Utah Jazz

Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson was voted the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year for 2020-21.

The 28-year-old was a member of the All-Rookie first team in 2014-15 but struggled to carve out a definitive role for himself as he bounced from the Los Angeles Lakers to the Cleveland Cavaliers and, most recently, to Utah. He beat out teammate Joe Ingles and New York Knicks guard Derrick Rose to win this year's accolade.

Jordan Clarkson is your 2020-21 #KiaSixth Man of the Year 🔥 pic.twitter.com/irhz53rrD4

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 24, 2021

Joe Ingles hands Jordan Clarkson the #KiaSixth Man of the Year trophy 🎶 pic.twitter.com/pamxUATDqb

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 24, 2021

Clarkson's latest stop has proved to be his most vital. In 68 games (all but one coming off the bench), he averaged 18.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists as the Jazz finished with a record of 52-20 and captured the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference playoffs. 

On a team that spent the season looking like a legitimate title contender, Clarkson has been a plug-and-play extraordinaire, providing elite depth for a backcourt led by Mike Conley, Donovan Mitchell and Ingles. 

It's the sixth straight season the award has gone to a player from the Western Conference, but it does snap a streak of three consecutive wins for the Los Angeles Clippers. Center Montrezl Harrell earned the title last year, while guard Lou Williams won back-to-back titles in 2018 and '19.

Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell was not happy he missed his team's 112-109 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies in Sunday's Game 1 of their Western Conference playoff series.

"I was frustrated and upset," he told reporters. "I was ready to go. I was ready to go. ... The biggest thing is moving forward. We got s--t to handle. I understand you've got questions to ask."

Mitchell continued and explained it wasn't his decision to sit out.

"Honestly, I was ready to go, and the staff didn't feel like I was ready," he said. "That's it. There wasn't any more to it."

Fortunately for the Jazz, he will be available for Wednesday's Game 2 as they look to even the series.

Mitchell's comments come after Brian Windhorst and Tim MacMahon of ESPN reported he was "incensed at the late decision to scratch him from Sunday's playoff opener, and it deepened tensions with the team regarding his recovery from a right ankle sprain."

The ESPN report explained the Louisville product declared himself ready to go and went through shootaround before the Jazz training staff recommended he not play. 

It also noted Mitchell had been working with his own training staff during his rehab process.

He has not played since April 16, with his injury cutting short what was shaping up to be a career season for the 24-year-old. He was averaging 26.4 points, 5.2 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game behind 38.6 percent shooting from three-point range, which were all career-best marks.

Utah was still able to clinch the No. 1 seed down the stretch without him, but it looked lost on offense for extended stretches during Sunday's playoff game.

It was just 12-of-47 from three-point range (25.5 percent) and had a mere 43 points at halftime. Bojan Bogdanovic did what he could with 29 points in the second half alone, but his contested three in the final seconds that could have forced overtime didn't fall.

With Mitchell back in the fold, the Jazz will have to win four of the next six contests to avoid an early elimination after an impressive regular season.

After being held out of Sunday's 112-109 Game 1 loss with an ankle injury, Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell will be available to play against the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 2 on Wednesday.

Brian Windhorst and Tim MacMahon of ESPN reported Mitchell—who has not played since April 16—was "incensed" that the team held him out of the series opener.  

It also appeared as though Utah players were caught off guard by the decision to hold Mitchell out of Game 1. Rudy Gobert called the move "a big surprise," while Mike Conley said it was a "game-changer" to not have Mitchell.

Mitchell discussed the situation on Monday.

"Honestly, I was ready to go and the staff didn't feel like I was ready," he said. "That's it. There wasn't anymore to it."

Fortunately for the top-seeded Jazz, though, they will now get their star back as they look to rebound from a disappointing Game 1.

Mitchell appeared in 53 games during the regular season and averaged 26.4 points, 5.2 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game behind 43.8 percent shooting from the field and 38.6 percent shooting from three-point range.

It was a career season for the two-time All-Star prior to the injury, which is one reason Utah clinched the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.

Mitchell's return will provide a nice boost to the Jazz rotation, which already features the likes of Conley, Gobert, Jordan Clarkson and Joe Ingles.

Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell was reportedly "incensed" with team doctors after being held out of Sunday's Game 1 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.

Brian Windhorst and Tim MacMahon of ESPN reported Mitchell and the team have had tense disagreements regarding his recovery from an ankle sprain that's kept him out since April 16.

