2021-22 regular season Utah Jazz news, notes and game coverage

How long will Butler languish on the bench? Will Mitchell finally live up to the hype?

[url]https://www.ksl.com/article/50265508/john-stockton-makes-nbas-75th-anniversary-team[/url]

:bowdown:

[url]https://kslsports.com/470443/1-nba-opening-night/[/url]

[QUOTE]Rookie Jared Butler had a brilliant preseason leading the team in both scorings at 18 points per game and assists at 4.3 per game. The only question now is whether the 10th man in the Jazz rotation can find his way into Quin Snyder’s traditional nine-man rotation.

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remains to be seen who 10th man out. With two guys out if might be Hughes. Never know with COTY

[url]https://kslsports.com/470392/jazz-to-continue-popular-scholarships-for-wins-program/[/url]

[url]https://www.deseret.com/2021/10/19/22732710/utah-jazz-jared-butler-rookie-season-will-require-patience-quin-snyder-donovan-mitchell-mike-conley[/url]

[QUOTE]“I think one of the things that Jared is dealing with is that every day I get more Jared Butler questions than I do [URL="https://www.deseret.com/sports/2020/12/20/22191422/rudy-gobert-utah-jazz-quin-snyder-donovan-mitchell-contract-extension-nba-news"]Rudy Gobert[/URL] questions,” Snyder said. “We do talk about Jared needing to practice patience, but I would argue that’s something we all need to practice.”

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sounds good except Clarkson sucks!

[url]https://thejnotes.com/2021/10/20/utah-jazz-jared-butler-expecting-minutes/[/url]

[QUOTE]Still, assuming Paschall plays, one would think that Jared Butler’s guaranteed inclusion must mean Snyder intends to go at least 10-deep.

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it appeared in the last pre-season games that Forrest/Butler were going to play not Paschall. Going very small

[url]https://thejnotes.com/2021/10/19/akers-winless-preseason-utah-jazz/[/url]

who's worried about the Lakers? :facepalm

[url]https://www.nba.com/jazz/news/mitchell-ready-help-utah-take-next-step-forward[/url]

[QUOTE]While being both mentally and emotionally exhausted after falling to the Clippers 4-2 in the second round of the playoffs, the most notable trait of Mitchell was his distinct limp. Utah’s all-star gutted out out an incredible performance after playing significantly hampered following a severe right ankle sprain suffered eight nights prior.

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happened long before that. Maybe 8 days since his posse demanded he play instead of listening to the team doctors

[QUOTE]One of Mitchell’s most prominent areas for improvement, at least according to him, comes on the defensive side of the ball. It’s a sentiment that head coach Quin Snyder agreed with, but not because Mitchell already lacked a defensive skillset.

[/QUOTE]

might have the skillset but has shown no desire to play any

The draft-night trade? That was more difficult for Favors. He expected the first trade. He didn’t expect this one. At 30 years old, winning a championship is prevalent on his mind. As most of us know, Oklahoma City is not in win-now mode. Favors’ presence on the Thunder roster is kind of a square peg. He knows that he’s going to have to play as hard as he can and let things fall where they may. “At first, I was kind of confused,” Favors said. [URL="https://theathletic.com/2896507/2021/10/20/derrick-favors-reflects-on-his-time-with-the-jazz-as-he-returns-with-the-thunder-i-know-that-its-not-another-game/?source=nbatw"]“I was caught off guard. But, I knew it was nothing personal. When I reflected on it from a business standpoint, I knew that something had to happen. I accepted it, and I’m in a great place.[/URL] I love what the Jazz have done for me, and I love the fans there. OKC, we have a very talented team. We have a lot to learn, and a long way to go. But, we have a group of guys that work hard. It’s going to be a journey in this first year. But this is a talented group of guys.”
– via [URL="https://theathletic.com/2896507/2021/10/20/derrick-favors-reflects-on-his-time-with-the-jazz-as-he-returns-with-the-thunder-i-know-that-its-not-another-game/?source=nbatw"]Tony Jones @ The Athletic[/URL]




