41 Down, 41 To Go: Takeaways from the Jazz’s First Half

What do we know about this group after 41 games? (Mitchell Bernstein via espn.com)

With exactly half of the Jazz’s 2019-20 season in the books, a few of our writers got together to discuss what they have learned from the season so far. Enjoy!

What is your biggest takeaway from the first half of the season?

Clark Schmutz: How fascinating and delicate team chemistry and basketball synergy are. The entire offseason comprised of what felt like “no-brainer” moves, yet only Bojan Bogdanovic has been an outright success story from day one. It’s amazing what schedules and small personnel or lineup changes can do to the whole team.

Ken Clayton: That Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert are stars in this league. Mitchell has improved his game to the point where he’s 12th in points per game and 8th in points scored. He clearly belongs in any discussion of the league’s best talents offensively, and he brings more to the game. He’s a good defender, and his ability to run the team has been tested and shown to be improved during Mike Conley’s absence. Gobert’s impact on the game has been discussed frequently, and yet I can understand why casual fans who don’t watch the Jazz don’t understand it. But they should.

Kincade Upstill: The front office’s commitment to improving this team is excellent. Dennis Lindsey and Justin Zanik finally gave up on Dante Exum, who was the highest draft pick during the Lindsey era. The reason they did this was the bench needed a spark and that spark is Jordan Clarkson. Then the front office was willing to waive a key offseason signing and an NBA vet in Jeff Green after just two months on the job. Getting these negative impact players off the court and replacing them with ones that are positive has yielded great results.

Dan Clayton: Honestly, it’s that the Jazz still appear to be one small move away from really being in the contender class. They’ve actually acquitted themselves OK against the league’s elite; they split against the Sixers and Bucks already, are 2-1 against the Clippers, and have only faced the Raptors, Pacers and Heat on the road. So they’re really only behind where they should be against one .600-plus team: the Lakers. (They haven’t yet faced the Rockets, Nuggets, Mavs or Celtics.) But beyond record, the Jazz’s rotation still has weak spots that will be picked at during a 7-game series. Getting Conley healthy and playing well will be huge, but having one more rotation-quality big would really shore things up.

Jake Gouchnor: The Utah Jazz can win games. Their recent winning streak dubs them as “the hottest team in the NBA.” With a combination of the best three-point shooting team in the league, stout defense and Mitchell, the Jazz have moved to the 4th seed in the west. The only problem is that the Jazz are 5-9 against teams that have a won more than half of their games. The Jazz can win, but have not been able to beat good teams.

Which player has surprised you the most?

Clark: Emmanuel Mudiay. That guy was as far away from a Jazz-type of player when he first started the season as any new player I can remember. It was hard to watch. But credit to him, he has progressed throughout the season and not only bought into the Jazz team concept, but become a positive contributing player on a good playoff team.

Ken: Probably Ed Davis. In a bad way. For several years, he has been the top reserve center in the league, but this season, he has been played off the court by Tony Bradley, who had previously played only 65 minutes. Part of Davis’ struggles came from sharing a court with Green, Georges Niang (playing defense against wings), and early season Mudiay (before he had improved – not 100% – his game). But another part was due to a questionable fit. Known for his defense and rebounding off the bench, he hasn’t defended that well, and he hasn’t been able to effectively do many of the other things the Jazz ask of bigs. 

Kincade: For me, it is Mudiay. When the Jazz signed him, his reputation around the league wasn’t good. When the season started and the Jazz bench was struggling, he was a huge part of it. But game by game we are seeing him improve into a good NBA player. The Jazz have one of the best developmental staffs in the league and helping Mudiay improve should be one of their crowning achievements. 

Dan: It has to be Gobert, as odd as that seems. The Stifle Tower already had a top-15 impact on the game, but somehow he’s been even more dominant as a paint deterrent while also expanding his finishing ability beyond the lob zone. His new cache of one-dribble moves and soft finishes means that defenses now have to react to him even before he catches on the role, and that has a nice effect on the rest of the offensive floor for Utah. Also, I expected very little from Mudiay, so the fact that he has landed a rotation spot and then continued to get better has been a real plus for the Jazz — even if his pick-and-roll creation still needs work. 

Jake: Bogdanovic continues to improve in his career. The Jazz’s major effort to go after Bogdanvic in the offseason has paid major dividends. Within the last four seasons Bogdanovic has increased his scoring from 12.7 points per a game in 2017, 14.3 in 2018, 18 in 2019, and finally 21.1 points per a game with the Jazz in 2020. Bogdanovic has been a huge offensive addition shooting 41 percent from behind the arc and he has started all 40 of the Jazz’s games.

When Mike Conley returns, will he have any trouble fitting back in?

Clark: I think the second time integrating himself into the team will go much more smoothly. Conley is one of the smarter players in the NBA and has shown abilities to adapt to different playing styles in the past. I’m guessing that the team’s good play will take some pressure off his individual performance and he can just worry about helping the team win, which he quietly has done.

Ken: No, not if you look at the big picture. When Conley returns, is there a chance he continues to shoot poorly, at least for a few games? Sure. That means he’s rusty, not that he’s not fitting in. The competition will be tougher than it has been recently, but losses also don’t mean Conley “didn’t work,” as NBATV’s studio crew announced the other night. Conley will give Quin Snyder 25-30 minutes of top-quality NBA minutes, which will reduce the minutes for guys who over time won’t be playing at that level. In my mind, that’s a no-brainer.

