2020-21 Regular season- The tax team

Multiple teammates of Mitchell tell The Athletic [URL="https://theathletic.com/2423303/2021/03/11/one-on-one-with-donovan-mitchell-on-saving-the-unsalvageable-shrugging-off-shaq-and-the-fight-for-social-justice/?source=rss"]he and Rudy Gobert are more than co-workers. They are friends and have forged a close relationship with each other off the floor[/URL].
– via [URL="https://theathletic.com/2423303/2021/03/11/one-on-one-with-donovan-mitchell-on-saving-the-unsalvageable-shrugging-off-shaq-and-the-fight-for-social-justice/?source=rss"]Tony Jones @ The Athletic[/URL]

When many media outlets, The Athletic included, wrote on the state of their union, Mitchell and Gobert read those stories. They noticed when this outlet reported that a source with knowledge of the situation said that their relationship appeared to be unsalvageable. Then, they pushed back on the idea that they could no longer play together or no longer desired to. [URL="https://theathletic.com/2423303/2021/03/11/one-on-one-with-donovan-mitchell-on-saving-the-unsalvageable-shrugging-off-shaq-and-the-fight-for-social-justice/?source=rss"]“In a strange way, I think that article helped,” Mitchell said. “It brought out a level of determination in both of us that we never had. I never had a controversy like that.[/URL] Here we were, the two pillars of the team, and we had to go to the playoffs in two months. It brought out a different level of tenacity in both of us.
– via [URL="https://theathletic.com/2423303/2021/03/11/one-on-one-with-donovan-mitchell-on-saving-the-unsalvageable-shrugging-off-shaq-and-the-fight-for-social-justice/?source=rss"]Tony Jones @ The Athletic[/URL]



[URL="https://theathletic.com/2423303/2021/03/11/one-on-one-with-donovan-mitchell-on-saving-the-unsalvageable-shrugging-off-shaq-and-the-fight-for-social-justice/?source=rss"]“I think the conversation we had before camp was very important,” Gobert told The Athletic.[/URL] “We decided that we were going to grow up and do what’s best for the team. At the end of the day, we all wanted to win. That’s all we wanted, was to win. It was a test for us.”
– via [URL="https://theathletic.com/2423303/2021/03/11/one-on-one-with-donovan-mitchell-on-saving-the-unsalvageable-shrugging-off-shaq-and-the-fight-for-social-justice/?source=rss"]Tony Jones @ The Athletic[/URL]



“It didn’t really bother me,” Mitchell said. “I thought it was blown out of proportion, but that’s just the media in general. When I said ‘Aight,’ for me it meant that’s cool, and that’s your opinion and it’s OK to have an opinion. I play to make sure that I’m the best player I can be for myself and my teammates. [URL="https://theathletic.com/2423303/2021/03/11/one-on-one-with-donovan-mitchell-on-saving-the-unsalvageable-shrugging-off-shaq-and-the-fight-for-social-justice/?source=rss"]“Shaq isn’t my coach. If he doesn’t agree that I’m a superstar, that’s cool. I just have to go out and make sure that I play for my teammates.”[/URL]
– via [URL="https://theathletic.com/2423303/2021/03/11/one-on-one-with-donovan-mitchell-on-saving-the-unsalvageable-shrugging-off-shaq-and-the-fight-for-social-justice/?source=rss"]Tony Jones @ The Athletic[/URL]

The Utah Jazz center’s positive test for the coronavirus began a cascading shutdown of American sports. [URL="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/10/sports/basketball/rudy-gobert-anniversary.html?smid=tw-nytsports&smtyp=cur"]But with a huge new contract and a dominant team, he has moved on. It was not a time in his life, understandably, that Rudy Gobert is eager to revisit.[/URL] No one wants to be connected so closely to the day that the N.B.A., suddenly infiltrated by the coronavirus, suspended its season.
– via [URL="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/10/sports/basketball/rudy-gobert-anniversary.html?smid=tw-nytsports&smtyp=cur"]Marc Stein @ New York Times[/URL]




