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

[QUOTE] Ben Anderson: Per the @Utah Jazz. [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Udoka Azubuike was examined by Utah Jazz and University of Utah medical personnel last night in Salt Lake City. Initial imaging determined that Azubuike suffered a subluxation in his right ankle.[/URL] X-rays revealed no fractures.

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

[/QUOTE]

sounds bad

[url]https://www.ksl.com/article/50292894/jazz-look-like-themselves-again-in-rout-of-pelicans[/url]

[QUOTE]Jordan Clarkson described it with a pass he received in the corner. When he caught it, he initially thought to himself, "Yeah, I'm gonna put this up." But in the corner of his eye he saw that Rudy Gay had a an even better look, so he swung the ball, which led to one of Gay's four 3-pointers on the night.

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so rare it might not be seen again

[QUOTE]The Jazz were 20 of 35 from 3-point range. New Orleans? The Pelicans missed its first 20 3-point attempts and finished 8 of 35; that's a 36-point advantage on 3-point looks. You're gonna win a lot of games with those types of numbers.

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they're almost as bad as Clarkson from 3

[url]https://www.deseret.com/2021/11/27/22796820/instant-analysis-jazz-blow-out-pelicans-in-revenge-game[/url]

[QUOTE]Donovan Mitchell had been going through a bit of an offensive slump recently, but he broke out of it on Saturday. He had eight points, three rebounds, five assists in the first quarter alone, quickly putting himself in possible triple-double territory (which would be the first regular season one for the Jazz since Carlos Boozer’s 2008 triple-double). Mitchell probably would have been able to get to the triple-double if not for the fact that the Jazz were leading by 40 points with about eight minutes left in the game. The starters had no reason to be on the court and got some well-deserved rest while the end-of-bench players got some run. Mitchell finished with a game-high 21 points to go with seven rebounds and seven assists.

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3 rebounds for a guard and 3 assists are a lot. Quit talking triple doubles. Another overrated stat

[QUOTE]That player the Jazz were without was Royce O’Neale, who is nursing a minor ankle sprain. You might be thinking, “Sarah, why is this in the ‘high notes’ section?” Well, O’Neale’s injury is not serious and there’s not really any fear about him being out for a prolonged amount of time and the Jazz being forced to play without their best perimeter defender was a nice challenge considering how poor the defense was on Friday. The Jazz rose to that challenge. Playing well without someone as important as O’Neale can be a real confidence booster for a team like the Jazz, who needed reminding that they are a lethal team and have the talent across their roster to shut teams out.

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the ankle has been lingering most of the year so it is worrisome

Casey Holdahl: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Norman Powell (right quad contusion) is out for Monday’s game[/URL] at Utah.
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/CHold"]Twitter CHold[/URL]

Andy Larsen: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Royce O’Neale is questionable for tomorrow’s game[/URL] vs. Portland.
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/andyblarsen"]Twitter andyblarsen[/URL]

[url]https://kslsports.com/473729/jazz-host-road-weary-trail-blazers/[/url]

[QUOTE]The Trail Blazers have the fourth-best [URL="https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/advanced/?sort=NET_RATING&dir=-1&Season=2021-22&SeasonType=Regular%20Season&Location=Road"]offensive rating[/URL] in the NBA this season, but that ranking drops to 17th while on the road, and their 117.5 defensive rating away from home is the worst in the NBA.

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need to take care of business tonite

[url]https://www.deseret.com/2021/11/28/22801544/could-donovan-mitchell-be-the-player-to-break-the-jazzs-triple-double-drought[/url]

[QUOTE] [h=1]Could Donovan Mitchell be the player to break the Jazz’s triple-double drought?[/h]
[/QUOTE]

probably. Empty stats

[QUOTE]Last season he said if he had to guess who would be the one to break the triple-double drought for the Jazz, he would put his money on Joe Ingles or Mike Conley.

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they don't rebound especially Ingles

[QUOTE]Clarkson said it wouldn’t surprise him if Rudy Gobert ends up being the one to break the spell with a 10-plus block game. The Jazz have a lot of guys who could get a triple-double in different ways, but Mitchell proved that they can play the right way, play the way they want to, and it could be Mitchell who gets the elusive triple-double.

