2020-21 Regular season- The tax team

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https://hoopshabit.com/2020/12/24/th...rts-extension/

Gobert is now the highest-paid center of all time. That’s a lofty standard only a handful of current players can live up to. He isn’t one of them, which means it’s not going to get the Jazz any closer to a title. All Utah can now hope for is the chance to make the blockbuster move that does.

Don't need it. Need Mitchell to earn his deal and fix the flaws around them especially at the starting 4

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“Basketball is all I know,” Pryor, who averaged 7.5 points last season last season for the Utah Jazz’s G League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars, says over the phone. “I’m a professional basketball player,” But not for the past nine months. It’s not that he’s given up on his NBA dream, or that he’s grown tired of the G League’s long bus rides and poor pay. The issue is that, right now, jobs for players like Pryor don’t exist. “A lot of players are getting squeezed,” one veteran agent says.
– via SLAM



Going overseas would typically be an appealing option, but the virus has made doing so more difficult. Some international teams, agents say, weren’t interested in dealing with the quarantine periods that come with signing Americans, or the added expenses of finding them homes. Meanwhile, some players are hesitant to leave loved ones and others didn’t want to worry about adjusting to a new country amidst a raging pandemic. “Our options are limited,” says Phil Booth, a guard who played last season for the Washington Wizards’ G League team.
– via SLAM



It’s one of the many reasons Pryor says he’s lucky. Another is that his wife has a steady government job—meaning he doesn’t have to look for side gigs, like the teammate who recently began working at Chick-fil-A.
– via SLAM

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Chris Fedor: #Cavs J.B. Bickerstaff said Kevin Love and Dante Exum will have some kind of minutes restriction, but he didn’t detail exactly what it would be. It’s their first game since the preseason and the first of a back-to-back.
– via Twitter ChrisFedor

What's new?

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https://kslsports.com/449582/jazz-vs...es-game-night/

Snyder could turn to the two big lineup featuring both Favors and Gobert if he sees Town’s floor spacing leaving too big of a void in the paint defensively. Favors remains a quicker perimeter defender, while Gobert can stay near the basket.

Favors isn't quicker anywhere. No spacing

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https://www.slcdunk.com/2020/12/26/2...in-home-opener

After a dazzling 120-100 win in Portland to open the season, the Utah Jazz (1-0) are looking to keep the momentum up back at home. The home opener will certainly feel different than it normally would have, given the minimal fan attendance. The Jazz will have to motivate themselves, rather than relying on the energy from the Utah crowd.

Besides Denver they still should have the biggest advantage in the league because of the altitude

Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns are very used to matching up against each other. This will mark the 18th matchup between the two. While both Towns and Gobert are top tier centers in the NBA, they play very different styles of basketball. Watching these two battle on the court is always a treat. Rudy takes matchups with star centers very seriously. After a dominant game one against Jusuf Nurkic and the Trailblazers, Rudy will certainly be looking to outplay another talented big.

the biggest thing to watch for is if Favors plays the 4. It looked awful in pre season

I hope our 1,500 fans cheer loud when Favors checks in

Posted by Calvin Chappell on Dec 26, 2020 | 12:33 PM

as long as it's at the 5

Hope we cheer loud when Rubio checks in

17-18 was fun…

Posted by uncle-ingles on Dec 26, 2020 | 1:40 PM

the Jazz look like they have maybe the balanced and synergistic rotation in the league and they have so much experience together that they look like they’re in mid-season form (though it can of course get even better as they play together more).
That said they do have a lot of firepower on this Wolves squad and KAT camping on the 3pt line causes some trouble for Rudy and our defense. I’m excited!!

Posted by Alex Dye on Dec 26, 2020 | 12:37 PM

still have little versatility other than Favors at the 4. Lot to prove yet

KAT does not belong on this list, no sir. The team/organization around him has held him back from winning, not anything else.

Posted by Alex Dye on Dec 26, 2020 | 3:19 PM

Like the Jazz tried to hold Rudy back and they still won games?

At some point, that’s also on the best player on the team.