[URL="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/10/sports/basketball/rudy-gobert-anniversary.html?smid=tw-nytsports&smtyp=cur"]Gobert, though, is realistic. He constantly sizes up situations in his rim-protecting role for the Utah Jazz. He understands better than most that there are some things even a supreme shot-blocker can’t swat away[/URL]. So he has known for some time what was coming this month. Copious coverage of the unhappy anniversary was inevitable, ready or not, one year removed from Gobert’s positive test for the coronavirus on March 11, 2020. It was the thunderbolt that led to the postponement of Utah’s game in Oklahoma City that night and, some 90 minutes later, an abrupt announcement that the 2019-20 season was being placed on hiatus “until further notice.” The novel coronavirus had been thrust to the forefront of major team sports in North America.
– via [URL="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/10/sports/basketball/rudy-gobert-anniversary.html?smid=tw-nytsports&smtyp=cur"]Marc Stein @ New York Times[/URL]



[URL="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/10/sports/basketball/rudy-gobert-anniversary.html?smid=tw-nytsports&smtyp=cur"]“Those few weeks, those few months, were really tough,” Gobert said softly. “I’m just blessed to be able to be here today to enjoy this All-Star Game — and to be healthy.”[/URL] The focus should be back on basketball soon enough and Gobert, this March, is clearly in a good place. Despite his modest 14.2 points per game, and winding up as the last of 24 players selected when LeBron James and Kevin Durant chose the All-Star squads, Gobert can stride into Utah’s one-year-later practice session on Thursday knowing he has never been a more effective two-way player.
– via [URL="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/10/sports/basketball/rudy-gobert-anniversary.html?smid=tw-nytsports&smtyp=cur"]Marc Stein @ New York Times[/URL]

Ben Anderson: From the @Utah Jazz. [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]“With no change in health and safety protocols, Vivint Arena will start the second half of the season with a socially distanced seating capacity of 5,600 fans throughout the lower bowl, upper bowl and suite level for Jazz games.”[/URL]
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/BensHoops"]Twitter BensHoops[/URL]

The doctors called and told Donovan Mitchell Sr. to unlock his hotel room door, slide the bolt so it stayed open and then stay back in the room. [URL="https://nypost.com/2021/03/11/hazmat-suit-hell-had-donovan-mitchell-sr-worried-he-infected-entire-mets-roster/?fbclid=IwAR0iVbNmxNvf1vxJ-a2gIi-PYgLDkHT3zWRdQbaQHgw_fYenP6PQ0_JG0KM"]That was unnerving. But then the doctors walked in wearing full hazmat suits and what started going through Mitchell’s mind that day — March 12, 2020 — was how sick might he be. And if he was indeed sick with COVID-19, had he gotten the entire Mets team ill as well?[/URL]
– via [URL="https://nypost.com/2021/03/11/hazmat-suit-hell-had-donovan-mitchell-sr-worried-he-infected-entire-mets-roster/?fbclid=IwAR0iVbNmxNvf1vxJ-a2gIi-PYgLDkHT3zWRdQbaQHgw_fYenP6PQ0_JG0KM"]Joel Sherman @ New York Post[/URL]



[URL="https://nypost.com/2021/03/11/hazmat-suit-hell-had-donovan-mitchell-sr-worried-he-infected-entire-mets-roster/?fbclid=IwAR0iVbNmxNvf1vxJ-a2gIi-PYgLDkHT3zWRdQbaQHgw_fYenP6PQ0_JG0KM"]“They were in there for two minutes to test me, then they left,” Mitchell said, remembering the unsettling times from a year ago.[/URL] “I was left there for the next few days wondering if I had it or not and who else I might have given it to.”
– via [URL="https://nypost.com/2021/03/11/hazmat-suit-hell-had-donovan-mitchell-sr-worried-he-infected-entire-mets-roster/?fbclid=IwAR0iVbNmxNvf1vxJ-a2gIi-PYgLDkHT3zWRdQbaQHgw_fYenP6PQ0_JG0KM"]Joel Sherman @ New York Post[/URL]



[URL="https://nypost.com/2021/03/11/hazmat-suit-hell-had-donovan-mitchell-sr-worried-he-infected-entire-mets-roster/?fbclid=IwAR0iVbNmxNvf1vxJ-a2gIi-PYgLDkHT3zWRdQbaQHgw_fYenP6PQ0_JG0KM"]This was part of a “scary, scary time” in the words of Mitchell, who was then the Mets’ longtime director of public relations and community engagement.[/URL] On March 4, he had gone to see his son, the Utah Jazz star, Donovan Mitchell Jr., play the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
– via [URL="https://nypost.com/2021/03/11/hazmat-suit-hell-had-donovan-mitchell-sr-worried-he-infected-entire-mets-roster/?fbclid=IwAR0iVbNmxNvf1vxJ-a2gIi-PYgLDkHT3zWRdQbaQHgw_fYenP6PQ0_JG0KM"]Joel Sherman @ New York Post[/URL]



