Post-Mortem: 2021-22 Utah Jazz

[FJS]

I really don't know what to say as a Jazz fan who has watched every single game.

This is a talented roster, but they can't work together.

I think team has to part ways with Conley and Gay, but they are difficult to trade.

I'm not sure what to do with Gobert & Mitchell. As some have said, they need something more. Gobert is really good in deffense, but he can't deffense 5 guys.
Mitchell is offensive talented, but this year has played really selfish and with bad decisions in clutch time.

Playing alongside Conley (very limited in deffense and still smaller than Mitchell), O'Neale, who is not as good defending as some want to believe and really limited in offense, and with Bogey who is not a great rebounder and defender, and when he wastes his energy in defense, his offense suffer a lot, it's not a good idea by any means.

Whiteside is a good back up, but sometimes he disappears.
House and Hernangómez were a good pick ups, but they are what they are, bench players. Still they affected in a positive way the trend playing alongside Gobert, Clarkson and Conley.
Clarkson has been fine in playoffs. In RS he chucked a lot and sometimes was a hero, other was a villain with 2-13 night.
Gay was a no factor. He has something like 2 good games in the whole season.
Paschall is nice to have for some lineups, but you can let him be your back up C.
Forrest was interesting. Pretty solid in defense, but not realiable in offense.

NAW... well I don't know. He almost has not played.

Ingles was playing poorly by his standards, but probably he was the glue of this team. He fall, and the team fall.

[Nate505]

I don't understand the Rudy Gay signing at all. Yeah, he wasn't great this year...but at some point, don't you put him out in a game or two to see what he can do in the playoffs? Oh of course not, not with Quin Snyder and his ultra rigid rotations.

[GoCeltics123]

I think Donovan gives them one more year, but Rudy will probably be moved to a team like Dallas or Toronto. Danny has to make the team younger, smaller and faster.

I would be surprised if Snyder is there next year, he seems checked out and wants to move on.

Guys like Bogi and Clarkson are mid-tier salaries that can be moved for different players. Conley is an albatross at this point, and Gay was straight up a bad signing. I'm sure the Jazz want to dump both, but not sure who takes Conley (Gay is at least only on the TPMLE, but that PO will likely be picked up so he has 2 years left).

They're not in a great spot, this next year is probably the last chance they have to make it work with Donovan Mitchell.

[Joao Saraiva]

We lost against the Clips without Kawih. Gave up 2 games to Dallas without Luka.... time to blow it up. We're a joke.

[gorz]

Maybe I'm in the minority camp but I do believe Mitchell and Gobert pairing can work together. You're already set w/ two cornerstones now you have to figure out the rest of pieces to fit together. I think adding someone like a Jalen Brunson or even Fred van Vleet to upgrade @ pg and adding a two way wing that doesn't need ball in his hands like a mikal bridges type would make them championship contender.

[BenoUdrihFTL]

Maybe I'm in the minority camp but I do believe Mitchell and Gobert pairing can work together. You're already set w/ two cornerstones now you have to figure out the rest of pieces to fit together. I think adding someone like a Jalen Brunson or even Fred van Vleet to upgrade @ pg and adding a two way wing that doesn't need ball in his hands like a mikal bridges type would make them championship contender.

Seems realistic. While they're at it they should build a time machine and sign prime Michael Jordan

[babyjax13]

I don't understand the Rudy Gay signing at all. Yeah, he wasn't great this year...but at some point, don't you put him out in a game or two to see what he can do in the playoffs? Oh of course not, not with Quin Snyder and his ultra rigid rotations.

Snyder's ultra rigid rotations in the regular season included Gay and it didn't work. Gay was fine, he was unspectactular and we ended up having several guys at the same position who are better. I don't understand that hope that he was going to help in the playoffs after it was obvious that Juancho + House + Royce + Paschall + Bogdanovic are all better.

[FNQ]

Of the post-mortems I've seen, this is the only one (so far) where I think blowing it up, or at least a major re-shuffle, is the best option.

