"You Gotta Love It Baby" Official Jazz thread

[Sizzle]

I haven't been able to get into this team. I'm glad to see they're winning right now, but I just haven't been able to do it. What's wrong with me?

[bluegoose]

I got to take my son to see the Jazz and Clippers in the Staples center last week. Great game. Clippers were just coming off their big win over the Lakers, so they were kind of flat overall this game. Jazz played pretty well and ran some great sets in the last two minutes to put the game away. Clarkson actually looked decent and wasn't the black hole that everyone is concerned about. I really like Bojan's game. Much more athletic than I thought. He had a huge jam in traffic that had everyone in the arena oohing and aahing. Donovan had a great game, especially the second half. He had a couple of really clutch contested step back threes with the clock winding down in the fourth quarter. Fun team to watch.

[Commando]

I haven't been able to get into this team. I'm glad to see they're winning right now, but I just haven't been able to do it. What's wrong with me?

Have you watched many games?

[creekster]

I haven't been able to get into this team. I'm glad to see they're winning right now, but I just haven't been able to do it. What's wrong with me?

Could just be life. When I was young and the jazz had just moved to Utah I lived and died with every win and loss. Then I was married and kids and career and so forth. I followed the team through it all but the immediacy and importance of their wins and losses waned in my life. As I have gotten older and my kids are themselves beginning their lives/careers, etc., I find I am getting more deeply involved in the team again, aided by the bountiful info on social media. IOW, it happens.

[smokymountainrain]

Clarkson's TS% is currently sitting at 58% on the season. He keeps that up, he helps the team. If he regresses to his career average of 53%, he most likely hurts the team. really that simple.

Clarkson had 23 points in Donovan's absence today as the Jazz picked up a nice win at Washington. TS% with the Jazz is 57%, eFG% even more impressive 56%. Jazz haven't lost since he's come on board.

[creekster]

Clarkson had 23 points in Donovan's absence today as the Jazz picked up a nice win at Washington. TS% with the Jazz is 57%, eFG% even more impressive 56%. Jazz haven't lost since he's come on board.

Clarkson has been a big and pleasant surprise to me. Better on D than I expected and more team oriented on offense than I expected. He and Mudiay, along with Bogey, filled the Mitchy gap quite well.

[Commando]

Mudiay has been the real surprise this season-- Bojan we got what we paid for (and then some maybe), but Mudiay was a big gamble that not a lot of teams would have done. He's improved vastly-- which is what he came for- and he fits in so well. He has the deadliest midrange on the team and just pitches in.


Clarkson has had some clutch moments with this team, and has solidly contributed to this winning streak-- we woudn't be here without him. I liked Dante's potential, but that didn't do a thing for our W/L record.

Rudy is an absolute monster this year. He's taken another step forward offensively, it seems, and when he's on the floor the team can't lose, it seems. He got taken off the floor yesterday after his 5th foul and Washington instantly started to make a run. Quinn put Rudy right back out and we closed it out- as tentatively as he was playing with his five fouls.

[Commando]

Georges Niang has really opened my eyes these past few games since we waived Jeff Green. He has a couple of solid post moves and has been nailing that three ball, too. Our bench is coming along nicely, it seems. If Conley comes back and can do some things in stride, I like where we are going leading up to the playoffs.

[smokymountainrain]

All those guys are deserving of mention. Mudiay has been as good as anybody could have hoped. Niang is now sitting at a ridiculous 65% TS - exactly what they need from him. Niang isn't really going to do much else, so in order to help the team, he HAS to be a lights out shooter. Currently at 46% from three. About 70% of his FG attempts are 3s.

And Gobert is a badass. As good as he's been you could argue he had two seasons better than this one. If you count this year, he should be a 4 time all star. Instead we are hoping he gets his first nod and even that isn't a given.

[creekster]

All those guys are deserving of mention. Mudiay has been as good as anybody could have hoped. Niang is now sitting at a ridiculous 65% TS - exactly what they need from him. Niang isn't really going to do much else, so in order to help the team, he HAS to be a lights out shooter. Currently at 46% from three. About 70% of his FG attempts are 3s.

And Gobert is a badass. As good as he's been you could argue he had two seasons better than this one. If you count this year, he should be a 4 time all star. Instead we are hoping he gets his first nod and even that isn't a given.

MUdiay's development has been nice and even surprising. Ostensibly he came here precisely so he could develop, but he also said some things in the off season that made me wonder if he really would take coaching to heart. He is, it turns out, much more of a 'character' guy than I expected. Combine that with his superior athleticism and the jazz have a player. I am starting to wish they could keep him for a year or two more, but it looks like that will not happen.

Niang's story reminds me of just how bad I would be as a coach. When they released Green in order to give Niang more minutes I thought they were crazy and acting from desperation. So much for my opinion.

The guy I feel badly for is Ed Davis. I love the guy and his attitude and effort. But it is clear he is at best a third string guy on this team.

[Herbie1989]

Georges Niang is one of my all time favorite college players!

The shooting is just a testament to how smart and dedicated to the craft he is. He pretty much ran the point after Morris would bring it up for Iowa and every play would run through him.

He really has a superb back to the basket game for his size, but maybe with his lack of length NBA defenders will just make him shoot over them and put a stop to that. Superb passer and confident with the ball in his hands.

Was a big fan of Tony Bradley at NC too, cool to see he is pushing Ed Davis for minutes.

[Donuthole]

This has been a fun run, but the Jazz really had no choice but to make hay during this stretch. Three of the next four games are against sub .500 teams, but after that it gets gnarly. The following 14 games on the sked include games vs:

Dallas x 2
Houston x 3
Denver x 2
Boston
Miami
Portland x2
San Antonio x2

Jazz could easily lose 8-10 games during that stretch if they aren't on their game. Sure would have been nice to have Conley during this easier stretch to figure out how/where he fits in.

[Herbie1989]

Well the Clarkson trade has really seemed to boost everyone and loving this new Bojangles wing duo!

At least that is only 2 Eastern Conference teams, so not a crazy amount of travel time.

Go all out before the ASG, and if you need to rest Conley for the playoff run then so be it.

[Herbie1989]

That was a bad start to the sub .500 run!

Nice 38 from Bojangles on only 28 shots. Clarkson seems to be keeping up his form too.

No Holiday/Redick/Zion though so that hurts.

Shoutout to ol Faves with 11 boards, 3 blks and 2 steals!

[falafel]

Recent success has the Jazz in a three-way tie with Denver and the Clippers for 2nd and 4 games back of first.

Also, very enjoyable to see the Warriors in last place, even if they have no players on their team at the moment.