Nine months ago, Gordon Hayward broke the hearts of Jazz Nation when he skipped town for the greener pastures of Boston.
Many, if not all, NBA experts said the Utah Jazz were toast. The team was predicted to finish at the bottom of the league. Las Vegas set the over/under for season wins at 38 ½. Time to tank the season. Time to rebuild.
Yet the Jazz have become this year’s biggest surprise, one of the most dangerous teams in the league. Since January 24, the Jazz have gone a remarkable 20-2! Twenty and Two! And during this span, the Jazz unloaded key players Rodney Hood and Joe Johnson, making this win streak all the more impressive.
This team has rebuilt itself in ONE YEAR and is now just a mere 3 ½ games out of third place in the oh-so-competitive Western Conference. Amazing. I’ll set aside my homer-hat for a moment to acknowledge that the team is not quite on the level of Golden State or Houston. But, let’s take a moment and acknowledge the incredible effort of this team and organization.
On paper, if you were to compare Oklahoma City’s roster with Utah’s, you’d clearly have to give the edge to OKC. Paul George, Carmelo Anthony, and Triple-Double-King Russell Westbrook? Are you kidding me? Yet, the Jazz, with rookie Donavan Mitchell, oft-injured Rudy Gobert, and a cast of nobodies have nearly an identical record as the Thunder.
The Jazz have the same amount of wins this year as the Cleveland Cavaliers! The same question applies. Compare them on paper, and 100% of those polled would say they’d take Cleveland’s roster. So how are the Jazz doing it?
First, I credit the Jazz organization. There is a brand called “Jazz basketball,” and that is owed to legendary Coach Jerry Sloan. For more than two decades, Sloan’s teams were hard-nosed, carry-your-lunch-pail-to-work-type teams. The team stepped away from this culture during the Ty Corbin-era, but thanks to Quin Snyder, they have returned in a big way, and are once again a tough, defensive-minded team. (Although kudos to Snyder’s coaching, because I’m not sure Sloan would have played Donovan this much).
Second, I credit Dennis Lindsey. Lindsey has been with the Jazz for six years and has consistently brought in tough-minded, high-caliber players. Sure, he’s missed on a few (all GMs do), but when he’s missed, he’s quickly moved on. Case-in-point, the Jazz traded Trey Lyles, a previous first-rounder, to Denver last season so they could jump up to 13th pick in the draft.
And lastly…Ah, lucky number 13. It’s that pick that the Jazz saved the franchise by drafting Donovan Mitchell. Explosive playmaker, passionate and emotional leader, slam dunk champion, and fan favorite, Mitchell, aka Spida, is making incredible, show-stopping plays night-in and night-out. And his play is delivering victories for the team—way beyond what anyone expected. And he’s only getting better.
Is there anyone more deserving of Rookie of the Year than Donovan Mitchell? Or more deserving of Coach of the Year than Quin Snyder? Or more deserving of Executive of the Year than Dennis Lindsey? I feel a trifecta coming on!
On this St. Paddy’s Day, I’m grateful that the Celtics lured Hayward away, the Jazz organization stayed with it, and that Donovan Mitchell’s energy has rejuvenated Jazz nation, creating a buzz we haven’t seen since the Stockton and Malone days.
But what do I know? I’m just a guy on the sideline.