Head Coach: Quin Snyder (6th Season)
Record: 41-23 (4th in Western Conference)
All-Stars: 2 (Donovan Mitchell – 1st, Rudy Gobert – 1st)
Scoring Leaders: Donovan Mitchell (24.2 PPG), Bojan Bogdanovic (20.2 PPG), Jordan Clarkson (15.1 PPG)
Rebounding Leaders: Rudy Gobert (13.7 RPG), Royce O’Neale (5.3 RPG), Mitchell (4.4 RPG)
Assists Leaders: Joe Ingles (5.2 APG), Mike Conley (4.3 APG), Mitchell (4.2 APG)
Offense: 111.0 Points Scored/Game (17th)
Defense: 107.9 Points Allowed/Game (9th)
Key Wins: Clippers x2 (110-96, Oct. 30; 120-107, Dec. 28), Thunder (100-95, Oct. 23), Rockets (114-113, Feb. 9), Bucks (103-100, Nov. 8), Celtics (99-94, Mar. 6), Heat (116-101, Feb. 12), Pacers (118-88, Jan. 20), 76ers (106-104, Nov. 6), Mavericks x2 (112-107, Jan. 25; 123-119, Feb. 10)
Season Summary: In what has become a familiar tune, the Jazz caught fire during the second half of the season, posting a 28-12 mark over their last 40 games. Utah is getting it done with defense, ranking 9th in points allowed per game at 107.9. They’ve also benefited from terrific seasons from Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, both of whom were named All-Stars for the first time this season.
Mitchell has been stellar, leading the team in scoring at 24.2 PPG and ranking third in both rebounds (4.4 RPG) and assists (4.2 APG). He’s shooting a career-best 45.3% from the field and 36.4% from 3-point range. Gobert, a two-time Defensive Player of the Year, is posting a career-high 13.7 rebounds per game this season, which ranks 3rd in the NBA. He has also lived up to his nickname of ‘The Stifle Tower’, averaging 2.0 blocked shots per game. Utah boasts the best 3-point shooting rate in the NBA (38.3%), but will have to make up for the loss of Bojan Bogdanovic’s 41.4% 3-point shooting and 3.0 3-pointers made per game after the Croatian sharpshooter underwent wrist surgery during the hiatus that will keep him out for the rest of the season.
Memorable Moment: February 9th in Houston. Jazz down by two. 1.6 seconds on the clock. Joe Ingles inbounds. Bojan Bogdanovic comes off of a double screen, catches, turns, and with two Rockets in his face, throws up a 28-footer. Nothing but net. It was one of the most memorable buzzer-beaters of the season, and it’s the most memorable moment of the season for the Jazz, too. That 114-113 win over the Rockets is currently the difference between the two teams in the standings, as Utah sits in fourth in the West at 41-23, while Houston is tied for fifth with Oklahoma City at 40-24 (OKC currently holds the tiebreaker).
Player to Watch: Joe Ingles – The sweet-shooting Australian will be a key piece in making up for the loss of Bojan Bogdanovic. The 32-year-old Ingles is averaging 9.8 points on 39.7% shooting from downtown, and will surely see his shot volume increase once the season resumes. He will be a key piece as the Jazz look to space the floor around Gobert.
