinkles/


Conley goes under the screen and Gobert slides over to contain, but for some reason Clarkson still leaves a shooter to stunt. You probably don’t need three guys all focused on Morant when he’s this far from the basket, but that just illustrates how much fear he instills as a drive threat.



Clarkson sucks


Gobert guards essentially the same way on these four plays as he did in the trio above, but here it results in a floater barely drawing iron, a Morant turnover, and two plays where they get the ball out of his hands entirely. But for a sloppy closeout by Clarkson on the last one, these would be four empty Memphis possessions.



JC again. What exactly does he bring to the table?


But, with all due respect to Memphis, this isn’t the Denver series. The gap in macro team quality is wider, and the games aren’t happening in a neutral gym next to some Central Florida marsh. Plus, while Utah has yet to blow the Grizzlies out, they’ve been in control for virtually every minute since Mitchell returned to action. In the three games since Mitchell rejoined the lineup, Utah is 3-0 and has trailed for just 5.6% of the time. Utah has trailed for 38 total seconds after intermission in those games, or 0.9% of the total second-half action in those three. Credit Memphis for staying in all three games, but Utah has yet to really sweat one out, at least with their full roster.



been in control virtually every minute Gobert has been on the court would be a better way of putting it


There are no easy answers for Memphis, on either end. They’ve switched, they’ve iced, they’ve dropped, they’ve hedged, and Utah has just had answers for everything. Conley has been a surgeon (https://twitter.com/danclayt0n/status/1398037030970351618) in this series, and Mitchell is inching back toward his usual minutes and role. O’Neale, Bogdanovic and Joe Ingles have all been red hot as endpoints of the offense, and the Jazz have too many avenues of creation for Memphis to zero in on any one ball handler.



can';t stop Conley/Gobert pick and roll but COTY and Mitchell can :facepalm

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/6/2/22464354/donovan-mitchell-utah-jazz-nba-playoffs-better


Enter Donovan Mitchell.



enter Gobert not in rare foul trouble


Now, if you only checked the box score for Mitchell you might scoff at his numbers. He’s scoring 28 ppg while shooting 39% from the field and 33% from three. Sure, those aren’t the most impressive numbers but what jumps off the page is that Mitchell is getting to the line. He’s averaging 9.3 free throw attempts per game and shooting 89% at the line. That ability to get to the line is the next step in Mitchell’s superstar evolution and we’re watching it happen right before our eyes. That’s not just a sign that Mitchell’s skill level is getting even better, it’s also a sign that he’s driving relentlessly to the rim. The Grizzlies have no one on the floor that can stay in front of him. So when Mitchell is on the floor he’s constantly penetrating the defense and it forces the Grizzlies into rotations. And that means the Jazz are finding advantages. For the series Mitchell is averaging 4.3 assists per game, 2nd to Mike Conley at 10.3. But that ball is moving when Mitchell drives. Per NBA.com (https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=http://NBA.com&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/6/2/22464354/donovan-mitchell-utah-jazz-nba-playoffs-better&xcust=___sb__p_22228395__t_w__r_slcdunk.com__d_D) Mitchell is second on the team behind Mike Conley with 8 potential assists per game. Conley is at 16.5! It’s easy to see how that penetration from Mitchell creates better shots for Conley and his teammates. Basically, if you want to slow the Jazz down in the half court, you have to figure out how to stop Mitchell from driving and the Grizzlies have no one that can do it.



Let Conley spot up for 3 and your chances increase greatly


And that’s the real effect that Mitchell has. On nights where he shoots efficiently, the Jazz are almost unbeatable. But even on nights where he doesn’t shoot well it opens everything up for everyone else. Less minutes are being used by players on the end of the bench. Less minutes are being used by players being asked to play above their skill set. Each member of the Jazz is asked to carry the appropriate amount of weight to get the win. And if the Jazz do this, it makes them capable of beating anyone because they have the weapons to take advantage of every mistake the defense makes.



sadly he doesn't usually shoot efficiently but let's rave about him some more anyway!


That being said its important that Donavan tried to engage in the offense as much as he can. Pick his spots when he makes moves or tries to take over. Hes getting better about that. But for the Jazz to reach their peak potential Donavan has to be efficient. If he can score efficiently and turn it over less while still getting to the line like he has been that is your superstar right there.


Hopefully the defense comes along too and that’s just a symptom of fatigue and needing more time to get right. Its incredible hes playing at the level he is given how much time hes missed. That’s not normal. Just wait and see what he will do next series or if we are fortunate in the conf finals or nba finals. Hes only gonna get better and better.

Posted by JazzHands2017 (https://www.sbnation.com/users/JazzHands2017) on Jun 2, 2021 | 9:58 AM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/6/2/22464354/donovan-mitchell-utah-jazz-nba-playoffs-better#540882627)



don't see him getting better at D or engaging the offense more

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/06/02/utah-jazz-3-rudy-gobert-finishing/


With Bojan Bogdanovic out due to a wrist injury at this point last postseason, it was amazing the Jazz even obtained a 3-1 lead. Now, they’re the heavily favored team. Per the ESPN.com Basketball Power Index, not only do they have over a 72 percent chance to win Game 5, but they also have a league-best 27.4 percent chance (https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/page/BPI-Playoff-Odds/espn-nba-basketball-power-index-playoff-odds) to hoist the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy.



amazing against a team that played little D


Donovan Mitchell (https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/mitchdo01.html) and other players will get their dues on offense. However, there will be less pressure on them if Rudy Gobert channels his inner Mark Eaton, plays with tenacity, and creates extra opportunities for the team by way of his shot-blocking specialty.



he doesn't need to block shots. What he does goes way beyond that

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/06/01/utah-jazz-cruise-nba-finals/


So there you have it: a unit that is already firing on all cylinders with the chance of enjoying a most opportune time to fine-tune individual pieces.