Kincade: The only concern I have with the return of Conley is how it will affect the rotation of the other players. Players are excelling in the roles they are in now and changing things around could throw things off for a bit. If things aren’t smooth then, it should only be for a short time. Conley and Snyder are too smart to not get this figured out because in the end the Jazz need Conley for them to be a great team.

Dan: Not at all. He might still struggle off and on with his shot — as he did for a couple of stretches before the injury — but that’s just an outcome. The Jazz still trust in Conley’s process, and in the impact he has on nine other guys every time he’s on the court. He’s a pro’s pro, and he could care less about touches or counting stats, so Utah’s certainly not going to have to manage egos or possession allocation with him coming back. It’s just about integrating him and figuring out how to devise the best rotation, since Utah has six starter-caliber players and only five can be on the court at tip-off. 

Jake: The Jazz are going to figure out how to play with Conley. The Utah Jazz were 12-10 at the point that Mike Conley got hurt. After Conley suffered an injury to his hamstring, the Jazz are 16-3 winning 84% of their games. The Jazz have figured out how to win games without Conley. When he comes back, they will have to learn how to win games with Conley.

What weaknesses does the team have that needs to be addressed before the trade deadline?

Clark: The Jazz look terrific right now, but it’s hard to think that all of their rotational pieces are going to thrive the entire season, or especially in the playoffs when opposing teams can magnify and exploit individual weaknesses. The Jazz probably need a playoff tested backup big man.

Ken: By the time the playoffs roll around, Utah needs a more reliable option behind Gobert. As I mentioned before, Davis hasn’t been it, although I expect he will get another shot before the end of the regular season. He hasn’t played with the new look bench, and Conley’s eventual return will further add talent to the second unit. Tony Bradley has exceeded my expectations, but I still don’t think he’ll be a viable option in the postseason. Management has shown the willingness to pounce on a trade they think will help, but may decide to wait until the buyout market to find a backup big that doesn’t cost any assets. 

Kincade: The biggest weakness on this team is the depth behind Gobert. Davis has struggled this season and was benched in favor of Bradley. He has been better than Davis, but he still is young and learning the game. Hopefully Bradley will continue to improve and figure out how not to foul as the season goes on. I would expect the front office to explore other options before the trade deadline but the Jazz don’t have much to offer to significantly improve this position. 

Dan: I just wrote a column about how the Jazz, 14-2 in their last 16, still have room to improve. The big things: they need more from the backup bigs, either through improved play or some kind of transaction. They need better playmaking across all 48 minutes, and Conley’s return will help there. If they do those things, they’ll be better able to put away bad teams with less drama, and they’ll have chances to credential themselves against the elite. 

Jake: The Utah Jazz rank 16th in points per a game, 29th in offensive rebounds, 25th in assists, 19th in turnovers, 29th in steals, 27th in blocks per a game, but what the Utah Jazz really is a more dependable back-up for Gobert. Bradley has been sufficient in his play during the winning streak, but if the Jazz look to make a run in the playoffs Bradley (or maybe Davis) needs to step up. If Rudy gets in foul-trouble down the stretch like he did in the game against the Pelicans will Bradley be enough to help the Jazz win over elite teams?

With the All-Star game upon us, will the Jazz have any representation? If so, who?

Clark: Both Gobert and Mitchell are deserving All-Stars. Will they get in? I’m guessing both do, but no surprise if they are both left out either. But they’ve been better than Russell Westbrook, any Spurs players, and maybe even Paul George’s 30 games.

Ken: I still think both Gobert and Mitchell make the squad… but it’s tight. In my mind, there are nine players fighting for seven spots. In the backcourt, I think Damian Lillard, Mitchell and Devin Booker make the team unless the coaches look at sheer (inefficient) numbers and pick Westbrook. Rudy has a tougher road. PG and Nikola Jokic will make it, and likely Brandon Ingram as well. That leaves one spot (technically a wild card) for Karl-Anthony Towns or Gobert. We know how that ended last year, but I dream of the day when coaches realize all the Stifle Tower does, consider that KAT hasn’t played since December 13, and send Rudy to Chicago. 

Kincade: Both deserve to be All-Stars this season but the most likely scenario is Mitchell gets in and Gobert doesn’t, for two reasons. First, with injures to Klay Thompson and Steph Curry the depth that is usually ahead of Mitchell isn’t there and Gobert’s competition is just tougher. Secondly, players that can create their own shots get rewarded over defense. Gobert should absolutely be an All-Star (a two time All-Star, in fact) but I would expect the trend that defense doesn’t get rewarded sadly continues. When was the last time a defense first player made an All-Star team? We probably have to go back to Ben Wallace during the Dark Age of NBA centers.

Dan: Gobert is still Utah’s most valuable player, but Mitchell will beat him to the All-Star game. Gobert should be in — he’s a two-time All-NBA selection, for heck’s sake. But the starting frontcourt spots are going to go to the Lakers’ stars and Kawhi Leonard (rightfully), and then Towns and Jokic are going to gobble up two reserve spots up front. The math is just tough. I would argue that opposing coaches spend more time specifcally scheming for Gobert (on both ends of the court) and yet they might leave him off and reward Mitchell, who has a more traditional All-Star résumé.

Jake: In a world of a star-studded NBA, making the All-star game is no easy task. That being said I think Mitchell has done enough to prove his presence in Chicago. Averaging 24.8 points per a game, 4.3 rebound, and 4.4 assists, Mitchell deserves to be an All-Star. The real question is will Rudy get snubbed again? I think that he deserves to be in. His averages of 15 points and 14.5 rebound per game are impressive. The third best rebounder in the league makes an even bigger impact on the defensive end. Gobert deserves to be in.