I think the Jazz should give serious consideration to moving on from Gobert. I'm not sure how long their current window is open (I associate their window with Mike Conley but I ultimately think the pairing of Mitchell/Gobert is not going to work, mainly due to personality reasons. So while Mitchell might not be the coveted #1 option that was initially hoped, he's at worst a high end #2 and is coming into his prime. Keep him, and rebuild around that. Trade Gobert for future considerations, get what you can from Conley, likely put Clarkson out there as well - he should have nice value as an elite 6th man. Overall just start rebuilding a team around Mitchell, so long as he's on board with a mini rebuild/re-tooling.

Their GM seems fine, their coach is one of the better ones in the league, so wouldnt make changes there. But I think this team doesnt have a title in them, as currently constructed, and I dont know how close they are either

[Jadoogar]

Maybe I'm in the minority camp but I do believe Mitchell and Gobert pairing can work together. You're already set w/ two cornerstones now you have to figure out the rest of pieces to fit together. I think adding someone like a Jalen Brunson or even Fred van Vleet to upgrade @ pg and adding a two way wing that doesn't need ball in his hands like a mikal bridges type would make them championship contender.

lol how are they going to get FVV or mikal bridges type without giving up one of those top 2 guys?

[dygaction]

Sell high on Mitchell and make Clarkson a starter. Clarkson was better than Mitchell this series.

Mitchell is being asked to carry too much of a load. It's the same problem that Dame Lillard has had and James Harden had for a few years in Houston. Mitchell needs a solid guy to play next to. Jazz won't move him.

Gobert contract pretty unmovable...... So the best the can do is hire new coach, try get some defensive cheap role players.. Get rid clarkson if thats their plan keep mitchell.

If Gobert's contract is really that hard to move like Porzingis' earlier, I would not mind Mavs going for him with Bertans / Hardaway / (Maxi/Powell) / Josh Green / 1st...

[johanliebert]

That was a great ATO play to get bojan open but the pass was terrible. Not a good spot for a bounce pass and it got him out of rhythm.

Goberr has to go his impact has been grossly overstated by antiquated analytics. That’s what occurs when media members who don’t understand the metrics they cite claim he’s some elite defender.

[R-DAWG]

First off, I respect Utah for pushing their chips to the middle of the table a few years ago trading for Mike Conley, and going into the tax to try to make a run. Problem is, it's looking like they peaked a few years ago, and have now regressed and are becoming stale. The comparison to where the Blazers were entering the season earlier in this thread is a good one.

So what do you do. On the one hand, Donnovan Mitchell's age and contract status make him an attractive trade piece. On the other hand, are we sure he's not closer to CJ McCollum than Dwayne Wade? Can he be the best player on a championship team? It's not looking like it. He's more of a #2 option, and you don't give up the farm for #2 options. With Rudy Gobert, he turns 30 at the end of this season - not an age where you want to rebuild around (unless your talking a Lebron James/Kevin Durant level guy).

It's really a tough spot because Utah isn't a free agent destination, and does not really have the assets in hand to get a true #1 option to team with Gobert/Mitchell (or even to upgrade one of the two).

So if you elect to trade Donnovan Mitchell, what can you really expect to get? I think the package that New Orleans got for Jrue Holiday is a fair baseline - 3 unprotected 1st rd picks and 2 unprotected swaps. Maybe the difference is Utah gets a 4th true asset (ie an additional pick or rookie scale player) instead of the swaps - and does not take back bad money the way New Orleans did with Eric Bledsoe.

For example: the Knicks 2022 1st rd pick, Obi Toppin, Quentin Grimes and a future 1st with limited protections becoming unprotected with expiring contracts as fillers. I give both Grimes and Toppin mid 1st rd pick value, the 11th pick in this years draft is a known quantity and Utah grabs an additional draft asset going forward (whereas on the Holiday trade you can argue that 1 of the 1st rd picks they got was to absorb the Bledsoe contract). Using Alec Burks and Nerlens Noel to round out the trade saves Utah $3.5MM before factoring in the salary of the 11th pick (estimated to be $4.5MM). You could swap out Kemba Walker for Burks or Noel to keep it cash neutral, but my assumption is Utah could easily flip Burks or Noel into a TPE OR a lesser value expiring since both guys are on 1 year, full mid level deals with a team option (Brooklyn has an $11.4MM TPE and Burks would be a great fit on their roster, Noel as well if they can't resign Clakrson).

