SLC Dunk: All Posts by Mychal LowmanOur Team Is On The Floorhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/29190/slc-redunk-fv.jpg2021-04-28T18:09:30-06:00https://www.slcdunk.com/authors/Mychal-Lowman/rss2021-04-28T18:09:30-06:002021-04-28T18:09:30-06:00Injury riddled Utah Jazz face injury befuddled Sacramento Kings
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<img alt="Sacramento Kings v Utah Jazz" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/mVUfHLUjiaV0LNK4Pqnsbp3Ml_I=/0x0:5184x3456/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69202517/1194575692.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>If you’re reading this, you are now the starting guard for the UTAH JAZZ.</p> <p id="FylaXZ">The <a href="https://www.slcdunk.com">Utah Jazz</a> continue their injury tumble to the finish line tonight as they take on the <a href="https://www.sactownroyalty.com/">Sacramento Kings</a>. The Utah Jazz will not have to prepare for De’Aaron Fox tonight as he is out according to health and safety protocols. Additionally, the Kings will be without Harrison Barnes and Marvin Bagley III. By bad luck, the Utah Jazz will be without Mike Conley who re-aggravated his right hamstring injury that kept him out back in February. That means Utah will be without their All-Star backcourt as Donovan Mitchell remains out. That means we get to have the matchup everyone wants to see: Tyrese Haliburton vs Jordan Clarkson. </p>
<p id="muTCzF">Despite all the injuries, this Kings team is not to be overlooked. After all, they have recently beaten the NBA best <a href="https://www.canishoopus.com">Minnesota Timberwolves</a> 1 out of 2 times. They are 3-3 in their last 6 games with wins over the TWolves and Mavericks. They can’t be overlooked. While De’Aaron Fox was a big reason for their victories, Tyrese Haliburton and Richaun Holmes have been big for them. Holmes was a problem for Utah in their past game as he put up 25 points and 10 rebounds. </p>
<p id="DvdqMn">During any other point in the season this game would be considered an easy gimme, but considering the Utah Jazz are missing Conley and Mitchell, AND they are finding ways to lose to the Timberwolves three times in the same season, this game is the furthest thing out from a gimme. </p>
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<h1 id="35U2N0">Game Info</h1>
<p id="DwTfyh">When: 8PM MDT</p>
<p id="xjHFvV">Where: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA</p>
<p id="qutDKC">TV: ATT SportsNet</p>
<p id="72FH7p">Radio: KZNS/KTUB</p>
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<h1 id="6gqFvg">What to watch for</h1>
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<img alt="Utah Jazz v Minnesota Timberwolves" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/djf3RrWxXKEzHsIwxTlbFRiqIIg=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22476960/1232550112.jpg">
<cite>Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images</cite>
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<h2 id="Rs9VXU">Let Rudy Gobert Be Rudy Gobert</h2>
<p id="spW343">Rudy Gobert is not known for being a scorer. He’s averaging 14.5 points per game this season and he’s not the type of player you call an iso for. We know this. But he can absolutely destroy an opposing team on the defensive end. But lately he hasn’t been given the opportunity.</p>
<p id="9f2WGW">Mike Prada—formerly of SB Nation and current member of Limited Upside Pod—had a great take on Rudy Gobert. Many times when an offensive superstar is cooking, a coach will let them cook. The player gets the playbook opened up or thrown out while they’re doing damage to the opposing team. Other times when a player gets good enough we’ll hear how the coach needs to open up the offense to them so they can get more opportunities to make an impact. But what about on the other side of the ball? </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">I’m gonna keep being the guy to argue that the Jazz are making things way too complicated when they have Rudy Gobert check “non-shooting” wings instead of playing straight up, even against pick and pop bigs like Towns.</p>— Mike Prada. (PRAY-duh) (@MikePradaNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MikePradaNBA/status/1387074610441687045?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 27, 2021</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The bottom line is that the Jazz’s defense is best when Rudy Gobert is directly affecting the play’s outcome. He’s not a statue. He is better at switching out, and him contesting a pull up 3 is better than him watching as the other four Jazz players fail to contain the ball</p>— Mike Prada. (PRAY-duh) (@MikePradaNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MikePradaNBA/status/1387076573128441862?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 27, 2021</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">It sounds weird to call Quin old fashioned with this strategy because it only started a few years ago but the game has changed so much even since then.</p>— Mike Prada. (PRAY-duh) (@MikePradaNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MikePradaNBA/status/1387075714827100160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 27, 2021</a>
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<p id="Hw1xhP">Quin Snyder has a system for Rudy which is to keep Rudy close to the paint to protect the rim which was and still is a great strategy. But some nights it’s not. Some nights Rudy isn’t able to make as much of an impact because the Jazz will try hard to switch Rudy back closer to the paint while the opposing team is able to breath a sigh of relief that they’re able to take the three against Bojan Bogdanovic instead of Rudy Gobert. Rudy Gobert has leveled up enough to guard everyone and anyone. Which means Utah needs to let him cook more on defense instead of forcing him to watch his teammates get cooked on the perimeter. </p>
<p id="cgmbzn">Will this force Utah to have to adjust to having their rim protector out on the perimeter more? Yes.</p>
<p id="QF1mOA">Will this force Utah’s perimeter players to play better off-ball defense? Yes.</p>
<p id="Vku35i">Will this force Rudy Gobert to increasingly find a way to be in two places at once more than he already does? Yes.</p>
<p id="dYElVs">It will open up other vulnerabilities, but Utah has a secret weapon: the best defensive player in the league, Rudy Gobert. Utah doesn’t need Rudy Gobert to have a 30 point-20 rebound game to win tonight. If Rudy Gobert is the god on the defensive end that we all believe he is, Utah must to put him in more situations that allow him to show off his powers and, in some cases, pull off some miracles.</p>
<h2 id="mqK997"></h2>
https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/4/28/22408680/utah-jazz-sacramento-kings-rudy-gobert-mike-conley-donovan-mitchell-deaaron-foxMychal Lowman2021-03-19T14:54:24-06:002021-03-19T14:54:24-06:00Why the Utah Jazz should make an midseason trade for the 4th year in a row
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<img alt="LA Clippers v Cleveland Cavaliers" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/byG8Mj7l5LYnupql1TkAAVAkCEk=/8x0:4928x3280/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/68995863/1141030361.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Fortune favors the bold and Utah’s fortunes are held in a credit union incorporated in Cleveland.</p> <p id="LI8pWz">The last three seasons Utah has made a trade when things weren’t looking great for the season. Three years ago they acquired Jae Crowder to get things back on the right track, two years ago it was Kyle Korver and almost Mike Conley, and last year it was Jordan Clarkson. Each season it gave Utah the right amount of juice to shake up the locker room, provide some urgency, and give the team so much needed firepower to get better. This season the <a href="https://www.slcdunk.com">Utah Jazz</a> haven’t found themselves mired in a big losing streak or an identity crisis which is exactly why they need to make another move this trade deadline. </p>
<p id="yed1ph">The cost of doing nothing in past seasons heavily outweighed the cost of taking a risk at the trade deadline. It was the equivalent of “well it’s better than nothing.” If Utah had not made those moves in past seasons, the chances of being worse were the same or increased while improvement relied on making a move. This season it’s the opposite. Making a move could mean the team is slightly worse than its prior iteration. But winning championships is not for the weak of heart. The ones who lift that Larry O’Brien trophy are the ones who took risks and did not play it safe. </p>
<p id="6WxntO">While it may seem logical for Utah not to make a move while everything is great right, things are not as great as they seem. Utah has hit the doldrums of the season. They have gone from the hunter to the hunted. They are a trophy to be put on some team’s mantle. While having a target on their back, Utah has struggled. Their weaknesses—no solid wing defender outside of Royce O’Neale, subpar rebounding from the four spot, and Derrick Favors not being very Derrick Favors-like—have become as glaringly obvious as the Death Star’s manhole-less access to its power core. </p>
<p id="8UtXYo">Utah still has the league’s 2nd best offense and 3rd best defense but what they are now is not what they were in January. The Jazz are 3-5 in their last 8 games with losses to the Warriors, Wizards, Heat, <a href="https://www.libertyballers.com">Sixers</a>, and Pelicans. In their wins, Utah has had to lean heavily on Rudy Gobert’s defense and Mitchell’s late game heroics. They have had to shuffle Bojan Bogdanovic more than normal as teams increasingly see him as red meat they know they can cook. </p>
<p id="YFBMiy">Derrick Favors struggles has also removed a big strength of Utah. The Jazz would let Favors get run against opposing starting bigs so Gobert could boat race opposing benches allowing Utah build big leads. That’s not happening so much anymore with Favors looking like he added 5 years to his game—not in a good way. Clarkson has cooled off from the bench and Donovan is falling back into forcing his offense. </p>
<p id="64LcyP">As a whole Utah’s perimeter defense is a train wreck. While Royce O’Neale is doing his best, he’s not a big player. Even more wild is according to Cleaning the Glass, Utah’s defense gives up 4.1 points more when he’s on the floor rather than off of it. That, of course, can be because Royce is guarding an opposing team’s best players and he’s also out there with Bojan Bogdanovic and Donovan Mitchell who are not exactly playing up to their defensive potential. </p>
