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

[QUOTE] The Denver Nuggets are looking for upgrades on the wing, according to league sources. [URL="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2951461-latest-nba-trade-buzz-sourced-intel-on-simmons-kyrie-lakers-and-more"]It appears JaMychal Green is available to that end[/URL].

– via [URL="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2951461-latest-nba-trade-buzz-sourced-intel-on-simmons-kyrie-lakers-and-more"]Jake Fischer @ Bleacher Report[/URL]


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Clarkson?

[QUOTE] Sabonis’ value around the league seems mixed, but there are several teams in the playoff picture, such as the Blazers and Kings, team executives have pointed to as potential landing spots. The Trail Blazers have Jusuf Nurkic and Robert Covington available. Sacramento has weighed trade interest for each of Buddy Hield, Marvin Bagley and Harrison Barnes dating back to last season’s trade deadline, and Carlisle is known to have an affinity for Barnes from their time together in Dallas. Rival executives believe only rookie standout [URL="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2951461-latest-nba-trade-buzz-sourced-intel-on-simmons-kyrie-lakers-and-more"]Chris Duarte and fellow first year Isaiah Jackson are untouchable in Indiana. Malcolm Brogdon cannot be traded this season following a contract extension in October. “Sabonis, Turner, Warren, LeVert all can be had at the right price,”[/URL] said another assistant general manager.

– via [URL="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2951461-latest-nba-trade-buzz-sourced-intel-on-simmons-kyrie-lakers-and-more"]Jake Fischer @ Bleacher Report[/URL]


[/QUOTE]

Clarkson?

Dallas Mavericks PR: Kristaps Porzingis finished last night’s game with 24 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 blocks in 25:17 of time. [URL="http://twitter.com/MavsPR/status/1470788595883683843"]Porzingis became only the third @NBA player since the 1973-74 season to hit those statistical thresholds in under 26 minutes, joining Bill Walton and Hassan Whiteside.[/URL] pic.twitter.com/hrXfMu7zFz
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/MavsPR"]Twitter MavsPR[/URL]

[url]https://thejnotes.com/2021/12/14/four-realistic-trade-targets-utah-jazz/[/url]

[QUOTE]Hart is one of the best rebounders at his position in the NBA, as his 6.8 rebounds per game rank third among players who qualify for the shooting guard position. On a related note, Hart’s positional versatility is as strong as any player in the NBA’s. You won’t find a lot of guys who are listed as SG, SF, PF on Basketball Reference.

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Their new starting 4! :facepalm

[QUOTE]If any of those stats are concerning, it’s admittedly the three-point percentage. Still, it’s realistic to hope that Hart’s accuracy from deep is suffering on a Zion-less Pelicans team that’s struggling to keep afloat. In Quin Snyder’s spaced-out, hyper-efficient attack, he may trend towards his career 34.7% mark.

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not good. If it means Clarkson's gone sign me up!

[QUOTE]Which, again, might make him difficult to acquire. On the other hand, the Cavaliers suffered a significant loss this season when Collin Sexton’s year was prematurely ended by injury. They may be seeking guard depth, with sophomore wing Isaac Okoro currently manning the shooting guard position.

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Clarkson!

Andrew Greif: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Serge Ibaka (personal reasons) is OUT tomorrow[/URL] vs. Utah. Batum and PG are both questionable to play.
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/AndrewGreif"]Twitter AndrewGreif[/URL]

Eric Walden: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Jared Butler was listed as OUT on the Jazz’s injury report today due to right knee soreness[/URL].
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/tribjazz"]Twitter tribjazz[/URL]

[QUOTE] You touched on Mo Bamba earlier. What have you seen from him in a contract season and looking ahead at his future? [URL="https://*********.com/lists/qa-cole-anthony-on-most-improved-player-candidacy-future-of-the-magic-and-more/"]Cole Anthony: I’ve seen Mo grow and become more active offensively and defensively. He’s worked on his shot. I think he’s pretty good. He’s top-three in the league in blocks.[/URL] He’s one of the premier rim protectors. In saying all this, Mo has two or three more levels that he can get to. That dude has a chance to make a lot of money playing this game. The moment he gets that and really embraces that, I think Mo can be the best defender in the league. I think he can reach that Rudy Gobert level, but I think he can be better than that. Mo is offensively skilled. He has a nice touch. I really am happy with what I’ve seen from him this year, but I still think he has a long way to go, which is to say how gifted I think he is.