Now, after learning his son’s diagnosis, Mitchell mentally ran through pretty much every player on the Mets roster and, yep, he had contact with all of them. [URL="https://nypost.com/2021/03/11/hazmat-suit-hell-had-donovan-mitchell-sr-worried-he-infected-entire-mets-roster/?fbclid=IwAR0iVbNmxNvf1vxJ-a2gIi-PYgLDkHT3zWRdQbaQHgw_fYenP6PQ0_JG0KM"]“We had done an autograph signing, productions, appearances, I was hands-on with every player in that locker room,” Mitchell said. “If I had it, pretty much it was a done deal that I would pass it on to somebody. … Now, I am starting to panic. If I have it, I don’t want to be the reason why they can’t practice or they can’t play or I infected someone on the team.”[/URL]
– via [URL="https://nypost.com/2021/03/11/hazmat-suit-hell-had-donovan-mitchell-sr-worried-he-infected-entire-mets-roster/?fbclid=IwAR0iVbNmxNvf1vxJ-a2gIi-PYgLDkHT3zWRdQbaQHgw_fYenP6PQ0_JG0KM"]Joel Sherman @ New York Post[/URL]

Adrian Wojnarowski: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]NBA Board of Governors approved changes to two-way contracts that will allow, among other modifications, for those players to be added onto postseason rosters,[/URL] sources tell ESPN.
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/wojespn"]Twitter wojespn[/URL]



Shams Charania: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Two-way players who exceed 50 games active will now have their compensation increased to their league minimum salary based on years of service,[/URL] sources said.
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania"]Twitter ShamsCharania[/URL]

[QUOTE]Eric Walden: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Ersan Ilyasova said that in watching the Jazz this season, what’s stood out to him is the ball movement: “This is the way to win a championship.”[/URL] Said the team concept is simple: “Move the ball, and if you’re open, shoot it.”
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/tribjazz"]Twitter tribjazz[/URL]



Ben Anderson: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Justin Zanik used to be Ersan Ilyasova’s agent before Zanik left that lifestyle to join the @UtahJazz front office[/URL]. Ilyasova said he knows the rest of the players on the team through years of competing.
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/BensHoops"]Twitter BensHoops[/URL]



[/QUOTE]

so what took so long. Been obvious since you signed Ed Davis instead of a 4 that you were in desperate need of one :facepalm

Ben Anderson: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Quin Snyder on finding a player in Ersan Ilyasova who brings similar traits to Bogdanovic and Niang: “Dennis and Justin and our group wouldn’t have looked at someone you couldn’t plug and play.[/URL] I think the one thing we’ve been really conscious of is the chemistry of the team.”
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/BensHoops"]Twitter BensHoops[/URL]



Eric Walden: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Quin Snyder, on adding Ersan Ilyasova: “He’s got to assimilate and learn a little bit, but being a smart, intelligent player, he’ll fit in[/URL] well.”
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/tribjazz"]Twitter tribjazz[/URL]



Eric Walden: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Quin Snyder opens his post-practice remarks with a tribute to late Jazz employee Doug Birrell, a part of the health/performance staff, who died on Sunday:[/URL] “He’s one of the best people I’ve ever known.”
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/tribjazz"]Twitter tribjazz[/URL]

To be sure, he was and is proud of his race, his heritage, who he is as a person. But, his younger years were difficult at times. Kids can say and do cruel things to other children. And that was the case for Mitchell at times in his childhood, as he grew up in New York and Connecticut. Those words, those instances, they never left him. They resonate with him to this day. [URL="https://theathletic.com/2423303/2021/03/11/one-on-one-with-donovan-mitchell-on-saving-the-unsalvageable-shrugging-off-shaq-and-the-fight-for-social-justice/?source=user-shared-article"]“We would be in class and read books about slavery, and everyone wants to say the N-word,” Mitchell said. “It became uncomfortable and that should have never been the case. I’ve been exposed to both sides.[/URL] I played in New York City every weekend in high school and I saw what my teammates had to do and where they lived. That had an impact for me. I knew when I made it to the league that I wanted to speak for the people who didn’t have a voice to be heard.”
– via [URL="https://theathletic.com/2423303/2021/03/11/one-on-one-with-donovan-mitchell-on-saving-the-unsalvageable-shrugging-off-shaq-and-the-fight-for-social-justice/?source=user-shared-article"]Tony Jones @ The Athletic[/URL]

[url]https://kslsports.com/455138/jazz-introduce-ilyasova-enjoy-needed-all-star-break/[/url]

[QUOTE]Ilyasova was signed for the remainder of the season on Wednesday and is expected to add extra depth to the frontcourt behind starter Bojan Bogdanovic and backup forward Georges Niang.