If they go the rebuilding route, they potentially become a player in the dump all your useful long term money for Russell Westbrook's contract crowd. Sending Mike Conley, Jordan Clarkson, Royce O'Neal and Rudy Gay to the Lakers potentially saves Utah $44.6MM in 23-24 (I say potentially because Conely, O'Neal and Gay all have player options that year), in addition to knocking $4MM off Utah's payroll for 22-23 to help get below the tax. (and from the Lakers perspective, the cost of Westbrook and 3 vet min contracts is pretty much equal to the 4 salaries they are bringing back in this trade). With Westbrook, you can either buy him out, or you can run him out there and see if he keeps you in play for the play-in tournament. Either way, Utah clears the books of all long term money (besides Gobert and Mitchell) with this trade.

Assuming Utah makes the 2 above referenced trades, and elects not to move Gobert, they roll into the season as follows:

Westbrook/Grimes/Bogdonovic/Toppin/Gobert

The bench would feature both the 11th pick of the 22 NBA draft, along with Noel OR Burks, Alexander Walker, Azabukie and Butler. That's a payroll of about $135MM for 10 players. $20.5MM below the luxury tax to sign 5 players - with use of the non taxpyer mid level and bi annual exceptions to play with. Does this get you into the play-in tournament - maybe. It leaves you with a lot of cap space and flexibility heading into the 2023 offseason.

[Statlanta]

Fire the GM
Keep the Coach
Under performed
Falling

Trade Donovan. He’s redundant with the skill set of the roster and has the trade value.

[lvckv]

If you want to be a championship contender then you've already reached your ceiling and it's time to blow it all up.

If you're happy with being a playoff team – 1st/2nd round exit – then either keep it together and make a few tweaks with role players or trade Mitchell for another scoring guard who plays little defense who is happier to be there/happier to play with Gobert.

If you want to be a play-in team then trade Gobert.

[Nate505]

I don't understand the Rudy Gay signing at all. Yeah, he wasn't great this year...but at some point, don't you put him out in a game or two to see what he can do in the playoffs? Oh of course not, not with Quin Snyder and his ultra rigid rotations.

Snyder's ultra rigid rotations in the regular season included Gay and it didn't work. Gay was fine, he was unspectactular and we ended up having several guys at the same position who are better. I don't understand that hope that he was going to help in the playoffs after it was obvious that Juancho + House + Royce + Paschall + Bogdanovic are all better.

I mean, it wasn't obvious to me that Royce/House/Juancho were all better. At the very least it wasn't obvious enough for Gay to just get nothing but DNP-CD's the whole series, especially in instances where the Jazz were doing jack and **** offensively.

[Nate505]

I don't understand the whole "blow it up completely" rationale. Ok, I understand it, but I don't agree with it. Mostly because I've seen plenty of teams do that, and they're still picking up the pieces years later.

Does Utah want to be the next Sacramento and never contend in decades? I'm sure they'd rather be the next Memphis and suck a few years, get a few top picks, and then be good again, but that relies on both great scouting and a lot of luck.

[jazzed77]

I'm for getting rid of Snyder...he's just not willing to make adjustments.

[Raptor_Guy]

They should have blown it up after not being able to beat a depleted Clippers team last year

[flranger]

Put me down for trading Gobert for Simmons

[Catchall]

Sell high on Mitchell and make Clarkson a starter. Clarkson was better than Mitchell this series.

Mitchell is being asked to carry too much of a load. It's the same problem that Dame Lillard has had and James Harden had for a few years in Houston. Mitchell needs a solid guy to play next to. Jazz won't move him.

Gobert contract pretty unmovable...... So the best the can do is hire new coach, try get some defensive cheap role players.. Get rid clarkson if thats their plan keep mitchell.

Several teams are reportedly interested in Gobert, including Atlanta, Toronto, Dallas and maybe Charlotte and Golden State.