2020-21 Regular season- The tax team

Duane Rankin: “We’re real excited, man.” [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]#Suns wing Mikal Bridges talks about playing Jazz tonight as well as how he’s learning to play off Devin Booker and Chris Paul. “Just try to be locked in at all times and be aggressive and find my little spots when we play.”[/URL] pic.twitter.com/kiqMu8vM5O
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/DuaneRankin"]Twitter DuaneRankin
[/URL]






Duane Rankin: Going into tonight’s Jazz-#Suns showdown, Donovan Mitchell gave Mikal Bridges props for his defense. Bridges returned the favor this morning in praising Mitchell for the season he’s having. [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]“They wouldn’t be where they are right now if it wasn’t for what he’s doing this year.”[/URL] pic.twitter.com/E0pulxvVsG
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/DuaneRankin"]Twitter DuaneRankin[/URL]

Gerald Bourguet: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Monty Williams on Suns-Jazz tonight: “My approach has always been the same, and I hope that helps these guys approach it the same every game.” Said it’s human nature to hear what’s being said, but hopes the way they consistently approach preparation wins out here[/URL]
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/GeraldBourguet"]Twitter GeraldBourguet[/URL]



Kellan Olson: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Monty Williams said the Suns watched a lot of clips from the team’s first meeting with the Jazz earlier in the season, one of the Suns’ best defensive performances of the year. Said there are always lessons you can take from earlier games even though it was 3 months ago[/URL].
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/KellanOlson"]Twitter KellanOlson[/URL]



Duane Rankin: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]“They have everything. You couldn’t ask for more and they know their roles.” #Suns coach Monty Williams said about Utah Jazz[/URL].
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/DuaneRankin"]Twitter DuaneRankin[/URL]

Jay Allen: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Norman Powell (left big toe inflammation) is probable for tomorrow night’s game against the Jazz. Jusuf Nurkic (right knee inflammation) is questionable.[/URL] #RipCity
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/PDXjay"]Twitter PDXjay[/URL]

[url]https://thejnotes.com/2021/04/07/utah-jazz-2-threaten-rudy-gobert-dpoy/[/url]

[QUOTE]Gobert is currently averaging over 13 rebounds per game and is second in the league in blocks at 2.9 per game. With these averages, along with the fact that “The Stifle Tower” currently has the highest defensive rating in the league at 100.6, it’s hard to imagine that anyone is more likely to win the Defensive Player of the Year honor.


[/QUOTE]

lowest rating no?

[QUOTE]Utah Jazz fans might not have loved Simmons’ belittling remarks, but he’s not entirely wrong. At 6-foot-11, the Australian international has the [URL="https://www.nba.com/player/1627732/ben_simmons"]size and athleticism[/URL] to guard any position on the floor. In an era of positionless basketball, his switchability gives him an edge over big men like Gobert who can run into trouble when forced to guard a smaller player out on the perimeter.


[/QUOTE]

:facepalm

[url]https://www.deseret.com/2021/4/7/22371664/where-does-utah-jazz-donovan-mitchell-rank-among-the-nba-top-young-stars-luka-doncic-lamelo-ball[/url]

[QUOTE]“The leading scorer on the NBA’s best team, Mitchell continues to make progress in his development from a volume scorer early in his career into a well-rounded offensive force,” wrote Kevin Pelton. “This season, he has taken a step forward both as a 3-point shooter (making a career-high 40% while attempting a career-high 8.6 triples per game) and as a playmaker (his assist rate is up nearly a third on a per-minute basis).


[/QUOTE]

someone gets it! Not best player but leading scorer :applause:

[url]https://kslsports.com/456993/gobert-graces-forbes-cover-after-becoming-highest-paid-french-athlete-ever/[/url]

:cheers:

[url]https://kslsports.com/457005/jazz-have-fared-poorly-in-measuring-stick-games/[/url]

[QUOTE]Bojan Bogdanovic struggled mightily in the loss, scoring just three points on 0-5 shooting, while the Jazz fell for the second consecutive game at home. The Jazz haven’t lost at home since, but Phoenix earned a valuable victory that could prove to determine home-court advantage if the two teams have even records at the end of the season.


[/QUOTE]

a consistent theme

[url]https://kslsports.com/457067/suns-outbattle-jazz-in-overtime/[/url]

[QUOTE]The Jazz fumbled through another poor shooting night from the three-point line, but a strong defensive performance and 41 points from Donovan Mitchell gave the team a chance to win the game in overtime before ultimately coming up short.


[/QUOTE]

Mitchell's inefficient performance and not showing up again in the first half was the game. The D was great except in one [eriod and ot

[QUOTE]“We have to keep shooting, we are one of the teams that is shooting the best percentage and we are shooting probably the highest number of threes in the whole league,” Bogdanovic said. “We’ve got great shooters, we have to stay confident and keep taking those threes.”