Posted by Karl Stalone 32 on Dec 26, 2020 | 4:47 PM

it always is

everything I’ve ever known about this game tells me that if for example Jokic and Towns were on the opposite teams their whole career, Towns would be in the MVP conversation every year and Jokic like, probably would have never even broken out at all in the environment the Wolves have had. Jokic is a better passer obviously, but Towns is no slouch there, and better in pretty much every single other area. And has actual defensive potential still when he doesn’t have 4 sieves on the court with him.
I guess now I was ready for a debate

Posted by Alex Dye on Dec 26, 2020 | 6:16 PM

Nah. Jokic like Rudy makes those around him better. Towns puts up stats

The return of Rubio is always fun

So we can see the Conley Rubio comparison

Posted by SKMike on Dec 26, 2020 | 1:38 PM

What comparison? The best pg in Utah since Hill vs a backup that can't shoot, finish, defend...

I don’t think anyone has forgotten it; it’s the reason we only have shooters outside of our centers

Posted by J-Note on Dec 26, 2020 | 4:45 PM

Don't think it's that simple. Why did they get Rubio in the first place after what we saw with Favors benched? Why did they go back to Favors? They are clueless

He was consistently good at everything else.
And he was hated.
Another player who will be paid $34.5m this season had an even worse first half last season before recovering. He is mediocre at best at everything else, and he is almost universally loved.
Strange.

Posted by Kira Argonova on Dec 26, 2020 | 5:00 PM

Couldn't make an open shot rather from 3 or a lay up, couldn't stay in front of his man, threw some of the wildest passes ever... Not much he was good at. He's in the right role now. Conley is better at everything!

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https://www.ksl.com/article/50073804...s-to-minnesota

But that possession never came. Jordan Clarkson slipped, the Wolves were quick on switches and Bojan Bogdanovic couldn't get the ball in before a five-second violation was called.

and COTY didn't have his usual inbound passer in for some reason! Bojan can shoot. That is it WTF?

Utah shot just 38.3% from the field and just under 30% from 3-point range. Saturday wasn't necessarily a glimpse at what the Jazz look like when the threes aren't falling, but more so of what they look like when they can't get them up. Utah attempted just 34 in the game (one of which was a meaningless full-court heave at the final buzzer by Mitchell) — 17 less than the number they attempted in their first game.

more about D, turnovers and coaching. I thought they were deep? Why not try someone else when the guys in there aren't getting it done?

The Jazz may have sealed their fate by committing a five-second violation late, but they lost the game in the first 24 minutes.

especially the 2nd quarter

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https://www.sltrib.com/sports/jazz/2...am-jazz-force/

Bogdanovic’s forays to the rim were probably the worst example of this. When he dribbled towards the basket, it was like he was contractually obligated to throw the ball up to the rim, despite defensive pressure. Here, he rejects the screen, drives left, and the defender is really attached the whole time. Karl-Anthony Towns easily comes over and blocks it.

Surprising? The guy is limited. He can shoot and score. Pass? Not so much

But Donovan Mitchell is fast and vertically athletic, and he was throwing up some coal at the rim too. This is a terrible shot — no balance, far from the rim, falling away, one handed, it just has very very little chance of falling.

inefficient is his middle name

I understand: Mitchell wanted to make a play. But by trying to be the hero, he left his man open for the easy drive.

defense isn't his bag either

The Jazz can’t survive Mitchell’s unwise forays in the paint or doubles on the ball. They can’t survive Gobert’s offensive goofiness. They can’t survive slow, selfish Bogdanovic drives. If the Jazz are going to be a competitive force, they’ll have to rely on one another to a greater degree than they did Wednesday.

Yet they scored plenty to win. Dm turnovers and coaching were too big to overcome though

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https://www.deseret.com/sports/2020/...a-timberwolves

Anthony Edwards is the real deal. I wouldn’t be the only person who had some skepticism about Edwards through the draft process and what his fit would be like with the Timberwolves, but he’s the kind of player who could seemingly fit in anywhere. He’s a bully and strong and has great footwork and nice touch.