– via [URL="https://*********.com/lists/qa-cole-anthony-on-most-improved-player-candidacy-future-of-the-magic-and-more/"]Michael Scotto @ *********[/URL]

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he's got some talent and the length. Good luck being better than Gobert though

[url]https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/12/14/22833578/breaking-down-donovan-mitchells-unexpected-improvements-in-year-5[/url]

[QUOTE]The most noticeable change in Mitchell’s game for me this season has been his finishing in the paint. Historically, he hasn’t been great at the rim and has been even worse in the ‘floater range’ (3-10 feet). This year, his field goal percentage in both ranges has skyrocketed. He’s shooting a career-high 71.3% at the rim and a career-high 49.1% in the floater range. Those improvements are immense and have completely changed his scoring profile. Mitchell’s overall 2P% (54.2%) is almost 7% higher than last season! There are only ten qualified guards in the NBA shooting over 54% inside the arc. Mitchell and his teammate Mike Conley are both on that shortlist.

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the thing I've noticed is he's finally using his left hand. Still seems to be a work in progress but it still bothers me that guys can't use the proper hand to finish depending on what side of the basket they are

[QUOTE]Last season, 20.1% of Donovan Mitchell’s field goal attempts came in between 10 feet out and the three-point line. This season, he’s dropped that to only 15.2%. He’s done that while at the same time increasing his three-point attempts from 42.3% of his shots to 46% of his shots. That’s right, 46% of Spida Mitchell’s shots are coming from beyond the arc, and that’s an excellent thing. Even with his early-season struggles from three, he’s still shooting well enough to make this change well worth it, and his percentage is rising quickly.



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now if they could just replace all of Clarkson's attempts by someone else

[QUOTE]Eric Gordon is on one of the least team-friendly contracts in the league[/QUOTE]

if they take Clarkson in exchange I'd do it in a second

[QUOTE]Mitchell will be the Jazz GOAT[/QUOTE]

let's see him be the best current player first. Looks like with Conley playing less he's finally #2 anyway

[url]https://thejnotes.com/2021/12/15/utah-jazz-vs-clippers-odds-lineup-dec-15/[/url]

[QUOTE]Mike Conley is healthy, and with [URL="https://thejnotes.com/2021/11/20/utah-jazz-secret-weapon-rudy-gay/"]Rudy Gay functioning as the small-ball[/URL] 5 the Jazz were lacking in last year’s postseason, the Jazz are better built to withstand a similar strategy from the Clippers. Both teams are hot, with the [URL="http://www.thejnotes.com"]Jazz (19-7)[/URL] having won seven straight and the [URL="https://clipperholics.com/"]Clippers (16-12[/URL]) on a four game winning streak of their own.

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the coach would have to play Fay at the 5

JD Shaw: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]The Jazz have appointed former Celtics executive Danny Ainge as Alternate Governor and CEO, the team confirms. Statements from owner Ryan Smith and Ainge:[/URL] pic.twitter.com/yVHjpjyHVG
[HR][/HR] [INDENT] The Jazz have appointed former Celtics executive Danny Ainge as Alternate Governor and CEO, the team confirms. Statements from owner Ryan Smith and Ainge: [URL="https://t.co/yVHjpjyHVG"]pic.twitter.com/yVHjpjyHVG[/URL]
— JD Shaw (@JShawNBA) [URL="https://twitter.com/JShawNBA/status/1471197740143194113?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"]December 15, 2021[/URL][/INDENT]

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




Chris Grenham: Danny Ainge, per Utah’s press release: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]“Joining the Jazz was a natural and perfect fit for me, as my roots in Utah are deep and strong. This is a team that has a tremendous foundation of players and people, and Justin and Quin are doing an amazing job.”[/URL]
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/chrisgrenham"]Twitter chrisgrenham[/URL]






Ben Rohrbach: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]The term “alternate governor” implies Danny Ainge will hold an ownership stake in the Utah Jazz[/URL].
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/brohrbach"]Twitter brohrbach[/URL]

[QUOTE] Adrian Wojnarowski: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Danny Ainge’s title is Alternate Governor and CEO of Jazz Basketball[/URL].