<p id="nrUhmF">Utah can stand pat and could be fine. They would still have a good chance of finishing the season as the top team in the NBA. Utah does have the 3rd easiest schedule in the entire NBA and easiest among playoff caliber teams. They would be fine. </p>
<p id="INRiwU">But fine doesn’t win championships. Fortune favors the bold. If Utah is to win a championship they can’t sit on their hands this trade deadline and treat this roster like a 401k. This is their window. So what is available for a team that takes bold action?</p>
<h2 id="VYYt7g">The Annual Trade With Cleveland</h2>
<p id="e5qF0i">The Utah Jazz are known for three things: pick and rolls, defense, and making trades with the <a href="https://www.fearthesword.com">Cleveland Cavaliers</a>. Here’s the last three years:</p>
<p id="WAWK4r">2018 - Jae Crowder in exchange for Rodney Hood and Joe Johnson</p>
<p id="YYDYr3">2019 - Kyle Korver in exchange for Alec Burks + 2 Second Rounders</p>
<p id="aoOoPA">2020 - Jordan Clarkson in exchange for Dante Exum + 2 Second Rounders </p>
<p id="UaXWlu">So who in the world would Utah want from Cleveland? </p>
<p id="YpHJ9r">Larry Nance. </p>
<p id="FUdD8q">Larry Nance has been an exceptional wing defender. He’s an above average passer for his position and he can hit the three with regularity, averaging 43.3% from the corner three spot. When he is on the floor Cleveland’s defense allows 8.8 less points per 100 possessions. He doesn’t turn the ball over that often and his passing ability would sing in a system like Utah’s. He’d have someone in Jordan Clarkson who made the transition to Utah’s system last year to help give him the crash course learning that he would need. </p>
<p id="hILWaL">How would Utah get him? It would be the biggest push the chips to the middle of the table move Utah has made yet. More than Conley. Utah would not only have to include a 1st round pick they would have to part ways with Favors, Royce O’Neale, and Bogey while probably taking on Kevin Love’s horrible max contract that’s still active for two years. That’s if they were to attempt to work one on one with Cleveland. </p>
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<p id="dWrwgR">But there’s another way. Bringing a third team in... the <a href="https://www.thedreamshake.com">Houston Rockets</a>. The Cleveland Cavaliers have a stellar future with Collin Sexton and Isaac Okoro. Utah could send a top 10 protected 1st rounder to Cleveland for 2026 and the 2nd rounder that comes from Golden State this year to Cleveland to help the Cavs acquire Victor Oladipo while the Rockets can move the contract and still get good pieces in Bojan and Taurean Prince to allow a quick rebuild for Houston. Utah leaves with Ben McLemore and Larry Nance Jr. If Cleveland needs additional players, Utah can then look to add young players like Dok, Oni, Hughes, siphon off other second rounders, or remove more protections on the 1st round pick. This is an all-in move.</p>
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<p id="2lQA94">This is just one example, but with a hot shot new owner in Ryan Smith who’s not afraid to make waves, a championship within the taking, and a small window available to go for that championship, now’s the time to be bold. Here’s hoping Utah this trade deadline goes for it.</p>
https://www.slcdunk.com/nba-trades-and-deadline/2021/3/19/22340663/utah-jazz-trade-rumors-cleveland-cavaliers-larry-nance-jr-cavs-bojan-bogdanovicMychal Lowman2021-03-19T13:27:59-06:002021-03-19T13:27:59-06:00Utah Jazz look to remember they haven’t accomplished **** as they face Toronto Raptors
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<img alt="NBA: Toronto Raptors at Utah Jazz" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/RcLZU3FqiNwqHy6TTrsGVxb0xs4=/0x0:3269x2179/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/68995325/usa_today_14164465.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Russell Isabella-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>GIVE ME SOME UTAH RAPTOR NEWS</p> <p id="zY6jWy">After a disappointing loss in the nation’s capitol, there is serendipity that the <a href="https://www.slcdunk.com">Utah Jazz</a> now find themselves playing the <s>Tampa</s> Toronto <s>Bay</s> Raptors. Three years ago the Jazz—reeling from bad losses and inconsistency—rediscovered their identity and made course corrections that changed the trajectory of their season in a game against the Raptors. Utah will be looking to find some of that same magic as they battle Toronto in a much warmer Tampa climate than in 2018. </p>
<p id="peQdak">While the Raptors are not the championship contenders they once were, the Jazz are certainly better than the team that had Ricky Rubio and Thabo Sefolosha in the starting lineup. Utah is still clinging onto first place in the NBA despite going 2-2 since All-Star Break. The offensive buzzsaw that Utah had become in the 1st half of the season has lost power. Four games into the second half, Utah ranks only as the 10th best offense and as one of the 10 worst defensive teams in the league. They’ve become a train wreck on the defensive end. </p>
<p id="3H1GLw">If there is comfort to be had, it’s that the Raptors have been far worse. They are 0-4 since All-Star break and are a bottom 10 team both offensively and defensively. The Raptors have lost to the likes of Detroit, Chicago, and Charlotte. They’ve been awful. Toronto is now on a six game losing streak and have won only once in their last nine games. Trade rumors are swirling around Kyle Lowry and the team is distracted. </p>
<p id="doDLaV">Put plainly, this is the team Utah must bury in a blowout win no matter who is healthy or out for the Utah Jazz. Any other result will be extremely disappointing and worrisome.</p>
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<h1 id="35U2N0">Game Info</h1>
<p id="DwTfyh"><strong>When:</strong> 6:00 PM MST</p>
<p id="xjHFvV"><strong>Where: </strong>Amalie Arena, Tampa, Florida</p>
<p id="yUnYNE"><strong>TV:</strong> AT&T SportsNet-Rocky Mountain</p>
<p id="qutDKC"><strong>Radio: </strong>97.5 FM/1280 AM</p>
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<h1 id="pobysP">What to watch for</h1>
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<img alt="NBA: Utah Jazz at Washington Wizards" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/K177qBO-sxe2CJOtYhQvbvv2ivk=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22383383/usa_today_15750135.jpg">
<cite>Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports</cite>
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<h2 id="dtbZD9">Will the Utah Jazz find some self respect?</h2>
<p id="Y3VCRX">Rudy Gobert made some really strong comments after last night’s loss. </p>
<blockquote><p id="DonSYt">“We have to realize we haven’t accomplished sh*t. We get upset when people laugh at us on TV and disrespect us, but it’s on us to have respect for ourselves and understand that we’re not the champions.”</p></blockquote>
<p id="xHUFR7">Fittingly, Rudy may not be available tonight due to a hip contusion. So Utah may have to right the ship on their own without Rudy Gobert. While that seems like a terrible thing to miss Gobert, Utah has been built a reliance on him that is borderline toxic. Utah’s perimeter defense has been a train wreck so instead of Gobert being able to raise Utah’s ceiling on defense, he’s force to hold up the floor. Imagine Gobert as Prometheus stealing fire from the gods and the rest of the Jazz waiting back in Greece eagerly with a bucket of water. </p>
<p id="yeZmcQ">In minutes without Gobert, Utah relies on a barrage of scoring and three pointers from Joe Ingles, Jordan Clarkson, and Georges Niang. Why? Because Derrick Favors hasn’t been very Derrick Favors this season. When he's on the floor, Utah’s defensive rating goes from 105.8 points per 100 possessions to 114.0 points per 100 possessions. It’s a huge drop off. </p>
<p id="HTpKyq">When Rudy Gobert comes off the floor, teams have been going on runs more and more. Here’s how those Rudy Gobert-less minutes have gone for Utah.</p>
<p id="LtJSHM"><strong>vs Washington, four times off the floor:</strong></p>
<ol>
<li id="hys80I">-6</li>
<li id="yvvTIR">-5</li>
<li id="MG4qOL">+1</li>
<li id="ywPgpo">-5</li>
</ol>
<p id="fPANYB"><em>Total Swing = -15 points</em></p>
<p id="bawWMq"><strong>vs Boston, four times off the floor:</strong></p>
<ol>
<li id="sORZV1">-2</li>
<li id="6zqVXV">-6</li>
<li id="UXhS1W">+4</li>
<li id="5GYG2U">-6</li>
</ol>
<p id="YeQqFf"><em>Total Swing = -6 points</em></p>
<p id="5oOsGE"><strong>vs Golden State, four times off the floor:</strong></p>
<ol>
<li id="kyaI8L"> -8</li>
<li id="t9F5VP">-4</li>
<li id="eJDzbm">-4</li>
<li id="upKFT2">-7</li>
</ol>
<p id="KSN77n"><em>Total Swing = -21 points</em></p>
<p id="a8UECk"><strong>vs Houston, four times off the floor</strong></p>
<ol>
<li id="jdd7mF">+4</li>
<li id="H8lPJj">0</li>
<li id="8HKgqX">+1</li>
<li id="TYTX4N">-1</li>
</ol>
<p id="D5B6YJ"><em>Total Swing = +4</em></p>
<p id="oqnfoG">The results against Houston, Golden State, and Washington are alarming. Yes, Washington is on a hot streak, but their bench is weak. Houston is a train wreck and Utah’s bench couldn’t provide any separation. Golden State’s bench put a whooping on Utah and so did Boston. This is atrocious. Being without Gobert for a few games while incredibly challenging could remind the rest of the Jazz’s roster just how much acne and blemishes Gobert cover ups. </p>
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https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/3/19/22340507/utah-jazz-toronto-raptors-rudy-gobert-kyle-lowry-derrick-favorsMychal Lowman2021-02-19T14:36:13-07:002021-02-19T14:36:13-07:00The Utah Jazz are not the ‘14 Hawks, ‘13 Spurs, or ‘03 Pistons, they’re JAZZ
