Utah Jazz Season Update

Steven Fudenna, Staff Writer

Following an unfortunate exit in the first round of the 2019 NBA playoffs in 5 games against the Houston Rockets, the Utah Jazz made some exciting moves in the offseason to help them compete against Western Conference powerhouses like the Los Angeles Clippers and Lakers, Golden State Warriors, Denver Nuggets, etc. This included a blockbuster trade which brought in veteran point guard Mike Conley after he had spent the initial 12 years of his career in Memphis. Expectations for Mike Conley were high, as he was the franchise leader in games played, points scored, assists, steals, field goals made and 3-pointers made in Memphis. Jazz fans were hoping that a guard tandem of Mike Conley and Donovan Mitchell would wreak havoc for opposing team’s defenses, and shut down opposition’s offenses. Additionally, the Jazz added Croation sharpshooter Bojan Bogdonavic from the Indiana Pacers to their roster, signing him to a 4 year, $73 million contract. The Jazz signed other free agents to fill out their bench, including center Ed Davis from the Brooklyn Nets, point guard Emmanuel Mudiay from the New York Knicks, and forward Jeff Green (who was recently waived) from the Washington Wizards. With these additions came the losses of tenured power forward Derrick Favors, and point guards Raul Neto and Ricky Rubio.

Expectations were high for the 2019-2020 season as Donovan Mitchell continues to evolve into a superstar in his 3rd year, 2x DPOY Rudy Gobert remains as the anchor in the Jazz’s highly rated defense, and role players find their fit in the lineup. The new look Jazz were hopeful to improve their offensive production, something they struggled with last year, with new threats coming from Mike Conley and Bojan Bogdonavic. The hope was that the supplemented arsenal of Conley and Bogdonavic would lessen the scoring burden that had been placed on Mitchell previously. This would make it more difficult to defend the Jazz as a unit, improve Mitchell’s efficiency, and benefit Utah’s offense as a whole. In his 6th season as head coach, Quin Snyder looks to build onto his resume of successful teams, with the ultimate goal being a championship. 

Thus far, the Jazz are 21-12, currently holding 2nd place in the Northwest division and 6th place in the Western Conference. Donovan Mitchell has truly developed into a superstar in his 3rd year, leading the Jazz averaging 25 ppg, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists, while also shooting 45% from the field and 35% from three. As many predicted, Conley has found a bit of trouble integrating himself into the Jazz’s playstyle. But this shouldn’t come as too much of a concern, as Conley had spent his entire career in Memphis up until this point, so there must be patience for Conley to start playing to his potential. However, a recently hamstring injury has sidelined him, resulting in an increased playmaking role for Donovan Mitchell, Joe Ingles, and Emmanuel Mudiay.

The 27th pick in the 2013 NBA draft, Rudy Gobert has blossomed into arguably the league’s most intimidating defender, standing at 7 ft 1 in with an NBA Combine record-breaking 7 feet 8.5 in wingspan and 9 ft 7 in standing reach. He has been the cornerstone of the Jazz defense this year, putting up another campaign to win Defensive Player of the Year for the 3rd time in a row, averaging  1.9 blocks per game as well as 14.2 rebounds per game, almost 2 more rebounds per game than the year before. Offensively, Gobert leads the league in field goal percentage, shooting 68.2% from the field, 2% higher than his league-leading average last year. Gobert also led the league in dunks last year, setting a new NBA record of 309, which he will look to surpass this year.

The Jazz’s season thus far has been filled with ups and downs and tons of inconsistency. However, the Jazz have fared well against some of the league’s top teams, amassing victories over the Clippers, Bucks, and 76ers. The Jazz’s downfall has been their inconsistent offensive production. Donovan Mitchell has been the leading scorer, but he is still young and there are certain nights where he isn’t at his best. The injury to Mike Conley has been devastating as well. To make-up for the loss of Conley, the Jazz traded for Jordan Clarkson from the Cleveland Cavaliers, who has been a productive spark plug off the bench, scoring 9, 19, and 20 points in his first 3 games for Utah.

As the All-Star break approaches and the playoff push begins, the Jazz are almost certain to make the playoffs, but will need to continue their strong defensive play, and improve offensive consistency. This Jazz team now has some experience, as its leaders are veterans and have experienced the playoffs before. This will hopefully assist their postseason run in the incredibly competitive western conference. Overall, I think that Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell are capable of leading the Jazz very far into the playoffs. And if Bojan Bogdonavic and Mike Conley can produce consistently, the Jazz would be one of the most dangerous teams in the league. #TakeNote.