2020-21 Regular season- The tax team

[QUOTE=El Kabong;14301353]That game showed where we'll struggle, even if we do have Mitchell in the playoffs. Ball screens may work, but you can't keep doing it to generate scores when the opposition switches to cut that off.

Conley said they should have been more aggressive in driving to the basket once they started that, but basically we're relying on Mitchell and Clarkson going hot for at least 4 games in every playoff series at this point while being able to stop the opposition the other way, which we showed against the Nuggets last year we couldn't do.[/QUOTE]

Clarkson isn't the answer to anything. They scored plenty against Denver except in game 7. Defense was the problem

[url]https://kslsports.com/458226/timberwolves-sweep-jazz-in-utah-with-strong-defensive-effort/[/url]

[QUOTE]With 13 games left to play in the regular season and a chance to clinch a spot in the playoffs, the Jazz coming up short against the second-worst team in the NBA is undeniably a concern.


[/QUOTE]

Snyder not doing anything is the concern.

[QUOTE]Additionally, when the Jazz have struggled this season, it’s often been a result of opposing teams beating them on the offensive glass and forcing them into turnovers as they did far too often against Minnesota.


[/QUOTE]

too bad there isn't a PF on the team they could throw in there :facepalm

[QUOTE]While Towns steps out to the three-point line to draw Gobert away from the rim, Edwards and Russell were able to repeatedly able to attack the Jazz perimeter defenders getting all the way to the rim for easy lay-ins. Whoever their first-round opponent ends up being, the Jazz are likely going to find a better defensive matchup than they do with Minnesota.


[/QUOTE]

are they? Other teams will try to get Rudy away from the rim if they are smart.

[QUOTE]Second, and most importantly, the Jazz should likely have [URL="https://kslsports.com/458189/donovan-mitchell-will-miss-at-least-another-week-with-ankle-injury/"]Donovan Mitchell[/URL] back in the lineup come playoff time. The guard missed his fourth consecutive game for the Jazz and his absence was glaring.


[/QUOTE]

oh joy!

[url]https://www.deseret.com/2021/4/24/22392121/instant-analysis-utah-jazz-blow-17-point-lead-lose-minnesota-timberwolves-bojan-bogdanovic-nba[/url]

[QUOTE]Nearly everything that the Jazz did well, they did in the first quarter when they scored 40 points. Royce O’Neale opened the game with a steal and a 3-pointer, Bojan Bogdanovic, Joe Ingles, Mike Conley and Jordan Clarkson were all moving, cutting, driving, shooting and it all looked great. Then the Jazz kind of stopped.

[/QUOTE]

the defense was good 2 of the 3 remaining quarters

[QUOTE]Niang was one of the few Jazz players that seemed like he had good shot selection and wasn’t hesitant when he got the ball. While a small high note, it’s probably not the one you want to see here and he only took six shots.

[/QUOTE]

so why doesn't the coach play him more and sit Clarkson?

[QUOTE]Donovan Mitchell’s floral sideline apparel was probably the highlight of this game. That’s not great.

[/QUOTE]

oh yeah that was great :facepalm

[QUOTE]Minnesota was running so much on the baseline and didn’t seem to get any kind of resistance from the Jazz. Credit to the Wolves for going with a ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ approach. Zero credit to the Jazz for not fixing what was broken.

[/QUOTE]

that's on COTY

[QUOTE]For the second time this season, official Bill Kennedy suffered an injury during a Jazz game at Vivint. Obviously hope that Kennedy is ok, especially considering that it’s his second injury here in Salt Lake City. Also, the lack of a third official makes the game harder to call for the two officials left on the court. Not great from any angle.

[/QUOTE]

that's what I thought

[url]https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/4/24/22401827/utah-jazz-lose-a-bad-one-against-the-minnesota-timberwolves[/url]

[QUOTE]Donovan Mitchell is the epicenter of this offense. He’s the thing that stirs this pot and without him at the end of games it’s clear that the Jazz don’t quite know what to do. Utah needs to fix the effort issue with rebounding and turnovers (although with Bogdanovic at the 4 I don’t know how much better their rebounding can get) but there is some solace in knowing that when their best player gets back, they’ll have things locked in again like it should be.


[/QUOTE]

they're in trouble. Maybe they should let Ingles and Conley play with the ball when Mitchell comes back so they do know what to do. Bojan isn't the 4. Ersan, Morgan and Bratley were available though!

[QUOTE]It’s hard to give out an MVP in a bad loss like this one, so this is more of a silver lining but Bojan Bogdanovic took 13 3-pointers. That’s a big deal because he’s been very hesitant this season to shoo the 3. If Bogdanovic can shoot like this when Mitchell comes back, the Jazz offense has incredible potential for the playoffs (with whatever seed the Jazz end up with.)



[/QUOTE]

they're D will be in trouble though

[QUOTE]At #27 the Jazz selected Azubuike, a powerful and long defensive center, who most draft prognosticators projected to be selected in the late 30s/early 40s of the draft—in part due to his upper-classman status.
It appeared like the Jazz could have selected McDaniels, a player who plays a position of need for the Jazz, and then selected Azubuike in the second round of the draft—especially since the Jazz traded back in the first round of the draft and could have used that trade to get a higher 2nd round pick to get Azubuike.
McDaniels has been playing like a lottery pick for Minnesota while Azubuike has been injured most of the season for the Jazz with a high ankle sprain—including a week or so ago when the Jazz had to start Ersan Ilyasova at center and had a bad loss to the Lakers solely due to a lack of size (with both Rudy and Derrick out with injuries), and no player to counter the size of Andre Drummond.
Hopefully the 2020 draft for the Jazz—with the Jazz selecting Azubuike one pick before McDanieks—won’t turn out like the 2015 draft in which the Jazz selected Trey Lyles (a big lottery bust) one pick before Devin Booker (who has developed into an all-star).