[/QUOTE]

Who watches the Jazz and thinks Bojan is the pF and not Royce?

[url]https://kslsports.com/455121/jazz-increasing-capacity-of-fans-at-vivint-arena-to-5600/[/url]

[url]https://kslsports.com/455102/mitchell-conley-named-finalist-for-usa-olympic-team/[/url]

[QUOTE]Former Weber State guard Damian Lillard is a finalist for the 12-man roster, as is former University of Utah forward Kyle Kuzma.


[/QUOTE]

as is almost everyone that wants to be

[QUOTE]Bojan Bogdanovic’s Croatian team can still qualify for the Olympics during a tournament being held in his home country beginning June 29. The forward could still be playing with the Jazz if the team makes a deep run into the NBA playoffs.


[/QUOTE]

Turkey?

[url]https://www.deseret.com/sports/2021/3/11/22326100/utah-jazz-ersan-ilyasova-newest-player-nba-team-chemistry-quin-snyder[/url]

[QUOTE]With the Jazz needing to fill the empty roster spot by March 10 to have the league minimum 14-players, Ilyasova was a no-brainer. He has plenty of playoff experience, he’s a versatile defender who can switch and shoot the ball and the fact that Zanik was once Ilyasova’s agent didn’t hurt.


[/QUOTE]

and most obvious is he's an actual PF! Again the question is why it's taken almost two years to get to this point? And actually 6 to build around your best player

[QUOTE]Snyder knows that Ilyasova will be kind of chomping at the bit to make a place for himself in the rotation and there’s certainly going to be an opportunity for that down the line, but there won’t be any rush.


[/QUOTE]

certainly? Shaq didn't. Maybe if he went to Duke it would be a certainty

[QUOTE]There’s certainly some competition at his position with Georges Niang already having worked for a long time to earn his minutes, but there will be times when situationally it might make more sense to have someone more experienced on the floor. And, with the tightened schedule through the second half of the season, depth is not something to be disregarded.


[/QUOTE]


Might be times when they need to play bigger and keep Bojan from getting attacked or killing the spacing with Favors. We know Morgan is a last resort.

[url]https://www.deseret.com/sports/2021/3/11/22323179/nba-midseason-awards-how-many-do-the-utah-jazz-deserve-rudy-gobert-jordan-clarkson-quin-snyder[/url]

[QUOTE]The Athletic also voted on Executive of the Year, and Utah’s [URL="https://www.deseret.com/2019/4/26/20671915/dennis-lindsey-indicates-changes-to-jazz-may-be-coming-ricky-rubio-s-status-appears-up-in-the-air#utah-jazz-general-manager-dennis-lindsey-talks-to-the-media-at-zions-bank-basketball-center-in-salt-lake-city-on-thursday-april-25-2019-utahs-season-ended-with-wednesdays-loss-to-houston-in-the-nba-playoffs"]Dennis Lindsey[/URL] received one vote. The Brooklyn Nets’ Sean Marks was the runaway winner, garnering 15 of 28 votes. The Suns’ James Jones, Lakers’ Rob Pelinka, 76ers’ Daryl Morey, Bucks’ Jon Horst and Oklahoma City Thunder’s Sam Presti all received at least one vote.


[/QUOTE]

why the Wizard and not Zanik? I'd think Zanik has a lot to do with the current team. The Wizard thought Exum and Ricky and Favors starting were good ideas

[url]https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/3/11/22319644/utah-jazz-quarterly-update-quarter-two[/url]

[QUOTE]The [URL="https://www.slcdunk.com/"]Utah Jazz[/URL] are 9.4 points per 100 possessions better when Rudy Gobert than when he sits. Gobert leads the team in win shares, while only being third on the team in minutes. In short, Gobert remains the most important player on the Jazz.


[/QUOTE]

someone gets it

[QUOTE]Clarkson still wins this, but it’s closer than many may realize. On just about any other team, Joe Ingles would be the best bench player by a mile. The Jazz having two elite bench players is a luxury, and has been a huge reason for this team’s improvement from last season.


