The image of a dejected Donovan Mitchell slumped on the floor right after the final buzzer in Game 7 of the Utah Jazz's first-round series to the Denver Nuggets is one that basketball fans will not soon forget.
Mitchell had given it his all in the game and the series, combining with Jamal Murray to score 475 points in seven games, the most combined points from a pair of players in a single series in NBA history. Mitchell averaged 36.3 points on 52.9% shooting, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.9 assists in the series, putting the rest of the league on notice that he's capable of performing at a high level in the playoffs. But it wasn’t enough, as the Jazz became the first team since the 2016 Golden State Warriors to give up a 3-1 lead in a playoff series with their heartbreaking 80-78 loss.
The margin between winning and losing in the postseason can sometimes be razor-thin, and in this case, a missed Mike Conley 3-pointer spelled the difference. After a season that saw the team battle adversities, injuries, and friction between Mitchell and center Rudy Gobert after both stars tested positive for COVID-19 back in March, the Jazz are headed home and searching for answers.
Despite being in a tough Western Conference, Utah has made the playoffs in the last four seasons. reaching the conference semifinals in 2017 and 2018. With Mitchell on the cusp of superstardom and Gobert in his prime, the window for playoff contention remains open. Their valiant effort against the third-seeded Nuggets showed a glimpse of their bright future. However, it also exposed shortcomings in their lineup that need to be addressed if they hope to make a deep playoff run next season.
Despite a strong starting lineup featuring Mitchell, Gobert, and Mike Conley, the Jazz also had one of the least productive benches in the NBA. The Jazz finished with the league’s ninth-ranked offensive rating, but their second unit averaged just 33.6 points per game during the regular season, putting them 23rd in the league. That number fell to just 30.3 in the playoffs against the Nuggets, when it was mostly Jordan Clarkson who gave them a lift off the bench.
Clarkson was acquired by the Jazz from the Cleveland Cavaliers in December in exchange for Dante Exum and two second-round picks. He proved to be a good pickup for Utah, as he gave the team someone to ease the stars' load. But outside of Clarkson, the reserves didn't offer much. In Game 7 against the Nuggets, only Clarkson got significant minutes off the bench, while Mitchell, Conley, and Royce O’Neale all logged more than 40 minutes in a game that came down to the wire.
Coaches typically tighten their rotations during the postseason anyway, but a few minutes of added rest for the stars and a little extra production from other guys would be a huge help, especially in a series as tightly contested as the Jazz-Nuggets battle.
Compounding the team’s woes was the loss of second-leading scorer Bojan Bogdanovic for the season due to a wrist injury. Bogdanovic, whom the team signed away from the Indiana Pacers in the 2019 offseason, was averaging 20.2 points while shooting 44.7% from the field and 41.4% from beyond the arc before his injury. He underwent surgery during the hiatus.
The loss of Bogdanovic decimated an already thin roster, forcing Snyder to insert Joe Ingles back into the starting lineup. That left Clarkson and Georges Niang as the only Jazz bench players who played more than 15 minutes per game in the series against Denver, forcing their starters to play more minutes.
The good news for the Jazz is that there are ways for them to add more firepower. The free-agent class of 2020 may not be as star-studded as the ones in previous years, but there are players they can add to their roster. A possible target could be the Sacramento Kings’ Bogdan Bogdanovic, a restricted free agent who is coming off a season averaging 15.1 points on 44.0% shooting along with 3.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game.
One problem, of course, is Bogdanovic likely won't come all that cheap, and the Kings will have the opportunity to match any offers. Utah isn't in line to have cap space if Conley exercises his massive player option, so the club would have to do some maneuvering in order to even have a chance at snagging Bogdanovic.
Another potential target is somebody the Jazz just saw in the first round: Jerami Grant. The versatile Nuggets forward has a $9.3 million player option for next season, and he could wind up testing the market instead. In his case, Utah could try to sign him to a multi-year deal using the mid-level exception.
The Jazz will also have the opportunity to select a young player to add to the roster with the 23rd pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.
Utah’s highly entertaining first-round series against Denver showed the promise the team has. It proved that Mitchell is a star in his own right and that his pairing with Gobert is among the best in the league. Despite dealing with injuries and drama between their stars, they were one missed 3-pointer away from the second round.
But for the Jazz to get over the hump and achieve another deep playoff run, they need to shore up their depth and help ease the burden carried by their stars.
Follow Us
Subscribe