[URL="https://theathletic.com/2896507/2021/10/20/derrick-favors-reflects-on-his-time-with-the-jazz-as-he-returns-with-the-thunder-i-know-that-its-not-another-game/?source=nbatw"]“I’m going to try and treat it like it’s another game,” Favors said in an interview with The Athletic. “But, I know that it’s not another game. Honestly? I just hope I don’t get emotional.”[/URL] Favors will make his return to face the Utah Jazz on Wednesday as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder. It will be the season-opener for both teams, and, since twice being traded away from the franchise, it will be the first time Favors makes his appearance in a visiting uniform. Many remember he was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans two years ago. Twice, he was supposed to come back to Utah with the Pels. Once, he got injured at the last minute. The other? COVID-19 hit that very week.
– via [URL="https://theathletic.com/2896507/2021/10/20/derrick-favors-reflects-on-his-time-with-the-jazz-as-he-returns-with-the-thunder-i-know-that-its-not-another-game/?source=nbatw"]Tony Jones @ The Athletic[/URL]

[url]https://www.ksl.com/article/50266128/jared-butler-says-hell-get-minutes-during-season-opener-jazz-bring-back-scholarship-program[/url]

[QUOTE]The 10th man on NBA rosters are rarely that strong, but Utah does have some options with Butler and Eric Paschall that could push the rotation to as many as 11 deep once Rudy Gay returns.

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the rotation won't be 11 :roll:

[url]https://saltcityhoops.com/sportsbook-preview-202122/[/url]

[QUOTE]That said, I think the Jazz have experienced firsthand that their machine-like regular season formula has a peak that can be scaled by opponents in the playoffs. They are a great, but not unassailable, team. The Jazz deployed Gobert as best as they could to simultaneously guard the Clippers’ endless drives into the paint and cover non-shooter Terance Mann, but had no prepared adjustments to make when Mann transformed into Ray Allen. The health of Mitchell and Mike Conley Jr. (and perhaps a worn-down Joe Ingles, but that is just speculation) was the primary factor in Utah’s most recent playoff exit, but schematic inflexibility was not far behind.

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let's not forget COTY and Clarkson

[QUOTE]My boldest suggestion, and I guess by extension my biggest hot take prediction, is that Utah should and will showcase Gobert more as a star player. This starts by exhibiting him as a great perimeter defender, capable of defending switches. In the past, players who wind up with Rudy guarding them on a switch would abandon the offense as if to say, “I can take this guy from here.” And they often failed! Players going against Rudy scored just 0.71 points per isolation possession, per NBA.com. I am begging Jazz coach Quin Snyder to expand Gobert’s defensive utility to see what might work (or not!) in the playoffs, and what new branches of defense (doubling? pre-switching or pre-rotating?) can be deployed off that tree, even if that requires some regular season experimentation.

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not too familiar with COTY eh?

[QUOTE]The quieter, but arguably bigger, issue is how best to wield Gobert’s skillset offensively when defenses dare the Jazz to deploy him in a larger role. It has been incredibly frustrating for years to see a defense unintentionally end up plunking a small guard to defend Rudy on a possession (like the Clippers did!), and see Utah fail to exploit it. The issues ran the gamut: aborted entry passes, strips when the ball came down, not recognizing a double team, record-scratching ball movement. It is a systemic failure that is equally shared by the Jazz ballhandlers, Gobert, and the coaching staff. Conversely, Rudy shined in the Olympics when defended by smaller players (including Team USA’s Draymond Green, a defensive star), putting their ass under the basket while France worked the ball inside at just the right time before the defense adjusted or could send help. Utah’s offense will only be able to reliably frighten teams with this tactic if they get some reps on it with real game action, and I hope it comes to fruition. I don’t need Gobert shooting threes; I need him punishing the Reggie Jacksons of the league to keep opponents from reaching into all-guard/wing lineups that will expose Utah’s defense.

