Shocking statistic spells trouble for Utah Jazz
For many Utah Jazz fans, this has not been the season they envisioned. At 46-22, the team is now just sixth in the Western Conference. Dreams of home court advantage in the playoffs have been replaced with nightmares of having to compete in the play-in tournament.
It’s difficult to pinpoint the exact problem in Salt Lake City. Recently, however, one statistic has been making the rounds online that may contextualize many of the team’s issues.
One statistic may explain Utah Jazz woes
Apparently, Donovan Mitchell only completes two passes per game to pick-and-roll partner Rudy Gobert. For context, that’s fewer than the number of assists that Trae Young makes to Clint Capela on a nightly basis.
It’s an affront to the on-court legacy of John Stockton and Karl Malone. We recently speculated that the Jazz could stand to let Gobert finish more pick-and-roll sets. Apparently, we correctly identified the problem, but not the extent of it.
On-court problem may reflect off-court problems for Utah Jazz
Given what we’ve heard about the allegedly frosty relationship between Mitchell and Gobert, it’s hard not to wonder if off-court drama is resulting in on-court issues here.
If Mitchell is deliberately freezing Gobert out of the offense, that presents a variety of issues. Optionality is key to an NBA offense. If defenses observe that a Mitchell/Gobert pick-and-roll rarely results in a Gobert field goal, they can adjust their defensive game plan accordingly.
It’s also obviously not good for morale. Gobert is a workhorse on defense. He is deserving of offensive touches. If he’s not getting looks as a result of a personal disagreement, that’s bad for basketball and the locker room.
Utah Jazz need solutions now or later
This feels like a Quin Snyder problem. Surely, he’s noticed Mitchell’s apprehension to pass to Gobert. He has to do something about it.
After all, there’s a short-term and long-term solution to this problem. The short-term solution is for Mitchell to pass to Gobert more often. That’s the solution that optimizes the Jazz’s chances of making a deep playoff run this season.
The long-term solution is a little bleaker. It may find neither of these men in Salt Lake City when the 2022-23 season gets underway.
Hopefully for Utah Jazz faithful, it won’t come to that. Donovan Mitchell doesn’t need to invite Rudy Gobert to his wedding, but he does need to pass him the ball when he’s open.