[/QUOTE]

worked well for you all year! :facepalm

[QUOTE]In addition to the Jazz poor shooting night, they were badly outbattled on the glass by the Suns. Phoenix grabbed 16 more rebounds than the Jazz including nine more on the offensive glass leading to a nine point advantage on second-chance points.


[/QUOTE]

not surprisingly one of the things that has happened in many of their losses. Maybe they need a 4 or play one or both of the ones they have?

[QUOTE]“I’m 6’3 and DeAndre is 7’0, but we know it starts before jump starts before you jump, it starts before that,” Mitchell said. “You’ve got to crack and get into his legs so he can’t jump. But we’ve got to win those 50/50 balls and long rebounds. I think that’s what really separates the game.”


[/QUOTE]

Mitchell always seems to have the answers when they lose but nothing changes

[QUOTE]Mitchell finished with a healthy eight rebounds, but Bogdanovic grabbed just one board in nearly 40 minutes on the floor. The Jazz are going to have improve on those small details against the best teams in the NBA as the season winds to a close.


[/QUOTE]

You think that will change? Bojan is the smallest 6'8 guy in the league! :lol

[QUOTE]The Jazz face the Portland Trail Blazers at home on Thursday, travel to face the Los Angeles Lakers twice on April 17 and 19 who could be playing without LeBron James, return to Phoenix on April 30, before hosting the Nuggets and Trail Blazers before the end of the season.


[/QUOTE]

Could be without Davis too!

[url]https://www.ksl.com/article/50142254/its-good-to-be-in-games-like-this-jazz-fall-to-suns-in-contest-that-felt-like-playoffs[/url]

[QUOTE]It helped that Phoenix was taller than the Jazz, too.


[/QUOTE]

imagine that

[QUOTE]In a game that resembled what the playoffs will feel like, the Jazz learned some things about themselves. The offense can be a bit too reliant on 3s and can get bogged down in isolation plays and they surrender a bit too many offensive boards.


[/QUOTE]

iso Mitchell, Clarkson and Bojan not good? :lol

[url]https://www.deseret.com/2021/4/7/22371754/instant-analysis-utah-jazz-lose-ground-top-of-the-western-conference-with-loss-no-2-phoenix-suns[/url]

[QUOTE]While Mitchell made some timely regulation buckets to put the Jazz back in the game and go into overtime, he also missed some really key shots in overtime.

[/QUOTE]

and how about that first half!

[url]https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/4/7/22373204/utah-jazz-fall-to-a-tough-phoenix-suns-team-donovan-mitchell-devin-booker[/url]

[QUOTE]I imagine the coaching staff looks at the tape and rips into the defensive effort of our perimeter players from this game because I haven’t seen a player get that many free points against us since the Corbin days.
And yes, they were free points because they were all easily preventable. Booker even got a wide open layup off a normal jump ball tip late in the game; that should never happen. And it never happens because usually players put a sliver of effort into D or aren’t sleepwalking on the court.
Quin should have pulled the plug on Conley with like 5mins left in the 4th + OT and put in Ingles or Clarkson. This is a game the Jazz should have won, even with the bad 3 point shooting. We’re now only 1 loss ahead of PHX in the standings and they own the tiebreaker. The Jazz need to pull off another win streak here at home and split those @LAL games if they want to lock up home court through the playoffs and if they want to be recognized at the end of the season with various awards.

Posted by [URL="https://www.sbnation.com/users/jazznerd"]jazznerd[/URL] on [URL="https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/4/7/22373204/utah-jazz-fall-to-a-tough-phoenix-suns-team-donovan-mitchell-devin-booker#538549810"]Apr 8, 2021 | 2:29 AM[/URL]
[/QUOTE]

I doubt Mitchell ever gets ripped

[url]https://valleyofthesuns.com/2021/04/07/phoenix-suns-fight-beat-utah-jazz/[/url]


[QUOTE]Ayton, with 18 points to go with those 12 rebounds, was every bit as valuable as potential Defensive Player of the Year Gobert.

[/QUOTE]

Yeah right. Gobert was the main reason this was even a game

[url]https://fansided.com/2021/04/07/nba-rumors-mike-conley-wants-remain-utah-jazz/[/url]

[QUOTE][I]Utah Jazz guard Mike Conley is slated to hit free agency this summer, but he reportedly wants to stay. [/I]
[I]
[/I]
[/QUOTE]

why would he want to leave? Maybe his best season

[QUOTE]Re-signing Conley could require a commitment for the new Jazz ownership. Amick and Hollinger note that since Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert are signed to max contracts, inking Conley could put the team over the luxury tax threshold. Yet, they mention that all it needs is the green light from new owner Ryan Smith to get the deal done.