Posted by [URL="https://www.sbnation.com/users/Fesenko%20for%20President"]Fesenko for President[/URL] on [URL="https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/4/24/22401827/utah-jazz-lose-a-bad-one-against-the-minnesota-timberwolves#539313593"]Apr 25, 2021 | 8:29 AM[/URL]
[/QUOTE]

Center was what they needed. Already had Morgan and Brantley. McDaniels wouldn't be playing either. Lyles made sense as well

[QUOTE]I really wish that when we paid $10m a year for a backup center, Nerlens Noel or somebody with a less calcified body got a phone call. Love me some Favs, but dude has looked a little washed for stretches of the year. Makes me sad.
-I really thought the loss of Bill Kennedy hurt us. The game became way more physical and mostly from the Timberwolves. We just don’t have a physical player on the team other than maybe Donovan, whose only able to be that way with the ball. They pushed us off our spots, dudes got hesitant, and it became a slogfest.
-The turnovers are the biggest issue this team has heading into the playoffs.
Ugly.

Posted by [URL="https://www.sbnation.com/users/Karl%20Stalone%2032"]Karl Stalone 32[/URL] on [URL="https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/4/24/22401827/utah-jazz-lose-a-bad-one-against-the-minnesota-timberwolves#539309937"]Apr 25, 2021 | 3:42 AM[/URL]
[/QUOTE]

I really wish they would have spent the 10 million on a starting 4. Mitchell is hardly physical. O'Neale is it as far as guys Snyder will play anyway. Clarkson, Bojan, Mitchell and Snyder are their biggest problems

[QUOTE]I am partly chalking this one up as a scheduling loss. We left town last Friday evening, played 3 games and would have got home late Wednesday.
Leave again tomorrow, play 3 games, get home late Friday night after Phoenix and play Saturday against Toronto. That game could be ugly too.
My theory is the guys returning home for those 2 days probably jam-packed full with wife and kid activities was more of a distraction than being helpful. But the guys being vets I also think they will come out on Monday with a much more focused effort and we win easily.

Posted by [URL="https://www.sbnation.com/users/SKMike"]SKMike[/URL] on [URL="https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/4/24/22401827/utah-jazz-lose-a-bad-one-against-the-minnesota-timberwolves#539310620"]Apr 25, 2021 | 5:08 AM[/URL]
[/QUOTE]

had 2 full days off!

JD Shaw: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]The Jazz could clinch a playoff spot if the Blazers lose to the Grizzlies today[/URL].
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/JShawNBA"]Twitter JShawNBA[/URL]

[QUOTE]Josh Robbins: Acting head coach Tyrone Corbin said [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Wendell Carter Jr. will start tonight but will have a minutes restriction after missing one game due to a sore ankle[/URL].
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/JoshuaBRobbins"]Twitter JoshuaBRobbins[/URL]



[/QUOTE]

you go Ty

Ben Anderson: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]The @Utah Jazz have clinched a playoff spot for the fifth consecutive season under Quin Snyder[/URL].
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/BensHoops"]Twitter BensHoops[/URL]

Overall, Gobert is playing the best basketball of his career, and that also hasn’t been particularly close. And it shows up in the impact. [URL="https://theathletic.com/2541627/2021/04/26/the-mvp-cases-for-and-against-donovan-mitchell-and-rudy-gobert/?source=rss"]With Gobert on the floor, the Jazz are almost 16 points per 100 possessions better than the collective opposition.[/URL] Without him on the floor, they are two points worse than the opposition. Defensively, he’s turned in signature performances that have been astounding. When the Jazz needed to rally from a 17 point deficit to the Indiana Pacers, Gobert’s defense in that second half was so good that the Pacers collectively couldn’t generate good shots. When Los Angeles Lakers center Andre Drummond dominated the Jazz recently with a 27-point effort in a game Gobert didn’t play, Gobert came back into the lineup a few nights later and held Drummond to eight points.
– via [URL="https://theathletic.com/2541627/2021/04/26/the-mvp-cases-for-and-against-donovan-mitchell-and-rudy-gobert/?source=rss"]Tony Jones, Seth Partnow, Tony Jones and Seth Partnow @ The Athletic[/URL]

[url]https://kslsports.com/458187/clarkson-ingles-sixth-man/[/url]

Where's JC in WARP? :facepalm

[QUOTE]“I think those two guys complement each other really well in that sense that,” Snyder said. “JC has been able to see some of the playmaking stuff that Joe does and Joe has been able to see Jordan’s aggressiveness. And hopefully, they both encourage each other to play defense.”

[/QUOTE]

Joe's definitely been more aggressive. Not seeing the rest COTY

[url]https://kslsports.com/458263/mike-conley-produced-two-distant-strangers-wins-oscar/[/url]

congrats

[url]https://www.deseret.com/2021/4/25/22398333/jordan-clarkson-and-joe-ingles-are-both-in-the-running-for-sixth-man-honors-utah-jazz-nba-6moy[/url]

[QUOTE]“I used to actually think it was hilarious to watch him when I played against him with just how aggressive he is,” Ingles said. “He just always, regardless of who’s out there, or how you shoot, if you’re shooting really well, if he’s 0-for-10, he plays the same way. It’s an honor to be teammates with him. He’s a hell of a teammate.”


[/QUOTE]


not so hilarious when he's on your team and you're standing around watching him

[QUOTE]Clarkson leads bench players in field goals made and field goals attempted and has missed just four games this season.

[/QUOTE]

leads in FGA? Amazing!

[QUOTE]Clarkson has been consistent, dependable, is playing his best basketball and the Jazz are reaping the rewards.


[/QUOTE]

consistent? He's been pretty bad for a while now

[url]https://saltcityhoops.com/sc7-lineup-magic-6moy/[/url]

[QUOTE]It’s that middle unit that hasn’t quite held up the same way without Mitchell’s dynamic scoring. This certainly isn’t Ingles’ fault; the lineup just doesn’t have a ton of creation options. Jordan Clarkson has been in a protracted funk (.525 true shooting for the last three months), and even at his best he is more bucket-getter than pure facilitator. Bojan Bogdanovic is mostly an endpoint in the offense, although he can hunt mismatches and occasionally be a second-side creator. Royce O’Neale doesn’t create, and Derrick Favors isn’t the same roll threat that Gobert is. That group’s best offensive staple is the Ingles-Favors pick-and-roll, but the 95.4 ORtg belies the fact that it’s just a more schemable group than the same quintet with Mitchell.


