The Utah Jazz have reeled off four wins heading into the All-Star break, recovering from a five-game losing streak. Donovan Mitchell is back to his usual self, Rudy Gobert is playing at a DPOY level, Bojan Bogdanovic is knocking down 3-pointers and Jordan Clarkson is the spark that the Jazz desperately needed off the bench. Utah is 35-18 and the fourth seed in the Western Conference.
The question hanging over Utah’s success is this: Are the Jazz good enough to contend for a championship, as everyone in Salt Lake hoped would happen with Utah’s offseason acquisitions?
While Utah is in fourth place, the teams ahead of it (and one directly below it) could pose serious problems in the playoffs. The Lakers, Nuggets and Clippers are all ahead of the Jazz, while the Rockets, in the No. 5 spot, have eliminated the Jazz in each of the last two postseasons.
The Ringer’s Rob Mahoney took a look at the path to contender status for the Jazz (and the Nuggets).
“Utah’s path to cracking the Western Conference elite feels even more precarious. So much still depends on Donovan Mitchell; the additions of Bojan Bogdanovic, Mike Conley (who, if nothing else, is starting to move like his old self again since returning from a hamstring injury), and Jordan Clarkson give the Jazz more outlets for their offense, but it’s still Mitchell who will have to navigate complex defenses over the course of multiple playoff series. Mitchell has never looked better in that regard, and it still might not be enough. The Clippers could hound Mitchell with Pat Beverley, Paul George or (Kawhi) Leonard, escalating as their desperation required. The Lakers could chase Mitchell with Danny Green, Avery Bradley, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, while plugging every lane with length. Two of Utah’s lowest-scoring games of the season came against the Lakers — not because Mitchell himself couldn’t score, but due to the cumulative pressure on Utah’s offense,” Mahoney writes.
Mahoney writes that one of the biggest keys to Jazz playoff success comes down to Quin Snyder. “Utah has a formidable base defense thanks to Rudy Gobert, but its playoff viability will likely come down to Quin Snyder’s sense of tactical adventure.”
Read the entire piece over at The Ringer.
Other links ...
- CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein gives Yoeli Childs props
- The South End Zone construction at Rice-Eccles Stadium has started
- A high school basketball player passed the ball to his opponent, who didn’t get much playing time, so he could make the last shot on senior night
And finally ...
Mason’s basketball skills will warm your heart.