ORLANDO — Sunday is a day for rest, reflection and Utah Jazz mailbags.
Welcome to the first of many to come!
Every week I’ll be answering some of your questions, submitted via email and Twitter. I’m hoping this will make things a little more conversational and I’ll be able to continue to give you more of what you want.
So, without further ado, let’s dig in.
By far the most popular question I got this week was whether or not my opinion or impression of Rudy Gobert has changed after having watched him on a nightly basis in person.
When I first started on the beat, I wrote about how I binge-watched the first 25 games of the season to get a feel for things. It had always been clear to me how great of a player Gobert was before my viewing marathon, but it was more nuanced than I had expected. There’s no doubt in my mind that Gobert deserved both of his Defensive Player of the Year awards and that he’s still playing at that level.
The biggest indicator of his dominance on the defensive end is how opposing teams clearly have to alter their offense purely because of Gobert’s presence. I’m continually impressed with what he is able to do on a nightly basis, as he did in the final moments of the Jazz’s win in Chicago.
Quite a few questions came in regarding Quin Snyder’s decision to play Tony Bradley at backup center, relegating Ed Davis to the bench. The most popular questions were about whether or not Davis will be traded and if Bradley will be able to succeed in the playoffs.
Bradley has been doing a great job in the first real chance of his young career. It’s clear that he works hard and is always putting in a real effort to have good rebounding position and do the right thing. The only thing that’s going to make him better is continued game reps, which is what he’s getting right now.
As far as the playoffs are concerned, that’s where things get a little bit more dicey. As you well know, the postseason game slows down, rotations are shortened, and things get even harder. People in the NBA world often talk about “playoff experience” and that can sound like a cliche, but it’s incredibly important.
It takes time to be able to play at the level necessary during the playoffs and for teams looking to advance, that can be a tall order for young players, especially from the bench. It could stand to reason that the Jazz keep Davis around because he has playoff experience and when the time comes, he could be exactly what they need in those situations.
I covered the Sixers-Nets series last season during the playoffs, and Davis provided incredibly important minutes for Brooklyn.
On the other hand, with Davis not getting minutes, the Jazz could look to move away from him and put their trust in Bradley. There’s a lot of time between now and the playoffs and I’ll be monitoring the situation closely.
Closing out this week’s mailbag is a question about the possibility of a return to the Jazz by Trevor Booker.
I covered Booker during his time with the Sixers and there are a few things of which I am certain. Booker, much like Jordan Clarkson, can immediately fit into any situation and he is a gritty, hard-nosed player that just flat out makes good decisions.
From a business point of view, with Booker’s availability and his affection for the Jazz, it would be a great move. Jazz fans ride hard for Booker and it would be a move that I’m sure would be welcomed with open arms.
From a basketball point of view, it really all depends on the development of the team over the next few weeks and what things look like from the backup center and power forward positions. If Bradley and Georges Niang continue to produce and look like they are viable options for the home stretch of the season and into the playoffs, then the Jazz could turn their attention to more pressing matters.
But if the Jazz are looking for a reserve guy who can come in and play small-ball center or add some toughness and strength at PF then Booker becomes a very attractive option.
Now I know this first mailbag is a little on the short side. I promise to get to more answers in the future and answer some of the other questions that were submitted throughout the week on social media.
If you’d like to submit your question for the next mailbag, you can email them to me at stodd@deseretnews.com with “mailbag” in the subject line, or answer the call for mailbag questions every Friday on Twitter with the hashtag #SundayJazzMailbag.