[/QUOTE]

I thought they didn't lose anything with Favors? This is on COTY. Bench Clarkson and Bojan and play Ersan/Morgan/Brantley. Fixed. Tells you Mitchell is more of a 6th man than superstar too

[QUOTE]In the past 10 seasons, only one Jazz player has had a 4-game stretch with 47 assists or more. That was Conley’s 4-game stretch that extended into this past week. He has just been superb lately, reading defenses and slicing up opponent game plans with smart passes.


[/QUOTE]

too bad he'll be standing and watching Mitchell again before long

[QUOTE]The Jazz’s pre-garbage time defensive rating against Houston was in the top 1% of all NBA games this season. When Gobert was on the court, they held the Rockets to 63.0 points per 100, and with Conley it was 55.8. Those numbers are borderline unfair. Houston shot just 3-for-15 (20%) on all shots where Gobert was the closest defender, and 2-for-9 (22%) when it was Conley.


[/QUOTE]

if they only had their best player!

[QUOTE]Ingles’ case is more about efficiency and impact. He now has the second-best odds to win at most sportsbooks that offer that bet, largely because he’s been ridiculously efficient. He doesn’t match Clarkson’s volume, but the he leads the NBA in 3-point percentage and eFG% among qualified players. He has the best RAPTOR WAR and VORP WAR of any reserve in the league (and 25th highest overall in both categories). He has started 18 games — and will certainly start more — but he will still comfortably qualify for 6MOY based on the league’s criteria.


[/QUOTE]

should be him obviously but I'd be shcoked if it was

[QUOTE][B]Jazz 111, Lakers 97: Joe Ingles.[/B] This could easily go to Gobert (it could almost always go to Gobert), but Ingles had a tremendous impact on this game. He had 21 points (on just 11 shots), including a 13-point, 5-for-6 third quarter that Utah used to pull away. He also had four rebounds and five assists, which means he edged Clarkson’s 22-3-1 and Bogdanovic’s 19-3-4. O’Neale had a tremendous game, making all five shots and narrowly missing a double-double. We’ll give this one to Ingles because he took over offensively in a way we don’t always see, and for his team-best +23.


[/QUOTE]

could almost always but rarely does! :facepalm

[QUOTE][B]Saturday 5/1, Jazz vs. Raptors:[/B] The Raps bottomed out at 18-30, but have since turned things around with a 7-5 April. That has prompted them to take Kyle Lowry out of mothballs, but the real story has been Pascal Siakam’s resurgence: 26-7-5 (rounded) so far this month. They still aren’t great defensively, largely because they give up the third most 3-point shots. They are employing some pretty complex schemes, [URL="https://www.si.com/nba/raptors/news/toronto-raptors-freddie-gillespie-wont-reveal-secrets"]their own players report[/URL], but it hasn’t really worked, largely because they lost a lot of defensive talent in 2020 free agency. Fringe MIP candidate Chris Boucher is out indefinitely (MCL), and a few deep reserves are currently day-to-day, including 2014 Jazz draftee Rodney Hood.


[/QUOTE]

Hood out!

[url]https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/4/26/22403699/revisiting-the-historic-shooting-advantage-the-utah-jazz-boast-this-season[/url]

[QUOTE]Full-year we have a +0.5 OReb advantage per game but I’m fairly sure that has also been negative over the past two months (anyone know where to find partial season stats on this?)
Even averaging a -3 possessions net per game costs us almost 3.5 points in expected margin of victory. That’s a lot to make up for purely through eFG efficiency. Would love for Utah to clean these areas up heading into the playoffs.

Posted by [URL="https://www.sbnation.com/users/Korumbian"]Korumbian[/URL] on [URL="https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/4/26/22403699/revisiting-the-historic-shooting-advantage-the-utah-jazz-boast-this-season#539358582"]Apr 26, 2021 | 12:25 PM[/URL]
[/QUOTE]

Play Ersan/Morgan/Brantley and the offensive boards are taken care of. Mitchell and Clarkson gunning won't improve the ball movement though

[url]https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/4/25/22397723/utah-jazz-fans-are-more-confident-in-the-team-this-week-even-with-donovan-mitchell-out-bojan[/url]

[QUOTE]The best sign in recent games has been the offense of Bojan Bogdanovic emerging. In the last 7 games, Bogdanovic has shot 44% from three on 7.7 attempts per game. Considering that coincides with Mitchell going down with injury, and Bogdanovic getting more focus from opposing defenses, you can assume that production will continue when Mitchell returns. Of all the variables this season, Bogdanovic’s production has been the most inconsistent. But if that consistency is back, something Jazz fans grew accustomed to last season, there’s reason to get very excited.


[/QUOTE]

best sign is ball movement and improved D. Hello Mitchell. Goodbye ball movement and D

[url]https://thejnotes.com/2021/04/25/utah-jazz-dwyane-wade-fare-jazzman/[/url]

[QUOTE]If a young Wade was on this Jazz team, he would be a bonafide star with the Jazz having one of the most talented guard duos in the NBA.


[/QUOTE]

Conley and Wade would be awesome despite Wade not being a 3 pt shooter!

[QUOTE]While the games of Wade and Mitchell are similar, the wing defense of Wade would help on the other end. While he isn’t the long 6-foot-7 wing defender that is perhaps the only request on the Utah Jazz wishlist, he is no slouch at 6-foot-4 and has a knack for stealing the basketball. The current Jazz would need this as they don’t get many points off transition.