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good luck getting the ball out of Mitchell and Clarkson's hands

[QUOTE]While I foresee Utah taking a more conservative approach to players’ minutes and a more aggressive approach in experimentation as described earlier, the two best players (Donovan and Rudy) are going to play a shitload of minutes, and they won’t experiment so much that they lose their grasp on a top-2 seed.

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Conley/Gobert

[QUOTE]And every Jazz shooter should continue their long-range-centric profile: Donovan has full offensive license but knows he is best at bombing away or ramming the ball down a defense’s throat. Conley has the juice from floater range but he’s otherwise hunting threes from everywhere. I don’t think Bogdanovic has taken an intentional midrange shot in 3 years. I don’t think Ingles has taken an intentional midrange shot in his NBA career. Royce O’Neale is tasked solely with shooting threes (although I always implore him to use his dribble-drive game more because there is a lot of untapped potential there). Clarkson also has full license, but ever since his arrival in Utah he’s figured out how to hunt the three over the long two.

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too bad Clarkson can't shoot

[QUOTE]I’m also hoping that the supporting cast exercises a little more verve on the glass—Royce occasionally will have an out-of-body experience on the glass and averaged a career-high 6.8 rebounds per game last year, but it would be stellar if he could hit 7 to 8 every night more consistently. Gay is the most positive rebounder Utah has had at the 4 spot in quite some time.

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be better if they had an actual 4 and Royce could get back to the wing

[QUOTE]Let’s put some money on Jordan Clarkson, although these are high, high odds for Clarkson in a category that can be fluky from year to year. Clarkson’s runaway campaign was heavily buoyed by a remarkably efficient and scorching-hot start to the year.

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hopefully he'll be elsewhere

[QUOTE] Joe Mussatto: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Quin Snyder was asked about Lu Dort having the most success of any player in the league when guarding Donovan Mitchell:[/URL] “My guess is you could say that about Lu Dort with a lot of guys.”

– via [URL="https://twitter.com/joe_mussatto"]Twitter joe_mussatto[/URL]





Eric Walden: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Donovan Mitchell just revealed that he doesn’t wear contacts during games because he doesn’t like the feeling of his finger touching his eyes. Said he’s been told to go with prescription goggles, but doesn’t feel his eyesight is bad enough yet.[/URL] pic.twitter.com/jNsVQ6qShj
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/tribjazz"]Twitter tribjazz[/URL]


[/QUOTE]

might explain a lot?

[url]https://www.ksl.com/article/50266505/a-life-long-relationship-derrick-favors-homecoming-an-emotional-one[/url]

just don't bring him back again. Chose him over their best player Millsap. Wasted years of Gobert's prime spotting him up in the corner. Gave him a ridiculous contract instead of getting the starting 4 they still don't have

[url]https://www.ksl.com/article/50266409/problem-solved-utahs-perimeter-defense-takes-step-forward-in-season-opening-win[/url]

[QUOTE]They're all big guards that can cause a lot of trouble for teams when they get in the paint. The Jazz at least limited that on Wednesday. Were they perfect? No, but a stronger desire is a good starting point.

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sure. Mitchell is at least putting some effort on that side for now. He still can't keep anyone in front of him

[url]https://kslsports.com/470531/jazz-c-rudy-gobert-quickly-reaches-double-double-against-thunder/[/url]

not the best player in franchise history

[QUOTE] Justin Kubatko: Rudy Gobert last night: ? 16 PTS ? 21 REB ? 6-9 FG [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Gobert is the first player in @Utah Jazz history to record a 20-rebound game in a season opener.[/URL] pic.twitter.com/yoGerTEkLO

– via [URL="https://twitter.com/jkubatko"]Twitter jkubatko[/URL]