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10 blocks likely won't happen. He doesn't get enough chances. Players avoid him

[url]https://saltcityhoops.com/sc7112921-expected-ws-alarming-ls/[/url]

[QUOTE]Saturday also serves as a reminder that THAT version of the Jazz is still available. They didn’t swing any trades, reconstruct their rotation or overhaul their coaching staff before leading the Pels by as many as 40 points. They just… figured their stuff out. Last year’s Bucks had similar questions asked about them after a 16-13 start, and then they accessed the version of themselves that made them elite in order to rip a 30-13 close and win a title. There’s nothing disqualifying about a shaky early stretch. As they have done in each of Snyder’s seasons as coach, it’s likely the Jazz will peel off their own sustained stretch of excellence at some point: 20-1 last season, 19-2 the year before, 17-4 before that. But for a team that has Saturday’s level of dominance available to them on a given night, the Jazz need to figure out how nights like Monday and Friday happen.[/QUOTE]

the schedule started easy this year unlike most years though. They've sucked


[QUOTE]For his part, Snyder seemed more concerned about a specific aspect of their execution: trusting in the offense and sharing the ball. “We’ve established an identity on this team, and then we don’t look that team,” the veteran coach said. Later, he’s clarify: “Once (the ball) sticks, the defense loads up and everything’s harder.”

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Clarkson and Mitchell. Same old story

[QUOTE]There’s some solid evidence that Mitchell wasn’t the player in Snyder’s sights with all of that talk about playing with a pass, starting with the fact that the star guard was in the middle of a stretch of five straight games with 5+ assists. Over that span, he has averaged 6.2 per game, and has assisted 29.8% of his teammates’ buckets while he’s been on the floor. That’s even higher than Conley’s assist percentage over the same stretch, and his assists-to-used-possessions ratio (21.1%) is also right in Conley’s same territory (23.1%). Assists aren’t a perfect way to exonerate someone’s decision-making entirely, and sure, you could find individual [URL="https://twitter.com/danclayt0n/status/1463028313589370881?s=20"]possessions[/URL] where he could have made a pass instead of taking a difficult shot, but overall he has been distributing quite well. So who else could the coach have been thinking about during his missive on trusting teammates?

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Conley usually doesn't have the ball unfortunately

[url]https://thejnotes.com/2021/11/28/utah-jazz-route-pelicans/[/url]

[QUOTE]Joe Ingles filled in the starting lineup for the [URL="https://nesn.com/bets/2021/11/royce-oneale-ruled-out-vs-pelicans/"]injured Royce O’Neale[/URL], and he did not disappoint. He finished with 15 points on 4/5 shooting from the field (all of which were three-point attempts) and chipped in 5 assists. The Jazz may [URL="https://thejnotes.com/2021/11/16/utah-jazz-one-player-growth/"]miss O’Neale on the defensive end,[/URL] but it’s fair to say that the starting lineup was more effective offensively with Ingles in it. While the change was made out of necessity, it might be worth monitoring if the Jazz play a higher quality opponent with O’Neale on the sidelines.

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Ingles belongs on the bench as does Bojan not O'Neale

[url]https://www.deseret.com/2021/11/29/22806330/instant-analysis-utah-jazz-take-care-of-trail-blazers-ahead-of-three-day-break-donovan-mitchell[/url]

[QUOTE]It seems like Miye Oni might be the forgotten player now that the roster has upgraded around him. He’s not gotten anything more than garbage time minutes this season and it’s hard to imagine him getting more than that with the way the roster is constructed and with the insurance the Jazz have with Eric Paschall, Elijah Hughes and Jared Butler who are all on guaranteed money.

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is Hughes any kind of insurance though? He had one good gleague game in two years. I'd guess Oni is gone before his contract becomes guaranteed just to save some tax money and have more flexibility. Forrest might have to go from two way to regular contract for starters.

[QUOTE]There were some stretches during the game when the Jazz had to be without Conley and Ingles on the floor and it forced Clarkson to be the man guarding Lillard or McCollum and that’s just not great for Clarkson or the Jazz. No matter how much help Ingles can give the Jazz at times, they really need O’Neale.