[/QUOTE]

he has like a 7' wingspan I think

[QUOTE]Chris Haynes: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]The Los Angeles Clippers will sign DeMarcus Cousins for the remainder of the season,[/URL] league sources tell @YahooSports.
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/ChrisBHaynes"]Twitter ChrisBHaynes[/URL]



[/QUOTE]

sweet! Hopefully he plays a lot :roll:

[url]https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/4/26/22404672/jazz-look-to-avoid-season-sweep-from-timberwolves[/url]

[QUOTE]The Jazz will be without All-Star Donovan Mitchell for at least another week, and they haven’t looked very good without him in the lineup. Since Mitchell got injured, the Jazz are 2-2 against a skeleton squad Lakers team, and bottom-feeder Rockets and Wolves teams. Not great Bob. Who steps up to win these games without Donovan? Bojan Bogdanovic has been playing better, fresh off a 30-piece in the loss Saturday night. Conley’s been okay, but hasn’t elevated his play as much as the Jazz have needed without Donovan on the floor. Before Saturday night’s game Joe Ingles had been brilliant in the month of April. If the Jazz are going to avoid a season sweep to the Wolves, someone is going to need to step up in Donovan’s absence and get some buckets, especially in the closing moments of the game if needed.


[/QUOTE]

except for the last 3 quarters they've looked great. Should have beat the Lakers even with the end of their bench

[URL="https://www.eurohoops.net/en/nba-news/1199285/rudy-gobert-mistake-sends-utah-jazz-to-loss-nba/"]Rudy Gobert blamed himself for the Utah Jazz’s loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday evening.[/URL] He indeed left D’Angelo Russell with no opponent only inches away from the game-winning bucket. “If I don’t f… up the last play defensively, we end with a win,” he admitted after the 2020-21 NBA Regular Season game, “It’s totally on me. (Conley) was already out there. We switched. I should have recognized that. He did what he was supposed to do and I didn’t. So, 200% on me. It’s one of those plays, when you watch a replay, you just feel dumb.”
– via [URL="https://www.eurohoops.net/en/nba-news/1199285/rudy-gobert-mistake-sends-utah-jazz-to-loss-nba/"]EuroHoops.net[/URL]



Eric Walden: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Rudy Gobert, on his level of concern after B2B losses to the Wolves: “None. I would be concerned if we were giving up 140 points. … Every team has some nights like this.[/URL] Tonight, if I don’t **** up defensively, we win.”
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/tribjazz"]Twitter tribjazz[/URL]

He just needs to see those few words when he unlocks his phone. That’s all he ever needs, really. “Kids are good. They’re asleep. We’re all good. Go focus. I love you.” Those texts from Renae, his wife, are the last line before Ingles goes out on the floor and does what Jazz fans adore: **** back his left wrist near his left shoulder and let the 3’s fly, pick-and-roll big men into oblivion with big man Derrick Favors, do that slow, old-school ball-fake near the rim that is more commonly used in rec-league games. And then, of course, jawing away. Joe runs to the locker room six minutes before tip every night. It’s his routine. The only obligation. Check the phone, hope to see everything went well, and then go piss. [URL="https://theathletic.com/2544879/2021/04/27/joe-ingles-breakout-season-with-the-jazz-is-because-now-as-a-father-first-its-just-f-ing-basketball/?source=rss"]“I just need to know that for peace of mind,” Ingles told The Athletic. “If I know they’re good, I get to go into a game and play free and do what I need to do.”[/URL]
– via [URL="https://theathletic.com/2544879/2021/04/27/joe-ingles-breakout-season-with-the-jazz-is-because-now-as-a-father-first-its-just-f-ing-basketball/?source=rss"]Christopher Kamrani @ The Athletic[/URL]



[URL="https://theathletic.com/2544879/2021/04/27/joe-ingles-breakout-season-with-the-jazz-is-because-now-as-a-father-first-its-just-f-ing-basketball/?source=rss"]The Ingles have a system worked out in case of an emergency. If Jacob is having an episode or if any of the kids are sick enough to the point where Renae has to feel like she might make a doctor’s run, she will text Jazz head trainer Mike Elliott just to let Joe know what’s going on[/URL]. The last thing she wants is for Joe to go back to his phone and see news that would make his heart drop into his stomach. Recently, Joe said Jack had a rash and Renae took the baby to the pediatrician. It was all good. But she still let him know through Elliott. Part of playing free this year is understanding and embracing the anxieties of being a parent, Renae said. Transparency destigmatizes what most parents encounter on a daily basis. Just because the Ingles’ are celebrities here in Utah and back home in Australia doesn’t make them exempt from the potential harsh realities of life.
– via [URL="https://theathletic.com/2544879/2021/04/27/joe-ingles-breakout-season-with-the-jazz-is-because-now-as-a-father-first-its-just-f-ing-basketball/?source=rss"]Christopher Kamrani @ The Athletic[/URL]



“I still love it. I still love competing. I still want to win,” Ingles said. [URL="https://theathletic.com/2544879/2021/04/27/joe-ingles-breakout-season-with-the-jazz-is-because-now-as-a-father-first-its-just-f-ing-basketball/?source=rss"]“I want to win a championship. I want to help Utah win its first championship. I think that would be the best feeling in the world. But don’t get it twisted. If we were in Game 5 of the Finals, my family is still my No. 1 priority.”[/URL]
– via [URL="https://theathletic.com/2544879/2021/04/27/joe-ingles-breakout-season-with-the-jazz-is-because-now-as-a-father-first-its-just-f-ing-basketball/?source=rss"]Christopher Kamrani @ The Athletic[/URL]

[url]https://kslsports.com/458312/deja-vu-as-jazz-are-swept-by-timberwolves/[/url]

[QUOTE]Like Saturday’s loss, this shouldn’t be a major concern for Jazz fans (regardless of what the Twitter timeline says) as they have once again proven to struggle specifically with Minnesota’s big guards, Karl-Anthony Towns’ ability to spread the floor, and the absence of Donovan Mitchell.


[/QUOTE]

the problem isn't Mitchell. It's the coach thinking Clarkson and Bojan are going to shoot you to glory. Ersan gave them some good minutes. Why does Forrest keep seeing the floor? Play Morgan and Brantley. Try something different! :facepalm

[QUOTE]“We were supposed to just clear the court open and create a one-on-one situation,” Conley said. “It got crowded there, Rudy came up and tried to make a play and there was nowhere to go.”


[/QUOTE]

Conley went the wrong way on the screen.

[QUOTE]Gobert is the league’s best defender and screen setter, so for the All-NBA center to make two costly mistakes late in the game is right to hurt, it shouldn’t stand as the strong indicator of what is yet to come for the Jazz.