Justin Kubatko: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Jordan Clarkson has made at least one 3P in each of his last 95 games, tying Klay Thompson for the fourth-longest such streak in NBA history[/URL]. He has made at least one 3P in each of his last 92 games in which he’s come off the bench, by far the longest such streak in NBA history. pic.twitter.com/8PJ9gJnUNb
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/jkubatko"]Twitter jkubatko[/URL]


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that's just sad considering the % he shoots

[url]https://www.deseret.com/2021/10/21/22738930/pete-maravich-named-to-nba-75th-anniversary-team-utah-jazz-new-orleans[/url]

Dantley deserves it more

[url]https://www.deseret.com/2021/10/20/22732911/instant-analysis-utah-jazz-start-off-the-season-on-the-right-foot-with-easy-win-over-okc-thunder[/url]

[QUOTE]Mitchell started the game slow on the offensive end, but I have absolutely no problem with him not getting on the board until midway through the second quarter. The Jazz are stacked when it comes to scoring and Mitchell is not a guy you have to worry about going through much of a slump. Also, as things weren’t coming for him on the scoreboard, he was dialed in on the other side.

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yeah he usually gets going by January anyway

[url]https://www.deseret.com/sports/2021/10/20/22735537/lebron-james-newest-super-team-may-not-be-so-super-russell-westbrook-anthony-davis-carmelo-anthony[/url]

no mention of injuries or fit :facepalm

[url]https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/10/21/22739008/5-takeaways-from-the-jazzs-opening-night-win[/url]

[QUOTE]The Jazz getting a healthy Bojan Bogdanovic might actually be bigger than any offseason move they made this summer. Bogdanovic adds so much scoring depth to the Jazz offense, and makes it really difficult to defend when he shares the floor with Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley. Bojan’s shooting is so important to the Jazz. If he can stay healthy all year and throughout the playoffs, the Jazz offense will be borderline unstoppable.[/QUOTE]

too bad offense hasn't been their problem the past two years


[QUOTE]He also had five fouls in 18 minutes, and kinda just seemed disengaged at certain points of his stints on the floor.

[/QUOTE]

that's Whiteside

[QUOTE]After 18 minutes of being on the floor last night, Whiteside actually ended up a +1 in the plus-minus, which is a huge win. Jazz backup centers +/- have been pretty abysmal over the years, so anything positive is a good sign. As of right now it looks like Whiteside has the edge over Udoka Azubuike as far as minutes go, but it will be interesting to see if that changes if Whiteside starts slipping.

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Udoka is a long ways from taking the spot. Ideally he goes to the Stars and makes Whiteside expendable by the trade deadline but I doubt it

[QUOTE]Approaching last night’s game, I was curious to see how the rotation would play out with the Jazz’s new off-season acquisitions. With Rudy Gay out for a little bit, we’ll have to wait to see how it is with everyone healthy, but last night we got a good taste of the new rotation. Eric Paschall looks to be filling in the role that Georges Niang was in last season, playing in 14 minutes last night. Paschall looked fine, didn’t really get a lot of opportunity on offense, but it’s probably going to be on the other side of the ball that we see added value over Niang from last season. Hassan Whiteside logged almost 20 minutes, which taking out a few garbage time minutes seems about right. Jordan Clarkson assumed the role of flamethrower again last night, which makes everything right in the world. He played almost as many minutes (26) as most of the starters, and actually played more than Mike Conley did.

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Niang was one of the few guys that played D and Paschall isn't known for D so how is he going to be better on that side?

[url]https://thejnotes.com/2021/10/21/ranking-utah-jazz-player-opening-win/[/url]

[QUOTE]In particular, Elijah Hughes and Malik Fitts showed significant promise during the preseason slate for the Utah Jazz. And Miye Oni was at times a key contributor for the franchise last season. But judging from their limited action against the Oklahoma City Thunder, it appears unlikely that any of them will crack the regular rotation this year.