[/QUOTE]

They are paying tax regardless. If that's a problem they need to move anyone not named Gobert

[QUOTE]Harrison Wind: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]In Shaq Harrison, the Nuggets are adding an elite 6-foot-4 defender for the upcoming playoff run. He won’t be in the regular rotation, but could be used if Denver matches up with Mitchell/Booker/Lillard etc. in the postseason. Greg Whittington just couldn’t get healthy[/URL].
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/HarrisonWind"]Twitter HarrisonWind[/URL]



[/QUOTE]

watch him be the difference against the Jazz

Recently, you were on a flight to Memphis when the team plane had to make an emergency landing after hitting a flock of birds. It sounds like it was pretty scary, with the whole plane shaking. We’re glad you’re okay. What happened? Rudy Gobert: [URL="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/rudy-gobert-qa-jazzs-title-hopes-nba-top-shot-more"]“It was scary. It’s something that I’ve never experienced before, and I’ve flown on a lot of planes. I think there was about 10-15 minutes where we didn’t really know what was going on. The pilots were trying to figure it out and we didn’t have much information, so it was pretty scary, for sure.”[/URL]
– via [URL="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/rudy-gobert-qa-jazzs-title-hopes-nba-top-shot-more"]Alex Kennedy @ basketballnews.com[/URL]



It feels like everyone is talking about the Brooklyn Nets and the Los Angeles Lakers as championship favorites, even though your Utah Jazz have the NBA’s best record. It’s kind of getting ridiculous. Do you guys talk about that or use that as motivation? Rudy Gobert: [URL="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/rudy-gobert-qa-jazzs-title-hopes-nba-top-shot-more"]“I mean, for us, our mindset is to just keep getting better. We know that at the end of the day, we haven’t really accomplished nothing yet. It’s really going to come down to the playoffs. It definitely motivates us. We think we have an opportunity to do some great things. We have a great group of guys, a great coaching staff and a great organization.[/URL] I think everything that’s being said about us is just noise, at the end of the day, and we control our own destiny. It’s on us to keep getting better and, once it’s playoff time, lock in and make history.”
– via [URL="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/rudy-gobert-qa-jazzs-title-hopes-nba-top-shot-more"]Alex Kennedy @ basketballnews.com[/URL]



This year, your goal as a team is to win a title. What does this Jazz team need to do in order to win a championship this season? Rudy Gobert: [URL="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/rudy-gobert-qa-jazzs-title-hopes-nba-top-shot-more"]“I think, for us, it’s really about getting better until the playoffs. And then during the playoffs, stick together — we’re going to have some ups, we’re going to have some downs. And then, keep defending at a high level. Offensively, when we share the ball, we have so many offensive weapons that it’s really hard to game-plan to stop us.[/URL] So I think our team chemistry is huge, and staying together. I think we have a great group of guys that are willing to sacrifice for one another, and that’s what makes us a really great team. But yeah, just keep getting better, stay healthy and it’s going to be a fun end to the season and the playoffs, hopefully.”
– via [URL="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/rudy-gobert-qa-jazzs-title-hopes-nba-top-shot-more"]Alex Kennedy @ basketballnews.com[/URL]

Eric Walden: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Jordan Clarkson (right ankle sprain) is DOUBTFUL tonight against the Blazers[/URL].
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/tribjazz"]Twitter tribjazz[/URL]

Casey Holdahl: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Team announces that @Jusuf Nurkic (right knee inflammation) has been upgraded to AVAILABLE for tonight’s game vs. Utah[/URL]
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/CHold"]Twitter CHold[/URL]

[url]https://thejnotes.com/2021/04/08/utah-jazz-sitting-pretty-despite-losses/[/url]

[QUOTE]However, in the grand scheme of things, there’s no sense in Jazz head coach Quin Snyder tinkering with much of anything — at least not anything major. Rather, as the 54-year-old suggested to the media following Wednesday night’s 117-113 overtime loss versus the second-place Suns, his veteran-laden cohesive bunch just needs to grow from its hurdles:


[/QUOTE]

why would he? :facepalm

[url]https://kslsports.com/457152/jazz-answer-phoenix-loss-by-crushing-trail-blazers/[/url]

[QUOTE]This comes on the heels of his 41 point outing in Phoenix when Mitchell scored 23 points in the second half, including a clutch three with 10 seconds left to send the game to overtime.


[/QUOTE]

on how many shots? He's the reason they lost. He sucked

[QUOTE]“My favorite play that Donovan made tonight, and I think a really significant play that if you ask him he’s aware of and happy with is when he drove the gap, and just made a quick little kick to Joe Ingles who bang to three.”


[/QUOTE]

I like it when his teammates are involved which isn't very much

[QUOTE]That’s a surprising number for Favors considering he’s never averaged more than 16.4 points per game and a testament to how important he has been to the Jazz throughout his career.