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what they need is a coach that doesn't put Clarkson on those guys.

[url]https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/11/29/22809336/utah-jazz-show-dominance-in-complete-win-over-the-portland-trail-blazers-donovan-mitchell[/url]

[QUOTE]Speaking of Donovan Mitchell. Tonight was a vintage night for Spida. With a line of 30 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds while shooting 60% from the field and 37% from three, Mitchell looked like the all-NBA player he’s aspiring to be. This season Mitchell has been working hard to improve his playmaking and, while his assists are up this season, his shooting hasn’t been there consistently. Tonight was another story. When Mitchell is finding open shooters while also scoring the ball, it makes him one of the elite players in the league. If the Jazz can get more of this from Mitchell where he’s slicing up defenses and knocking down shots, the Jazz are on the verge of getting some big win streaks.

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hopefully he becomes one of the elite players on the team first

[QUOTE]Finally, credit needs to be given to Jordan Clarkson who had a fantastic shooting night. Clarkson shot 7/15 from the field but 6/10 from three. That three ball is the thing that vaulted him to 6MOY last season and if that shot starts falling consistently, it’ll not only put Clarkson in the running again for 6MOY, but also help the Jazz win a lot of games. It appeared that a lot more of Clarkson’s threes tonight were catch and shoot, rather than pull up threes. Could that be the difference? Clarkson can obviously do the pull up three but maybe he should wait for those catch and shoot threes and then instead of a pull up, just drive to the lane where he has incredible touch.

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He sucked form 3 last year. He got it because he scored a lot of points on the best team.

[url]https://www.ksl.com/article/50294575/things-are-different-for-joe-ingles-when-he-starts--but-not-for-the-reason-you-may-think[/url]

[QUOTE]O'Neale isn't about to lose his starting spot; the Jazz value what he brings defensively too much to change it up. The same goes for Mike Conley or Donovan Mitchell, so is Ingles stuck in a weird state where he'll only be at his most effective when someone is injured? Well, not necessarily.

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Bojan is the one to go to the bench but Ingles needs to play less not more

[QUOTE]The good news for Ingles and the Jazz is his success in the starting lineup is less about beginning the game on the court and more about playing alongside Rudy Gobert.

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for Ingles and everyone

[url]https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/11/30/22810412/rudy-gay-is-exactly-what-the-utah-jazz-needed[/url]

[QUOTE]Rudy Gay came into this league as a scorer, and in his 16th season, that’s still his primary role. His scoring takes a different role now though. Early in his career, he lived in the midrange. He created a lot of his shots for himself. He was a primary creator and scorer. As the years have gone by, he has had to do what many aging stars have done. He’s had to evolve into a valuable role player. So far this season, Gay has a career-low Usage percentage of 19.9%. He’s also averaging his most three-point attempts per game since his second season in the league. He’s taking fewer possessions as a creator, and more as a finisher.

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star? He was close to that level but never really a star

[QUOTE]Gay’s impact on offense is noticeable. The Utah Jazz over the last few seasons have loved to employ shooters at the power forward position. This helps provide the necessary spacing for Quin Snyder’s offense. Gay has fully accepted that role. He is shooting 11.9 three-point attempts per 100 possessions, third-most among rotation players on the team behind only Jordan Clarkson and Donovan Mitchell.

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with Clarkson being their worst shooter. Makes a lot of sense! :facepalm

[QUOTE]When the Jazz signed Rudy Gay, a lot of the talk around the move was about his versatility, and how the Jazz can utilize him in different ways. So far, he hasn’t had to venture far from the role of bench scorer. That will likely be how he spends most of his time. He’s slotted right into the role left by Georges Niang, and he’s played it perfectly so far. Quin Snyder has found over the last few years that he can punish opposing benches by staggering his starting lineup with his second unit. He has built his rotation so that there are a significant number of minutes each game in which Mike Conley and Rudy Gobert join Jordan Clarkson, Joe Ingles, and another bench player. This lineup has dominated the opposition’s second units. Rudy Gay has slid seamlessly into this lineup and elevated it. The Conley, Clarkson, Ingles, Gay, Gobert lineup is +24.5 points per 100 possessions so far, by far the best lineup that Utah has regularly used this season.

