If only “1 stud, one super-duper-stud, and 1 dud” made for a catchy headline.
Bojan Bogdanovic is a reliable contributor for this Utah Jazz club. He’s averaging 18.2 points per game while knocking down 42% of his 6.4 three-point attempts per game. His floor spacing is invaluable to Quin Snyder’s attack, and his ability to create his own shot when necessary is a substantial bonus.
He was able to provide a little extra last night.
Bogdanovic finished this one with 36 points, 13 rebounds and 4 assists. Evidently, he tasked himself with making up for the rebounds lost in Gobert’s absence. That alone would have been an impressive contribution for a player with a career average of 3.6 rebounds per game.
Somehow, Bogey made up for Gobert’s interior scoring as well.
Oddly, the three-ball was about the only thing the veteran forward couldn’t get going last night. He was 1/6 from distance. That’s perfectly fine considering that he was 12/20 from the field and 11/13 from the free throw line. Bogdanovic made his way to the paint at will last night, seemingly channeling some entirely different NBA player for the duration of the contest.
That’s not entirely fair. Bogdanovic has always been more than a floor spacer. He’s a talented, three-level scorer. He just seldom has the opportunity to put all of his gifts on display like he did in this contest. Utah Jazz fans shouldn’t look for Quin Snyder to grant him that opportunity on a routine basis, but having a player who can step up like Bogdanovic when necessary is a tremendous luxury.
is more valuable to the team’s attack</a> than five-out spacing. Regardless, it was apparent that these looks can work on a short term basis. If teams force Quin Snyder’s hand in the postseason, he’ll have a hand to play.</p>
<p>Ironically, the Nuggets are the very last team the Jazz can expect to go small throughout a playoff series. Nikola Jokic certainly capitalized on Gobert’s absence, finishing this contest with 26 points, 21 rebounds and 11 assists. He probably enjoyed Snyder’s small ball minutes more than any one Utah Jazz fan.</p>
<p>It wasn’t enough to get his shorthanded Nuggets the win. The Jazz may have been without their star center, but the Nuggets’ star center was without his two most talented teammates. The latter ultimately outweighed the former.</p>
<p>Here are 2 studs and 1 dud from this Utah Jazz win.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #00265D" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://thejnotes.com/2022/01/06/2-studs-1-dud-utah-jazz-win-nuggets/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> A stud </a>
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all the benefits associated with small ball</a> were there for the Jazz. Whether Nikola Jokic, JaMychal Green or Bol Bol were at the center spot for the Nuggets, they were unable to close out Gay from the three-point line.</p>
<p>They capitalized on that five-out spacing throughout this contest. Eric Paschall saw 13 minutes in his return, although they were largely ineffective (3 points, 1/2 shooting from the field). Nonetheless, it was significant that several of them came at the center spot.</p>
<p>Again, the Jazz will not lean on small ball this heavily, either throughout the season or in the playoffs. Rudy Gobert’s interior presence ultimately does more for this offense (not to mention the defense) than any small ball option can.</p>
<p>It’s just very encouraging that the squad can count on Gay to fill that role when necessary. Injuries forced him into it last night, but throughout the playoffs, it’s possible that matchups will.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #00265D" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://thejnotes.com/2022/01/06/2-studs-1-dud-utah-jazz-win-nuggets/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> A dud </a>
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compensate with playmaking</a>, dishing out 3 dimes to go with 2 turnovers.</p>
<p>All of which comes with the territory of being a high usage offensive player. The Jazz can expect subpar games from Mitchell. However, this trend of delivering one in every other game should probably end as soon as possible.</p>
<p>On the other hand, every other game has been immaculate, and the Utah Jazz keep winning. They probably don’t need to worry about Mitchell. He’ll round into form and regain the relative consistency he demonstrated before his injury.</p>
<p>In the meantime, it’s hard to call this performance anything less than a dud.</p>
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<p>The Utah Jazz got lucky in this one. They probably don’t squeak out a 115-109 victory with either of Jamal Murray or Michael Porter Jr. in the Nuggets’ lineup. They’ll still improve to 28-10 on the season.</p><!—pageview_candidate—>">