What the Utah Jazz cannot afford to lose: Painful memories
There’s more than one way Utah could view its blown two-game leads in back-to-back playoff crashes. Likewise, there’s more than one way to combat the issues that came to light as the 2020-21 group collapsed after finishing with the NBA’s outright No. 1 record for the first time in franchise history.
The healthiest way to view it all is in a humble light, as a collective lesson for the future.
So long as the pain provides fuel next season rather than provoking locker-room friction, chances are the Jazzmen will take several noticeable steps in figuring out what has kept them from the promised land.
Indeed, instead of the organization concocting an unnecessary overhaul, Quin Snyder and his players could own their past, vowing together not to allow history to repeat itself.
Jazzmen are on contract to return. And it feels as if there’s a reasonably strong chance that upcoming free agent All-Star guard Mike Conley will be back as well.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, despite the franchise’s unmatched regular-season success, Utah’s early playoff exit has many fans screaming for substantial roster moves.</p>
<p>Not a good idea.</p>
<p>Why not? Well, if the front office in Salt Lake City decided to make any significant changes to the artillery, then the Jazz would be in danger of losing the two things that could spell greatness next go-round. So let’s examine that pair of potential difference-making strengths, one at a time:</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/2021/07/18/utah-jazz-2-things-cannot-afford-lose/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Unmatched continuity </a>
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<h2>What the Utah Jazz cannot afford to lose: Unmatched continuity</h2>
<p>Look, there’s no guarantee any trade ideas floating around in the <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2021/07/18/utah-jazz-2-things-cannot-afford-lose/3/"https://twitter.com/utahjazz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jazz Twittersphere</a> would prove to be an upgrade.</p>
<p>Moreover, such deals would endanger continuity, which is what largely propelled the 2020-21 squad to the top of the standings in the first place.</p>
<p>Remember, one common excuse for Utah’s first-round exit the year before was that <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2021/07/18/utah-jazz-2-things-cannot-afford-lose/3/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/conlemi01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">Mike Conley</a> and <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2021/07/18/utah-jazz-2-things-cannot-afford-lose/3/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/clarkjo01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">Jordan Clarkson</a> were in their first year with the franchise. Those two, in particular, were still adjusting to head coach Quin Snyder’s system while building chemistry with all of the veterans in the Jazz rotation.</p>
<p>Now, the Jazzmen could form the league’s most cohesive bunch by simply avoiding the temptation to give up centerpieces in some alluring trade proposal.</p>
<p>And that now leads us to something else the franchise mustn’t misplace:</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/2021/07/18/utah-jazz-2-things-cannot-afford-lose/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Painful memories </a>
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<h2>What the Utah Jazz cannot afford to lose: Painful memories</h2>
<p>There’s more than one way Utah could view its blown two-game leads in back-to-back playoff crashes. Likewise, there’s more than one way to combat the issues that came to light as the 2020-21 group collapsed after finishing with the NBA’s outright No. 1 record for the first time in franchise history.</p>
<p>The healthiest way to view it all is in a humble light, as a collective lesson for the future.</p>
<p>So long as the pain provides fuel next season rather than provoking locker-room friction, chances are the Jazzmen <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2021/07/18/utah-jazz-2-things-cannot-afford-lose/3/"https://thejnotes.com/2021/06/29/utah-jazz-3-biggest-leap-next-season/">will take several noticeable steps</a> in figuring out what has kept them from the promised land.</p>
<p>Indeed, instead of the organization concocting an unnecessary overhaul, Quin Snyder and his players could own their past, vowing together not to allow history to repeat itself.</p>
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<p>Simple as that.</p><!—pageview_candidate—>">