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just imagine what they could do without Clarkson

[QUOTE]Even players recognized as superstars like Hakeem Olajuwon and Kevin Garnet were better than they are remembered. Their superstardom comes from their offense, with their incredible defense being an afterthought. If Hakeem were not good at offense, he would be forgotten just like Mark Eaton even though he was an all-time great defender (like Eaton). [/QUOTE]

Eaton sucked

[url]https://thejnotes.com/2021/12/01/two-ways-utah-jazz-catch-wests-best/[/url]

[QUOTE]While it may be that a backcourt of Mike Conley and Donovan Mitchell is ill-equipped to accumulate pilfers (although Mitchell is doing his part, with 1.9 per game), any frontcourt combination of Bojan Bogdanovic, Royce O’Neale and Joe Ingles has the prerequisite length to gamble in passing lanes. Furthermore, Gobert’s presence offers a remarkably attractive insurance policy against any failed attempts.

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that's not long sorry. Mitchell would be long at the 1. He's not a 1

[url]https://thejnotes.com/2021/11/30/joe-ingles-starting-utah-jazz/[/url]

[QUOTE]No lineups featuring Royce O’Neale have come close to replicating that success. When he shares the floor with Hassan Whiteside, Bojan Bogdanovic, Jordan Clarkson and Donovan Mitchell, the team enjoys a +12.7 differential (70th percentile). That’s solid, but it’s also the best Utah Jazz lineup featuring O’Neale. It’s not nearly as good as the two top Ingles lineups (which are also the two top Jazz lineups) and furthermore, it comes with several members of the second unit.

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Shitty lineup

[QUOTE]Of course, looking at the performances of lineups featuring both Jazzmen doesn’t settle the manner entirely. Using the same data to make the same argument, Jordan Clarkson should be starting, and functionally, his offense [URL="https://www.si.com/nba/2021/05/25/jordan-clarkson-jazz-sixth-man-of-the-year"]is imperative to the second unit[/URL]. We need a more direct comparison of Ingles and O’Neale.

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Clarkson should be traded. That would help everyone out

[QUOTE]All told, the decision may be inconsequential. Both Joe Ingles and Royce O’Neale figure to be key contributors to the Utah Jazz moving forward. However, the numbers may suggest that Ingles should be the one making his contributions with the starting group.

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O'Neale can play big minutes. Ingles shouldn't Bojan needs to be benched. They need a starting 4

Eric Walden: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Royce O’Neale was a full participant in Utah Jazz practice today. Trent Forrest (non-COVID illness) did not participate[/URL].
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/tribjazz"]Twitter tribjazz[/URL]

[url]https://www.deseret.com/2021/12/2/22801494/udoka-azubuike-suffered-a-subluxation-of-the-ankle-what-does-that-mean-utah-jazz[/url]

[QUOTE]“If you had a previous injury, that may indicate that the ligaments have healed stretched out, that there’s some instability of the ligaments,” Jung said. “If the ligaments are more lax or flexible it allows the bones to essentially move out of position when he rolls his ankle.”


That could become a chronic problem according to Jung. But, since surgery isn’t an option being pursued as of yet, that could mean that there isn’t significant stretching or instability with Azubuike’s ligaments.


No matter the case, Azubuike is looking at another season mostly spent rehabbing an ankle injury. That rehab and a timeframe could end up being similar to last season’s.


“Obviously there’s enough stretching of the ligaments that it’s more than just your run-of-the-mill sprain,” Jung said. “So you would expect the timeframe of at least a very bad ankle sprain. But it also depends on what ligaments are injured and then how quick he’s able to get stability back in the joints, as well as strength and range of motion.”