[/QUOTE]

not even in the game without Rudy shutting down the Twolves. The fact that it came down to the end is on the coach and his guys Clarkson and Bojan


[CENTER][/CENTER]

[url]https://kslsports.com/458306/late-layup-by-timberwolves-hands-jazz-second-straight-loss/[/url]

[QUOTE]The Timberwolves put the clamps down on defense in the second quarter by outscoring the Jazz 32-14 and took a 49-47 lead. D’Angelo Russell went off in the second quarter, scoring 15 of his 18 first half points. Ersan Ilyasova had five points in the second for the Jazz and he led the team. They shot just 19 percent from the floor on 5-of-26 shooting.


[/QUOTE]

and why didn't you stick with Ersan? He plays tough physical ball.

[url]https://kslsports.com/458308/niang-clarkson-start-fourth-quarter-with-four-threes-against-timberwolves/[/url]

[QUOTE][URL="https://kslsports.com/category/jazz/"]The Jazz[/URL] were trailing the Minnesota Timberwolves 83-70 to start the fourth quarter before Niang and Clarkson gave a little spark. Niang hit the first three-pointer of the fourth quarter to trim the deficit to 83-73. Minnesota made a bucket before Jordan Clarkson hit his first three-pointer of the game after going 0-for-8 from deep. Clarkson has now made a three-pointer in 83 straight games.


[/QUOTE]

Way to go JC! :roll:

[url]https://kslsports.com/458298/azubuike-back-with-jazz-working-really-hard/[/url]

[QUOTE]“He’s working really hard,” Snyder said. “You think about what he’s been through in his rookie year from the time that the college season was canceled last year, and waiting through the entire process of the draft, then joining a team where he’s playing behind Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors.”


[/QUOTE]

and Morgan and now Ersan and maybe Brantley as well!

[url]https://www.ksl.com/article/50154617/you-just-feel-dumb-gobert-takes-full-blame-for-defensive-miscue-in-loss-to-minnesota[/url]

[QUOTE]Just look at the 3-point stats from Monday:
Jordan Clarkson was 1 of 10.
Joe Ingles was 3 of 13 — and missed his last nine attempts.
Bojan Bogdanovic was 1 of 11.
Conley was 3 of 9.
Utah was 16 for 57 from distance for 28% as a team.
[/QUOTE]

we've seen that way too much from Clarkson and Bojan. They give you nothing else like Ingles and Conley do

[QUOTE]Those shots eventually did get Utah back in the game, though. Georges Niang hit four 3s in the fourth quarter to help lead the comeback and it was a 3-point bomb by Conley that gave the Jazz a very short-lived lead at the end. Then the inexplicable miscue happened, leading to another inexplicable loss.


[/QUOTE]

they got back in the game once he finally benched Clarkson at the end. That was no coincedence

[url]https://www.ksl.com/article/50154685/jazz-say-its-not-time-to-worry-after-dropping-2-straight-to-lowly-wolves[/url]

[QUOTE]"I would be concerned if we'd given up 140 points or something like that," he said. "Every team got some tough games. Tonight if I don't (mess) up the last play defensively, we end up winning the game. It's never going to be all good and all bad. We've just got to find ways to put ourselves in a position to win every night. I thought we did that tonight. I thought we did that last game."


[/QUOTE]

The problem is the defense will get worse once the savior is back in the lineup

[QUOTE]Jazz coach Quin Snyder has always paid more attention to the process than the results. For example, on Saturday, if his team would have found a way to win at the end, his response to the game would have been the same. He would have looked at the turnovers, the lack of rebounds and the passed up shots, and still been disappointed in the effort.


[/QUOTE]

Clarkson with some tremendous effort launching brick after brick

[url]https://www.deseret.com/2021/4/26/22403719/instant-analysis-utah-jazz-blow-early-lead-minnesota-timberwolves-for-second-straight-game-nba[/url]

[QUOTE]Georges Niang really played a pretty excellent game. Early on he was strong and feisty on the offensive glass, getting rebounds and tapping out the ones that he couldn’t get two hands on. He defended well and he was largely responsible for getting the Jazz back into the game, scoring 12 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter.

[/QUOTE]

and instead of playing him more it was just more Clarkson bricks. Nice coaching!

[QUOTE]Quin Snyder made some out of character rotation changes and brought in Ersan Ilyasova to play with Niang, Mike Conley, Rudy Gobert and Jordan Clarkson. I liked that big lineup, which gave the Jazz some length on the perimeter and a different look inside on the defensive end. And, Ilyasova hit some 3s while he was in which was great.

[/QUOTE]

A big lineup! Too bad he went back to his usual crap including Forrest

[QUOTE]I said this last time and I’ll say it again, the Timberwolves are an ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ team and they deserve a lot of credit for continuing to feed the hot hand of D’Angelo Russell. He hit big, timely buckets and finished with 27 points.

[/QUOTE]

Imagine COTY going with the guys playing well or trying someone else if a guy is sucking

[QUOTE]Midway through the first quarter Royce O’Neale landed awkwardly on his left arm and was rubbing his shoulder quite a bit after. Hopefully that’s not something that lingers.

[/QUOTE]

He's always banged up. Too bad they don't have PF's on the team they could play so he could play his position instead :facepalm

[QUOTE]“To have a situation where we weren’t making [shots] but we continued to shoot, and we also found other ways to get to the rim, I thought was an important thing for our team to understand. And then to be able to hang into the game.” —Quin Snyder


[/QUOTE]

Clarkson being allowed to continue to shoot lost you the game

[QUOTE]The Jazz usually open up a lot of their 3-point shots with drive-and-kicks and it works...usually. But, when Bogdanovic or Clarkson are driving the ball really slowly in mostly isolation, with the defense not coming over to help, and make sloppy passes out to guys who don’t have a ton of room to actually get a shot off — then to complicate things there’s no off-ball movement — it just makes for horrible possession.