Signs pointed to Mitchell playing ahead of Game 1, as he was not listed on the team's injury report Sunday morning. However, the Utah training staff suggested Mitchell sit out after he went through shootaround.

The Jazz sorely missed Mitchell in their 112-109 loss to Memphis, with Rudy Gobert limited to 25 minutes because of foul trouble and Mike Conley shooting 6-of-18 from the field.

While Utah weathered the regular-season storm in Mitchell's absence, the margin for error shrinks considerably in the postseason—even against a heavy-underdog, upstart Grizzlies team.

"I try to stay out of all of this, because it's just going to give me a headache," Gobert said of Mitchell's status. "Hopefully, he's good for next game. That's all I'm worried about."

Some of the tension appears to be related to Mitchell working with his own personal training staff rather than the Jazz trainers. The ESPN report said Mitchell sought out help away from the team after his progress in recovery began slowly.

It's clear Mitchell feels he's ready to play, and the Jazz need him out there. However, if there's any chance of the injury recurring in later rounds, Utah's smart to be cautious in a series where they are still a favorite. 

The Utah Jazz suffered a Game 1 loss in their first-round series against the Memphis Grizzlies after star guard Donovan Mitchell was ruled out late with an ankle injury.

"It was definitely a game-changer for us, when a guy of his caliber is not able to play," point guard Mike Conley said, per Tony Jones of The Athletic. "It was tough on our team, expecting a guy like that back. We’ve played this season with guys in and out of the lineup all year. So at the end of the day, the loss is no excuse."

Mitchell missed the final 16 games of the regular season with the ankle injury but was projected to return for the playoffs after he "looked good in practice" all week, per Jones. However, the medical team decided to hold him out after the team's shootaround.

It resulted in a 112-109 Memphis win Sunday.

Playing without Mitchell is a setback for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. The guard earned his second All-Star selection this season with averages of 26.4 points and 5.2 assists per game, even improving his efficiency with a .520 effective field goal percentage.

No one else on the roster averaged more than 20 points per game, creating a hole offensively when Mitchell is unavailable.

Bojan Bogdonavic picked up some of the slack with 29 points in Game 1, but it wasn't enough to pull out the win. The squad finished just 12-of-47 from three-point range, a disappointing showing for a squad that led the NBA in made threes this season.

The Jazz also had to deal with the mental aspect of playing without Mitchell after the late change in strategy.

"It was a big surprise. But I try to stay out of all this—it's just gonna give me a headache," center Rudy Gobert said after the game, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN. "Hopefully, he's good for next game. That's all I'm worried about."

Mitchell held back discussing the issue on Twitter Sunday:

Sorry y’all... I wish I could say more.... I’ll be out there soon !❤️🙏🏾

— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) May 24, 2021

Utah will hope the guard can return to the court when they host the Grizzlies in Game 2 Wednesday.

Rudy Gobert expected to play alongside the team leader during Sunday's playoff game between the Utah Jazz and Memphis Grizzlies.

Instead, Donovan Mitchell was ruled out with an ankle injury and the Jazz dropped Game 1 at home 112-109.

"It was a big surprise," Gobert told reporters. "But I try to stay out of all this—it's just gonna give me a headache. ... When you wake up from a nap and find out your star player isn't going to play, it throws you off a little bit."

Gobert's comment about staying out of things is notable, especially since head coach Quin Snyder told reporters Mitchell wasn't happy that he didn't play either. Snyder explained the medical staff met with the Louisville product, who had previously declared himself "ready to go," and decided he wouldn't play.

"Of course we missed him, especially in the playoffs," Bojan Bogdanovic told reporters. "I don't know what happened, honestly, with the medical staff and him, to hold him out. You should ask him."

Utah looked lost without him for much of the game and fell behind by as many as 17 points in the fourth quarter.

It is a testament to Bogdanovic that the final score was as close as it was, as he caught fire on his way to 29 points in the second half alone. The rest of the Jazz shot 8-of-36 (22.2 percent) from three-point range, and Gobert fouled out.

Despite the surprise from members of the team that Mitchell wasn't on the floor, he hasn't played since April 16. The Jazz are accustomed to playing without him and still found themselves trailing for the majority of the contest against a Grizzlies squad that was coming off two win-or-go-home games in the play-in tournament.

