The Utah Jazz has started to turn things around in recent weeks of the 2021-22 NBA season. With the roster getting healthier, they are starting to stack together wins once again to stabilize their position in the Western Conference.
The Jazz is currently in fourth place, but are only three games behind the Memphis Grizzlies for the No. 2 seed. Keeping home-court advantage for at least the first round should be the goal for Utah, but they will need to continue playing at a high level to achieve that.
Utah is only a half-game ahead of the fifth-place Dallas Mavericks and four games ahead of the seventh-place Minnesota Timberwolves, who have the top spot in the NBA Play-In Tournament. Positioning is key for a Utah Jazz team that is much better at home than on the road and can be exploited in some matchups.
Under Quin Synder, Utah has been a dominant team in the regular season. They had the best record in the NBA last season but fell short in the postseason, which has been the case for years.
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Despite facing an undermanned LA Clippers team who lost Kawhi Leonard mid-series, the Jazz lost their second-round matchup in six games. If that occurs again this season, they could be forced into making some major changes.
According to Rich Bucher of FOX Sports, the Utah Jazz could lose All-Star Donovan Mitchell this offseason if they do not make some noise in the postseason. One Eastern Conference scout even provided a team that he could end up on.
If the Jazz appears to be feeling pressure to redeem themselves for last year’s second-round playoff exit after posting the league’s best record, NBA executives say it’s in part because the future of star guard Donovan Mitchell in Utah depends on it.
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The incessant buzz around the league is that there are those in Mitchell’s circle who believe he is too big of a star for Salt Lake City. Further, some say it’s only a matter of time before he joins former Creative Artists Agency agent and current New York Knicks president Leon Rose.
“They’re a first-round exit from Donovan being in New York,” an Eastern Conference scout said.
That is certainly music to New York Knicks fans’ ears. The team has been desperate to add a star to the mix and Donovan Mitchell would certainly qualify. If the team was able to acquire him in the offseason without including RJ Barrett, New York would be in business from a long-term outlook.
Mitchell isn’t a true point guard, but he is certainly someone that can fill that role with his ball-handling and playmaking skills. New York would likely aim to bring another table-setter into the mix, pushing Mitchell to the 2-spot with Barrett occupying the 3-spot.
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New York would be getting a reprieve after passing on Mitchell in the 2017 NBA Draft. The New York Knicks selected Frank Ntilikina No. 8 overall as Phil Jackson believed he was a good fit for the triangle he was forcing on the franchise. Jackson was relieved of his duties shortly after the draft.
Donovan Mitchell ended up going 13th overall, as he was technically the selection of the Denver Nuggets. But, Denver traded him on draft night for Tyler Lydon and Trey Lyles.