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Oni might not be on the team past December which is sad if Hughes is

[QUOTE]Chalk up Jared Butler’s struggles, primarily of the cold-hand variety, to nerves. The rookie guard and former No. 40 overall draft pick exhibited the most promise of any Utah Jazz newbie in the preseason, as he led the team in scoring at 18.0 points per game while showing off a wealth of top-shelf perimeter abilities. However, the real-deal regular season presents a different beast.

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more than nerves. No rookie has been ready under COTY

[QUOTE]Simply put, the 6-foot-6, 255-pound Eric Paschall should give the Utah Jazz what they sorely lacked at times last season: a bruiser of a power forward who can both score and defend.

[/QUOTE]

GS benched him for not defending. Where did this belief come that he could defend?

[QUOTE]Yes, the 6-foot-4, 225-pound O’Neale provides all of that and more. Yet against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the “more” part did not include a single made basket. So until the 28-year-old finds his shooting touch this season, there’s no way he’ll be anywhere close to a Grade A performer.

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he'll be one of their most valuable regardless

[url]https://thejnotes.com/2021/10/20/utah-jazz-rudy-gobert-dozen-double/[/url]

[QUOTE]Whatever the explanation, one thing is clear: Rudy Gobert isn’t messing around this year in seeking a third straight All-Star nod and the franchise’s first Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy. Last season, his scoring average dropped a smidge to 14.3 points, but he matched his career-high with 13.5 rebounds per game as [URL="https://thejnotes.com/"]the Jazz[/URL] secured the best record in the league (52-20).

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just another night at the office

[url]https://thejnotes.com/2021/10/20/utah-jazz-3-reasons-love-championship/4/[/url]

[QUOTE]Any discussion of Utah’s overall talent starts with the most talented player on this roster. Donovan Mitchell is only 25. This is a player who just finished a season averaging 26.4 points per game (not to mention a jaw-dropping 32.3 in the playoffs), and he stands to improve.

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Only if you aren't paying attention. Gobert and Conley were their best players. It wasn't close

[QUOTE]The Utah Jazz present as a club who know how to play with each other, know what they want, and have the talent to get it. They may not be overwhelming favorites to end this season with the NBA Championship, but fans of the team should still be happy with their odds.

[/QUOTE]

same coach. Same 5th man. Same best player in franchise history. Not too confident

[url]https://kslsports.com/470609/maravich-wade-lillard-named-to-75th-anniversary-team/[/url]

[QUOTE]Finally, Ray Allen, Carmelo Anthony, Elgin Baylor, Dave Bing, Kobe Bryant, Billy Cunningham, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, Dave DeBusschere, LeBron James, Jason Kidd, Kawhi Leonard, Bob McAdoo, Reggie Miller, Earl Monroe, Shaquille O’Neal, Gary Payton, Paul Pierce, Dennis Rodman, Dolph Schayes, Russell Westbrook, Lenny Wilkens, and Dominique Wilkins were named Thursday.

[/QUOTE]

Carmelo and Dominique :facepalm

Tony Jones: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Trent Forrest has cleared concussion protocol and will be AVAILABLE for tomorrow night[/URL] in Sacramento. Rudy Gay remains OUT
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/Tjonesonthenba"]Twitter Tjonesonthenba[/URL]

[QUOTE] Ben Anderson: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Holly Rowe will serve as the @Utah Jazz game analyst for tonight on the team’s broadcast. It’s the first time a woman has served in the role for the Jazz per the team[/URL]. #TakeNote | @KSLSports

– via [URL="https://twitter.com/BensHoops"]Twitter BensHoops[/URL]


[/QUOTE]

got to be better than Matt

James Ham: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Just spoke to Moe Harkless after shootaround. He’s still sore, but he said he’ll need to see how he feels later tonight before making a final determination on playing.[/URL] Nothing long term, just some bumps and bruises after a big fall against the Blazers.
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/James_HamNBA"]Twitter James_HamNBA[/URL]