[/QUOTE]

those two names again...hmmm


[QUOTE]When the Jazz are getting open shots, they have to shoot them. This feels like beating a dead horse. I don’t know how many times I can say that O’Neale or Bogdanovic or anyone else are passing up wide open looks before it feels like I’m just a broken record. Maybe I’m already there.

[/QUOTE]

Bojan shouldn't even be in the game if he's not taking and hitting open shots and even then he probably shouldn't be

[url]https://sircharlesincharge.com/2021/04/27/brooklyn-nets-biggest-threats-west/[/url]

[QUOTE]The Jazz is a lot bigger team than the Nets and will be able to bully the team on the inside, while also having great ball movement to keep them on their toes. While Brooklyn clearly has more star power and look better on paper, the Jazz is definitely a team on the same level.


[/QUOTE]

They aren't bigger. Harden and Durant? :facepalm

[QUOTE]According to Vegas, [URL="https://thef5.substack.com/p/all-injuries-everything?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxNjkxNTY4LCJwb3N0X2lkIjozNTI3MDc5OCwiXyI6IjgyM2NBIiwiaWF0IjoxNjE5NjIwNzU0LCJleHAiOjE2MTk2MjQzNTQsImlzcyI6InB1Yi00NzQzMCIsInN1YiI6InBvc3QtcmVhY3Rpb24ifQ.hpH7iojFRMQxROzRYiXQd3OIRjHdTvp_UYJAjdgHb28"]the frontrunners for this season’s Coach Of The Year award are Quin Snyder in Utah, Monty Williams in Phoenix, and Tom Thibodeau in New York.[/URL] The one thing all three coaches have in common is that each of their teams have exceeded expectations. Usually, when we can’t explain why a team is better than we thought they’d be, we assume it must have something to do with the coaching.
– via [URL="https://thef5.substack.com/p/all-injuries-everything?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxNjkxNTY4LCJwb3N0X2lkIjozNTI3MDc5OCwiXyI6IjgyM2NBIiwiaWF0IjoxNjE5NjIwNzU0LCJleHAiOjE2MTk2MjQzNTQsImlzcyI6InB1Yi00NzQzMCIsInN1YiI6InBvc3QtcmVhY3Rpb24ifQ.hpH7iojFRMQxROzRYiXQd3OIRjHdTvp_UYJAjdgHb28"]Owen Phillips @ Substack[/URL]



[/QUOTE]

Conley's D is the big difference in Utah not Snyder. Snyder is keeping the Jazz from their potential if anything

[url]https://kslsports.com/458353/jazz-look-to-snap-two-game-slide-against-kings/[/url]

[QUOTE]The Jazz were swept in their home-and-home series with the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday and Monday, trimming their lead atop the Western Conference to just one game. Adding insult to injury, the team will be without both Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley against the Kings due to injury.


[/QUOTE]

Yay more Forrest! :facepalm

[QUOTE]After a brutal start to April, the Kings will look to build their first two-game win streak in nearly a month.


[/QUOTE]

2 isn't a streak :lol

[url]https://www.ksl.com/article/50155330/jazz-are-losing-grip-on-no-1-seed-but-does-that-even-matter[/url]

[QUOTE]Even as the No. 1 seed, the Jazz could be looking at facing Steph Curry, Luka Doncic or Damian Lillard in the first round. Then it'll just get tougher from there. Which begs the question: Does the seed even matter?


[/QUOTE]

If they avoid LA's and the Suns in round 2 yeah it does

[url]https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/4/28/22405001/donovan-mitchell-2020-21-all-nba-team-utah-jazz[/url]

[QUOTE][h=1]Why Donovan Mitchell deserves to be selected for the 2020-21 All-NBA team[/h]

[/QUOTE]

:facepalm

[QUOTE]If you’ve watched the Utah Jazz the last 5 games since Donovan Mitchell went down with an ankle injury against the Indiana Pacers, you’ll notice a totally different team. As I write this the Jazz have now lost 2 games in a row to the lowly Minnesota Timberwolves and have dropped 3 of their last 5. That in and of itself shows you just how essential Mitchell has been to the success of this team. But when you dig into the numbers you’ll realize that Mitchell is more than deserving of All-NBA honors, and should get some MVP consideration too.


[/QUOTE]

It doesn't show you anything. He's at best a distant 3rd as players rank on the Jazz

[QUOTE]For the longest time the national narrative for Donovan Mitchell was that he was a “chucker,” that he put up numbers by just getting up shots. But when you look at the simple percentages it shows a player that is anything but inefficient.


[/QUOTE]

it's not just about being efficient. It's about playing selfishly

[QUOTE]Mitchell is 9th in the league in scoring at 26.4 PPG. That number is more impressive when you consider that includes a 3-point percentage of 38.6%. That’s a better 3-point percentage than top ten scorers Damian Lillard and Bradley Beal. The only players with a better percentage in the top ten are Steph Curry and Zach Lavine. He’s also doing this on high volume. Mitchell is 6th in the league in 3PA per game at 8.7.


[/QUOTE]

without Conley and Gobert he is basically Lavine.

[QUOTE][h=1]He’s the most important part of an elite offense[/h]

[/QUOTE]

He and COTY believe this anyway. More to the game than shooting

[QUOTE]According to Cleaning the Glass’s measurement of usage rate, (how much of the team’s offense did the player use by shooting, including free throws, turning the ball over, or assisting), Mitchell is at 35.0%. That is 5th in the league behind Luka Doncic, Trae Young, Russell Westbrook, John Wall and Joel Embiid. That’s higher than James Harden, LeBron James and Damian Lillard. Of those players mentioned, Doncic, Westbrook, James and Harden were All-NBA last season.


[/QUOTE]

therein lies the problem

[QUOTE]There are some that might mention Mitchell’s assist rate isn’t at the level of some of these players, (according to Cleaning the Glass he’s in the 26th percentile in assist rate), but that’s not necessarily his fault. Utah plays a shared offense that relies on ball movement to create an advantage and Mitchell’s primary role within that offense is to score. Mitchell also plays with multiple ball handlers like Mike Conley who leads the Jazz in assists with 6 per game.

[/QUOTE]

It's not his fault that he comes down and shoots regardless?