Game 2 is now close to a must-win for Utah; otherwise, it will be staring at a 2-0 hole with Games 3 and 4 in Memphis.

It seems as if Mitchell will likely play in that one given Snyder's comments that he was upset he couldn't play Sunday and thought he was ready.

Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell will miss Sunday's Game 1 of his team's playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Jazz coach Quin Snyder noted Mitchell, who has been sidelined since April 16 with a sprained right ankle, has declared himself "ready to go" and isn't pleased with the decision to be held out of the series opener:

Quin Snyder says Jazz medical staff met with Donovan Mitchell after shootaround and decided to hold him out of Game 1. He acknowledged that Mitchell, who declared himself “ready to go” when he talked to media post-shootaround, isn’t pleased with the decision.

— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) May 23, 2021

The Jazz can't withstand Mitchell being absent for any lengthy period of time during the postseason if they are going to win the title. This is a team that sees a wide-open championship window with the Lakers as the No. 7 seed and no other contender having proved themselves under the playoff lights.

Getting Mitchell a clean bill of health will be paramount in Utah's title hopes.

In the meantime, Utah will rely on Mike Conley, Jordan Clarkson and Joe Ingles in ball-handling roles. That formula was enough to clinch the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference down the stretch of the season, and it will need to be again to hold on to home-court advantage in the series against the Grizzlies.

The Utah Jazz won an NBA-best 52 games during the regular season. Combined with their three preseason victories, that means at least 55 students from the state will attend college for free. 

The Jazz pledged to fund a full four-year scholarship—covering tuition, books, fees, and room and board—for a Utah student that identifies with an underrepresented group for every game they won this season. On Wednesday, the team shared a video of players awarding the scholarships from the first half of the season, totaling 30. 

What’s better than granting a scholarship for every Utah Jazz win this season?

Getting to tell the recipients that their life is about to change ❤️ pic.twitter.com/7YPWho77TX

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) May 19, 2021

According to the team, every student selected demonstrated financial need, and 90 percent will be the first-generation university students. Of the recipients, 53 percent are women and 47 percent are men. They will continue their education at one of six Utah-based schools: Brigham Young University, Southern Utah University, University of Utah, Utah State University, Utah Valley University or Weber State University. 

The second half of the scholarships, which will cover victories earned after the All-Star break as well as the postseason, will be awarded to students who will enroll as freshmen in 2022-23. 

The Jazz tip off the postseason Sunday against the to-be-determined No. 8 seed. 

The Utah Jazz clinched the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference with a 121-99 win over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday.

For the first time in franchise history, the Utah Jazz own the best record in the NBA 🖤#TakeNote pic.twitter.com/DCXzYH5JB3

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) May 17, 2021

The Phoenix Suns narrowly edged out the San Antonio Spurs 123-121 earlier in the day to apply pressure to Utah. Thanks to their three-game sweep of the Jazz, the Suns would've had the head-to-head tiebreaker if the teams had both finished with the same record.

Instead, the conference may have to go through Salt Lake City.

Heading into their final game, the Jazz ranked first in net rating (8.9), per NBA.com. They've owned a suffocating defense and a balanced offense with six players averaging double figures in points.

With the postseason right around the corner, however, Utah faces two big questions.

Donovan Mitchell averaged career highs in points (26.4) and assists (5.2) while shooting a personal-best 38.6 percent from three-point territory. The two-time All-Star was out for the team's final 16 games with a sprained ankle, though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08fmVqQaCx8

The Jazz's championship hopes hinge largely on Mitchell's contributions, so it's imperative he be at 100 percent when the team is back on the court.

Another overarching concern for the franchise is that it hasn't advanced beyond the conference semifinals under head coach Quin Snyder. Utah's collective strength has led to a lot of success in the regular season, but having the best player on the floor can occasionally go a long way in the playoffs.

The Jazz were overmatched by the Golden State Warriors in 2017. They couldn't handle the Chris Paul- and James Harden-led Houston Rockets in 2018 and 2019. Then last year they watched as Jamal Murray went supernova and Nikola Jokic shredded their defense.

For the most part, the roster remains unchanged from a season ago, and that approach has proved to be the right one so far.

Rudy Gobert continues to be one of the NBA's best defenders and the perfect pick-and-roll partner. Mike Conley is enjoying a return to form that resulted in his first All-Star appearance. Jordan Clarkson is a shoo-in for Sixth Man of the Year, while Joe Ingles would be a solid contender for the award in another year.