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




Adrian Wojnarowski: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Jazz owner Ryan Smith has had a longtime friendship with Ainge, who was a legendary player at BYU. Ainge stepped down as Celtics GM after last season, but now returns with the Jazz to oversee basketball operations and work closely with GM Justin Zanik[/URL].
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/wojespn"]Twitter wojespn[/URL]


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Hopefully he's smart enough to get Clarkson out of town if not COTY too

[url]https://saltcityhoops.com/trade-talk-exploring-jazz-targets-as-trade-season-launches/[/url]

[QUOTE]So back to Barnes. He’s not an All-Star-level player, but he might be in the next tier. He can score, he can defend, he’s athletic. I don’t doubt he’d be an excellent fit in the Jazz starting lineup. But is he that much of an upgrade to Bojan Bogdanovic? Let’s compare some stats and include some other potential forward upgrades:

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huge upgrade. Ideally Bojan moves to the bench and Clarkson is gone

[QUOTE]The Jazz would most certainly need to trade one of Jordan Clarkson or Joe Ingles, to match salary and give Gordon minutes. Utah would have to add a lesser salary like Udoka Azubuike to make the money work. The Rockets have 15 roster spots, so taking back two players complicates things. And then there’s a question of value. Do the Rockets want Joe or Jordan, or believe they could flip them for assets from another team? How much draft compensation do they demand? Is a first round pick enough?

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Hughes and Clarkson ideally are the guys to trade. Maybe Oni if the trade is made while his contract is still non guaranteed

[QUOTE]Clarkson has had an inefficient season. Utah’s winning streak coincided with the uber-efficient Rudy Gay taking some of Clarkson’s possessions. It begs the question: do the Jazz need Clarkson to soak up possessions like they did when they traded him a few years ago? What happens if they give those shots to four of the league’s most efficient players plus Donovan Mitchell?

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dump Clarkson and they get better even if it just means Pachall, Forrest or Butler take his minutes

[QUOTE]But do the Wizards want to trade one of their starters? Right now it seems unlikely. A few things could shake up the situation. If Bradley Beal is traded, any change is on the table. If Rui Hachimura returns to the starting lineup, KCP could see a reduced role. The Wizards could use another distributor to feed Beal — I think Ingles would fit on their team. But would Joe simply choose retirement if traded? Who knows.

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as with any trade the question should be do they want Clarkson

[QUOTE]I have no idea which team asks for draft compensation. Utah could argue they’re trading the reigning Sixth man who averaged 18.4 points per game last season. Memphis could argue they’re trading a young player on a great contract. For all I know, the Grizzlies have zero interest in dealing him. But I like this trade, personally.

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any trade that gets rid of Clarkson I like though I thought the same with Exum :cry:

[QUOTE]There are two big obstacles: 1) I doubt Smart would be okay with moving to a bench role and playing 10 fewer minutes per game. 2) Smart is only shooting 28% from 3 this season. He does shoots at volume and can hit hot streaks, so he defenders can’t leave him alone. But the number one offense in the league would certainly dip with Marcus Smart.

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if he replaces Clarkson the offense gets better

[QUOTE]That said, I don’t see why OKC would trade him. And if they did, I can’t imagine what the cost would be. Dort’s minuscule salary further complicates the trade when trying to match salaries. I’d love Dort on the Jazz, but I don’t see how they can make it happen.



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Hughes and picks

[QUOTE]Nance has long been a favorite target of mine, but Utah’s signings of Rudy Gay and Hassan Whiteside changed the situation. Nance plays both power forward and center positions, has shot the 3 serviceably in past years (though only 27% this season), and is a decent defender who specializes in deflections. He’d be a nice fit, but at this point it only makes sense to give him Bogdanovic’s spot. I’m not sure I want him locked in solely as a starting power forward. He only took 3.3 3-point shots in his most accurate season, so the offense would take a hit if he slotted into Bogey’s role. Further complicating the trade are two things: 1) Nance for Bogdanvic doesn’t work. Blazers would have to add two more players to get the math right, and Jazz don’t have the roster spots to do a 3-for-1 trade. 2) The Blazers just promoted Nance to the starting lineup, so he’s likely not available anyway. But it’s a good segue for our next target…

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who cares if the offense takes hit when the defense needs help? They need a starting 4.

[QUOTE]Holiday is a 3&D guard on the now rebuilding Pacers. He defends decently, he shoots the three decently, he’s reportedly available. Check, check, check. He’s still a questionable fit. For one, he doesn’t do much beyond shooting the three, and even then, he’s only a 36% shooter. He’d be a clear overall talent downgrade from Ingles or Clarkson, even if his skillset might be a better theoretical fit. He’s also a little too good to add as a 10th man. If he was willing though, there are few better break-in-case-of-emergency players available. The 13-year vet has only made the playoffs twice in his career, after all. The Jazz could trade two young players and some draft compensation to make the money work. It’s a long shot either way, and I’m sure other contenders will ask about him. Also worth noting, Holiday refuses to get vaccinated, so that may make a trade a non-starter anyway.