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<img alt="Miami Heat v Utah Jazz" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/9v33k8C0uqJwZ6ZKGqt6hrdqg3c=/0x0:5398x3599/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/68845194/1231152387.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The 2020-2021 Utah Jazz are riffing on classic teams’ melodies from the past.</p> <p id="UNwGFv">As the <a href="https://www.slcdunk.com">Utah Jazz</a> tear through the league and pile on wins, experts are trying to find a facsimile from the NBA’s past. When pundits want to give them credit for their wins but undercut their potential they compare them to the 2014-2015 <a href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com">Atlanta Hawks</a>. When experts want to let people know they’re a great team but they don’t have a superstar they compare them to the 2013-2014 <a href="https://www.poundingtherock.com">San Antonio Spurs</a>. When experts want to give them an underdog look and a defensive toughness, they compare them to the 2003-2004 <a href="https://www.detroitbadboys.com">Detroit Pistons</a>. But none of those explain the Utah Jazz. They’re better. They’re different. They’re unique. They’re a chameleon on offense and defense.</p>
<h2 id="Pb2nkw">Comparing them to the 2014-2015 Atlanta Hawks</h2>
<p id="AMSrK7">The most underhanded compliment of compliments when people are looking for a comparison to this season’s Utah Jazz. The Atlanta Hawks were a team that was greater than the sum of their parts. They won 60+ games and relied on a modern offense when a lot of the league was still stuck in the past era. Heck, Quin Snyder comes from the Mike Budenholzer coaching tree. IF THE GLOVE FITS, RIGHT?</p>
<p id="mECeAo">That new commitment to the modern offense and being the second true mover to the <a href="https://www.goldenstateofmind.com">Golden State Warriors</a> allowed Atlanta to take advantage of teams who hadn’t caught up. The Hawks were able to rack up wins playing the newest style because they had a team of veterans—Jeff Teague, Paul Millsap, Al Horford, Kyle Korver—who were committed to their roles. In that way the Hawks are similar to Utah which has a strong team of veterans—Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley, Bojan Bogdanovic, Derrick Favors, Joe Ingles. </p>
<p id="ZLiIoP">But where they differ is this group of Utah veterans has not been able to rack up wins against a struggling conference. The Hawks only had 5 teams in their conference with a +.500 record. The Utah Jazz have 9 in their conference with a +.500 record. </p>
<p id="FM8R70">The Hawks didn’t have one player who could take over late in a game. Who was the ball going to? Horford? Teague? Korver? Millsap? They lacked a go to scorer. They desperately needed a guy who could get buckets. The Jazz are not a bunch of unsung barely All-Star level players. While the Hawks only had one player who was averaging more than 16.5 ppg (Teague), the Jazz have three perimeter players doing that and one of them comes off the bench. On any given night, Utah has Mike Conley, Donovan Mitchell, and Jordan Clarkson who can get buckets in a number of ways and make plays.</p>
<p id="wwQfmp">The Hawks played solid defense but they didn’t shut opponents down. Instead they relied on getting turnovers. They were gamblers. But when you gamble, the house with always win. Sooner or later, your luck runs out. Utah doesn’t gamble. They shut teams down. Utah creates the fewest amount of turnovers of any team in the league. They don’t try to avoid a fight in the paint. Instead they promote it. They want everyone to test them on every play. They allow the lowest eFG% of any team in the league. They either will shut you down or watch opposing teams make their own mistakes first.</p>
<p id="HZdcck">Now Utah’s offensive system is very much in the vein of those Atlanta Hawks, but it is superpowered by star players like Donovan Mitchell, Mike Conley, Jordan Clarkson, and Rudy Gobert.</p>
<p id="jFJaxL">The Utah Jazz are not the 2014-2015 Atlanta Hawks.</p>
<h2 id="IuTY8x">Comparing them to the 2013-2014 San Antonio Spurs</h2>
<p id="UiVt4Y">Plodding center? Check. Off the bench scoring guard? Check. Crafty point guard? Check. Up and coming youthful superstar? Check. Role players found out of nowhere? Check. Coach who is quotable? Check and check. This seems like a slam dunk of a comparison for this season’s Utah Jazz especially if you want to build up their championship hopes. Except it’s not. </p>
<p id="YCRQJn">Let’s start out with the obvious one: the 2013-2014 Spurs did not rely on Kawhi Leonard to get wins. The makeup of the rosters of the Jazz and Spurs may feel similar with the mix of young guys and veterans, but the Spurs dependence on Kawhi Leonard comes nowhere close to the Jazz’s dependence on Donovan Mitchell. Donovan Mitchell—his playmaking, scoring, and gravity—is a big part of why their offense is such a buzzsaw. It’s as important as Rudy Gobert’s screen and rolls. Kawhi Leonard in 2013-2014 was like a mix of Joe Ingles and Royce O’Neale on offense. He was doing some playmaking at time both others he was firmly camped in the corner playing the Danny Green space the floor role. </p>
<p id="uEQp3a">The Spurs—same as the Atlanta Hawks—only had one scorer above 16.5 ppg: Tony Parker. The Jazz enjoy Mike Conley’s playmaking, scoring, and defensive ability, but he is not the main pillar in their success. He’s definitely a big part of Utah’s success but not like Tony Parker was for the Spurs. The Jazz have three guards who can step up at any time. The Spurs had Ginobili but by 2013-2014 Manu Ginobili was in his 11th season and was 36. Parker was 31. Utah’s three-headed hydra has Conley at 33, Clarkson at 28, and Mitchell at 24. </p>
<p id="i9GeXt">The ability by a coach to flip the identity of a team from defense to offense to both looks makes the Gregg Popovich to Quin Snyder comparison tempting. Heck, Snyder even coached for the Austin Toros, the Spurs G-League franchise. But their offenses and defenses run differently. </p>
<p id="b3vAle">On offense, no one was asking 37 year old Tim Duncan to set screens at the machine like pace that Rudy Gobert does. Duncan’s knees would have fallen off and the shot clock would have expired before Timmy could get to third one. The Spurs were not asking Duncan to offensive rebound. The Spurs according to Cleaning the Glass were 26th offensive rebounding. Instead they were asking Timmy to conserve his energy and get downhill and back on defense. Utah on the other hand ranks 1st in the league in offensive rebounding while asking Gobert to do the impossible: stick around for the offensive rebound AND get back on defense and guard the paint. Despite asking Gobert to be in two places at once Utah ranks 2nd in defensive rating while San Antonio ranked 4th. </p>
<p id="tp8sJf">Even in my own memory I remember that San Antonio team switching from that defensive identity to chucking anything behind the three point line... but that’s not really the case. Only 23.7% of their shots came behind the three point line. That ranked them 15th in the league. Where did the majority of their shots come from? Mid-range. Good old Timmy. 40.6% of all their shots came from mid-range. Compare that to Utah and these two teams look nothing like each other. Utah takes 45% of all their shots behind the three point arc. Utah takes a high percentage of their shots (32.8%) from just above the break than San Antonio took of all their threes period (23.7%). Utah avoids the midrange like a plague. They rank 27th in the league of the proportion of shots they take in that region at 24.3%.</p>
<p id="WwthTR">There is one place of concession: the defensive end. The results of Utah’s defensive system get the same results as San Antonio’s. San Antonio didn’t rely on gambling for turnovers. They couldn’t due to their age. So they used their basketball IQ and experience to play solid defense while not going for high impact steals. San Antonio like Utah did not create a lot of turnovers. Like Utah they did not foul often. They played teams straight up and did not put opposing teams on the line. Like Utah they were a great rebounding team. They were the 2nd best defensive rebounding team. This year’s Utah Jazz is the 4th best in the league.</p>
<p id="PDrXcP">While the Jazz’s defensive system seems to be a copy of the Spurs defense and the offense of “Very Solid Plays” feels similar, the Utah Jazz are have other elements they’re mixing into the stew. They’re more dynamic. More overpowering. More youthful.</p>
<p id="1wgiPF">They’re not the 2013-2014 San Antonio Spurs.</p>
<h2 id="5jkGry">Comparing them to the 2003-2004 Detroit Pistons</h2>
<p id="VjOCOl">I will admit this feels like my go to when trying to grasp for a comparison for this year’s Utah Jazz. Jordan Clarkson fits the Chauncey Billups scoring guard who bounced from team to team before finding his fit. Rudy Gobert has an equal in Ben Wallace. Wallace was committed to defense like Daniel Day-Lewis playing Abraham Lincoln. He’s not playing defense, he <em>is</em> defense. Donovan Mitchell is that Rip Hamilton role of scoring guard. You have Royce O’Neale in that Tayshaun Prince role of three and D stopper. But then you realize Utah is even deeper. Utah has two Billups in Clarkson AND Mike Conley. Utah has a Ben Wallace and a Ben Wallace-light in Gobert and Derrick Favors. Utah has that Rasheed Wallace inside out game in Bojan Bogdanovic. Then there’s still Georges Niang. </p>
<p id="ZciwJs">That 2003-2004 Detroit Pistons team feels similar in their energy. Despite destroying teams after they acquired Rasheed Wallace, no one was giving the Pistons any credit. Every series win was an upset even though they were usually the favorite. They were being judged based on their performances and reputations from seasons’ past, not on the current one. That FEELS like Utah. Unfortunately that’s where a lot of the comparisons end.</p>
<p id="N4e3Fs">Detroit only had two players scoring 16.5 ppg or more. Utah has three with the potential for four in Bojan Bogdanovic. Though one can argue Detroit had the potential for four with Rasheed Wallace and Tayshaun Prince. </p>
<p id="RoKVum">Detroit’s offense was NEVER going to overrun anyone. Their offense ranked 13th according to Cleaning the Glass at 101.9 points per 100 possessions. They also weren’t jacking it up from three. Only 14.9% of all their shots came from three. Their offense while only ranked 13th never faltered based on the opponent. Whether it was a top 10 defense or bottom 10 defense, it was going to put up the same numbers. It was consistent. A bellwether. In the playoffs it stayed consistent.</p>
<p id="LzyJ9R">The reason why it feels easy to compare Utah to Detroit is that defensive mentality. While defense is played differently—Utah and Detroit are in completely different offensive eras—the mentality is the same. Don’t foul. Lead them to Rudy Gobert. Force them off the three point line.</p>