[/QUOTE]

tells you more about the franchise sticking with certain guys too long and even bringing them back after they've moved on. Took the 2nd offer on the table for one of their greats when no other team knew he was available and ended up with Favors. Got rid of their best player Millsap so him and Kanter could play. Once Rudy emerged and it was clear that they needed to surround Rudy with shooters he should have been gone especially after Hayward's last year when it was more than obvious he should be Rudy's backup. Instead they spot him up in the corner! Now they've brought him back instead of getting a PF

[QUOTE]Between his prime with the team, how he came to the Jazz after the fallout from the Deron Williams trade, the raw numbers of games he’s played for the franchise, and the frequency with which his name is plastered all over the team’s top 10 lists, Favors has a legitimate argument to be considered one of the ten most important Jazz player of all time, if not a top ten player in franchise history.


[/QUOTE]

:roll:Like Sloan longevity doesn't make you great

[QUOTE]“It says a lot that we let him go for a year and … immediately brought him back here,” Mitchell said of Favors who spent last season with the New Orleans Pelicans. “That says a lot about a person in general, forget the basketball component of it.”


[/QUOTE]

which also says a lot about the team. More interested in character than talent.[CENTER][/CENTER]

[url]https://kslsports.com/457136/jazz-keep-home-winning-streak-alive-with-second-half-surge-over-blazers/[/url]

[QUOTE]Donovan Mitchell led the [URL="https://kslsports.com/category/jazz/"]Jazz[/URL] with 37 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists on 14-of-25 shooting from the field. He scored 20 points in the first half. Rudy Gobert had a double-double with 18 points and 21 rebounds. Joe Ingles added 13 points off the bench, while Mike Conley and Bojan Bogdanovic each chipped in 11 points apiece.


[/QUOTE]

love when Rudy is just a footnote with 18 and 21. :facepalm

[url]https://www.ksl.com/article/50143200/favors-playing-a-minor-role-this-season-but-teammates-had-a-big-reason-to-celebrate-him[/url]

[QUOTE]With those 7 points, Favors moved into 10th place on the Jazz's all-time scoring list. For a player much more known for his defense and rebounding than his ability to get buckets, that was a special moment — even more than he ever would have thought.


[/QUOTE]

what about his spot ups from the corner!

[QUOTE]Favors has scored 7,257 points in 10 seasons with the Jazz and eclipsed Mehmet Okur on Thursday to move into the top 10. Favors was once seen as the pillar of the franchise, the great hope that would lead the Jazz into a new future. While injuries and the changing NBA derailed some of the grand ambitions, Favors proved he had staying power.


[/QUOTE]

The big 4! Favors, Hayward, Burks and Kanter :facepalm

[QUOTE]"I think throughout the years I've been able to adjust pretty well," Favors said. "Beginning my career, they needed me to come in and be a defender and rebounder. When Quin got here, my role kind of changed to be like a pick-and-roll scorer in the low post. And with the NBA changing, now I'm back to being like a defender, rebounder, screen setter, so I think for the most part, I've done a good job of just adjusting my game, just being a positive on the court."


[/QUOTE]

You're forgetting the spot ups from the corner!

[QUOTE]His role this season is smaller than it's ever been with the Jazz, so Thursday provided a chance for everyone to celebrate not only what he's doing, but what he's done. Favors is beloved by teammates, by coaches, by fans — that's what happens when you spend a decade with one franchise, even if there was a small sabbatical thrown in there.


[/QUOTE]

the end of Hayward's last season. Of course they screwed that up again quickly

[url]https://www.ksl.com/article/50143068/donovan-mitchell-scores-37-as-the-jazz-win-23rd-straight-at-home[/url]

[QUOTE]Gobert may have had the huge number, but it was a team effort. Royce O'Neale had nine rebounds, while Joe Ingles, Bojan Bogdanovic and Mitchell each had five. It wasn't a grand schematic change; the Jazz just put more effort into it.


[/QUOTE]

a mere footnote because their 6'8 starter gets an unusual 5! :lol

[url]https://www.sltrib.com/sports/jazz/2021/04/09/triple-team-donovan/[/url]

[QUOTE]There are times when Donovan Mitchell tries to establish dominance in a game through sheer will. In those times, he’ll sometimes make some bad decisions by attacking quality rim protectors, or an opponent’s best defender, without much of an advantage. Turnovers and missed shots can result.


[/QUOTE]

all too often

[QUOTE]It’s a simple kickout three to Joe Ingles, but it’s something that Mitchell can miss, especially when he’s feeling hot. It’s also a play that he can get — defenses often try to sink in on him, and then that easy pass is open after just the threat of driving to the rim.