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looking like another Dante Exum. Hopefully Zanik will know when to cut the leash umlike Lindsey continuing to double down on the horrible Exum pick

[url]https://saltcityhoops.com/november-rewind-the-big-questions-and-moments-from-a-9-6-month/[/url]

[QUOTE]Voter fatigue could be a significant obstacle, but Gobert is still the Vegas favorite. Anthony Davis is the next closest by some Vegas oddsmakers’ estimations, but the Lakers are scuffling and Davis has not looked as dominant on the defensive end. But awards are narrative driven, and if the Lakers turn it around, no team absorbs more spotlight, and Davis could win major storyline points. Draymond Green appears to be Rudy’s biggest competition at this point. The Warriors share the league’s best record and best defense. Draymond has been phenomenal. While Rudy is once again dominating in all sorts of categories, the Jazz may need to match the Warriors’ league-wide rankings to hold the crown. Especially when you factor in the storylines surroundings the Golden State’s resurgence and voter fatigue.

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I'd be surprised if he gets it even if he's better than ever. Might not get All NBA with Minnesota not sucking either despite being better offesnively too

[QUOTE]Next is Donovan Mitchell. He’s another All-Star lock. If his 3-point shooting was up to normal we’d be talking about him a lot more. From a numbers standpoint, he’s not too far from last season, where he was a legit All-NBA candidate until his injury. He’s doing some things better this year, including rim finishing and perimeter defense (his steal rate is at an all-time high). He’s shown flashes of better decision making, despite some lapses where he tries to match hot-shooting opponents shot-for-shot. His 3-point shooting should normalize, and Don will hit a hot streak that launches him back into the All-NBA conversations, and maybe beyond. It’s also worth noting that Mitchell is playing about a minute less per game. His scoring stacks up much more favorably against the league’s elite when you use per 36 minutes or per 100 possessions comparisons.

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nice to be an all star lock and not even have to show up until January

[QUOTE]And lastly, Snyder is always a deserving candidate for Coach of the Year, but this award often goes to the most surprising team, and it will be hard for the Jazz to surprise anyone this season after finishing with the best record.

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COTY!!! :roll:

[QUOTE]This may just be a roster issue. Mitchell and Conley are smaller players; Clarkson has never been a defensive player; and Ingles has looked slow. Look, every team has weaknesses, and the Jazz may be good enough everywhere else to overcome this. With a healthy Mitchell and Conley, they probably are. But if it continues to be a big enough weakness, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Jazz shop one of their backup guards for a perimeter stopper.

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Clarkson needs to go. Need a starting 4. Move O'Neale to the wing and Bojan to the bench

[QUOTE]We’re a few weeks away from many players becoming eligible for trade. It’s clear that the Jazz have a perimeter defense problem, but is it bad enough that the roster needs a shakeup? Now is the time to evaluate as we get close to trade season.

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roster shakeup and new head coach

[QUOTE]Jazz fans are right to be excited about Gay. There’s was tempered enthusiasm before his debut given his 35 years of age and the team’s weakness at the point of attack, but Gay has been nothing but exceptional in his first seven games. He’s averaging 11 points, 5 rebounds, knocking down two and half 3s per game at a 53% clip. He provides length and just plays the right way. It’s hard to ask for much more. But actually — I’m curious how much more the Jazz will ask for him come playoff time. He’s playing 19 minutes per game now, which feels like a good amount for a player with his mileage. But could he be a closer, playing 30+ minutes in the playoffs? If he keeps up this play, the Jazz may need that from him.

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would be great if he could give you 30 minutes but hasn't done that in 5 years. Low 20's seem more likely

[url]https://thejnotes.com/2021/12/03/donovan-mitchell-run-offense-utah-jazz/[/url]

[QUOTE][h=1]Should Donovan Mitchell run this Utah Jazz offense?[/h][/QUOTE]

ideally their offense would be built around Mitchell and Gobert pick and roll but he's not ready. Conley and Ingles should have the ball not Mitchell and Clarkson. Unfortunately that won't change unless the coach and roster do

[QUOTE]The concept of a “point guard” has changed radically over the past few years. Gone are [URL="https://thejnotes.com/2021/08/13/utah-jazz-time-teams/"]the days of John Stockton[/URL] when a floor general’s first, second and third responsibility was to set up their teammates. In today’s NBA, point guards score, and few players in the league do that as well as Donovan Mitchell.