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Clarkson sucks! Too bad the guy is an anti vacc idiot!

[QUOTE]There are other other forwards mentioned on Twitter: Brandon Clarke, Maxi Kleber, Josh Hart — all interesting, but hard to fit on the team, because they’re not better than the rotation players they’d replace.

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you keep saying that but Clarkson is a joke!

[QUOTE]Michael Carter-Williams could be a Trent Forest upgrade. Maybe one of Elijah Hughes or Miye Oni plus a second round pick gets the Jazz a more seasoned point guard option. Beyond MCW, there aren’t many 3rd string point guards available. Raul Neto would be excellent, but is playing an important role for the Wizards.

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COTY doesn't like Neto neither did Jazz fans until he was gone

[QUOTE]Gary Harris is one of the better perimeter defenders and should be available. Unfortunately his salary is too high to trade for.

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probably works for Clarkson/Hughes?

[QUOTE]But if I’m the GM of the Jazz, I try a few things:

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Look to dump Clarkson/Hughes and get a starting 4

[url]https://www.slcdunk.com/latest-utah-jazz-news-recent/2021/12/15/22838214/utah-jazz-hire-danny-ainge-to-front-office-ryan-smith-justin-zanik-quin-snyder[/url]

[QUOTE]My take on this is it’s a good move for the Jazz overall. You can’t help but wonder how Justin Zanik feels about this, though. In his first year with the team he’s done a solid job. We’ll see if Zanik stays long term, and is happy with his role, or he moves on. As far as Quin Snyder, who was hired by Dennis Lindsey, it will be interesting to see how that relationship evolves. It’s no rumor that Snyder and Lindsey butted heads and was a big part of Lindsey being demoted to a consultant role. Snyder now has completely new ownership and head of management than what he had when he was hired. Snyder has done a good job as the Jazz’s head coach and it will fascinating to see if playstyle adjusts with the new CEO in place. I’ll also be watching that relationship with Ainge, he’s going to want to make an imprint on the team. My guess is we’ll see that affect happen at the trade deadline with a rotation player. This quote from the Woj story is really interesting.

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hopefully someone that isn't afraid to fire a coach that won't make adjustments

[QUOTE]Unless the playstyle comes after we have a much different roster, I hope Ainge has little to no impact on playstyle at all! In the past, the Jazz philosophy was supposed to be " hire smart people and get out of the way to let them do their job. " If he occasionally gives Quin a suggestion to think about, fine, but I don't want Ainge trying to tell Quin what to do at all. Ainge is not a better coach than Q, and that could lead to a toxic environment and/or bad decisions. [/QUOTE]

Ainge was a good coach. COTY has been good as long as Gobert is on the floor

[QUOTE]Overall, I'm nervous about this hire. It seems high risk to me. I hope they prove me wrong. Maybe they could start with getting us a backup PG at the deadline. [/QUOTE]

a starting 4, dump Clakson, Hughes and COTY

Eric Walden: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Danny Ainge: “I’m not gonna be the guy that’s running the day to day. That’s gonna be Justin.[/URL] I’m happy to communicate with him. I can be a sounding board for him. … This is going to take some time to develop.”
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/tribjazz"]Twitter tribjazz[/URL]




Eric Walden: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Asked who had final authority to make basketball decisions, Ryan Smith talked about a collaborative process and said that if there were disagreements, Justin Zanik and Danny Ainge would bring the issue to him[/URL].
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/tribjazz"]Twitter tribjazz[/URL]







Eric Walden: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Danny Ainge said, “I needed a break from Boston.” Said he was working 16- to 18-hour days, and he doesn’t plan on doing that with the Jazz[/URL].
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/tribjazz"]Twitter tribjazz[/URL]

Eric Walden: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Ryan Smith on Danny Ainge: “This is a real unique role. This is an unprecedented role that hasn’t existed.[/URL] Danny brings what he’s good at.”
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/tribjazz"]Twitter tribjazz[/URL]




Chris Grenham: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Danny Ainge said his recent time spent with Ryan Smith and Dwyane Wade, among others, helped to sell him on this opportunity[/URL]
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/chrisgrenham"]Twitter chrisgrenham[/URL]