The Utah Jazz are one of the most intriguing teams in the NBA because they have their first star in Donovan Mitchell, but they also have several guys that are widely misunderstood and do not receive the love and respect that they plainly deserve across the league.
Guys like Rudy Gobert, Jordan Clarkson, Bojan Bogdanovic, Mike Conley, Rudy Gay, Joe Ingles, among a few others on their squad, are all great role players who have contributed significantly to the Jazz's success this season. It's understandable that they don't get the attention they deserve because they're overshadowed by that star in Donovan Mitchell. Some fans dislike some of the Jazz players since they haven't had much success in the playoffs in recent years after dominating the regular season.
With all of the success the Jazz have had in recent seasons, it can't be considered a team that thrives just because of one guy. They have a number of outstanding role players who are regarded as unsung heroes and significantly contribute to the team's success.
Let's take a look at the three biggest unsung heroes of the Jazz this season.
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Jazz Unsung Heroes 2022
Mike Conley
Mike Conley is one of those players who has spent his whole career as a high-level scorer and point guard. He's been in this league for a long time, and it's unclear why he isn't treated with the respect that he clearly deserves. What he can still accomplish at his age is incredible, and no one in the league talks about it enough. He's averaging 14.1 points per game and shooting over 40% from three-point range and 46% from the field this season.
Conley is one of the Jazz's starting guards, and they would not have had the same level of success if he wasn't on the team.
It's unclear why he doesn't get the flowers he deserves, given that he's been doing stuff like this for the most of his career. He has averaged over 15 points per game during his career, shooting 38 percent from 3-point range and 44 percent from the field.
Jordan Clarkson
It's unclear why Jordan Clarkson isn't treated with the respect he deserves, given that he is capable of scoring at a high level. He's scoring over 15 points per game and shooting over 40% from the field in only 26.1 minutes each night. He's having a down year in terms of efficiency and scoring this season, but he's still a big reason why the Jazz have been able to have as much success as they have this season.
Clarkson might be considered an All-Star if he was a starter or if he played for a team in a big market. He could easily score 20 points each night if he were able to play the sort of minutes that most starters do. He doesn't get much appreciation in the league for his efforts, but he's a big reason why Utah has had so much success in recent years.
Rudy Gobert
It's difficult to call someone who has won a defensive player of the year award an unsung hero, yet many players and fans in the league don't respect Rudy Gobert in any manner that he ought to be recognized. We arguably have never seen someone in the NBA protect the rim as well as he does, and he allows the Jazz to play defense the way they do. Not only is he an outstanding rim protector, but he also enables the Jazz to guard chest-to-chest, which is beneficial to the whole defense.
This season, Gobert has not only been a force on the defensive end of the court, but he has also improved offensively. He's scoring 16.3 points per game, which is a career best, as well as 15 rebounds a game, which is also a career high. He's also shooting 71 percent from the field, which, even if he's simply shooting near the rim or converting lob attempts, is extremely efficient and cannot be overlooked. Gobert, like every other player in the NBA, has shortcomings in his game, but his name commands much too much respect, making him an unsung hero with the Jazz.
Everybody saw the struggles that the Jazz had on both ends of the floor when Gobert was out. If they are going to want to have any success they have to keep him healthy because he is the reason they can defend at a high level.
If the Jazz are going to want to get the recognition that they deserve, they are going to need to perform in the playoffs because that is when everybody is watching and can give them the love they deserve.
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