<p id="fAG4DT">When Utah played Denver, Denver took 12% less shots from three. When Utah played Portland they took 34% fewer shots from three. Miami took 7% fewer shots. Utah forces teams to play a new way when they play them. Utah does what Detroit did back in those days. You’re not only going to play us, but you’re going to play your weakness, too. Two opponents. Utah gets a third opponent to add into the mix: elevation. </p>
<p id="NRQdDE">That’s where Utah is nothing like Detroit. Utah’s up tempo play forces teams to battle against the altitude. This combination of stout defense, disciplined offense, and nightmarish altitude and pace—especially when put in the context of a pandemic that is caused by a respiratory virus—seems like a hell not fit for a city that has landmark Christian temple only blocks nearby. It’s why teams look to run out of gas by the 4th quarter.</p>
<p id="qbL9cY">Just look at this by quarter with both ‘03 Detroit Pistons and this year’s Utah Jazz:</p>
<div id="ujrbdT"><div data-anthem-component="table:10351842"></div></div>
<p id="9L0aKy">Utah and Detroit feel out the opposing team similarly. It’s almost as if they let the other team struggle, tire themselves out, and then they mount a counterattack when the other team is running out of steam. The numbers above don’t meet the eye test for Utah when they close out games, but I assume that’s because of the number of blowouts Utah has. The ORTG and DRTG are going to get haywire the minute Utah subs out their starters for the third stringers. </p>
<p id="OMi1CB">While Utah has the underdog mentality and the underrated star potential of the 2003-2004 Pistons, the offensive firepower that Utah has has no equal with Detroit. Likewise Detroit’s ungodly defensive prowess in their era finds no equal in Utah.</p>
<p id="RWcBZz">The Utah Jazz are unique. One of one. </p>
<h2 id="YdKczk">Who is Utah like then?</h2>
<p id="OfrC7E">Nobody. They’re unlike any team in the modern era. A chimera of the “greatest sum of their parts is greater than the whole” teams of the past. </p>
<p id="lpHj8B">They are an elite three point shooting team like the Atlanta Hawks but they shoot more threes per game than any team in NBA history. </p>
<p id="9nlosg">They run an offensive that looks like the Spurs, but they don’t give up on offensive rebounds, they instead are the 3rd best offensive rebounding team in the league. </p>
<p id="aAU1IS">They are unheralded like the Detroit Pistons—a bunch of nobodies that are used to being the 4th and 5th people mentioned when talking about their respective positions. </p>
<p id="WzzYCO">They are a group of superstar no stars. Despite having the best record in the league and dominating in almost every game played, they didn’t have one starter on the All-Star team which instead had players from the teams ranked in the standings 7th (Steph Curry-Golden State), 8th (Nikola Jokic-<a href="https://www.denverstiffs.com">Denver Nuggets</a>), and 10th (Luka Doncic-<a href="https://www.mavsmoneyball.com">Dallas Mavericks</a>). The second best team had two players (Anthony Davis & LeBron James-<a href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com">Los Angeles Lakers</a>). </p>
<p id="COuyqL">The Jazz are a chameleon. They can win games like the prime Golden State Warriors by letting it fly from three. They can win by grinding the game down to a halt and dragging opposing offenses through the mud like the Spurs of old or Ben Wallace’s Pistons. They can win like Stockton and Malone and turn the game into a two vs two matchup except they can do that with Donovan and Rudy, Clarkson and Rudy, Conley and Rudy, Ingles and Favors, Ingles and Gobert, or Donovan and Bojan. </p>
<p id="d2HlqS">The Utah Jazz are the next great template that will be dissected, studied, and copied by the rest of the league for years to come. </p>
<p id="40Qgd4">But right now? </p>
<p id="gKC5so">They’re a Jazz riff on classic melodies that’s become something wholly unique in a club on a Friday night. You’ll only hear it played like this once in your life. It’s the type of performance that you’ll try to explain to friends years down the line but it won’t resonate the same. It’s not meant to be compared or analyzed. There’s no time for that. There’s no time to think about telling others. Be present in the one in a million show right in front of your eyes.</p>
<p id="0p6Bfp">Enjoy this Utah Jazz team for what they are:</p>
<p id="rVtdiV">JAZZ.</p>
https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/2/19/22291639/utah-jazz-2013-14-atlanta-hawks-2013-2014-san-antonio-spurs-2003-04-detroit-pistons-donovan-mitchellMychal Lowman2021-02-07T14:30:00-07:002021-02-07T14:30:00-07:00Could Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley, and Royce O’Neale make the All-Defensive Team?
<figure>
<img alt="Utah Jazz v Denver Nuggets" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/b2DoyNJ0B30DhJ_6I2C0j4Db3iU=/0x336:3712x2811/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/68784280/1230902924.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="Lguebg">With the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nba-all-star-game">NBA All-Star game</a> right around the corner, most fan’s attention is on the All-Star game. While <a href="https://www.slcdunk.com">Utah Jazz</a> fans are hoping to see not one, not two, but three Jazzmen get selected, the chances are slim to none. Not because a trio of Conley, Gobert, and Mitchell are not worthy of a selection, but the name that is on the front of their jerseys says “Utah.” With that sad bias out of the way, that does not mean we will not see multiple Jazz players be selected for end of the season awards. One in particular seems interesting to watch: All-Defensive Team. This honor could go to not one, not two, but three Jazz players: Mike Conley, Royce O’Neale, and Rudy Gobert. </p>
<p id="ZNfQre">Conley, O’Neale, and Gobert are no strangers to recognition for their work on the defensive end of the floor. Royce O’Neale may not have hardware but his reputation of a lockdown defender is league-wide knowledge. Mike Conley has been selected on the All-Defensive 2nd Team before back in 2012-2013. Rudy Gobert? He’s on his way to being this generation’s Ben Wallace. He has two Defensive Player of the Year awards to go along with his four All-Defensive 1st Team recognition. </p>
<p id="L2hjgO">These men are known for their hard nosed defense and this season the combination of those three is paying off. According to FiveThirtyEight’s RAPTOR rating, Rudy Gobert has a RAPTOR rating of +6.7 (2nd best in the NBA) with Mike Conley right behind him in third with a rating of +6.4. Royce O’Neale who is routinely getting the hardest defensive assignment of the night is ranked 53rd at +2.3. </p>
<p id="aNIw6y">Rudy Gobert has a Defensive Rating of 100.3 when he’s on the floor. Good for best in the league. Gobert has the second most defensive win shares in the league at 1.6 win shares. Royce O’Neale is tied for 16th with 1.0 win shares. Mike Conley has 0.9. When those three share the court together the Jazz’s points allowed per 100 possessions drops to 101.2 points per 100 possessions according to Cleaning the Glass.</p>
<p id="FaYZAX">This isn’t your bad boy <a href="https://www.detroitbadboys.com">Detroit Pistons</a> that is just mucking the game up so they can stay in it. Not at all. They don’t foul. Teams only making 9.5 free throws per 100 possessions when they’re on the court together. This group is disciplined. Before Mike Conley anybody who was anybody could get into the paint to sight see at the Stifle Tower. Royce O’Neale tried his best, but he’s only one man. Now Royce O’Neale has a partner checking patrons at the door before they get to the paint. </p>
<p id="a60l0a">One person who won’t be in the discussion for All-Defensive Team but his contributions on the defensive end have allowed Rudy Gobert to play at a high level all game long. That person is Derrick Favors. Despite only playing 349 minutes this season, he has a defensive Raptor Rating that is +3.0. He is ranked #36. The only other team to have two big men ranked in the top 50 in defensive rating is the <a href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com">Los Angeles Lakers</a> with Montrezl Harrell.</p>
<p id="uCz5qz">The Utah Jazz as a whole are currently ranked as the second best defense in the entire league. Even today against the <a href="https://www.indycornrows.com">Indiana Pacers</a>, they’re defense kept them in a game where their offense was horrendous. Their top tier defense has allowed Utah to win ugly or pretty. This season their defense has allowed them to stay ahead while playing ugly until their offense is able to get back in gear. </p>
<p id="1D1wUo">Now what are the chances of three players making the All-Defensive Team in the same year? They’re not high. But there’s some promising symmetry that could be at play this year. The last time there were three players named to the All-Defensive Team (1st or 2nd) in the same year was 2012-2013. That coincidentally was the year Mike Conley made the team with two of his teammates. Yes, that’s right. The last team to have three players selected to the All-Defensive Team was Mike Conley’s <a href="https://www.grizzlybearblues.com">Memphis Grizzlies</a>. That year Conley, Tony Allen, and Marc Gasol all were selected. </p>
<p id="B3CWB0">Before Mike Conley’s Grizzlies, the 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 Detroit Pistons had three teammates selected with Chauncey Billups, Tayshaun Prince, and Ben Wallace making the team together. That team was anchored by a four time Defensive Player of the Year award winner Ben Wallace. Right now Rudy Gobert leads the pack for the Defensive Player of the Year award. </p>
<p id="9c1oL0">It would not be an upset if Utah saw three players selected for the All-Defensive NBA 1st and 2nd teams. Crazy enough, if Utah continues to play like they have for the first 24 games of the season, we should expect to see Mike Conley, Royce O’Neale, and Rudy Gobert on that team with Gobert needing someone to help carry his three DPOY trophies home after the awards show.</p>
<p id="SEB6yj"></p>
https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/2/7/22271255/could-rudy-gobert-mike-conley-and-royce-oneale-make-the-all-defensive-teamMychal Lowman2021-01-16T18:51:32-07:002021-01-16T18:51:32-07:00NBA COVID19 Tracker: Attempting to keep up with cases and outbreaks in the NBA
<figure>