They are hardly firing on all cylinders. They will have to be a lot better :facepalm

[Xiao Yao You]

https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/262798/Danny-Ainge-Linked-With-Future-Role-With-Jazz


Abbott adds that new Utah owner Ryan Smith is "best friends" with Ainge. Smith and Ainge are both from Eugene, Oregon and they both attended BYU.



impress me Ryan! :applause:

[Xiao Yao You]

https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/262799/Mike-Krzyzewski-To-Retire-After-21-22-Season-Jon-Scheyer-To-Become-Coach-In-Waiting

damn I was hoping for COTY! :cry:

[Xiao Yao You]

https://basketball.realgm.com/analysis/262685/Rudy-Gobert-And-The-Case-Against-Defense-In-The-MVP-Race


If you watch any national television sports talk show or game broadcast, you would think the Jazz were a one-man show. All-Star Donovan Mitchell is often referred to as Utah’s best player despite the team playing better with Gobert on the floor. Since Mitchell leads the team in scoring, only his performance can be used in the national conversation to explain why Utah has played well. It’s reductive, but scoring is generally how the national discourse around the league flows. It’s easier to explain why a player is good or valuable through offense rather than defense.



Bojan thinks he's their best player too and most fans :roll:


Players that rely on defense primarily will always have a harder time showcasing their value. Statistics always paint a better picture for stars with the ball in their hands. For the rare star like Gobert that impacts the game without touching the ball on offense sometimes, it will always be an uphill battle and quite possibly why he's frequently pleading for more respect.



one of the most impactful offensive players too though

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/460661/could-danny-ainge-help-the-jazz/


First, it must be recognized that the Jazz have proven to have one of the better front offices in the NBA behind Vice President of Basketball Operations Dennis Lindsey and General Manager Justin Zanik.



the same guys that super maxed Mitchell and signed Bojan,Clarkson and Favors to huge deals or the other great front office?


Additionally, neither member of the Jazz brain trust are in the twilight of their careers. Lindsey, 52, and Zanik, 46, should have significantly more shelf life in the NBA than Ainge who turned 62 in March.



Lindsey has been rumored for Houston so there is hope


Ultimately, if Ainge were to join the Jazz it would have to come as the result of the team’s front office and ownership deciding they wanted additional help, and Ainge deciding he isn’t ready to settle into retirement.



can't have enough GM's. They have at least 5 now I believe

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/6/2/22465322/utah-jazz-will-look-to-end-the-series-tonight-against-memphis-game-preview-nba-playoffs-game-5


The chemistry is also better. Even though it was clear that the rift in the team between Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell was gone in the bubble, there were still looming contracts for Gobert and Mitchell on the horizon. Now, with both players paid and under contract, everything has fallen into place. Mitchell appears to have taken another leap and should be a perennial all-star and eventual all-nba player. Gobert will win his 3rd DPOY, will be all-nba yet again and is playing the best basketball of his career. The Jazz are complete.



complete :facepalm

[Xiao Yao You]

https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/262801/Danny-Ainge-Reportedly-Has-Had-Interest-In-Jobs-With-Jazz-Blazers

[Xiao Yao You]

Justin Kubatko: Donovan Mitchell last night: 30 PTS 6 REB 10 AST Mitchell is the first player in @Utah Jazz history to record at least 30p/5r/10a in a playoff game (https://*********.com/social/). He’s also the first player in franchise postseason history to record a 30-point game while playing less than 30 minutes. pic.twitter.com/p7rKgI62jg

– via Twitter jkubatko (https://twitter.com/jkubatko)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/2021/6/3/22463506/analysis-donovan-mitchell-leads-utah-jazz-in-closeout-game-over-memphis-grizzlies-nba-playoffs


All fears and thoughts of that 3-1 blown series lead last year against the Denver Nuggets can be put to bed. The Jazz are headed to the conference semifinals for the first time in three years and they’re the No. 1 team with home court advantage throughout. Nearly every single player is playing their best basketball.



Mitchell had one great game. Clarkson sucks. Favors sucked. Ingles isn't at his best. Niang is barely playing. Conley is hurt. Ersan/Morgan/Brantley aren't playing.O'Neale and Gobert were great

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/6/2/22466268/utah-jazz-advance-to-the-second-round-with-win-over-the-memphis-grizzlies


Rudy Gobert was also dominant. Gobert had 23 points with 15 boards on 10/13 from the field. The combination of Gobert and Mitchell was completely dominant in this series. Whether it was the defensive end of the floor with Gobert patrolling the paint or on offense where Donovan Mitchell got to the rim at will, the Grizzlies had no answer.



Gobert, O'Neale and Conley were. Nice of Mitchell to show up for game 5

[Xiao Yao You]

https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/262806/Mike-Conley-To-Receive-MRI-On-Right-Hamstring-Thursday