NBA body

Bojan Bogdanovic was just 3-of-16 from the field and took just five 3s. It wasn’t so much how many shots he took, but rather his shot selection. Even when he got the ball right at the basket, he missed a layup in the final minutes of the game. Bogdanovic is never someone that the Jazz are going to rely on for defensive pressure, but the Timberwolves made him look horrible on that end.

he is horrible at that end

The Jazz are one of the few NBA teams that are allowing a limited number of fans into the arena to start the season and despite no less than seven announcements throughout the game by the PA announcer that masks should be worn over the mouth and nose at all times unless they are actively eating, there were many that did not follow those rules. There were Vivint Arena employees that would tell people to put their mask on correctly when they had it just over their mouth or not on at all, but it was impossible for them to police every person in the building. It was incredibly distracting and made things uneasy seeing so many people in one place and knowing that COVID-19 numbers are still not under control in Utah.

which is why you can't let fans in. People are stupid and it's why it won't go away

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https://www.deseret.com/sports/2020/...azz-roster-nba

The Jazz believe that they are fielding a better team than they did last season and as such should be able to make a deeper run in the postseason and be one of the contending teams in the Western Conference.

and we saw the same issues tonight as last year. Maybe it wasn't all Bradley's fault?

In the NBA bubble, Mitchell exploded on the offensive end. But that was partially out of necessity. The Jazz were stretched thin and were missing their second-leading scorer. Now that Mitchell is in the last season before he starts making superstar money, it’s an expectation for him to dazzle as a playmaker and as a defender while also being the leader of this team.

He's not the leader

He has the right kind of teammates and a system in place that will allow him to excel in working both on and off the ball and making quicker, more effective reads so there’s no excuse for it not to work. Mitchell himself has said that he wants to improve on defense, which is why he believes he was drafted in the first place. He has a real chance to become one of the best two-way players of his generation and that’s exactly what the Jazz expect from him.

don't see him ever being a two way player. A great offensive player would be great for starters

There are expectations for Bogdanovic that differ from last season. There have been hints that he could be used in a post-up role a little more this year, but Bogdanovic is malleable and a quick learner who never looks out of step for long. The Jazz expect Bogdanovic to hit shots, which should be no problem for him even after wrist surgery that kept him out of the playoffs. The biggest thing this season for the Crotian sharpshooter is going to be being honest about his body. He’s just only recently playing basketball for the first time since his surgery and if there is any sort of intense soreness or if he needs to be easy with things, it’s largely going to be up to him to speak up.

looked horrible in the post

The Jazz need Ingles to learn to thrive off the bench. He had trouble with that last season and it didn’t help that injuries had him in and out of the starting lineup and stability of the bench was questionable. This season he’ll have Derrick Favors back on the court, which should give him a level of comfort and infuse the bench with a reliable action. There is some fear that he is at the tail end of his career and could be slowing down. Even so, the Jazz expect him to still defend at a high level and he has to find a way to get past his tendency to pass up open shots.

no fear it's reality. He'd declined the past two years

In his second stint with the Jazz, the expectation is that Favors can deliver exactly what he did when he was here last time but in a reserve role. His rebounding and defensive determination in the paint are paramount to the success of the bench, and it’s clear that he hasn’t lost any of his chemistry with Ingles in the pick and roll, which is exactly what the Jazz were hoping for. He doesn’t have to put up huge numbers; he just has to help the second unit maintain leads and be better than Tony Bradley or Ed Davis, so it’s not that high of a bar.

Bradley lead the league in offensive rebound % so the bar couldn't be much higher. He needs to be better than ? at the 4 as well

It’s possible that Harrison’s playing time will be a little up and down. It’s not totally clear how much the Jazz plan on using him, and it’s very possible that his biggest role will come in the postseason. As a defensive specialist, Harrison might be utilized by Snyder if there are particularly crafty wings that are giving the Jazz fits. Even when he was in and out of the lineup or playing irregular minutes with the Chicago Bulls, Harrison still maintained his reputation as a lockdown defender so there’s no concern that he’ll be ready when called upon.

could have used him in the last game

Oni got quite a few reps in the Orlando bubble during the seeding games that led to the playoffs and received praise from Snyder and teammates up and down the roster. It looks like he is going to get a little more playing time this season so he has to step up. The Jazz are going to need players with Oni’s profile who they can keep on the roster for cheap once Mitchell and Gobert’s extensions kick in so it’s imperative that Oni continues on the trajectory of incremental progress. If by the end of this season it doesn’t look like he can be a reliable part of the deep rotation, the Jazz will look elsewhere.

him too

During the playoffs, the Jazz were stretched pretty thin with an already short rotation, leading to Morgan playing pretty meaningful minutes in four of their seven games against the Denver Nuggets. He also played in 21 regular season games last year, albeit mostly in garbage time. With all of that in mind it stands to reason that Morgan will have his fair share of chances this season. In those minutes he needs to continue the progress he’s shown on his interior defense and hit those corner 3s. I’d think that the Jazz would also like to see him work on his body a little bit more. Getting stronger and leaner will only make him better.