[/QUOTE]

Imaging just passing the ball to someone open! :facepalm

[QUOTE]That’s superstar stuff. When you can go 1-8 from deep and still fake convincingly, still see how a defense is guarding you and counter the situation, you become much harder to guard. And at that, there’s no doubt: Mitchell has taken a huge step forward this year.


[/QUOTE]

when you can go 1-8 and keep shooting instead of passing the ball :lol

[QUOTE]It’s funny thinking about that — the man was essentially demoted because of a lack of versatility, but he’s been extremely versatile in playing multiple roles for his team. Funny how that works.


[/QUOTE]

Not really. Just because they were posting him up or spotting him up in the corner or playing him out of position at the 4 doesn't mean he was good at it. Plays D, hits the offensive glass and can run the pick and roll. Asking much more is stupid. 10 mill year though! :facepalm

[url]https://www.deseret.com/2021/4/9/22373736/nba-power-rankings-roundup-where-do-the-utah-jazz-rank-espn-cbs-sports-illustrated-nbc-sports[/url]

[QUOTE][INDENT]“Casual fans will say that defense/Donovan Mitchell/Rudy Gobert are behind Utah’s run to the top of the standings (and these NBA power rankings). They’re not totally wrong, but the reality is it’s the 3-ball that propelled the Jazz the NBA’s best record. Utah is averaging 43 attempts from three a game — the most per game in NBA history, topping the 2017-18 Houston team — and is hitting 39.5% of them. That’s 17 made threes a game on average, blowing out the previous record of 15.3 per game by those same Rockets.” — [I]Kurt Helin[/I]
[/INDENT][/QUOTE]

it's actually defense

[url]https://www.deseret.com/2021/4/8/22368493/instant-analysis-utah-jazz-surge-in-the-third-quarter-to-beat-portland-trail-blazers[/url]

[QUOTE]While the defense and rebounding were really good for the Jazz in the third quarter, there was also a huge difference in their spacing and passing in that quarter. There was a return of the blender, which is a nice sign for the Jazz.

[/QUOTE]

No Clarkson and Mitchell was out of the game when it really got going. Beautiful basketball. Too bad Clarkson will be back and Mitchell isn't going anywhere


[QUOTE]Midway through the first quarter Bojan Bogdanovic shot quicker and with no hesitation or side step. He’s been employing those hesitation moves and been a little slower on the trigger lately, and it just doesn’t look nearly as smooth. When he releases quick and in rhythm it usually goes in, as it did on that shot.

[/QUOTE]

bench him

[QUOTE]Clarkson missed his first game since joining the Jazz, which is notable. There are always bumps and bruises to players, but some are more tolerant than others and Clarkson seems to not be one that is shaken or taken out very easily. He’s been having a rough go lately so maybe a couple of games off could help a little bit, but here’s to hoping that he isn’t on the Jazz injury list for long.

[/QUOTE]



don't remember him spraining it so I guess it's not serious. Hopefully high ankle sprain though I hate to say


[QUOTE]So, about that call that Snyder had to challenge. That was an embarrassment of a bad call by the officials. Oni very clearly never left his feet and was in great position. It seemed to be obvious to absolutely everyone other than the guy that was standing right next to the play. Snyder shouldn’t have had to use his challenge on that call.

[/QUOTE]

wasn't obvious because you have to let them land. I guess they decided he tried to land on him

[url]https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/4/8/22375058/donovan-mitchell-and-rudy-gobert-lead-the-utah-jazz-to-a-statement-win-over-portland-trail-blazers[/url]

[QUOTE]The Utah Jazz are a third quarter team. I don’t know what causes it, but Quin Snyder is almost always able to whip up some magic during half time, and the Jazz just kill teams in the third quarter. Tonight was one of the best examples of that. Utah won the third 40-19, and effectively blew the game open. Donovan Mitchell was unguardable, finding his spots and hitting everything. Rudy Gobert was a force on both ends of the court, and the Jazz just found their rhythm. Just as the negative outcomes can compound and lead to big runs for the opponents, positive outcomes compound for the Jazz. All season long we’ve watched Utah pull off massive runs in short time spans. When they make shots, they get stops. When they get stops, they make shots. That’s when the Jazz are fun to watch.


[/QUOTE]

lost the night before in the 3rd

[QUOTE]Donovan Mitchell was in MVP mode again tonight. There’s a visible difference between an efficient and an inefficient Mitchell. Efficient Mitchell looks in control, unhurried. He makes reads based on the defense, and reacts to them. That was how Donovan Mitchell looked all night. That’s how he has looked for over a month, really. Mitchell finished the game with 37 points (on 25 shots), five rebounds, and four assists.

[/QUOTE]

20 boards is more rare than 35 points. :facepalm
[QUOTE]
[h=4]Donny's 78 points in the last 2 games the most for a Jazz player since Malone in 1998. Not too shabby.[/h]
Karl had 88 points in 2 games (56 and 32); then had 81 in the next 2 (37 and 41). Even less shabby.