<img alt="Oklahoma City Thunder v Houston Rockets - Game Five" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/jJ_h3Z3LmHIwYe-WT1AXAJuhrEw=/0x0:3456x2304/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/68679970/1228217313.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Kim Klement - Pool/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Our heads were spinning trying to follow all the Woj and Shams notifications about Health & Safety Protocols, so we tracked them.</p> <p id="JmF9xS">In the last week the NBA’s battle to play a season out in the wild with COVID19 started to look daunting. With every passing hour, either Shams or Woj was breaking news that another team was experiencing an outbreak amongst their players and personnel. Thirteen games have now been postponed due to COVID19 and more will most likely be on the way due to a new outbreak in the <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30719214/minnesota-timberwolves-karl-anthony-towns-says-tested-positive-covid-19">Minnesota Timberwolves locker room.</a> It has become a head spinning task to keep up with all the notifications so I created a tracker to help out. </p>
<p id="m9CdWq">Below you’ll see that you can search by team to see the players that have been in Health and Safety Protocols. Those who qualify have to have been in the system for more more than 24 hours. That’s why you won’t see Joe Ingles for the <a href="https://www.slcdunk.com">Utah Jazz</a>, but you will see his teammate Juwan Morgan. Data was pulled from the NBA’s injury report so it becomes a little messy when games are postponed. Teams will disclose who is <strong>in or out </strong>of the NBA’s Health & Safety Protocols when a game is played, but when a game is postponed that information will not be disclosed. To get around that I used the qualification that states use whenever there are probable cases, if you’re told to stay home and not be around people, you’re a probable case. Players on teams with outbreaks that played any minutes in the game before postponement are cautiously overcomunted as quarantined. </p>
<h2 id="hQbxww">Insights</h2>
<ul>
<li id="XuiZUF">It’s not just hearsay or anecdote, the NBA is ramping up in probable cases.</li>
<li id="ZQwTe3">The <a href="https://www.bulletsforever.com">Washington Wizards</a> have 4 games postponed.</li>
<li id="omTaWm">The <a href="https://www.celticsblog.com">Boston Celtics</a> and <a href="https://www.brightsideofthesun.com">Phoenix Suns</a> have 3 games postponed.</li>
<li id="hazJpb">
<a href="https://www.fearthesword.com">Cleveland Cavaliers</a> have 2 games postponed but due to the Wizards being unable to field a roster. This happened because Cleveland had a B2B where they’d play two games in Washington.</li>
<li id="mrUnDv">18 out of 30 teams have now had at least one game postponed. </li>
<li id="Ur9t7k">Tomas Satoransky and Javonte Green have been in the protocols multiple times. </li>
<li id="yN6xrG">Players who were infected with COVID19 over the summer or prior to the season have found themselves in the protocols like Jabari Parker.</li>
<li id="Y6du3C">The Utah Jazz dodged A GIANT (Washington) bullet(s) by not having the Wizards earlier on their road trip. They avoided the insurrection taking place at the US Capitol and avoided having a similar fate as Boston and Philadelphia. </li>
</ul>
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<p id="bvv9xE">If you notice any players who have been in the protocols but are not showing in the dashboard, just say so in the comments with the player’s name and when they were listed as having COVID this season or when they were listed in the NBA’s Health and Safety Protocols. </p>
https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/1/16/22235270/nba-covid19-tracker-health-and-safety-protocols-teams-postponed-washington-wizards-phoenix-sunsMychal Lowman2021-01-01T16:36:59-07:002021-01-01T16:36:59-07:00Quin Snyder’s Utah Jazz are nothing if not consistently inconsistent
<figure>
<img alt="Phoenix Suns v Utah Jazz" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/a7lvEviphJvRbpTepFGktsrWUU4=/0x0:5229x3486/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/68607840/1230375856.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Utah Jazz are here every season to show us what an average NBA team looks like through the first 25 games.</p> <p id="XCGSBP">The offensive juggernaut <a href="https://www.slcdunk.com">Utah Jazz</a> from the NBA Bubble has gone missing. In Utah’s first four games, their offense ranks 16th in the league and their defense isn’t even in the Top 10. They are a Donovan Mitchell game winning shot from being 1-3 with losses to the <a href="https://www.canishoopus.com">Minnesota Timberwolves</a>, <a href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com">Oklahoma City Thunder</a>, and <a href="https://www.brightsideofthesun.com">Phoenix Suns</a>. When NBA pundits said the Utah Jazz would have been a different team in the Bubble had they had Bojan Bogdanovic healthy they never meant this. Utah is a team without an identity once again. </p>
<p id="shMBc4">The addition of Derrick Favors and the <a href="https://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=2680146&itype=CMSID">Alec Burks’ free agency of Bojan Bogdanovic</a> was supposed to patch up the weaknesses of Utah’s 2019-2020 season. Without Favors, Utah’s bench suffered and their team defense fell off a cliff when Rudy Gobert left the floor. Without Bojan Bogdanovic, Utah’s offense was Donovan Mitchell plus one of Mike Conley or Jordan Clarkson, depending on who showed out that night. </p>
<p id="RIm2UZ">In the Bubble, Donovan Mitchell turned into D-Wade and helped Utah overcome not having Bogey out on the floor. Unfortunately, Tony Bradley stayed Tony Bradley. Rewatching last season’s playoffs seems like watching a bizarro version of Utah; it’s hard to see how this team came within a game of the second round. It is getting much easier to see how this team blew a 3-1 lead to the <a href="https://www.denverstiffs.com">Denver Nuggets</a>.</p>
<p id="a4Y8Yq">Bojan Bogdanovic thus far looks not like Bojan Bogdanovic of last season. The wrist definitely is not 100% there and—even if it is—his 50-40-90 shooting appears 2-3 months away. In a condensed season, that’s the trade deadline. Bogey exploded against OKC after getting hit in the wrist, but afflicting Bogey every night with additional pain in his wrist is not a long term strategy any person with a soul wants to pursue. Right now when Bojan is on the floor, the Jazz’s offense is in the 38th percentile for points per 100 possessions and 67th percentile for points allowed per 100 possessions. It isn’t great.</p>
<p id="lhVtWd">Derrick Favors is still acclimating himself to the team again. The hope for a plug and play improvement for the bench hasn’t shown results yet. Derrick Favors’ best minutes come when he takes the place of Gobert and is out on the court with 3 or more starters. Add additional bench guys and the Jazz are getting the score run up on them. Favors at least is showing some bright spots and you can see the light at the end of the tunnel for him.</p>
<p id="CpKiKT">The problems for Utah don’t end with Favors’ integration and Bogdanovic’s re-integration. Donovan Mitchell has been a train wreck. If you think I’m being harsh, he was harsher. He said he was shooting like “shit.” He isn’t wrong. He’s shooting 34.1% from the field and 29.7% from three. His play so far this season looks more like he wished on a stone for the bubble and now the monkey’s paw has come for what is owed. He’s not passing the ball as much as he should and he’s trying to do it all himself. Mitchell isn’t the only one not passing the rock. </p>
<p id="JSPtRW">Here is the assist rate to usage ratio for Utah Jazz’s ball handlers:</p>
<ul>
<li id="JEKw5r">Donovan Mitchell - 0.63 (19th percentile)</li>
<li id="KwaaiA">Mike Conley - 0.91 (24th percentile)</li>
<li id="mHjJE7">Bojan Bogdanovic - 0.29 (8th percentile)</li>
<li id="ftTb5q">Royce O’Neale - 0.27 (15th percentile)</li>
<li id="pnMUTt">Joe Ingles - 1.26 (96th percentile)</li>
</ul>
<p id="71mqap">Joe Ingles is the only one willing to pass the rock. He’s really the only playmaker out on the floor. Unfortunately for Utah, he’s not a shotmaker anymore. He is only making 31.6% of his three point attempts. That’s if he even takes the shot. Joe Ingles is so much of a playmaker that he is giving up great shots to make a play of lesser efficiency. Ingles is making up for Utah’s selfishness by not being selfish enough. </p>
<p id="eZRh1P">One thing we must stop doing is pretending as though slow starts for Utah are not typical. Here are the last 6 seasons under Quin Snyder and the Jazz’s record through the first 25 games:</p>
<ul>
<li id="ILdQnR">2015-2016 - 11-14</li>
<li id="zQDnX8">2016-2017 - 15-10</li>
<li id="zR37lJ">2017-2018 - 13-12</li>
<li id="PdnXkJ">2018-2019 - 12-13</li>
<li id="CnpQUA">2019-2020 - 14-11</li>
<li id="TWs9Bf">2020-2021 - 2-2</li>
</ul>
<p id="QU0zNc">Utah has only come out of the gates more than 5 games over .500 once after 25 games. Most of the time, however, Utah is just an average team. Quin Snyder <em>should</em> be criticized for his team’s slow starts. Regardless of who is on the roster, Snyder’s teams have trouble staying consistent with the offensive system and staying disciplined on defense during the team’s first 25 games. If Utah has been consistent in anything over the past six seasons is they are consistently average through the first 25 games of any season. When Utah gets their act together to start the season, that’ll be when we know they finally have a title contender. Until that time, the dye is already cast on a 3rd-7th finish in the playoffs. </p>
<p id="egR3tW">It is not all doom and gloom. Donovan Mitchell will turn it around. We have four seasons of sample size that show that this isn’t the real Donovan Mitchell. Bojan will get healthier and more in rhythm. We have many seasons that show that Bojan Bogdanovic is not this Bojan Bogdanovic. Derrick Favors will get more integrated with the team. By the beginning of February, this Jazz team will give anyone a tough 48 minutes. The only question is can they break the cycle of slow season starts faster than they normally do? Here’s to hoping they do.</p>
<p id="hLQgWu"></p>
https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/1/1/22209693/utah-jazz-slow-start-season-quin-snyder-bojan-bogdanovic-donovan-mitchell-derrick-favorsMychal Lowman2020-12-04T13:06:55-07:002020-12-04T13:06:55-07:00Three reasons to be hopeful and worried about the Utah Jazz
<figure>