Most of his time was meaningful last year and he was solid

There’s a very good chance that during the season there will be times that Gobert or Favors are unavailable to play, due to injury, COVID-19 protocols or just rest. The coaching staff could look for Azubuike to step in as a substitute in those situations and have some real playing time. For a rookie center, one of the most important things is learning control. Whether it’s in limiting fouls, turnovers or missed rotations, the more that Azubuike can show that he is learning and improving the better.

behind Morgan still. Should be behind BRantley as well

Control will also be a top priority for Hughes, though it will come in different ways. Rookie guards often have a tendency to play too fast and a little recklessly. Hughes might not get the same amount of opportunity for game reps as Azubuike, but when he does get onto the court, it would be nice to see him play selflessly, slow down a little and show that he isn’t just trying to get his.

Selfless? you see him play? Thinks he's the next Clarkson

Brantley showed a ton of promise in his limited time last season. Much like Oni, when Brantley gets the opportunity to play it’s imperative that he is focused and relentless on the defensive end. That’s really what is going to catch the eye of the coaching staff. If he’s able to show enough, and the Jazz don’t fill their final roster spot with someone from the outside, they could choose to convert Brantley’s deal from a two-way to a regular NBA contract before they head into the playoffs.

should have already just for being all gleague

The good thing about being the newest player on a two-way deal is that there are little to no expectations. All Forrest has to do is be a good teammate, work hard and try to stay ready. He had some really nice moments in the preseason so even though he’s likely to get the least amount of playing time, he could get a chance if the Jazz are in a pinch.

needs to work on his shot if he hopes to stick

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https://www.slcdunk.com/2020/12/26/2...ode-basketball

Quin should make better adjustments in-game.

Posted by CJ Livinghousen on Dec 26, 2020 | 11:59 PM

He's smarter than us. I'm sure there's a great reason why Bojan was inbounding the ball

Bogie bricked two layups. Like, he didn’t even try to shoot either like a layup; he shot both like jumpshots and bricked them. He can’t play 34 minutes, shoot 3/16, and the Jazz expect to win much, because he doesn’t do much else (although, seven rebounds and one assist are both probably career highs).
-Donovan has got to be more aggressive in the first half. I’m sick of waiting for the second half for him to show up. Even in the fourth quarter, he had three missed shots at the rim that all turned into Gobert dunks; these are good for the team. He bends the defense so well. But when he shoots five shots in the first half (I’m guessing) and 18 in the second, it’s over-picking his spots.
-Any time the Jazz look indecisive and out of rhythm on offense, that’s Jordan Clarkson time. QS shouldn’t wait; just bring Jordan in. He’s not going to turn the ball over, likely because he doesn’t pass the ball and that’s okay, and he’s going to confidently get up shots. Dude took 17 shots in 23 minutes and had 23 points on 8/17 shooting, including six free throws. Gimme more of that when the team has coughed the ball up five times in first six minutes please. He gives the Jazz a different look offensively and likely throws a wrench in the defense.
-Minny’s bench: Culver goes 3/3 from three, Anthony Edwards goes 2/3, Naz Reid goes 2/4, Rubio goes 1/3. Total: 8/13 Jazz starting five: 6/23. Ballgame.
The good:
-Jazz defense in the second half was awesome. Just sayin’. It didn’t feel that way maybe, because we gave up 68 in the first. 48-point second half and a lot of it was a struggle.
-QS came out in a 1-3-1 zone with Gobert in the middle several times. I really liked it.
That’s about it. Stupid game to lose and we did it in ugly fashion. It’s always worse too when your best-ish player goes, Oh, shit. There’s only like four minutes left. I should try really hard now to make something happen. Wish Donovan wouldn’t wait for that. Wish Bogie made some layups. Wish the team didn’t insist on turning the ball over in laughably absurd ways at times. Glad KAT and Reid aren’t seriously hurt and that we only let Towns take five threes.

