As the Utah Jazz finished as the best team in the regular season last year, expectations continued to increase exponentially for the Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert-led squad. Utah succumbed to the Kawhi Leonard-less Los Angles Clippers in six games of the Western Conference Semifinals as this was another season wherein the Jazz failed to reach the Western Conference Finals.
That was already the fifth consecutive year of Utah being a dangerous threat in the playoffs and failing to reach or exceed expectations. Some weaknesses from the Jazz were their contingency plans when their three-point shooting would not click on a given night. Mitchell was left as the lone reliable option to create the offense when the shooting was cold. Moreover, their perimeter defense was heavily exposed with the versatile guards and wings of the Clippers.
With franchise staple Joe Ingles suffering a season-ending ACL tear, his name was swirling in trade rumors with an expiring deal and possibly inserting a first-round pick as well. The hope for their supporters and fans was to add another athletic and skillful forward to help Royce O'Neal with the defensive responsibilities and space the floor at a higher level. Some names they could have acquired were Harrison Barnes, Jerami Grant, or Robert Covington as these individuals would definitely aid on their weaknesses.
Gobert and Hassan Whiteside usually alternate at the five, but that could be a lineup that could be exploited by teams like the Clippers, Golden State Warriors or Memphis Grizzlies. A five-out style of offense could wreak havoc and force Gobert and Whiteside to chase around the shooters on the corners. Acquiring Rudy Gay in the offseason for the small-ball five was terrific, but they could have upgraded at that position before the deadline with Gay as the secondary option.
Instead, Utah added Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Juancho Hernangomez. These two players are decent role players but does not move the needle for a franchise that has legitimate championship aspirations. Alexander-Walker has incredible upside as a magnificent scorer and shooter, but he is still far from reaching his potential. Moreover, Alexander-Walker would be in the second unit with Jordan Clarkson who is already tasked to lead the scoring charge in the second unit of the Jazz. Even without Ingles, Quin Snyder may decide to give Trent Forrest or Danuel House Jr. more minutes compared to Alexander-Walker because of their fit in his system.
Hernangomez was a tremendous fit with the Denver Nuggets, but his best years was when he was donning the Minnesota Timberwolves jersey. His sensational shooting prowess and playing as a long and lofty forward was a remarkable asset for Minnesota. In his tenure with the Boston Celtics, coach Ime Udoka would rarely insert him into the game because defenses would exploit his subpar lateral quickness. For a squad like Utah, it is not ideal to utilize a below average defender at the four or five position.
Looking around the association, franchises like the Clippers or Cleveland Cavaliers were able to acquire Covington, Norman Powell, and Caris LeVert for a cheap package, respectively. Their previous teams were willing to part with them for draft capital or just clear cap space. Scouring around the league for a similar package could have immensely improved the chances of Utah competing with the Warriors, Grizzlies and Phoenix Suns, especially in the playoffs.
This trade deadline mistake could be mitigated through some internal development so the door is not completely shut for a deep playoff run but the challenge continues to increase rapidly for Snyder, Mitchell, Gobert and company.
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