Aside from Mitchell, Utah still seems to lack a singular star who can put the offense on his back when things aren't working on that end of the floor. Isolation ball isn't the most efficient scheme, but sometimes it's the necessary approach when coaches have so much time to attack an opponent's weaknesses and counter the strengths.

Speaking with ESPN's Tim Bontemps in February, one West scout was won over by the Jazz despite having a roster that isn't one of the most star-studded in the league.

"You kind of go back to the old Detroit team that won it," the scout said. "They just had a lot of really good players. I thought Utah needed another star, but I've changed on that."

Without throwing too much disrespect toward Richard Hamilton and Chauncey Billups, the Detroit Pistons were NBA champions in 2004 and reached six straight Eastern Conference Finals because the whole was greater than the sum of the parts.

The 2004 Finals were a prime example of that as the Pistons outclassed a Los Angeles Lakers roster that included Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant and the past-their-prime but still effective veteran duo of Karl Malone and Gary Payton.

If the Jazz reach the NBA Finals, it would be a win not only for the front office but also for non-marquee franchises that struggle to attract the best free agents and trade candidates.

Considering Gobert's five-year, $205 million extension kicks in next season, failing to get to the conference finals, on the other hand, could be a foreboding sign.

Whether you judge him with the eye test or the numbers, it's difficult to deny the NBA Defensive Player of the Year case for betting favorite Rudy Gobert, even if Ben Simmons is on his heels and Draymond Green would like an invite to the conversation.

Following the Golden State Warriors' upset of Gobert's Utah Jazz on Monday, Green was asked who he thought should be the DPOY. After nonverbally conveying his disgust that anyone else might have a claim, Green suggested the honor should be his.

Who does Draymond Green think should be Defensive Player of the Year? pic.twitter.com/hZzK12hdap

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) May 11, 2021

There's no question Green is one of the game's premier defenders. He can guard all over the perimeter and body up bigs inside. The Warriors, who have the fifth-best defense in the league, give up 0.9 fewer points per 100 possessions when he plays.

Among players with at least 500 minutes, Green is in the top 20 in defensive estimated plus-minus (EPM), defensive RAPTOR and defensive LEBRON, all of which are catch-all metrics that endeavor to encapsulate a player's overall contributions in a single number.

His defensive EPM is just ahead of Simmons, another candidate whose case is largely based on versatility.

Like Green, Simmons can be trusted to guard all over the floor. The five players he's spent the most time defending are RJ Barrett, Gordon Hayward, Pascal Siakam, Caris LeVert and Russell Westbrook (two wings, a big and two guards).

But picking either for DPOY probably requires a substitution of opinion for evidence. 

That's acceptable, especially on defense, but objective analysis is easier to come by in the age of information. Traditional numbers like points per game or field-goal percentage were once the statistical holy grails, but they were perhaps more deceiving than fans of earlier eras realized.

Play-by-play and tracking data, advanced box scores, catch-all metrics and more accurate means of measuring efficiency have made us smarter. And though the the new numbers still struggle to fully capture defensive impact, catch-alls like those listed above are helpful guides when deployed in concert with film.

Regardless of how sophisticated stats become, the players themselves still bring loads of intangibles, including feel for the game, vision, anticipation, athleticism and timing, just to name a few. You still have to see those things. And with Gobert, there's an added requirement to analyze what you don't see.

"They're going to remember the highlight play. Maybe someone made a great offensive play around Rudy," Jazz executive vice president of basketball operations Dennis Lindsey told Bleacher Report. "But there's no video for, and maybe there is of drives that don't happen because of him, the defensive game plan that we're able to enact because of him. You're not sitting there saying, 'Oh, look at the Jazz, they're holding on corner shooters because Rudy's taking care of the rim.' And yet, that happens night after night."

Something funny happens in just about any Utah game you might tune into. Players often break into the paint with an eye toward scoring before abruptly U-turning back to the perimeter. The cause is usually obvious, as it was for the Spurs earlier this month.

Your quick version of Rudy turning back 3 Spurs in the 1st quarter, then nodding to tell them "That's right!" pic.twitter.com/CZOPJczRdg

— Ken Clayton (@k_clayt) May 4, 2021

And in an era rife with spreadsheets, equations, geometry and lists, it's kind of nice to debate subjective points. There's still room for that in conversations about offense, the MVP, title contenders or any other aspect of the league, but the Defensive Player of the Year discussion is the best forum.