[URL="https://www.nba.com/jazz/utah-jazz-host-community-vaccination-clinic-oct-29-vivint-arena"]In partnership with University of Utah Health, the Utah Jazz today announced a community vaccination clinic, with two free Jazz tickets to a future game for the first 50 individuals receiving a vaccine shot,[/URL] and health fair to be held from 2-5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 29 at the main entrance of Vivint Arena.
– via [URL="https://www.nba.com/jazz/utah-jazz-host-community-vaccination-clinic-oct-29-vivint-arena"]NBA.com[/URL]

[url]https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/10/22/22740914/undefeated-utah-jazz-take-on-unproven-sacramento-kings-game-preview[/url]

[QUOTE]The Jazz may also be ahead late in this one. That’s gives them a chance to play their young players again. Trent Forrest was just cleared to play from his recent concussion and it will be interesting to see who Quin Snyder plays between him and Jared Butler.

[/QUOTE]

He played a 10 man rotation just to get Butler some minutes. He's not playing Forrest :facepalm

[QUOTE]It was no surprise, but Rowe was fantastic in her first regular season game covering the Jazz during pregame and on the sideline. She’s been a fantastic addition and it will be fun to listen to her color commentary.

[/QUOTE]

Steve Brown on the sidelines?

[url]https://www.ksl.com/article/50268110/donovan-mitchell-thinks-win-over-kings-may-end-up-being-one-of-seasons-best[/url]

[QUOTE]It was clear that a flagrant 1 was merited — Ingles had undercut Mitchell somewhat but turned away to at least try to limit the contact. Unnecessary contact? Sure. Excessive? Not really.

[/QUOTE]

it wasn't clear to me. He went to make a play than tried to get out of the way

[QUOTE]The Kings went on an immediate 15-0 run with an increasingly aggressive defense that served as Davion Mitchell's coming out party. In fact, the Kings challenged the Jazz so much they almost seemed to take it personally, with each playing wanting to show that the once lowly-Kings couldn't guard them. There was one little problem: They could. And all the ball-stopping isolation led to some pretty bad basketball.

[/QUOTE]

Thank you COTY, Clarkson and Mitchell :(

[QUOTE]Rudy Gobert struggled, Donovan Mitchell got his drives halted, and the Jazz relied on their bench — including promising performances from Hassan Whiteside, Trent Forrest and Eric Paschall — just to keep them connected.

[/QUOTE]

Rudy had 4 turnovers some because of low passes but other than that not sure how you could say he struggled. Carried them to victory again. Forrest looked good. Paschall didn't. Whiteside puts up numbers as expected but he doesn't put forth much effort. He's not the answer

[QUOTE]"That's gonna be a consistent thing we're gonna see," Snyder said of going against small lineups. "I thought we did a really good job. Rudy got switched out onto (De'Aaron Fox), he guarded (Harrison) Barnes, and that was a stretch where we got stops."

[/QUOTE]

nothing we haven't seen before. Will his teammates help him is the question

[url]https://kslsports.com/470710/tough-jazz-triumph-over-kings-down-the-stretch/[/url]

[QUOTE]“Although from a minutes standpoint, it’s not heavy minutes, you saw tonight how impactful that role is,” Snyder said of the Jazz backup center, “his plus-minus was through the roof.”

[/QUOTE]

plus minus! :roll:

[QUOTE]Those minutes were important as the Jazz were outscored by nine in Gobert’s 32 minutes against the Kings. The team was just 4-11 last season when Gobert had a negative plus-minus, so a win early in the season when the All-Star center didn’t have his typical impact might be an early sign of improvement for the roster.

[/QUOTE]

let's not get ahead of ourselves

[url]https://www.deseret.com/2021/10/22/22740417/instant-analysis-utah-jazz-grind-out-win-over-sacramento-kings[/url]

[QUOTE]Through two games, the defensive effort from Jordan Clarkson has really been something to take note of. He also finished with 15 points off the bench.