Posted by [URL="https://www.sbnation.com/users/SKMike"]SKMike[/URL] on [URL="https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/4/8/22375058/donovan-mitchell-and-rudy-gobert-lead-the-utah-jazz-to-a-statement-win-over-portland-trail-blazers#538595824"]Apr 9, 2021 | 12:33 AM[/URL]
[/QUOTE]

who cares? He was horrible against the Suns

[QUOTE]But if he would have gotten 9 rebounds against phx, we probably win. We need more rebounding from royce and Bojan. It’s just a fact.
I liked oni’s minutes. I liked that he didn’t hesitate to shoot open threes and thought he was useful in his minutes. I’m open to some of Bojan’s/royce’s minutes go to oni to get him regular minutes in the rotation. Now is the time to expand the rotation imo and try to lighten the load on someone like royce who might even need a couple nights off before the playoffs. Maybe (hopefully) jc’s ankle wasn’t that bad and he just needed a night off. With the schedule easing up we can probably afford to get some guys some rest, especially if oni shows he is a legit nba player.

Posted by [URL="https://www.sbnation.com/users/hamfist"]hamfist[/URL] on [URL="https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/4/8/22375058/donovan-mitchell-and-rudy-gobert-lead-the-utah-jazz-to-a-statement-win-over-portland-trail-blazers#538605984"]Apr 9, 2021 | 10:00 AM[/URL]
[/QUOTE]

the fact that you need O'Neale to be your 2nd best rebounder is a problem. The fact that you expect Bojan to rebound at all is a problem.


[QUOTE][h=4]I agree. I think Royce is just worn down a bit from a long season of guarding the other team's top offensive threat.[/h]
He had his knee hit last night by Dame’s head and Locke’s been speculating he has been playing hurt for a few games. His shooting percentages have dropped in the 2nd half every season.
Getting him healthy and rested for the playoffs will be a huge priority. Hopefully we can lock up first pretty early.

Posted by [URL="https://www.sbnation.com/users/SKMike"]SKMike[/URL] on [URL="https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/4/8/22375058/donovan-mitchell-and-rudy-gobert-lead-the-utah-jazz-to-a-statement-win-over-portland-trail-blazers#538606251"]Apr 9, 2021 | 10:08 AM[/URL]

[/QUOTE]

gets banged up nightly. Playing the 4 and defnding the perimeter is too much to ask

[QUOTE]We can’t win against the best teams without them. We saw that last year against Denver. If we start dropping easy games, we can reevaluate. But looking at the schedule it should be really hard to blow the number 1 seed.

Posted by [URL="https://www.sbnation.com/users/hamfist"]hamfist[/URL] on [URL="https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/4/8/22375058/donovan-mitchell-and-rudy-gobert-lead-the-utah-jazz-to-a-statement-win-over-portland-trail-blazers#538607268"]Apr 9, 2021 | 10:30 AM[/URL]
[/QUOTE]

I don't think they can beat the best teams with Bojan and Clarkson.

[QUOTE]Maybe the better indicator of the team’s rebounding ability is opponent ORB, where UTA is pretty bad, ranked #23.

Posted by [URL="https://www.sbnation.com/users/Palmetto%20Bug"]Palmetto Bug[/URL] on [URL="https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/4/8/22375058/donovan-mitchell-and-rudy-gobert-lead-the-utah-jazz-to-a-statement-win-over-portland-trail-blazers#538606946"]Apr 9, 2021 | 10:23 AM[/URL]
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has more to do with giving that up for transition D though they have emphasized it more this year. Got rid of their best offensive rebounder for 30 mill of Favors too

[url]https://thejnotes.com/2021/04/09/utah-jazz-3-mvp-traits-donovan-mitchell/[/url]

[QUOTE]But while anyone could make a case for either Mitchell or Gobert as the most valuable weapon in the arsenal for [URL="https://thejnotes.com/"]the NBA-leading Jazzmen[/URL], the former is the one verifiably beaming with all-around brilliance in recent weeks. Plus, given Gobert’s relative limitations on the glitziest end of the floor, Mitchell’s season stats come closest of the two to mirroring a typical modern-day MVP campaign.


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Mitchell has no case

[QUOTE]Most recently, without his like-clockwork infusion of energy out of the gates at tipoff and coming out of halftime — not to mention in crunch time — there’s just no doubt the squad would’ve lost in a rout to both the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns in their road trip this week. Instead, with Mitchell running the show, Utah has exhibited admirable resolve in spite of the brief losing streak.


[/QUOTE]

they beat the Suns if he shows up for 48 minutes and plays any D in the 1 quarter

[QUOTE]It’s not been a perfect stretch by the Jazz or even the best in the league during this span since the All-Star break. That said, largely thanks to Donovan Mitchell, Utah is 12-4 in that time with no blowout losses on its record and seven of its wins being by 15 points or more. MVP-esque.