Posted by Karl Stalone 32 on Dec 27, 2020 | 3:28 AM

yep why Bojan should be traded for a starting 4 if possible. Yes this was a game where Clarkson can do his thing. When others have it going he needs to pass. You know he won't stick with the zone though. He's smarter than you.

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https://www.deseret.com/sports/2020/...-return-to-okc

The Jazz aren’t going to be a perfect team, and this season is going to be hard. There are going to be nights when they just don’t have it on the offensive end. Saturday’s game was a stark reminder that even when the shots aren’t falling, they can’t let go of their defensive principles.

a far from perfect roster isn't perfect?

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Eric Walden: Quin Snyder, on Rudy Gobert’s return to OKC: “Rudy’s worked through all that. Rudy was vilified, and in hindsight we have a greater understanding of the virus. Rudy’s aware mistakes were made, but they’re mistakes that have been made over and over again by all of us.”
– via Twitter tribjazz



Ben Anderson: Quin Snyder on Rudy Gobert being the first NBA player to have COVID-19. “Rudy was vilified, but in hindsight I think we have a greater understanding of the virus.” Said Gobert had pretty significant symptoms for two weeks after they got home from OKC.
– via Twitter BensHoops

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https://kslsports.com/449677/jazz-at...er-game-night/

“If you’ve got a hitter that doesn’t hit a curveball, you throw a curve,” Snyder said on how Bogdanovic an approach different defensive looks. “Bojan can throw a curveball. He’s got a fastball, he’s got a changeup, It makes him hard to guard.”

and yet he's pretty limited outside shooting the ball

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https://kslsports.com/449645/jazz-lo...oklahoma-city/

The key matchup between the Jazz and the Thunder will pit Mitchell against Gilgeous-Alexander. The two high-scoring combo guards are key to their teams’ success both as scorers and playmakers.

one is his teams best player and the other isn't

Should be able break the streak with the Thunder tanking

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https://saltcityhoops.com/sc7-conley...-starter-woes/

Again, the sample sizes here are way too small to treat any of these as anything more than interesting data points. But it’s consistent with last year’s trend, too. The Jazz were +3.3 Net Rating last season when Conley and Mitchell were together, and +3.7 with Mitchell and Joe Ingles, who may not look like a point guard but functionally is another facilitator. On the other hand, Utah was -6.6 when Mitchell played without either of those two.

but Clarkson!

That’s why it can be helpful to have other guards who can take turns initiating the offense and making that first set of reads. Similar stars to Mitchell have had that. James Harden has played with Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook and now John Wall. Dwyane Wade had it with guards like Jason Williams and Mario Chalmers. Allen Iverson and Aaron McKie and Eric Snow. As with those superstar guards, the ball will probably end up with Mitchell on a ton of those plays no matter who starts the possession. It just helps to have someone else share the responsibility of getting the offense humming.

it's the way the Jazz have played under Snyder. Everyone but the center can be a playmaker. Nothing new here

Nobody should really be talking about heavy legs in the second game of the season, but Gobert’s broader point here is a good one: great teams are better able to fight through their flat nights and play smarter to come up with ways to win. That doesn’t mean there’s anything disqualifying about Utah’s lackluster home opener. Purported title contenders like the Clippers, Bucks and Nets all suffered embarrassing losses on Sunday. Everybody stumbles, and especially quirky things often happen in the first few nights of the season.

especially since they were at home

With a nod to my SCH colleague (and current houseguest) Ken Clayton for initially tweeting this, that’s the cumulative shooting percentage of the four non-Gobert starters after two games. They didn’t even shoot well in the win (34%), but on Saturday they looked even worse (30.4%). Royce O’Neale and Bojan Bogdanovic have had particularly frigid starts, at 22% and 27% respectively, but Mitchell isn’t too much better at 31%. True shooting for those three has been pretty rough: 28%, 38% and 46%, respectively. Oof.

Bojan will be fine and Royce doesn't shoot much and does other things. Mitchell needs to be better period!

If there’s a silver lining here, it’s that those close misses by ball handlers often put the bigs in a position for easy putbacks. The Jazz currently lead the NBA in offensive rebounding percentage, which is an interesting reversal for a team that had previously made a conscious choice to prioritize transition defense over hunting for O-boards. Last year’s team ranked 17th for the full season, and the two previous years’ squads ranked 10th and 20th.

doubt anything has changed. The centers hit the offensive glass others get back on D