[/QUOTE]

6-19 and 2-11 :facepalm

[QUOTE]Despite the Jazz looking like they weren’t in control for a lot of the game, this was a really good win for them this early in the season. They were able to regain the upper hand and then hold onto their lead in the fourth quarter. Closing games the right way is more important than opening them the wrong way.

[/QUOTE]

they're both important. If they don't go on a 0-15 run they don't need to close strong

[QUOTE]— there was a stretch where Donovan just looked like he wanted to take it to Davion and because he wanted the better part of that individual matchup, it took away from the team offense and things got really stagnant and there were a lot of turnovers.

[/QUOTE]

typical of the best player in franchise history. Good thing they have Gobert to carry them

[url]https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/10/22/22741536/utah-jazz-kings-battle-tough-road-game-donovan-mitchell-davion-mitchell[/url]

[QUOTE]Jordan Clarkson did Jordan Clarkson things, hitting a couple huge shots during the Jazz’s momentum-swinging run. Clarkson finished with 15 points and 5 rebounds on 6-19 shooting.

[/QUOTE]

you forgot the other Clarkson thing 2-11 :cry:

[QUOTE]Interesting lineup change tonight with Jared Butler only getting two minutes. Quin Snyder opted to go with Trent Forrest off the bench instead of Butler, with Forrest making a couple nice little plays. Will be interesting to see how this spot and minutes distribution does going forward.

[/QUOTE]

Forrest deserves it right now. Send Butler to the Stars

[QUOTE]-Mitchell for Sac is really awesome defensively. Mitchell for UJ really isn't. [/QUOTE]

but he has to work so hard missing shots!

[QUOTE]-Clarkson remains the handsomest player in the NBA on both a physical and game-swag level. In a little under two seasons, he has become one of my favorite players in the league. [/QUOTE]

:facepalm

[url]https://thejnotes.com/2021/10/23/utah-jazz-1-stud-2-duds-sacramento/2/[/url]

[QUOTE]While an outstanding shotblocker, the real beauty in Gobert’s rim protection comes from disrupting shots to the point that they’re practically impossible to hit, and then collecting the ball afterwards. Ultimately, that’s a more effective defensive strategy than sending shots into the bleachers. While that’s an entertaining and acceptable play in its own right, it does ultimately confer possession back to the opposing team.

[/QUOTE]

the real beauty is when they dribble towards the rim and back out again :bowdown:

[QUOTE]Furthermore, Utah Jazz fans have to be encouraged by Gobert’s outstanding performance at the free throw line. Obviously, his 9/10 efficiency is likely to be an outlier, but if Gobert can raise his free throw percentage from his career 63.1% mark to something closer to 75-80%, it changes his entire impact on the game. Confident free throw shooters make for confident inside scorers, and while Gobert has been effective under the basket for the duration of his career, an uptick in his efficiency resulting from improved free throw shooting would be a boon for this Utah Jazz offense.

[/QUOTE]

you don't really expect that do ya? If he could hit in the high 60's to low 70's you'd have to be ecstatic

[QUOTE][h=2]Utah Jazz duds: Donovan Mitchell and Jordan Clarkson[/h][/QUOTE]

and COTY. The usual threesome

Lauren Rosen: [URL="https://*********.com/social/tweets/"]Doc Rivers says Georges Niang’s presence has been big for the @Philadelphia 76ers’ second unit, saying he’s led by example since day one: “He’s a natural leader.[/URL] He doesn’t try to lead – he’s just Georges.”
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/LaurenMRosen"]Twitter LaurenMRosen[/URL]

Andy Larsen: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Boris Diaw a visitor at Jazz practice today[/URL].
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/andyblarsen"]Twitter andyblarsen[/URL]

Marc J. Spears: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]The Jazz hire Andrea Williams as Chief Experience Officer, a newly created position focusing on the experiences for guests, partners, and employees of the organization. She will also lead all diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives within the organization[/URL].
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/MarcJSpears"]Twitter MarcJSpears[/URL]

[QUOTE] Zach Kram: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]It’s a sample of just 36 shots, but right now Evan Mobley’s allowing makes on just 47% of shots he defends at the rim[/URL]. For context, last season Rudy Gobert led the league at 48% (among high-volume players).