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disrespectful to the guys actually playing D and passing the ball and the guy that actually carries them

[url]https://sircharlesincharge.com/2021/04/09/nba-reacting-top-25-under-25-mitchell/[/url]

[QUOTE]Donovan Mitchell is still an outstanding player to be sure. His ability to bust switches and get buckets one-on-one will only be magnified come playoff time. I would just take several other guards over him, both for this year and in the long-term.


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not to mention his D and hero ball

[url]https://www.nba.com/jazz/news/utah-jazz-rebound-big-win-over-portland-trail-blazers[/url]

[QUOTE]“His ability to offensive rebound and keep plays alive has been something that’s been impactful,” Snyder said.


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Bradley did it even better and a lot cheaper

[QUOTE]Marc Stein: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Otto Porter has had no buyout discussions with the Magic and is on course to finish the season with Orlando,[/URL] league sources say. I’m told Porter likewise had no buyout discussions with Chicago before the Bulls traded him to Orlando in the Nikola Vucevic deal.
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/TheSteinLine"]Twitter TheSteinLine[/URL]



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:cry:

[QUOTE]Tony Jones: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Jordan Clarkson is listed as doubtful for tomorrow night[/URL] against Sacramento
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/Tjonesonthenba"]Twitter Tjonesonthenba[/URL]



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:cheers:

[url]https://kslsports.com/457217/is-utah-state-c-neemias-queta-a-first-round-pick/[/url]

[QUOTE]The Utah Jazz own the 30th pick in the draft and could be an option for Queta if he begins to slip out of the first round. However, Peek sees the Jazz looking for additional backcourt help on July’s draft by selecting Auburn’s [URL="https://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/players/160035/"]Sharife Cooper[/URL].


[/QUOTE]

Udoka is their 4th or 5th center now :facepalm

I'd say pg unless they think Trent will be able to shoot. After that a wing or 4[CENTER][/CENTER]

Eric Walden: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Mike Conley: “I felt like I could play in every back-to-back, but that’s why we have a staff — to protect me from myself.[/URL] … But I told [the coaches] I was planning to play [vs. Portland] even before I knew Jordan was injured.”
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/tribjazz"]Twitter tribjazz[/URL]

[QUOTE]Eric Walden: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Jordan Clarkson is OUT tonight.[/URL] Juwan Morgan is AVAILABLE.
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/tribjazz"]Twitter tribjazz[/URL]



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:banana:

[URL="https://www.sacbee.com/sports/nba/sacramento-kings/article250583074.html"]Fox seethed over the officiating after the game, saying it was “god-awful” and “f—— terrible.”[/URL] Fox was frustrated after he was awarded only six free throws while Mitchell went to the free-throw line 17 times. “S— was god awful,” Fox said. “Mine wasn’t even about me getting there and things like that. It was about the calls they were getting on the other end. If you’re going to call something on one end, call it on the other end.
– via [URL="https://www.sacbee.com/sports/nba/sacramento-kings/article250583074.html"]Sacramento Bee
[/URL]




Ingles can talk trash with the best of them, and it gets him going, but Mitchell turned his indignation into aggression for the Utah Jazz. [URL="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/31234694/donovan-mitchell-fired-joe-ingles-trash-talk-sacramento-kings-scores-season-high-42-utah-jazz-win"]“Somebody said something to Joe, and I’m gonna be honest, Joe gave an answer that I hadn’t heard in a while,” Mitchell said without revealing details. “It just fired me up, and when Joe gets angry, I get angry.[/URL] … That’s really what turned the tide.” Mitchell scored 14 of his season-high 42 points in the fourth quarter, and the Jazz beat the Kings 128-112 on Saturday night, extending their franchise-record home winning streak to 24 games.
– via [URL="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/31234694/donovan-mitchell-fired-joe-ingles-trash-talk-sacramento-kings-scores-season-high-42-utah-jazz-win"]ESPN News Services @ ESPN[/URL]

Ava Wallace: Scott Brooks says he’s been told Beal’s back tightness is not related to his hip injury. [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]“Don’t think it’s going to be lasting, I’m hoping that a day off today and a day off tomorrow, he’ll be back against Utah… that’s the hope.”[/URL]
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/avarwallace"]Twitter avarwallace[/URL]

[QUOTE]Justin Kubatko: Donovan Mitchell has scored at least 35 points in each of his last three games: [IMG]https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.0.1/svg/2705.svg[/IMG] 41 [IMG]https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.0.1/svg/2705.svg[/IMG] 37 [IMG]https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.0.1/svg/2705.svg[/IMG] 42 [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Mitchell is the first @Utah Jazz player to record at least three straight 35-point games since Karl Malone in 1992-93.[/URL] pic.twitter.com/Sd6c4RRqRC
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/jkubatko"]Twitter jkubatko[/URL]



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bet he's the first to take 30 shots in two of them to get it

[url]https://kslsports.com/457314/jazz-guards-combine-for-88-points-in-win-over-kings/[/url]

[QUOTE]The Jazz sorely missed Jordan Clarkson as they struggled to maintain a consistent offensive attack, but were carried by Donovan Mitchell’s enormous [URL="https://kslsports.com/457313/donovan-mitchell-carries-jazz-to-victory-over-kings-with-huge-second-half/"]30 point second half[/URL] which came amid active conversations between the guard and Kings bench.