[/QUOTE]

what about the 30 million dollar man? :lol

[QUOTE]Last quarterly update, I decided not to give this award to Mike Conley because his improvement was more of a return to form than a straight upgrade. At this point, however, it would just be silly to not give Conley the award.

[/QUOTE]

Niang? Most of the team is improved

[QUOTE]Of course, [URL="https://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/111859/quin-snyder"]Quin Snyder[/URL] wins this by default, but he also wins it by merit. The Utah Jazz roster didn’t change a whole lot from last year to this year, but the team’s performance took a massive leap. Some of that credit belongs to players simply playing better, but I think most of it needs to go to the mastermind behind the on-court performance. Coach Snyder is beloved by his players, and respected throughout the league.

[/QUOTE]

most of it goes to the layers who are mostly better than last year especially defensively

[QUOTE]Mitchell has been up and down. He’s always had hot and cold streaks, so this is not surprising, but it would be nice to see him grow into a more consistent player. Mitchell is a star player. He has been very good this year. But he hasn’t been as good as many of us had hoped. Overall, he gets a positive grade, but it would be great to see that rise up to an A.


[/QUOTE]

be great if he played D and showed up in the first 3 quarters

[QUOTE]Bogdanovic has had a rough season. The good news is that it has been trending up overall. The bad news is that it has been a slow rise. He is such a great shooter, that even with his struggles, he’s shooting over 40% from three. But everything else on the court has been difficult. We’ve seen multiple teams attack him as the weak point in the defense. Hopefully the All-Star break has been good for his injury recovery and he can continue his upward trend.


[/QUOTE]

again the problem is even at his best he might be a net negative

[QUOTE]Derrick Favors is a consistently solid backup center. He’s not going to blow you away with his stats, but he’ll do his job. So far he’s done his job adequately, though I would like to see him get back to the level he’s been at defensively over the last couple of years.


[/QUOTE]

could have had Bradley for adequate at a lot less money

[QUOTE]In fact, we could probably say the same for Royce O’Neale. Career highs in almost every statistical category just a few months after fans were calling for his head.
And, while we’re at it, we could say the same for Clarkson and Niang—both are having career years. Perhaps that is a testament to the Jazz’s system and organization. Almost every player on the team is having a career year.
And you know I love Gobert. He is easily the MVP of the team.

Posted by [URL="https://www.sbnation.com/users/Kira%20Argonova"]Kira Argonova[/URL] on [URL="https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/3/11/22319644/utah-jazz-quarterly-update-quarter-two#537417107"]Mar 11, 2021 | 9:41 AM[/URL]
[/QUOTE]

What idiot was calling for O'Neales head?

[QUOTE]Probably has as much / more to do with the FO of DL and JZ than Quin (although they all work together). AND 100% agreed: Both Donovan and Rudy have [I]way out-performed their draft stock![/I]

[I]Posted by [URL="https://www.sbnation.com/users/l3uddyh011y"]l3uddyh011y[/URL] on [URL="https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/3/11/22319644/utah-jazz-quarterly-update-quarter-two#537420357"]Mar 11, 2021 | 10:44 AM[/URL][/I]
[/QUOTE]

Too bad about Dante and Ricky and...

[QUOTE]
[h=4]Rubio really only had one flaw, but it was a pretty big flaw.[/h]
If he could have been just an average 3-point shooter, he would have been amazing for our system.

Posted by [URL="https://www.sbnation.com/users/Kira%20Argonova"]Kira Argonova[/URL] on [URL="https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/3/11/22319644/utah-jazz-quarterly-update-quarter-two#537420836"]Mar 11, 2021 | 10:52 AM[/URL]

[/QUOTE]

He's mostly flawed. He plays with a lot of energy and is unselfish. About the best that can be said of that mess

[QUOTE]less focus on a passing PG (which is his main skill), more emphasis on shooting (which is his main weakness). But his TS% was among the best of his career, and his TOV% was the lowest, so he was more efficient in a smaller role.

Posted by [URL="https://www.sbnation.com/users/Kira%20Argonova"]Kira Argonova[/URL] on [URL="https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/3/11/22319644/utah-jazz-quarterly-update-quarter-two#537430925"]Mar 11, 2021 | 2:08 PM[/URL]
[/QUOTE]

again he made 0 sense for the Jazz 0!

[url]https://www.nba.com/jazz/news/ersan-ilyasovas-offseason-patience-pays[/url]

sounds like he's been working