<img alt="Utah Jazz v Houston Rockets - Game Five" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/3p2RM4_fri2DDoPDfHGfQPv6BEM=/0x0:3476x2317/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/68458713/1145960275.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>The return of Derrick Favors may not be a flashy signing, but—like Favors himself—it gets the job done. | Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The Utah Jazz have the potential to be a force in the Western Conference. They also have the ingredients to go supernova.</p> <p id="mmfeFy">The <a href="https://www.slcdunk.com">Utah Jazz</a> are not a franchise known for being in the headlines. Their brand outside of Utah is found on the third page of the Sports Section listed under “Box Scores.” Last seasons headlines went from Dark Horse Title Contender to Mike Conley looks lost to Rudy Gobert tests positive for COVID19 to Donovan and Rudy refuse to speak to each other to Rudy Gobert trade rumors to the Bubble in which Donovan Mitchell became a big voice for racial equality and Justice for Breonna Taylor to a first round exit with big heroics from Donovan Mitchell. After such a roller coaster of a season that ended with a loss in the first round again, what is there to possibly be hopeful for this season? Here a few reasons to feel hopeful along with some reasons to rightfully worried.</p>
<h1 id="4EC4CS">Hopeful #1 - The Utah Jazz are flying under the radar</h1>
<p id="a9LOx1">Saying the Utah Jazz are flying under the radar normally has the same energy as saying a chicken is flying lower to the ground. The Jazz rarely are on the radar. Their brand <em>is</em> under the radar. Their brand was turned upside down last season with the massive trade for Mike Conley, the big signing of Bojan Bogdanovic, and moves that sent away Derrick Favors and brought in Ed Davis and Jeff Green. Suddenly the Utah Jazz went from a team mired in the 5th seed to a Dark Horse Title Contender. </p>
<p id="aIXPAn">The Jazz certainly did not anticipate that the headlines they’d be making in March of 2020 would be about a virus no one had heard about and how their star center Rudy Gobert shut down the NBA not just on the court but the entire season indefinitely. </p>
<p id="dKcHyw">This offseason was a complete opposite of last season. Gone was the Rudy Gobert-Donovan Mitchell feud talk. Gone were the Gobert trades rumors. Gone were the exceedingly high expectations. Gone is the excitement of brand new faces and capabilities. Stability, continuity, and familiarity have replaced flashy, new, and promising.</p>
<p id="hF9xEn">Sometimes that can be a bad thing as many who have read this site for a number years know. Seeing the word <em><strong>continuity</strong></em> is likely to bring up some painful memories of the cap strapped final years associated with Deron Williams, Carlos Boozer, Andrei Kirilenko, and Mehmet Okur. But this time it’s different. </p>
<p id="UipgEg">The turbulence of last season was not just sports driven, it was pandemic driven, internationally driven, once in a lifetime driven. Rudy Gobert becoming the face of the pandemic for a month is something no PR team has the ability to prepare for and weather. It isn’t something that any business nor organization can usually weather. But the Jazz tread water long enough to get through it. Removing those distractions and getting to focus on basketball again is a bigger deal than most are making it.</p>
<h1 id="EiwzS0">Hopeful #2 - Continuity</h1>
<p id="yLgbdc">The Utah Jazz not only had a lot of new pieces last season, but they looked like they had a lot of new pieces last season. Their offense and defense at times looked like a seasoned <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nba-2k">NBA2K</a> gamer on the first day with the newest game. The controls, gameplay, and enhancements were just different enough to make them look like amateurs for stretches at a time. That didn’t stop Utah from having a top 10 offense last season, but it did prevent them from being a top 10 defensive team (Utah fell to 11th last season). This kept them from staying competitive against top tier teams.</p>
<p id="WKmPZB">Against top 10 teams, Utah’s offense sputtered to a 12th place ranking in the NBA and their defense fell to 14th. That’s a playoff team, but nothing close to the Dark Horse Championship hype that had been built up for them. </p>
<p id="zWyNy0">The unfamiliarity with each other meant Utah’s “Blender” on offense worked more like an Oster Classic than a Vitamix. When Utah faced a top 10 defensive team, their offensive rating cratered. Their offense dropped to a 21st ranking. The only other playoff teams who fell further were Toronto, Memphis, and Orlando. All teams that carried a similar pretender status.</p>
<p id="FA9272">When Utah came back from the break—however—things appeared to be different. While it’s hard to parse out stats as the Utah Jazz were <em><strong>definitely not tanking to the 6th seed to play Denver</strong></em>, they appeared to have a more cohesive offense. In the first half of games after the COVID break, their offensive rating stayed consistent. It may have dropped slightly to 112.1 from 112.3, but they were arguably playing playoff caliber teams. Before that offensive rating was dropping to 108.8. </p>
<p id="l09Z2Q">There’s hope that continuity—I shudder at that word—could actually prove beneficial for Utah next season.</p>
<h1 id="C5s4nK">Hopeful #3 - Let’s get defensive</h1>
<p id="VXkGah">The Jazz traded one identity for another last season as they gave up Ricky Rubio, Jae Crowder, and Derrick Favors and replaced them with Mike Conley, Bojan Bogdanovic, and the ghosts of Jeff Green, Ed Davis, and Tony Bradley. There were times that the Jazz had to rely upon Georges Niang for defense (sorry, Georges). But the Jazz fixed that in a big way this offseason. </p>
<p id="aen0hc">Utah drafted Udoka Azubuike in what many saw was a reach. We may want to remind people that most thought—myself included—Rudy Gobert was a reach as well back in 2013. He was a one man top defensive team by himself at Kansas. The Jazz also brought the gang back together by signing Derrick Favors back. He wanted to be back, he knows the system, and is ready to spell R-U-D-Y when Rudy Gobert is on the bench. </p>
<p id="I3tetu">There’s no pretty way to say the Jazz’s defense was terrible last season. The only way to say it is sucked. It just flat out sucked. Like trying to land a plane with both its engines out, the Jazz’s minutes without Rudy Gobert on the court last season ended in disaster more often than not. When the bench was better it was hard to tell if it was actually the bench working or if Utah was preying upon the dregs of the NBA.</p>
<p id="LsXVOb">When Rudy was on the court last season, the Jazz allowed 107.4 points per 100 possessions. When he was off of it, they allowed 115.6 points per 100 possessions. That meant that Rudy Gobert had to be on the court more, not great for career longevity of a seven footer. Rudy played the most minutes of his career last season averaging 34.3 minutes per game. But that doesn’t do it justice. In almost every game he played, the median was closer to 36 minutes at 35.2 minutes per game. He played more than 36 minutes in a game 28 times during last season, not including the playoffs. </p>
<p id="y8Vjpx">Derrick Favors is key to the Utah Jazz getting the most from Rudy Gobert. He keeps Rudy healthy and rested. He also brings down the number of times Gobert has to be rushed back to the court as the bench bleeds points away. Last season with the Pelicans, Favors improved the Pellies’ defense by 6 points per 100 possessions when he was on the court. That’s as he was playing against top tier opposing teams’ starters. Now he’ll be coming off the bench for 20-25 minutes a night. Gobert will be able to return to 30-31 minutes a game and the Jazz will be better for it.</p>
<h1 id="6dmcAk">Worried #1 - Rudy Gobert’s contract talks</h1>
<p id="aR8Gin">Negotiating a third contract with a star player in the NBA is always difficult. Most players don’t stay with the same team for most of their career. It’s difficult for a large market team. It’s a high wire act for a small market franchise. Rudy Gobert and Utah have until December 21st to come to an agreement on an extension. The impasse in talks is Rudy Gobert earned his eligibility for a Supermax deal. Utah doesn’t want to give it. It doesn’t work out well for franchises and that’s when it is for guards and wings. It’s even scarier for teams with a star big man as big men in the NBA tend to have a faster decline after the age of 30. </p>
<p id="uKSMjL">Jazz fans are right to worry about these negotiations. The last time Utah couldn’t get their player to sign an extension before the season, they left in free agency in the season thereafter. Tony Jones of the Athletic says we shouldn’t get carried away with thinking if Utah and Gobert can’t find middle ground that<a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheathletic.com%2F2233386%2F2020%2F12%2F02%2Futah-jazz-rudy-gobert-long-term-contract-negotiations%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.slcdunk.com%2F2020%2F12%2F4%2F22153585%2Ftraining-camp-preview-utah-jazz-derrick-favors-rudy-gobert-donovan-mitchell-covid-19-coronavirus" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank"> Utah will trade him away.</a></p>
<p id="Wb0JjI">I agree with that. Utah is a small market that is wanting to start behaving like a large market. They have a large market minded new owner, lots more cash, and they can give Gobert the most amount of money. I don’t see Utah pursuing a trade unless it got Deron Williams-Jerry Sloan levels of ugly between the Jazz and Gobert if talks fail. It’s not in Utah’s DNA to do that. I understand where they’re coming from.</p>
<p id="oPIbdu">But it’d be wrong to run an entire season placating to Rudy why he should stay as they did with Gordon Hayward. If Utah didn’t strike gold with Donovan Mitchell in the same offseason that Hayward left, Utah would have been a lottery team from 2017 to the present. It would have been a full rebuild. They got lucky. To assume that lightning would strike twice if they play the odds with Rudy for a full season is naive. </p>
<p id="OQCeSb">That’s not to say moving on from Rudy Gobert would be easy. It wouldn’t. It would be devastating. As devastating as the Hayward loss was thought to become. The Jazz would lose their identity. Their roster which is currently built around Gobert’s defense would have to be restructured from the ground up around Donovan. It would be open season on the trade market for Utah’s veterans like Mike Conley, Bojan Bogdanovic, Derrick Favors, and Joe Ingles. It would be a nightmare. </p>
