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Before the season started, I gave an update on the current Jazz players and how close they are to different franchise statistical records. I wasn't planning to update it again until after the season, but last night, Jordan Clarkson shot his way into the top ten in franchise three-pointers, and I thought it was time to take another look at it.
Three-pointers
The NBA's three-point revolution has been going on for a while now, but looking at lists like this makes it incredibly evident. Four of the top ten players were on the team this season. Another two are active NBA players still. Donovan Mitchell has played only 323 games with the Utah Jazz, and he's currently second on the list. It won't be long until he takes over first. John Stockton, an excellent shooter and the picture of longevity, played 1,504 games. Almost five times as many as Mitchell.
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Mitchell, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Jordan Clarkson are hitting threes at a rate that many older players likely never imagined during their playing days. To put it into perspective, Donovan Mitchell is on pace to hit 231 threes this season. That number alone would rank 21st all-time for the Jazz. He's on that pace even while missing time to injury and having a fairly poor shooting season for his standards.
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This year, Bogdanovic could climb to 5th place on this list and then set his sights on passing Gordon Hayward for 4th. Clarkson won't be far behind that. Even then, that's not all. Two more current Jazz players are shooting their way up the leaderboard and will likely crack the top ten in the next season or two. Royce O'Neale is currently 13th and only 50 threes behind Clarkson. Mike Conley is next in line at 14th, although he has a more significant gap to cover. Assuming no severe injuries or trades, both O'Neale and Conley will have good chances of claiming spots in the top ten.
Points
Donovan Mitchell cracked the top ten in scoring on new year's day this season, passing former teammate Derrick Favors.
Congratulations to Donovan Mitchell for making his way into the top 10 all-time in scoring for the Utah Jazz #UltraMoment | @MichelobUltra pic.twitter.com/AjVnxRixo9
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 2, 2022
Mitchell then continued to pass Deron Williams for 9th place. Mitchell's scoring volume will see him quickly rise up this list. Being where he is already through just four and a half seasons (two of which were shortened) is remarkable.
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Rudy Gobert is the only other active Jazz player of note on the scoring list. Although he's never been known for scoring, he's well on his way to a lofty spot on the franchise scoring list. Currently in 13th; Gobert is looking to pass a couple of fellow Utah Jazz centers this season. If he remains healthy through the rest of the year and keeps scoring near his average, he may even overtake Deron Williams for 10th.
Rebounds
Rudy Gobert is currently third in the rebounding category, behind Jazz greats Karl Malone and Mark Eaton. Gobert is only 148 rebounds behind Eaton, and at the rate that he's rebounding, it may only take him 9 or 10 games to grab that many. Gobert is leading the league in rebounds per game this season with 14.9.
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Although Gobert averages more rebounds per game than Malone ever did, he won't have any chance of catching the Mailman in total boards. Malone played 1,434 games, at over 37 minutes per game. His total of 54,852 minutes ranks second in the NBA all-time. The sheer amount of time he spent on the court is nearly unmatchable. Gobert will overtake 2nd place and see how much of a lead he can build on third place.
Blocks
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Rudy Gobert is quickly climbing up the blocks leaders list as well. He passed Greg Ostertag earlier this season, placing himself in third, behind Mark Eaton and Andrei Kirilenko. Gobert is 64 blocks behind AK-47. Although not impossible, it's unlikely he'll block that many shots in the final 25 games of the season. He'll surely make that pass next year, but Kirilenko gets to enjoy some more time in second place for now.
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Eaton's record for blocks is fourth in NBA history. The blocked shot is a stat that is becoming less frequent in today's NBA. While in the '80s and '90s, a player averaging more than four blocks per game was a yearly occurrence, it's rare to see a player average more than three in today's league. The Utah Jazz franchise block record is yet another one that Rudy Gobert will unfortunately not have a chance to hold. However, reaching second place will be a great accomplishment. Gobert will go down as the greatest defender in franchise history and one of the greatest that the league has ever seen.
We are watching a couple of the franchise's greatest players in their primes right now. Enjoy this, Jazz fans. When all is said and done, Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert will be known as Utah Jazz legends.
Stats via basketball-reference.com and statmuse.com
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