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The 2018-19 Utah Jazz season is over. The players, coaches, and front office members had one full night’s of rest (or lack thereof) following their game five loss in Houston, and they opened up to media today for exit interviews. Here’s the best from today’s exit interviews, courtesy of the fearless Utah Jazz beat writers and media team.
Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey:
Dennis Lindsey: "While we have a very good team, the results told us we don't have a great team."
— Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) April 25, 2019
"Derrick Favors isn't part of the problem. He's part of the solution," Dennis Lindsey says
— Ryan McDonald (@ryanwmcdonald) April 25, 2019
Lindsey on whether Favors/Gobert can coexist on the same roster: "Absolutely. Derrick can do certain things Rudy can't do, and Rudy can do some things no other human in the world can do. It's a false narrative."
— Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) April 25, 2019
Dennis: "We've had quite a few opportunities to say yes" to big-name free-agents, but the "opportunity cost" hasn't been worth the "production cost"
— Eric Walden (@tribjazz) April 25, 2019
Dennis: "Look, [Donovan is] 22. … It took James Harden awhile to get to the peak of his powers. … We'll grow him into one of the most significant players in the league."
— Eric Walden (@tribjazz) April 25, 2019
Dennis: Ricky's "greatest trait is his empathy and his care factor. … That's why you saw him play so well against Houston. He was fighting."
— Eric Walden (@tribjazz) April 25, 2019
Dennis Lindsey on Rubio at the trade deadline: "Unfortunately a team leaked something, and it was unethical. ... There are a lot of scenarios where we think Ricky could be back."
— Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) April 25, 2019
Ricky Rubio:
Ricky on trade rumors: "Imagine going to work knowing your name is out there and it doesn't depend on you if you are going to be there tomorrow. It's uncomfortable."
— Ryan Miller (@millerjryan) April 25, 2019
Ricky: "I gave it all, all I had. Could I have played better? Yeah. But I finished the season with everything I had. … This series, we could have won it. That's why I'm so disappointed. … We had what we needed to win. I don't know why we didn't show it from the beginning."
— Eric Walden (@tribjazz) April 25, 2019
Ricky on his future: "A lot of friends have asked me, 'Yo, where are you gonna play next year? Can I come visit?' I honestly have no idea. … It depends on a lot of things. … I'm gonna look for the best situation for me with the coach and the team. … I want to be happy."
— Eric Walden (@tribjazz) April 25, 2019
Ricky, on Donovan: "You can't skip a bad stretch. There's nobody in this league who has it perfect. … I tried always to stay positive [with him]." Emphasized seeing the bigger picture rather than what's happening in the moment. "It's been a blessing having him as a teammate."
— Eric Walden (@tribjazz) April 25, 2019
Rubio: I don't have any idea where I'm going to play next year.
— Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) April 25, 2019
Derrick Favors:
Derrick Favors on his approach to the off-season: “I would prefer to come back here. The grass ain’t always greener on the other side.”
— Eric Woodyard (@E_Woodyard) April 25, 2019
Derrick: "The guys who I hang out with in the offseason, they always ask, 'How is Utah?' I tell them it's a little different, but it grows on you. … I think guys around the league are thinking about Utah."
— Eric Walden (@tribjazz) April 25, 2019
Derrick Favors: “I prefer to come back, I love it here.” pic.twitter.com/9acHp5EDPO
— ESPN 700 (@ESPN700) April 25, 2019
Donovan Mitchell:
Donovan's self-evaluation: "It was tough. … I only really had a few good months. … There's a lot I can improve on. … But through all the struggles, we got 50 wins, we battled the Houston Rockets."
— Eric Walden (@tribjazz) April 25, 2019
Donovan, on pitching to free agents: "We have the DPOY; we have myself, who's still getting better; we have an incredible group of unselfish players. … From top to bottom, we have a whole group of unselfish players. We want to win — we don't care about the individual stuff."
— Eric Walden (@tribjazz) April 25, 2019
Donovan Mitchell on what he needs to improve at this off-season: “Better shape. I’ll just leave it at that.”
— Eric Woodyard (@E_Woodyard) April 25, 2019
Donovan: "If you would've told me 3 years ago Dwyane Wade would be talking to me about working out this summer after a tough loss, I wouldn't have believed you. But he's right — we've got to work. … I'm really excited to get to work and to do what I've got to do."
— Eric Walden (@tribjazz) April 25, 2019
Rudy Gobert:
Rudy: "We all need to have a championship on our minds. Not in the playoffs — it starts right now. … There's not a lot of teams that can do what we do. … We're still a young team — it's gonna keep getting better every year. We're right there."
— Eric Walden (@tribjazz) April 25, 2019
Rudy: "We all love each other. It's not every year i can say that. … But at the same time … every team that wants to win has to make tough decisions. We're all kind of prepared for that. Nobody's safe. We all saw Blake Griffin get traded a year ago."
— Eric Walden (@tribjazz) April 25, 2019
Gobert: "I want to take it to the next level. I've been putting too many limits on myself and what I can be for this team."
— Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) April 25, 2019
Joe Ingles:
Jingles: "Our team genuinely enjoys being around each other. … If they need me to FaceTime Fav again, I'll do it. … There's always changes. But I still believe what we've got, with maybe adding a piece or two, can be a special group that does special things."
— Eric Walden (@tribjazz) April 25, 2019
Jingles, on dealing with growing popularity: "The whole year for me was tough, dealing with Jacob. … Nothing else really mattered. That stuff was great, I had fun doing it all. It brings you closer as a group. … But it was by far the toughest year of my career."
— Eric Walden (@tribjazz) April 25, 2019
Ingles: "It kills me inside to know I wasn't able to help my team as much as I could have and should have.... I'm going to drive right every time now."
— Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) April 25, 2019
Joe Ingles addresses the media during his exit interview with a hoodie that reads “...never too high, never too low...” which is a slogan often used by teammate Ricky Rubio. pic.twitter.com/P2Ie89V4Ho
— Eric Woodyard (@E_Woodyard) April 25, 2019
Jae Crowder:
Jae: "I was telling Donovan last night, 'Growing hurts. … You're gonna have things not go your way. … It's how you channel that hurt and anger. … Going from good to great is the hardest thing in the NBA."
— Eric Walden (@tribjazz) April 25, 2019
Jae Crowder: “I’ll recruit, I have a lot of friends. I will do my part.” pic.twitter.com/CQ7R6DF5zk
— ESPN 700 (@ESPN700) April 25, 2019
Jae Crowder will try and recruit some pieces to Utah this offseason. Cites winning as his sales pitch.
— Eric Woodyard (@E_Woodyard) April 25, 2019
Royce O’Neale:
Royce, on his role as a teammate: "Bringing a lot of energy, support; bringing guys up when they're down. A perfect example is Ekpe — he helped me and Donovan out so much this season. I'm just trying to follow his example."
— Eric Walden (@tribjazz) April 25, 2019
Royce, on the playoffs: "Those were big moments. … Me having confidence in myself, my teammates and coaches believing in me."
— Eric Walden (@tribjazz) April 25, 2019
Kyle Korver:
Korver on retirement possibility: "I still love playing basketball. For me, personally, it's been a long few years. Having a marriage, three kids, trying to balance it all. That's probably where I'm at, weighing that cost. That'll be something I sit down with me and my family."
— Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) April 25, 2019
Georges Niang: (in my opinion, THE QUOTE OF THE DAY)
Georges, on his summer plans: "I'm going to continue to work on my body and become the Greek god I know I can be."
— Eric Walden (@tribjazz) April 25, 2019