<p id="HtsUIM">But so would losing Rudy Gobert for nothing. Utah would not gain cap space like they did when Hayward left. They’d still be over the salary cap. They would be old. They would be without an identity. They would look like the post-Shaq <a href="https://www.hothothoops.com">Miami Heat</a> with Dwyane Wade doing all the heavy lifting. It would be an 8th seed clawing its way from being a 12th seed all season long. </p>
<p id="ZUSb3G">Trading Rudy Gobert would at least give Utah some water wings as they tread stormy waters with only Donovan Mitchell as their lifeboat to a new era in Jazz basketball. Rudy Gobert can’t be blind to what happened to Utah when Hayward left. He must know that if he balks at the offer and plays hardball for as much money as possible, he starts on the Hayward path. Jazz fans don’t have the patience for a sequel. A new owner may not either. Especially one that is expecting a playoff team and isn’t ready for one of his stars to leave the team for peanuts. </p>
<h2 id="N2Mx20">Worried #2 - Continuity</h2>
<p id="4nCxWv">A team can get too comfortable. Comfortable in their floor. Comfortable in their ceiling. Sometimes getting know a team’s limits and understanding them can hold a team back from finding another gear. The hope with Utah this season will be that the failure to break through the 1st and 2nd round will fuel them to take it to another level. It could also build complacency.</p>
<p id="UhvUtT">Remember how Utah struggled in their second season with Ricky Rubio, Donovan, Joe Ingles, Favors, and Gobert? It wasn’t until Utah REALLY shook it up. They traded for Kyle Korver early in December. The team had problems and they weren’t solving themselves. If Utah had their way they would have traded Rubio to Memphis for Conley a few months earlier. That continuity ended in a 1st round exit and up and down play an entire season. </p>
<p id="d3nR46">In truth, Utah hasn’t had a <em>consistent</em> season in the Donovan-Rudy era. The first year they needed a miraculous second half of the season run to get to the playoffs. The second they were up and down all season which included another second half season run, Ricky Rubio getting defensive about trade talks, and quick playoff exit by Houston. Last season was a circus. </p>
<p id="rciJgO">If Utah was to actually play consistently all season this season would be a first for the Don-Rudy era. Hopefully continuity can break the cycle. It could also continue it. Utah will hope that Favors’ return is the right amount of familiarity mixed with novelty that will keep Utah moving forward rather than complacent.</p>
<p id="LMQBRW">Worried #3 - COVID-19</p>
<p id="y2FkQE">It’s wild to think how much ire was put toward Rudy Gobert when he tested positive for COVID-19 back in March. The amount of scientific journals I’ve poured over since that time first to just understand how to write about it responsibly in the weeks that followed then as a passion project for my own community is crazy to think about. We know so much more about it since March, yet the very situation the NBA and numerous other professional leagues cancelled their seasons in order to prevent is upon us. </p>
<p id="ecGdxs">The United States recorded almost 3,000 deaths in a day yesterday. More people died yesterday to COVID than in the 9/11 attacks. Utah has recorded 917 deaths since this pandemic started. The state to the north of them that contains a good portion of their fanbase and frequents the Salt Lake City community, Idaho, passed the 1,000 deaths mark yesterday. </p>
<p id="Gnlmt0">Cases are out of control, misinformation about it is rampant, and deaths are spiraling. Hospitals are out of capacity in many places, nurses are burned out, doctors are running scarce, and the United States is headed toward a winter of immeasurable suffering. </p>
<p id="mZaZ4f">The world needs sports as a diversion for all this suffering, but that diversion cannot serve as lipstick on a COVID-laced pig that is destroying our communities’ most vulnerable populations. Not to mention the risk COVID is to the league’s older employees whether those are arena workers, coaches, staffs, front office executives, secretaries, or volunteers. </p>
<p id="dpONFE">The Utah Jazz announced layoffs on its business side of operations and had two players unable to practice as they are out with COVID-19. The NBA must not become the band on the Titanic playing just as it’s sinking. Just as they stood up for racial issues and performed a strike which did immeasurable good for voting rights and racial equality during the playoffs, they may need to exert their will again to force certain communities, cities, and states to get with the program and enact mask mandates, shutdown indoor dining facilities, shutdown gyms, and—yes—even shutdown the NBA as an example for a period. </p>
<p id="1mvizu">Why? Because there are things bigger than basketball. There are folks who need hospitals. There are children who need to be in school more than we need to eat inside at an In-N-Out. There are grandparents and parents who need to make it through the winter so they can have another Christmas more than we need to watch a Christmas game with our grandparents. </p>
<p id="J1iixk">Is it the NBA’s fault that the nation is like this? No. Is it the NBA’s responsibility to lead a nation in the pandemic? Hell no. But can the NBA present a responsible message and get people to listen? Hell to the yes.</p>
<p id="1I3teq">Right now, we are in a situation that Dr. Fauci and countless other experts said was their worst case scenario for the winter. We have essentially performed a speed run of the 1918 Flu Pandemic while ignoring modern medicine. </p>
<p id="cwWwz9">I want the NBA. I want basketball. But I want uninterrupted enjoyment of basketball. I don’t want a roster of only 5 Jazz players going against the <a href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com">Lakers</a> at full strength in January because of a COVID outbreak in the Jazz locker room. I know the NBA needs a cash infusion. I know the Jazz desperately needed one or they wouldn’t have sold a team in the middle of a pandemic. But a season in which COVID is raging at levels not heretofore seen since 1918 or the Black Plague, there’d be disruptions to not just Utah’s chemistry and success, but everyone’s.</p>
<p id="J4WTpp">We already had one season with an asterisk. The NBA can postpone for three months and avoid an asterisk with the second one. If the NBA does so, their sacrifice and example could very well save a few thousand lives in their home cities. If the Utah Jazz were to lead the charge, they could not only save hundreds of lives in their communities, but hundreds of their own fans lives. I would love to see it.</p>
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https://www.slcdunk.com/2020/12/4/22153585/training-camp-preview-utah-jazz-derrick-favors-rudy-gobert-donovan-mitchell-covid-19-coronavirusMychal Lowman2020-11-18T14:01:36-07:002020-11-18T14:01:36-07:00Jazz fans, enjoy the 2020 NBA Draft and don’t forget to boo
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<img alt="Utah Jazz 2013 Draft Press Conference" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/hXb66BMt7eEw93Y6ibs5b0udfjI=/0x0:3504x2336/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67813078/172011826.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Hope springs eternal until the ink dries on the Jazz pick. Remember to have fun tonight.</p> <p id="AWBg1h">Just enjoy tonight. Enjoy it. The <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba-draft">NBA Draft</a> is a ton of fun. Not because highlights from Draft Express are fire (you’ve seen them 100x over already). Not because the New Era Draft Caps are felt this year. Not because you know who will be great. Not because you know will be terrible. What makes NBA Draft night fun is knowing the only thing you do know is how to boo mercilessly. That is what makes tonight fun: the unknown.</p>
<p id="2WmiuC">You don’t know who is going to make that wild trade that starts a rebuild (#TrustTheProcess). You don’t know which international prospect you have never heard of before will become a household name. You don’t know which top flight prospect is going to be out of the league in two years. You don’t know which second rounder is going to be a star like <span>Nikola Jokic</span>, <span>Paul Millsap</span>, Carlos Boozer, <span>Mehmet Okur</span>, or Gilbert Arenas. You don’t know what player is going to careen down the draft board last minute. You don’t know who’s going to get picked from out of nowhere (Hi, <span>Anthony Bennett</span>). </p>
<p id="sIefFn">What makes the NBA Draft so much damn fun is you just don’t know.</p>
<p id="H8PVfl">Here at SLC Dunk we have written preview after preview on prospects. Having been here 10+ years, I can tell you I have no idea what makes a good NBA player before the draft. I’m pretty good at telling at Summer League where it becomes apparent really fast, but before the draft? No idea. Great college resume? Doesn’t matter. Or it completely matters. Age? Can’t be too old. Or maybe 24 gives them an advantage. Tweener? Perfect for today’s NBA. Or it’ll change in three years and render them useless. We just don’t know. It’s why it’s fun.</p>
<p id="v67Gdk">I remember seeing <span>Rudy Gobert</span> at the NBA Draft combine and having a scout casually say offhand, “Someone is going to make a big mistake and get the French Hasheem Thabeet.” I couldn’t blame him for the comment. Rudy had been horrendous at the Draft. His interviews with reporters highlighted a scared 20 year old man child in a 7 foot body. He looked lanky, uncoordinated, and slow. I didn’t want Utah to draft him. When Utah traded up for <span>Trey Burke</span>—WHO I LOVED—I thought that was the swing for the fences type of pick that would change the franchise. When Utah traded up for <span>Gobert</span> I didn’t think much of it, especially as Utah had both <span>Enes Kanter</span> and <span>Derrick Favors</span>. </p>
<p id="qhHlk7">Then I was proven wrong. That slow 7 footer I saw at the combine? He was nursing an injury (ingrown toenail that needed surgery) that he was worried to disclose. Once repaired he ran like a gazelle, had a knack for blocks, and jumped out of the gym. That scared kid? It was his first time in America and was translating English as he was speaking to us in his head. Nothing about his first trip over here was natural. Little did I know that Rudy came pre-equipped with a work ethic that didn’t quit. The chip on his shoulder was almost as tall as he was. By his second season he was starting to grow into his body and bully the Gasol brothers in international friendlies. Now he’s a two-time DPOY, two-time All-NBA Center, and one-time All-Star. He even qualified for a Supermax Contract. That was a #27 pick that a scout thought was the French Hasheem Thabeet.</p>