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Conley can score and make his teammates better

[QUOTE]In other words, Mitchell is a more efficient offensive player when [URL="https://thejnotes.com/2021/12/02/ranking-utah-jazz-lineups/"]he’s not deferring to the long-time floor general.[/URL] Conventional wisdom may dictate that Mitchell is a shooting guard, but in the modern context, we can do away with those labels. Donovan Mitchell is a lead guard, and at this stage in his career, Mike Conley may not be.

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The offense is better with Conley no doubt

[url]https://www.nba.com/jazz/news/five-things-know-early-season[/url]

[QUOTE]Utah can play up to 10 players, all of whom are current starters or started at some point in the last 2-3 seasons. That sort of depth is unparalleled when you can combine Paschall, Whiteside, and Gay with reigning sixth many of the year Jordan Clarkson and runner-up Joe Ingles — that five alone could start in the league.

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too bad Clarkson sucks, Ingles looks out of shape and Whiteside is Whiteside

[url]https://thejnotes.com/2021/12/02/ranking-utah-jazz-lineups/[/url]

[QUOTE]If Utah Jazz Head Coach Quin Snyder deserves credit for one thing (side note: he deserves credit for a lot of things) it might be his ability to recognize what works, and stick with it.

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too bad he doesn't try something else when it's not working or trying to to find something that works better

[QUOTE]The Jazz have leaned increasingly on four-out lineups featuring a conventional rim protector in the middle during his tenure, with considerable success. This year, many observers thought Snyder might deviate from his formula, particularly with the team’s [URL="https://thejnotes.com/2021/11/20/utah-jazz-secret-weapon-rudy-gay/"]offseason acquisition of potential small ball center[/URL] Rudy Gay. So far he’s stuck to his preferred script. Spoiler alert: all 5 of the most used Utah Jazz lineups in 2021-22 so far feature either Rudy Gobert or Hassan Whiteside at the center position.

[/QUOTE]

many observers haven't been paying attention

[QUOTE]Wherever you land on that debate, it seems evident one of them will have to come off the bench, as 3-wing lineups are not working for the Jazzmen. As per CleaningtheGlass, this grouping has a -4.7 differential, good for the 23rd percentile in the NBA.

[/QUOTE]

Bojan is the guy to bench. Need a starting 4 not Ingles

[QUOTE]For whatever reason, this group particularly struggles on the defensive end. The 118.4 points they allow per 100 possessions rank in the league’s 7th percentile (per CleaningtheGlass). Snyder should probably look to this group as seldom as possible, perhaps exclusively in the interest of fatigue management.

[/QUOTE]

no Gobert:facepalm

[QUOTE] Jared Butler on seeing limited playing time with Donovan Mitchell, Mike Conley Jr. and Rudy Gobert: [URL="https://www.ballysports.com/watch/vod/utah-s-jared-butler-is-coping-and-thriving-with-heart-condition"]“Well, it definitely took a pride shot and coming to grounds with my situation because you know, coming to a veteran team — it’s just like if I’m a freshman coming into Baylor last year and expecting to play me over Davion Mitchell or [MaCio] Teague…[/URL] it’s just unlikely for anybody in their right mind would think that. So for me, it’s just been trying to understand my situation but at the same time still believe in myself because I know what I’m capable of and I know if I was on another team with a different situation, I KNOW I would be getting more playing time. So that’s just been my focus and just trying to stay ready and continue to get better because I know my time is coming and basketball is a long season so, that’s just been my focus.”

– via [URL="https://www.ballysports.com/watch/vod/utah-s-jared-butler-is-coping-and-thriving-with-heart-condition"]Bally Sports[/URL]


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you're not playing over Clarkson either and he sucks. That is the reality

[url]https://kslsports.com/473994/473994/[/url]

[QUOTE][I]SALT LAKE CITY – [/I]The Utah Jazz downed the Boston Celtics [URL="https://statsdmz.nba.com/pdfs/20211203/20211203_BOSUTA_book.pdf"]137-130[/URL] in arguably their best win of the season.

[/QUOTE]

130 points and their best win of the year! :roll:

[QUOTE]Ironically, what Gay has done best with the Jazz is a lot of what Georges Niang did last year, he just brings more experience, a bigger frame, and a little more confidence looking for his shot.