It's good, then, that the player who'll likely win the award checks the boxes for both the objective and subjective arguments, even if the latter is harder to recognize.

"Speed creates, skill finishes and size prevents," Lindsey said. "Of those three, the third is going to be least noticeable, least appreciated."

On the other hand, the numbers greatly appreciate Gobert. He is first in all three of the aforementioned catch-alls, and by massive margins. At 107.7 points allowed per 100 possessions, the Jazz have the No. 1 defense in the NBA, and he's undoubtedly the reason for it. Without Gobert on the floor, that mark jumps to 119.6. The 11.9-point swing is the biggest in the league among players with at least 1,000 minutes. And just for good measure, he leads all qualified players in blocks and defensive rebounds per game.

But again, numbers don't even do his impact justice. 

Sure, the rare moments when someone actually dunks or scores on Gobert draw more attention. They're the plays that get more run on social media, so they feel more common than they are. Possessions like the one above are more routine, though. As Lindsey said, they happen night after night.

Gobert also has a knack for making big plays in big moments. Among players who've logged at least as much playing time in the clutch (defined by the league as the last five minutes of games within five points), he's tied for second in blocks per clutch minute. On Friday, he punctuated an eventual win by stuffing the odds-on favorite for MVP in a key moment.

https://twitter.com/JakeRexLee/status/1390873025742983172

The way Gobert locks in during those crucial moments is another trait that's hard to measure, though he has an astounding plus-14.0 net rating in "high" and "very high" leverage possessions over the last five seasons. But that doesn't mean it's impossible to assess.

Early in his career, Lindsey told Gobert that he was going to be Utah's modern version of Dikembe Mutombo. Prior to the French center's rookie season, Hall of Famer Karl Malone told the Jazz VP that he had something special in Gobert because of his "heart" and "fightback."

"Some of the defensive mentality, in my opinion, is how you view competition," Lindsey said. "Some people view it from a performer's lens. Some people view it, 'I'm going to do anything possible to get this win,' which many times extends to the defensive end. ... As unique as [Gobert's] physical characteristics are, his competitiveness matches that as well."

Green or Simmons may win a semantical argument. They're undeniably more switchable. And their own competitiveness isn't on trial here. If you prefer point-of-attack defense, you might be able to talk yourself into either. But even though you don't necessarily want Gobert chasing perimeter players, he's far more reliable out there than most Twitter accounts would have you believe.

https://twitter.com/KGsGOAT/status/1389714444410839045

"You have to take into account a lot of things that don't happen," Lindsey said. "It's the non-actions. ... He's one of the best people in the world at defending the three-point line. And he may not actually defend the three-point line. He allows us to defend the three-point line differently."

Because Gobert is such a menacing presence in the paint, Utah's perimeter players are able to apply much tighter defense to shooters. That's typically an invitation for an opponent to attack (reacting is easier when you give yourself a little cushion), but that driver meeting Gobert often means good things for the Jazz.

Perhaps more than anything, though, Gobert's bid for Defensive Player of the Year is about impact. He has carried a team with an undersized backcourt and likely one other player who'll even sniff an All-Defense nod (Royce O'Neale) to the best defense in the league.

Much like Stephen Curry with the Warriors, Luka Doncic with the Dallas Mavericks or any number of other offensive stars, Utah's defense is Gobert. He's the system. And it's running better than that of any other team in a season with otherworldly offensive production.

Green, Simmons, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid and others can probably assume recognition with All-Defense selections, but their cases don't quite stack up to Gobert's for Defensive Player of the Year, even if his case is a little more nuanced.

"I almost revel that people do not get him," Lindsey said. "It allowed us to draft him. It allowed us to keep him."

With Gobert, the Jazz have had the league's best defensive culture. Since he was made the full-time starter in the 2015-16 season, no team has allowed fewer points per 100 possessions (and no team is close, really).

Defensive Player of the Year isn't a lifetime achievement award, nor does it have to be for Gobert to win this season. Even if much of what he does goes unseen, we're witnessing one of the greatest defenders in NBA history.

     

Unless noted otherwise, stats courtesy of NBA.com/stats, Basketball Reference, Cleaning the Glass and PBP Stats.

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