The Utah Jazz are currently on a four game winning streak and I couldn’t be happier! The Jazz are playing exactly how we thought they would be playing at the beginning of the season; when national media and crazy fans thought they would finish 2nd or 3rd in the Western Conference!
In their last two games:
In our last two games we beat the then #1 team in the West following that by beating the #1 team in the East. #TeamisEverything #donovanmitchell
— Diana (@dianaallen) March 3, 2019
What fun wins they have been too!
Last night’s incredible fourth quarter run. Donovan Mitchell is the truth. pic.twitter.com/YF8EWkMaJx
— Taylor Griffin (@griffdunk) March 3, 2019
Donovan Mitchell had a career-high 46 pts & outdueled MVP fave Giannis in a huge W for Utah, so he clearly made the right career choice with this basketball thing. But if you want to know his first love, check this pass. Man looked like a young Doc Gooden pic.twitter.com/OAU2NB3IMh
— Michael Lee (@MrMichaelLee) March 3, 2019
Derrick Favors tried to end Ersan Ilyasova with this dunk... pic.twitter.com/ugTaGguqS0
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 3, 2019
... just watching @spidadmitchell greatness. 46 @NazzyJML @rudygobert27 pic.twitter.com/g1NaeVrqjV
— Ricky Rubio (@rickyrubio9) March 3, 2019
Rudy denied the Joker! #TeamIsEverything pic.twitter.com/cTSV0dIivf
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) March 1, 2019
Freezing Cold Takes had some fun with the wins too:
Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee pic.twitter.com/I93J8MpN8L
— SLC Dunk (@slcdunk) March 3, 2019
So what has changed with the Jazz? Let’s look at Eric from Deseret News has to say about it:
After starting the season 18-19, Utah is 18-7 since Jan. 1 which is tied with Portland for the fifth-most victories in the league. The Jazz also have the fourth-best net rating (5.5) throughout that span with Mitchell averaging 27.6 points per game, the NBA’s seventh-highest average. On Jan. 15, Mitchell was named the Western Conference Player of the Week for the first time in his career after averaging 31.5 points on 48.4 percent from the field and 48.6 percent from 3-point range, 5.8 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.0 blocks for games played on Jan. 7-13.
Rudy Gobert has also ranked third in the league in rebounding (13.2) and fourth in blocks (2.4) during this stretch.
When Mitchell was interviewed after scoring a career high 46 points he said that he has changed his play from the beginning of the year by being able to make better reads. He says being the main focus of the defense was hard for him at the beginning of the year that he had difficulty making the correct reads and that caused him to take bad shots. Now the game is slowing down and he is able to make the right reads. Personally, I think he was also more injured then was let on, he wasn’t only making the wrong reads but he also didn’t look to have the same energy, he wasn’t dunking or making the show stopper plays he does so well.
Donovan on what makes the Jazz so special:
.@spidadmitchell shares what he believes makes this @utahjazz team so special. #GameTime pic.twitter.com/Vxq3hU8GaJ
— NBA TV (@NBATV) March 3, 2019
"The biggest thing is just slowing down and making the right plays."
— NBA TV (@NBATV) March 3, 2019
Fresh off a career-high 46 PTS, @spidadmitchell joins #GameTime to talk the adjustments he's made in his second NBA season! pic.twitter.com/LHOxVOwsJ6
Watch the full interview here
What do you think has the been the difference for the Jazz since the beginning of the year?