[/QUOTE]

Niang didn't lack confience :facepalm

Chema de Lucas: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Ex NBA Dante Exum, close to signing a three-month deal with Barça.[/URL] Expected to be in Spain next week.
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/chemadelucas"]Twitter chemadelucas[/URL]

Chema de Lucas: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Ex NBA Dante Exum, close to signing a three-month deal with Barça.[/URL] Expected to be in Spain next week.
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/chemadelucas"]Twitter chemadelucas[/URL]

[url]https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/12/5/22818601/utah-jazz-cleveland-cavs-preview-rudy-gobert-evan-mobley-ricky-rubio[/url]

[QUOTE]Today’s game will showcase a matchup of one of the best centers in the league in the last couple years in Rudy Gobert, and the future of the center position in Evan Mobley. Mobley has been terrorizing both opposing offenses and defenses all year long. Before going down with an injury a few weeks ago Mobley was right in the thick of the ROY conversation. The Cavs struggled in his absence, at one point losing 5 games in a row. Since his return last week, the Cavs have ripped off four straight. He changes so much about what the Cavs do, especially defensively. He’s insanely gifted with skills that a big man simply should not have.

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couple of years? :facepalm

[QUOTE] Eric Walden: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Bickerstaff said the biggest benefit of having Ricky Rubio is that his willingness to accept a bench role “allows me to hold everyone accountable. … He’s a starting PG in the NBA — on a good team. If he’s willing to do that, there’s no reason for anyone not to sacrifice.”[/URL]

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

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He's not a starter. He's a energy guy off them bench ideally. Just like Hood is a 6th man not a starter. Starting because Gobert can carry the team regardless isn't a starter on a good team

Eric Walden: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Hassan Whiteside is OUT today vs. Cleveland (left glute contusion)[/URL]
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/tribjazz"]Twitter tribjazz[/URL]

Ryan Miller: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Quin Snyder on having to play smaller with Whiteside out: “It is something that we’ve anticipated throughout the season and something we’ve wanted to do as well. … It’s ironic that this is the game where it happens — we’re playing against three 7 footers.”[/URL]
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/millerjryan"]Twitter millerjryan[/URL]

Team should probably thank Gobert for covering some very lackluster defensive efforts against the Cavs.

[QUOTE=El Kabong;14488200]Team should probably thank Gobert for covering some very lackluster defensive efforts against the Cavs.[/QUOTE]

the media seems to have noticed for a change anyway

[url]https://kslsports.com/474253/utah-jazz-forward-rudy-gay-reaches-17000-career-points/[/url]

:applause:

[url]https://kslsports.com/474236/donovan-mitchell-becomes-fourth-fastest-active-player-to-score-7000-points/[/url]

[QUOTE]The fifth-year guard is the third-fastest Jazzman to reach the mark. Only Adrian Dantley and Pete Maravich scored 7,000 points in fewer games.

[/QUOTE]

greatest player in franchise history! :lol

[url]https://thejnotes.com/2021/12/06/two-studs-one-dud-utah-jazz-win-cavs/4/[/url]

[QUOTE]All told, Clarkson is now shooting 37% from the field and 29.4% from downtown on 8.9 attempts per game. That’s gruesome. We’ll maintain a semblance of hope that he can turn it around, but 23 games into the 2021-22 season, it’s getting increasingly hard to call this a slump.

[/QUOTE]

throw in the last 4 months of last year when he sucked too :cry:

[url]https://www.ksl.com/article/50303259/that-was-ricky-right-there-rubio-doing-same-thing-in-cleveland-he-did-for-jazz[/url]

[QUOTE]Mitchell knows a thing or two about how helpful that can be. It's been four years now since Mitchell was the young guard with loads of talent and was handed the keys to the Jazz's offense. There were a lot of reasons why Mitchell succeeded: Mitchell had talent, Quin Snyder and the Jazz system; but one of the biggest reasons was the presence of Rubio.

[/QUOTE]

and yet they sucked without Gobert

[QUOTE]Mitchell, Devin Booker, Anthony Edwards and now Garland have all taken big steps just by being around Rubio.

