Rudy Gobert wins DPOY, Donovan Mitchell voted the NBA’s best first-year Rookie

The NBA season is long over, and the draft has already passed. Apparently the NBA decided this is the perfect time to grab all the headlines one more time before summer really sets in. The Utah Jazz were well represented at the award ceremony.

Rudy Gobert deservedly won the Defensive Player of the Year award. I’m pretty confident in saying that it won’t be his last DPOY. The anchor of one of the best defenses in the league, Gobert helped resurrect a Utah team that was left for dead partway through the season. And his work has just begun!

Donovan Mitchell also had the most votes of any rookie from his draft class. Unfortunately he didn’t get to take home the award, but sounds determined to come back and win it next year, and has some local support as well from Real Salt Lake legend Nick Rimando:

With these 2 locked up for the long term, the future of the Utah Jazz is as bright as ever!

All eyes turn toward next season, and the next date to mark on your calendar is actually coming up very quickly. With the turn of the month also comes NBA Free Agency, and the Jazz have a few of their own they are hoping to bring back. Derrick Favors, Dante Exum, and Raul Neto could all be suiting up elsewhere next year, but Dennis Lindsey is hoping to prevent that.

Kevin Pelton of ESPN recently put out a list of the top 30 free agents this summer (In$ider only). I bring this up because a certain Power Forward was rather snubbed from this list, and that didn’t go unnoticed.

Somehow after all these years Derrick Favors is still unheralded, underrated, and under appreciated. I think I speak for most of SLC Dunk, Derrick, in saying that we love you and hope to see you stay in a Jazz uniform!

Alright it’s time to check out the fanposts from this week. *Clicks on fanposts*

Wow. Ok please go click on the fan posts link. I won’t even make you scroll. Here it is. Unfortunately I just cannot give a highlight for every one of them from this week, but here’s a couple to give you a sneak peak:

2003nc brings a different perspective on the Grayson Allen pick

I think Grayson Allen becomes our sixth man and I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s in the running for Sixth Man of the Year. That’s not bad at all for the 21st pick.

MoChuk discusses the expectations we should have for Allen in the Summer League, and JazzFan45 jumps on board to talk about the 2018 NBA draft and Grayson Allen as well.

And for one more, Hardwood18 wants to give the Jazz bench a little more offensive firepower.

Jazz hats are great. We all love Jazz hats. But your love for Jazz hats could become even greater! I know, I didn’t think it was possible to love Jazz hats more either, but check this out.

It’s every Jazz hat lover’s dream, where you can enter a drawing of sorts to design the next great Jazz hat. Here was an early Jazz hat design that’s getting some love.

JAZZ HATS!

Alright everybody, I’ve got an exercise for you. And not the kind that you have to like wake up early or stretch for. I would never do that to you. I want you to imagine that it is the morning of the 2018 NBA draft again, and you get to put on your Jazz hat (note: I did not intent on using that term again. Sorry not sorry) and act as Dennis Lindsey. I’m going to blind the name from several prospects that were in Utah’s range and mentioned frequently as targets:

• Player A: 6’4.5” with a 6’7.25” wingspan. Per 40- 23.7 pts, 5.0 reb, 3.9 ast, FG% .466, 3PT% .417. Advanced- TS% .616, BPM 9.7, WS/40 .217, PER 26.1
• Player B: 6’0.75” with a 6’7.5” wingspan. Per 40- 21.6 pts, 3.9 reb, 6.2 ast, FG% .461, 3PT% .429. Advanced- TS% .609, BPM 6.2, WS/40 .157, PER 21.
• Player C: 6’5.5” with a 6’9.25” wingspan. Per 40- 16.9 pts, 6.1 reb, 4.1 ast, FG% .427, 3PT% .370. Advanced- TS% .543, BPM 10.6, WS/40 .213, PER 20.5
• Player D: 6’3.75” with a 6’10.5” wingspan. Per 40- 19.0 pts, 5.5 reb, 3.5 ast, FG% .538, 3PT% .411. Advanced- TS% .650, BPM 9.6, WS/40 .183, PER 21.8
• Player E: 6’7.25” with a 6’7.5” wingspan. Per 40- 17.1 pts, 5.8 reb, 3.9 ast, FG% .503, 3PT% .417. Advanced- TS% .640, BPM 8.7, WS/40 .165, PER 19.4
• Player F: 6’4.5” with a 6’6” wingspan. Per 40- 18.4 pts, 6.5 reb, 4.8 ast, FG% .481, 3PT% .401. Advanced- TS% .608, BPM 9.6, WS/40 .188, PER 20.9

You better have made your selection already.

Because now I’m going to reveal each player:

• Player F = Donte DiVincenzo
• Player E = Kevin Huerter
• Player D = Khyri Thomas
• Player C = Jacob Evans
• Player B = Aaron Holiday
• Player A = Grayson Allen in his sophomore year

Yes I do understand that cherry picking a senior’s best stats from 2 years prior isn’t exactly fair. My point is this: Grayson Allen decided to go back to school for a junior and senior year, despite his NBA stock potentially having peaked. Maybe he wanted to finish his college degree. Maybe he felt like he had some unfinished business.

Whatever the reason, Grayson Allen went back to Duke, but the role he played as a sophomore did not. He was asked to do many different things over the course of his college career, and had to continually adapt to incoming one-and-done freshman. He did this despite his statistics, and thereby his NBA prospects, taking a hit. I think people would be more excited about Grayson had we drafted him 2 years ago. Sure he’s now 2 years older and it looks like he may have digressed, but who would have thought that Joe Ingles could improve to the player that he is today?

Dennis Lindsey and his staff have accomplished the following in recent years alone: traded up to select Donovan Mitchell, traded for and developed Ricky Rubio, found and developed Royce O’Neale, signed and developed Joe Ingles, drafted Rudy Gobert, and so on. This front office has become one of the most respected in the league.

I was not a big fan of the Grayson Allen pick on draft night. I’ll admit that to everyone here. But I’ve thought more and more about it, and who am I to doubt the countless hours that the Jazz personnel put in preparing for the draft? The same team that successfully built this Jazz from the ground? The same team responsible for this roster that we absolutely loved watching this year?

I’m excited to see what Allen will do in the summer league and am sipping back on that Jazz Kool-Aid again. Most 21st picks don’t amount to much, but if someone can work some magic and find a contributor with one, it’s Dennis Lindsey. Be patient before casting judgement and let’s see what this kid can do in the NBA before assuming we “lost” the draft. After all, he’s a Jazzman now. Welcome to Utah Grayson!