– via [URL="https://twitter.com/zachkram"]Twitter zachkram[/URL]


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better step it up Rudy!

[url]https://saltcityhoops.com/sc7-102521-what-we-know/[/url]

[QUOTE]This was a huge advantage to the Jazz last season, as it gave the starting unit a few minutes to dominate together (+11.2 per 100 possessions) before a Donovan Mitchell-led hybrid unit held the torch for the few minutes (+8.3). The real payoff came when Gobert and Conley returned for their second stints of each half to smash opposing benches. The most used Gobert-Conley hybrid lineup was +14.4 per 100 possessions, the second best high-possession fivesome in the entire NBA last season, per Cleaning the Glass. But [I][B]all[/B] [/I]variations of that lineup — with Gobert & Conley on while Mitchell rested — were an obscene +22.4.

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what does that say about the best player in team history?

[QUOTE]Utah’s fifth-year star is going to have the ball in his hands a lot. So far, the numbers on possession time, drives and passes aren’t that different between him and Conley, but anecdotally, it feels like Mitchell has been the primary ballhandler on [I]most [/I]possessions when the two have been on the court together.

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too bad

[QUOTE]Turns out, it wasn’t anything to worry about. Bogey’s usage rate is just a tick higher than Conley’s, behind only Mitchell and Jordan Clarkson among rotation regulars. What’s more, he has the best efficiency of any of Utah’s high-usage guys, and that’s despite the fact that his 3-point shot has been a little off to start the year.

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the best one 4th :facepalm

[QUOTE]Snyder made a point to carve the rookie out a few minutes alongside the rotation guys in the opener, but it was Oni who got called into the lineup when Ingles was tossed (after the most passive flagrant-2 foul in league history) on Friday night. That’s the first indication that the specific rotation role of 5th guard in a 4-guard rotation might not be totally decided yet. One of those two will be the “on deck” guard who will be called into action any time a player sits, and it’s not really clear yet which. Butler looked pretty tight in his NBA debut, but then Oni got behind his guy a few times during a 12-0 Kings run. This is likely one rotation battle that will continue throughout the year, as both guys bring very different things.

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and Forrest looked better than both

[QUOTE]Meanwhile, Eric Paschall has clearly established himself as the big/wing who is on deck to soak up minutes when a large bodied teammate sits. He’s filling in for the injured Gay, and you can already see how nice it is for Utah to have a bit more size at the backup four spot.

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had more size last year but don't let that cloud your logic

[QUOTE]To some degree, the Jazz are OK letting the defense decide how many threes they take. They’d be just as fine getting the ball inside the restricted area to Gobert (and even his new backup, Hassan Whiteside) on every play. But because teams spend a lot of mental energy trying to prevent those interior passes, outside shooters will have many opportunities. And so far, they’re not being any more shy about taking those shots than they were a season ago.

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as long as Clarkson and Mitchell dominate the ball the bigs aren't seeing the ball much

[QUOTE]The Jazz got to Sunday night with the league’s best point differential despite the fact that the main staple of their offense hasn’t been working great so far. Usually a prolific 3-point shooting team, Utah has opened the season with the ninth worst 3-point shooting percentage, 33.7%. One has to imagine that figure will correct itself at some point on a roster with this much shooting talent.

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depends on how many Clarkson is shooting

Updated the topic name. Let me know if you like that topic name or if it should be edited to something else!