[/QUOTE]
lottery picks getting better. Thanks Rick! :facepalm

[QUOTE]It's a pretty similar situation in Cleveland. The upstart Cavs have surprised just about everyone with how they've begun the season. Cleveland was expected to be a surefire lottery team, but at 13-11 they are smack in the middle of the playoff battle.

[/QUOTE]

not similar. Jazz still had their best player and had been a playoff team

[url]https://saltcityhoops.com/sc7-stars-being-stars-smallball/[/url]

[QUOTE]Both Gobert and Mitchell rank in the top 10 for Dunksandthrees.com’s [URL="https://dunksandthrees.com/epm"]Estimated Plus-Minus metric[/URL]. Mike Conley ranks 13th, the product of his lights-out shooting, disciplined facilitation, and overall veteran savvy. It’s a huge luxury to have a player of Conley’s caliber as their third best player.

[/QUOTE]

debatable who's their 2nd best

[QUOTE] [URL="https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/basketball/first-team/news/2399021/dante-exum-reforc-per-al-perimetre"]Barça and the player Dante Exum have reached agreement for the Australian guard to join on a short-term contract until February 28[/URL].

– via [URL="https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/basketball/first-team/news/2399021/dante-exum-reforc-per-al-perimetre"]FC Barcelona[/URL]


[/QUOTE]

good idea. See if he can stay healthy for a couple months first

[QUOTE] [URL="https://theathletic.com/3003299/2021/12/07/pacers-potentially-move-to-rebuild-receptive-to-trade-talks-on-caris-levert-domantas-sabonis-myles-turner-sources/"]Multiple sources said that the Pacers are receptive in trade dialogue with rival teams centered on potentially moving guard Caris LeVert and either two-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis or center Myles Turner.[/URL] All three players have frequently garnered significant interest from rival teams. Pacers officials have received frequent calls on both of their big men over the past several seasons, but new head coach Rick Carlisle wanted an opportunity to spend time with Sabonis and Turner and grow with the roster.

– via [URL="https://theathletic.com/3003299/2021/12/07/pacers-potentially-move-to-rebuild-receptive-to-trade-talks-on-caris-levert-domantas-sabonis-myles-turner-sources/"]Shams Charania, Bob Kravitz, Shams Charania and Bob Kravitz @ The Athletic[/URL]

[/QUOTE]

Sabonis would be nice. So would Turner for that matter

[url]https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/12/7/22822679/the-utah-jazz-death-lineup-is-looking-as-scary-as-ever[/url]

[QUOTE]In the 2019-20 NBA season, Quin Snyder began experimenting with the [URL="https://www.slcdunk.com"]Utah Jazz[/URL] bench lineups. He decided to stagger minutes between his two starting guards, Mike Conley and Donovan Mitchell. This decision resulted in a lineup featuring two starters in Conley and Joe Ingles against opposing benches. Joined by bench scorer Jordan Clarkson and two young and unproven front-court players, Georges Niang and Tony Bradley, this lineup dominated other second units. That was the beginning of Utah’s death lineup.

[/QUOTE]

until Bradley became the reason for all their problems! :facepalm

[QUOTE]Quin Snyder has used this lineup more and more every year, and for a good reason. The strength of the Utah Jazz is in its depth. Some teams are built around a central superstar. Some have a big three. While the Jazz have three All-Stars, their true strength is having the best top to bottom 9-man rotation in the NBA.

[/QUOTE]

Gobert

[QUOTE]Most teams will play a second unit comprised of four or five bench players. The Utah Jazz primary bench lineup includes two starters, both of which are All-Stars, then adds the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, and his runner-up, and a veteran who used to be a star and is now one of the best floor-spacing power forwards in the league. As an opposing defense, how do you expect to guard a Mike Conley/Rudy Gobert pick & roll with Jordan Clarkson, Joe Ingles, and Rudy Gay spotting up on the three-point line? That unit is currently scoring 126.3 points per 100 possessions, good for the 93rd percentile. That’s hard to stop.

[/QUOTE]

leave Clarkson open for starters

T'Wolves got curb stomped and all Beverly and Edwards can do is talk smack about Gobert being overrated.