<p id="mXmnVv">Players I thought were going to be great turned out to be great. I loved <span>Donovan Mitchell</span>. I was bought in on him before he got to Utah. But it could be bias as anyone from the Midwest in Indiana or Kentucky got my vote (<span>Carsen Edwards</span> should be a <a href="https://www.slcdunk.com/">Jazz</a>man, don’t @ me). </p>
<p id="KU82ph">Then other players I thought would be scrubs turned out to be great rotation players (<span>Raul Neto</span>), or players that I thought would be stars turned out to scrubs (<span>Morris Almond</span>). It’s so damn hit or miss. </p>
<p id="FhHIt9">The joy of the NBA Draft is not in the known, but the unknown. Whether the Jazz use the pick and draft a one in a million type player like Andrei Kirilenko or Deron Williams or push their chips to the center of the table and trade for <span>George Hill</span> or <span>Mike Conley</span> to get that extra <em>umph </em>in the playoffs. The NBA Draft is the perfect embodiment of why hope springs eternal in the NBA. One player in the NBA can change the fortune for an NBA team. </p>
<p id="XGMGuY">That happened when Utah drafted <span>Donovan Mitchell</span>. Without Mitchell, Utah wastes away in NBA purgatory post-<span>Gordon Hayward</span>. Hell, I thought <span>Hayward</span> was going to be a star when drafted. He didn’t come into his own until his 5th year. This whole NBA thing is crazy. It’s fun. </p>
<p id="yA1utz">But one thing that isn’t unknown? How to guarantee a great Jazz draft pick when you’re worried that it’s the wrong. If you’re worried the Jazz picked the wrong player, or he doesn’t have the upside to become a star, boo the **** out of him. Trust me. It imbued on John Stockton and <span>Gordon Hayward</span> the ability to rise above the potential of average starter and become stars. In John Stockton’s case, the booing was so strong that some say it changed the chemistry of his DNA turning him into a Hall of Famer. </p>
<p id="wp95KW">So have fun tonight. We have no idea which player is going to be great. We have no idea who is going to be terrible. We have no idea what is going to happen. But we do know we gotta boo the **** out of whoever the Jazz pick if we think they’re going to be terrible. Else how will they ever get the ability to make a name for themselves?</p>
https://www.slcdunk.com/nba-draft/2020/11/18/21573887/2020-nba-draft-boo-john-stockton-gordon-hayward-rudy-gobert-trey-burke-donovan-mitchell-paul-millsapMychal Lowman2020-11-02T11:52:50-07:002020-11-02T11:52:50-07:00Time to pull a Frank Layden and take a step back
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/dwqBJftOiixP8w9pRHMc3vr-1-k=/0x168:4032x2856/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67727198/IMG_0363.0.jpg" />
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<p>After 10 years of being with SLC Dunk, a bench role looks really nice.</p> <p id="Drx6dU">I will never in my life forget where I was when <span>Rudy Gobert</span> tested positive for COVID19. I was hiking with my wife in the foothills in Boise. The rumors of COVID being closer to home than we realized were swirling in the days prior. A large conference that I attend for work annually had just been cancelled in California and there were rumors that by the end of the month we could be working remote. My wife and I went for a hike to get away from the noise. I turned off my cell phone before the hike. When we got to the top I checked my phone just to make sure our team here at SLC Dunk had covered their assignments. That’s when the notifications started flying in that turned my iPhone into an N64 rumble pack that was on the fritz. It was then that my year and many of yours would change. It was that day that would eventually put me on a path to this day. The day I decided to move on from the position of Site Manager here at SLC Dunk. </p>
<p id="K0lps9">I have posted stories to SLC Dunk longer than I have been married to my own wife. 2020 marked the tenth anniversary of my first start here. I started over at Salt City Hoops with Spencer Ryan Hall when TrueHoop was started. I even helped out from time to time with the Daily Dime Live, the which started the jargon that is now the bedrock of #NBATwitter’s language and conjugations. I went from there to Spencer Campbell’s <a href="https://www.slcdunk.com">Utah Jazz</a> Blog then to here at SLC Dunk. </p>
<p id="mZRhHL">I never saw myself on the level of other “reckless boggers” who wrote here. How could I? Kris was/is a meme machine. He has gone viral for amazing memes and is the original Basketball John. During my time here I can say my virality depends on whether a <a href="https://www.slcdunk.com/">Utah Jazz</a> player Quote Tweets LMAO over my tweet. (Thanks, Favors, I still chuckle about it.) I didn’t have the journalistic prowess of TheShums. The analytical knowhow of Amar’s textbooks that were converted into 15,000 word posts. I didn’t have the passion of Diana’s fury when Sloan was fired. I couldn’t pick out when something quirky happened like Monilogue. I didn’t have the measured outlook of Clark. I certainly was nowhere close to Andy B Larsen’s meteoric rise who I assume is on track for a pulitzer after his COVID coverage.</p>
<p id="CJ0KnS">Earnestly, I felt I had no business running this site. I feel like I’ve received more from all of you reading than I’ve given back. I have been able to cover Draft Combines and events. I have been able to interact with people far beyond my pay grade. I’ve had Jazz officials call me to tell me their sheer pleasure (actually just displeasure) in articles that I have written. </p>
<p id="OvdxHC">When Amar stepped down abruptly, I felt more like Ty Corbin than I did <span>Quin Snyder</span>. I was the unlucky sap that came into the spot during a turbulent time. I lost a lot of sleep trying to figure out how to satisfy people’s sadness and loss of Amar while trying to blaze our own unique trail. I love you guys who read us—even the ones who have disagreed with my takes. When people were frustrated with the transition, I was right there with you. I wasn’t ready to takeover that locker room. I don’t feel like I threaded the needle. That makes me sad to think about. But I do believe we blazed our own trail and created something special over these past few years.</p>
<p id="vRhWEM">The amazing team that we have here stepped up. Taylor took over social media and made it consistent and funny during game days. James’ passion fueled podcasts and postgame videos. Tavan, Kaleb, James, Taylor, and Jason rocked Downbeats and Power Rankings. We adjusted how the Downbeat was to make it fresh. We broke news of <span>Donovan Mitchell</span>’s new signature shoe. We have forged great relationships with the Utah Jazz e-sports team and the G-League Utah Stars. A few of our collaborations with BreakingT found their way into the hands of players and they wore them during the playoffs. We saw the rise of <span>Donovan Mitchell</span> and had the immense pleasure to cover his special rookie season and playoff run. We were able to rally behind an underdog team that made a once in a lifetime midseason turnaround. It was so much damn fun.</p>
<p id="dJCxjM">I loved the Utah Jazz. Still do. It was how my father and I connected after his mother passed away. It’s still how my father and I connect. The Utah Jazz have been there through thick and thin for me. </p>
<p id="mUbn5c">But even more than that, the people I’ve met as I’ve been a writer then a Site Manager here have become friends or respected peers. Whether that is Amar, Diana, Moni, TheShums, Clark, Andy, James, Taylor, Tavan, Jason, Jordan, Andy Bailey, Justin, Nathan, Dan, Sam, Kristine, Anthony, Kaleb, Spencer, and countless others. </p>
<p id="fSQ9li">This pandemic put me and this site in a position where we had to make decisions on where we stood as far as COVID, Black Lives Matter, #TeamRudy or #TeamDon, and Utah’s future. It has made us have to think more of our families. It made me think more of the balance of basketball, my jobs (plural), and my family. There has been many times that I have thought if this pandemic never happened I could have had the energy to be site manager for a year or two more. </p>
<p id="JSGqLH">But I don’t. </p>
<p id="wKBvFm">This past year made me re-center on what was important to me and my family. I started tracking COVID19 in Idaho as there was a vacuum of information there. I wanted my community to be safe. Writing about playoff basketball while getting messages and emails from families in Idaho wondering if their grandma was safe in a certain care facility or where to go because someone in their family had fallen ill put a stark contrast on what was important for me now. Never had the fact that I’m putting a lot of stock into a game where people try to put a ball into a hoop felt more inconsequential. That’s not to say that those who did during the pandemic are out of touch. I just was hit with a desire to do more for my community and my state of Idaho. </p>
<p id="NBufDt">That was when I knew that it was time to move on. If I didn’t have that passion, our readers deserved someone who did. I will still be writing here weekly-ish, but I won’t be calling the shots. Nor will I be dictating the pace of play. I have been a starter for a lot of years here at this site and it’s important to recognize when you need to take a bench role, now is my #Vetzz moment. The rest of the team is sticking around and I know they are the right people to lead SLC Dunk in this new decade. They have the right mix of creativity, enthusiasm, passion, and <em><strong>“Reckless Bogger”</strong></em> that will carry this site to new heights. </p>
<p id="IMI6xx">I’ll let the next site manager have the pleasure of making the announcement of who they are and they have my full confidence. The entire team does. </p>
<p id="GoKM9n">Thanks for a dealing with me for a decade of writing. Now it’s time for me to take a step back to let the real stars of this website shine. </p>
<h5 id="nM2Yzd"><em>(Here’s to eating with freaking humans next season)</em></h5>
<p id="kvH9UG">Go Utah Jazz!</p>
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https://www.slcdunk.com/2020/11/2/21546202/mychal-lowman-stepping-down-site-manager-reckless-boggerMychal Lowman