[QUOTE]It’s interesting to look at what happens when Mike Conley sits. In games that Mike Conley doesn’t play, Mitchell’s assists per game rise from 5.2 to 6.45 per game in 11 games. Utah was also fantastic in those games going 9-2 with Mitchell putting up games with 11, 9 and 8 assists. Mitchell also sat in some of those games in the 4th quarter because of blowout victories. Basically, when you put the ball in Mitchell’s hands great things happen.


[/QUOTE]

the ball is always in his hands. That's a problem

[QUOTE]It’s safe to assume that if Mitchell had an entire offense designed around him like in Dallas with Luka Doncic or Trae Young in Atlanta, his numbers would get even more staggering.


[/QUOTE]

be even less efficient and he'd be collecting ping pong balls

[QUOTE]But the same has to be said for Gobert. Don’t get me wrong, Rudy Gobert is an underrated offensive player. As a pick and roll rim runner, no one in the league is better. Gobert is a workhorse creating easy offense with a multitude of screens that crush opponents leaving space for everyone lucky enough to have him as the screener. But Gobert’s offensive production is dependent on the ball handler. And if we’ve learned anything in these last 5 games, you can’t just put any ball handler on the floor with Gobert and win. Donovan Mitchell takes the Jazz offense to another level.


[/QUOTE]

The ball handler needs Gobert. They've looked good without Mitchell. Missed some shots

[QUOTE]The time has come for Donovan Mitchell to be considered as one of the elite players in the NBA, a legitimate top-15 player. That’s not just an opinion, the stats reveal Mitchell as the most important player on the team with the best record in the league. This isn’t a hard choice.


[/QUOTE]

usage and shot attempts don't make you top 15 sorry

[QUOTE]Mitchell getting All-NBA might be the difference between re-signing Conley and not re-signing Conley.
Or, further out, whether or not we can keep Jingles and/or O’Neale. Niang’s contract is up this year and he will get more expensive—probably about $6m/year more expensive.

Posted by [URL="https://www.sbnation.com/users/Kira%20Argonova"]Kira Argonova[/URL] on [URL="https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/4/28/22405001/donovan-mitchell-2020-21-all-nba-team-utah-jazz#539447874"]Apr 28, 2021 | 11:44 AM[/URL]
[/QUOTE]

none of it should have anything to do with Conley. You trade everyone but Gobert to bring Conley back if you have to including their "best" player

[url]https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/4/27/22405913/nba-western-conference-standings-utah-jazz-phoenix-suns-la-clippers[/url]

[QUOTE]Now, is the sky falling? Of course not. Does 1st vs 2nd truly matter in the end? Probably not, because you can’t control what’s happening below you anyways. And this poor stretch of 6-6 in their last 12 is certainly due to an exhausting schedule and then losing Donovan Mitchell. They are still one of the best teams in the league and a legitimate contender when healthy.


[/QUOTE]

matchups and home court matter especially when you're a lot better at hime and don't match up well with at least one team

[url]https://sircharlesincharge.com/2021/04/27/utah-jazz-concern-recent-regression/[/url]

[QUOTE][h=1]Utah Jazz: Should there be concern with their recent regression?[/h][/QUOTE]

unless they get a new coach yes

Nice to see some guys like Trent Forrest and Brantley get some minutes. Thomas a scoring machine with 17 in 9 minutes. Kings are such a bi-polar team at times pushed the Warriors, Suns, Bucks to the limit this month and then totally got curb stomped by a team missing guys. Don't think they put much into this one.

[QUOTE=El Kabong;14304291]Nice to see some guys like Trent Forrest and Brantley get some minutes. Thomas a scoring machine with 17 in 9 minutes. Kings are such a bi-polar team at times pushed the Warriors, Suns, Bucks to the limit this month and then totally got curb stomped by a team missing guys. Don't think they put much into this one.[/QUOTE]

Yeah wish Quin would play the end of the bench when Clarkson, Bojan, Favors etc. are sucking. Could certainly use the size of Ersan, Morgan and Brantley

[url]https://kslsports.com/458380/upside-for-jazz-after-mike-conley-re-aggravates-hamstring-injury/[/url]

[QUOTE]Though it may be less than ideal as the Jazz try to fend off the Phoenix Suns, it could provide Conley will added rest before playoffs begin.


[/QUOTE]

Played in one back to back. He should be plenty rested

[url]https://kslsports.com/458430/jazz-decimate-kings-in-battle-of-shorthanded-teams/[/url]

[QUOTE]“I’m probably in the minority, but I actually thought we played well [Monday] night,” Quin Snyder said about the Jazz loss to Minnesota. “We didn’t shoot well.”


[/QUOTE]

Defense was good in both games. Missed shots. Too many turnovers in the first one

[QUOTE]The Jazz are playing a similar game to the Rockets and are hoping to avoid stepping on a landmine of missed threes as the worst possible time.


[/QUOTE]

better shooters

[QUOTE]Like the team’s three-point shooting, the Jazz won’t reach their ultimate goal without big performances from both Bogdanovic and Clarkson. They don’t need to be spectacular every night, but Mitchell and Conley will need high-scoring nights from the supporting scorers in the postseason if the Jazz want to play into June and July.


[/QUOTE]

What they need is a coach that will bench guys that are hurting them and try someone else

[QUOTE]The Iowa State product scored 17 points in nine minutes on a perfect 7-7 shooting including 3-3 from deep. The Jazz shouldn’t plan on seeing much of either Thomas or Ersan Ilyasova (six points, 2-2 FG in 24 minutes) in the postseason, but both players have now proven that in a pinch they could add value to a cold shooting team in a playoff game if need be.


[/QUOTE]

Ersan adds a lot more than shooting as do Morgan and Brantley

[QUOTE]The Jazz managed to go 3-2 in the stretch which isn’t bad considering they didn’t have Mitchell for any of the five games, but it wasn’t enough to extend their lead over the red hot Suns.


[/QUOTE]

it was bad regardless

[QUOTE]Now, the two teams will faceoff in Phoenix on Friday with a chance for the Suns to pass the Jazz for the best record in the NBA via a tie-breaker. Since they are likely to be shorthanded once again, it seems like the Jazz will return to Utah without the best record in the NBA for the first time since February 1.


