As we can all agree, no one is choosing Utah in free agency. The draft is how Utah found their two superstars in the first place. So, now that the truth has been laid bare, where should the Jazz go next? A total rebuild seems to be the best option through continued investment in draft capital. This was especially evident in games one through three when the Jazz starters were outmatched in effort and joy by a Luka-less Mavericks squad.
They quit on their city and, worse, each other in the recent series against the Mavs. Not just because of an inflated payroll or maximized ceiling, but because the chemistry of this long-contained core has reached well past its expiration. To put it plainly, this team needs to be broken up. Only last year’s Sixth Man of the Year, Jordan Clarkson, and sharpshooting big man Bojan Bogdanović played with any joie de vivre. Rudy Gay, Royce O’Neal, Hassan Whiteside, Danuel House. Elsewhere, the Jazz roster is filled out with broken players who, judging by their on-court rapport and play, seem genuinely unhappy to be playing in Utah i.e. The 34-year-old guard is a shell of the player he was in Memphis and never regained the defensive form that made him such a lethal two-way player with the Grizzlies. The 2019 trade that brought Mike Conley to Utah has been an unmitigated disaster. Danny Ainge and the Utah front office have surrounded Gobert with a bunch of aging perimeter players who can’t defend. The tension between the two goes all the way to pre-pandemic times.
It was no secret that their two superstars, Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, don’t care for one another. Offensively, Gay provides the spacing that is required in Snyder’s four-out system.Before the Utah Jazz even began their first-round playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks, there were significant questions about their chemistry, viability as a winner, and ceiling. Whiteside’s ability to protect the rim should allow Gay to function as a free safety on the defensive end. On the other hand, he also pairs very well with Hassan Whiteside. He also spaces the floor, as he shot 38.1% on 4.4 three-point attempts per game as a Spur last season. He checks every box: he’s a capable defender in the paint and on the perimeter. Nonetheless, at 6’8 and an extremely mobile 250 pounds, Big Truck provides the Jazz with the best option they’ve had in the Mitchell/Gobert era. To mention that the Utah Jazz need a small-ball center is to beat a long-dead horse. His well-rounded game stands to fill a lot of them. Outside of Gay’s ability to generate his own baskets, the Jazz will mostly look to him to fill holes. Rudy Gay provides Utah Jazz with versatility For a team that already rosters a plethora of effective offensive weapons, the addition of such a player borders on an embarrassment of riches. Look for the veteran to occasionally turn back the clock for an isolation basket when the Jazz are in need. The point? Gay may primarily function as a floor spacer for the Utah Jazz at this advanced stage in his NBA career, but that’s not all he’s capable of doing. His shot distribution was almost perfectly even across the board, with 26.4% of his attempts coming from within 3 to 10 feet. In those days, he plied his trade as a three-level scorer. Somebody apparently forgot to inform Gay.
It was as critical a juncture we’ve seen in this league’s history. In fact, that was the season that the Golden State Warriors won the first championship of their dynasty. Yes, 2014-15 was a slightly different time, but the league was still in the earliest stages of a three-point revolution. Take particular note of that relatively meager volume of three-point attempts. That season, he averaged 21.1 points per game while shooting 45.5% from the field and 35.9% on 3.2 three-point attempts per contest. Gay’s best season came as a member of the Sacramento Kings in 2014-15. If we’re describing you, treat yourself to a free history lesson. The Jazzs win over the Raptors featured the Utah debut of Rudy Gay, who got a late. Younger readers may not have a complete appreciation of Gay’s resume. Toronto blasted host Sacramento 108-89 on Friday night in the first half of the Kings tough home back-to-back. New Utah Jazz forward packs substantial scoring punch