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The Kings scored 47 in the 2nd half. Way to carry them! :facepalm

[QUOTE]Mitchell was just 5-28 over the last three games from deep as the entire team has struggled to shoot the ball, but the Jazz rebounded by shooting 36 percent from three after opening the game 0-5, and connected on on 18 of their final 45 attempts.


[/QUOTE]

but he's carrying them!

[QUOTE]But while Mitchell, Ingles, and Conley turned in enormous performances, it’s clear the Jazz are missing Jordan Clarkson, the front runner for Sixth Man of the Year who has missed the last two games with an ankle sprain.


[/QUOTE]

not clear to me

[QUOTE]Georges Niang who scored 12 points off the bench for the Jazz described what the team is missing without Clarkson.


[/QUOTE]

12 from Niang without playing 1 on 5

[QUOTE]The Kings had one of the better performances against Rudy Gobert that the Jazz have seen so far this season. Richaun Holmes scored 25 for Sacramento while Gobert was held to just six points on two field-goal attempts.


[/QUOTE]

and the Kings scored 47 in the 2nd half against Rudy and company. Way to get the best of him! :lol


[CENTER][/CENTER]

[url]https://www.ksl.com/article/50144148/when-joe-gets-angry-i-get-angry-mystery-comment-sparks-mitchell-and-jazz-to-win-over-the-kings[/url]

[QUOTE]"He was creating for other people," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. "And a lot of times when you do that you're the one that ends up with the shot."


[/QUOTE]

too bad Mitchell can't LEAD that way

[url]https://www.sltrib.com/sports/jazz/2021/04/11/triple-team-donovan/[/url]

[QUOTE]Tonight, he had 42 points, while not even having a spectacular game: he only shot 12-31 after all, only 3-12 from three. We’ve certainly seen a lot better.


[/QUOTE]

hard not to be better
[QUOTE]Tonight, the Jazz needed Mitchell to carry that load. With Sacramento switching every screen, the Jazz’s ball movement got a little bit stagnant. Mike Conley and Bojan Bogdanovic didn’t have much isolation success, and Jordan Clarkson was out due to an ankle sprain, so they really needed Mitchell to be relatively efficient tonight even while taking a lot of shots.


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how can their be ball movement when one guy brings the ball up the court and shoots it and no one else touches the ball?

[QUOTE]And he was. Sure, the 3-point shot was inconsistent, but he had the drive game going. Richaun Holmes actually can block a decent number of shots — he’s seventh in the NBA this year in that category — but Mitchell uses his body well to prevent it here.


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and the best shooter in the league is wide open in his favorite spot! :facepalm
[QUOTE]But really, the big key was getting to the free-throw line a whopping seventeen times. Take this play, for example: Moe Harkless is a relatively good defender, but he’s using the handcheck trick to try to slow Mitchell’s path to the rim. So Mitchell draws attention to the contact by gathering, then drawing the ball up underneath that arm. Now, it’s not just a side-out foul, either; it’s two free-throws.


[/QUOTE]

Ingles and Bojan wide open

[QUOTE]That being said, Mitchell tricking opponents works best when playing, literally, the worst defense in league history. (At least, the Kings have the worst defensive rating in league history right now, though we’re in an offensive golden age.)


[/QUOTE]

to be that horrible against such a bad D

[QUOTE]I thought, to a large degree, Joe Ingles came in the game and changed this. He was the big thing that got the Jazz’s blender going again. As Snyder put it, the Jazz need to “really play with quick decisions and 0.5 second reads — not shot fake — and drive into a gap to get someone else a shot.” Ingles does all of those things.


[/QUOTE]

Yep 3rd quarter with Mitchell on the bench. Now that's fun basketball to watch

[QUOTE]The other thing is that the other Jazzmen started to move off the ball in productive ways after those switches. During the Jazz’s big early deficit, Snyder (according to Georges Niang) said that the team wasn’t doing anything to help Conley and Mitchell in their isolation plays. Instead, they needed to still give the iso scorer another option after the switch. Hence, something like this:


[/QUOTE]

Like Mitchell cares about other options. You saw him in the above highlites and he ignored them for a tough shot