[/QUOTE]

No reason they can't win. They have their best player, Ingles, O'Neale, Niang. The key is the coaching

[QUOTE]If the Jazz can surprise the Suns and win in Phoenix it would go a long way towards clinching the top spot in the West, otherwise, they’re in for a dog fight over the final nine games of the season.

[/QUOTE]


still have the easier schedule[CENTER][/CENTER]

[url]https://www.ksl.com/article/50156259/i-was-also-surprised-jazz-score-most-points-in-team-history-in-49-point-win-over-kings[/url]

[QUOTE]The rout started in the second quarter when the Jazz opened up the period with a 13-0 run behind a super-sized lineup of Joe Ingles, Niang, Bogdanovic, Ersan Ilyasova and Rudy Gobert. Every member of that lineup was at least 6-foot-7 and four of them can shoot — it proved to be a lethal combination.


[/QUOTE]

Be nice to see a lineup like that at times minus Bojan

[QUOTE]"I know that we are always talking about offense, especially when we play without Donovan and Mike," Bogdanovic said. "But I think our defense, when we play defense like we played tonight, especially in the second quarter, it's easy for us to play when we don't have those two guys. We run in transition and scoring easy buckets or trying to find the easy 3's. That's how we have to play when we have Donovan and Mike out."


[/QUOTE]

play D and move the ball. Not complicated

[QUOTE]Jazz coach Quin Snyder wouldn't mind if they played that way even when Conley and Mitchell return, and it remains uncertain when that'll actually happen. Conley re-aggravated his hamstring strain on Monday in the loss to Minnesota and Snyder didn't provide much detail about when he is expected Conley to return. Hamstrings can be hard to put timelines on, and the original injury kept Conley out for six games in February.


[/QUOTE]

yep hopefully Mitchell has paid attention to how much better the D is without him and how the ball moves. I doubt it though

[url]https://www.deseret.com/2021/4/28/22406547/utah-jazz-set-franchise-record-in-49-point-thrashing-of-sacramento-kings[/url]

[QUOTE]Since coming over from Toronto in late March, Matt Thomas has had a difficult time getting minutes on the floor, and when he has, his shots haven’t been dropping. For a player who’s known as a shooter, that’s a problem. On Wednesday, he again didn’t see the floor until the fourth quarter, but this time his shots were falling and it could be a sign that he’s finally feeling more comfortable in the Jazz offense. Thomas only played nine minutes, but he made all seven of his shots against the Kings, including going 3 for 3 from 3-point range. His last 3 was particularly notable as it set a new Utah Jazz scoring record as the 152nd point. Jarrell Brantley wrapped up the scoring with 52 seconds on a layup for point No. 154, which broke the franchise record for points. The New Orleans Jazz scored 153 points in a game back in 1978.

[/QUOTE]

The only problem was COTY playing him over Ersan, Morgan, Brantley and Oni

[url]https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/4/28/22409119/utah-jazz-pick-themselves-up-for-a-dramatic-win-in-sacramento[/url]

[QUOTE]They only allowed 3 offensive boards to the Kings. Big kudos goes out to Bojan Bogdanovic and Derrick Favors for their extra effort on that end.


[/QUOTE]

Bojan had 3 boards :facepalm

[QUOTE]“Never too high, never too low” - Ricky Rubio


[/QUOTE]

never very good but usually really bad

[QUOTE]24 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block, 1 steal and only 1 turnover is the kind of night that Bojan is capable of when he needs to step up. Most impressive were the 10 free throw trips he made to turn his night into a very efficient one despite going 1-5 from deep.

[/QUOTE]

didn't end up shooting well so no

[QUOTE]Niang as a starter seems to fit in great – definitely deserving of more minutes even when everyone is back
Rudy quiet to start but had a great 2nd quarter and 5 blocks
Joe almost invisible but 13 points, 7 assist, 3/6 from 3
Ersan 2/2 from 3 and continues to show he could be huge asset if we need a bigger lineup
Brantley 13 points in 12 minutes, 3/3 from 3, played with energy
Favors had maybe his best stretch of the year in the 3rd on both ends of the court, 11 boards in 13 minutes
JC seemed to play within the offense all game but still got his shots and had great results inside and outside
Thomas 17 points in 9 minutes, wow, was against the Kings, but there are just not many guys who can score in bunches like that
Forrest 6 assists, had some nice drives, and hit a 3
Bring on the Suns

Posted by [URL="https://www.sbnation.com/users/SKMike"]SKMike[/URL] on [URL="https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/4/28/22409119/utah-jazz-pick-themselves-up-for-a-dramatic-win-in-sacramento#539479056"]Apr 29, 2021 | 12:25 AM[/URL]
[/QUOTE]

Would be nice if they had a coach that would play Niang when others are sucking at least. Rudy never quiet. Look how many the other team scored. Don't think it's a question if they need a bigger lineup. The question is will Snyder play a bigger lineup by choice?

[QUOTE][h=4]What I learned from this game is[/h]
that scoring is the most easily replaced aspect of basketball.

Posted by [URL="https://www.sbnation.com/users/pkt423"]pkt423[/URL] on [URL="https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/4/28/22409119/utah-jazz-pick-themselves-up-for-a-dramatic-win-in-sacramento#539481330"]Apr 29, 2021 | 6:35 AM[/URL]
[/QUOTE]

Rubio and Favors in the corner dispelled that notion. Having shooters around your best player, defending and moving the ball is tough to beat though

[QUOTE]Mitchell/Conley
Young/Bogdanovic
Curry/Wiggins
Beal/Westbrook

Posted by [URL="https://www.sbnation.com/users/jmnunes5"]jmnunes5[/URL] on [URL="https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/4/28/22409119/utah-jazz-pick-themselves-up-for-a-dramatic-win-in-sacramento#539491319"]Apr 29, 2021 | 11:18 AM[/URL]
[/QUOTE]

not Mitcehll/Conley. Gobert/Conley might be the best duo in the league this year though despite not being their teams "best" player :lol