The Disrespect the Utah Jazz Gets

Editorials, Previews/Recaps Leave a comment

Welcome to the Basketball Hangover. I write about what’s happening in the NBA daily, even when COVID has ravaged the league.

The Utah Jazz continue to have the best record in the league.

(PHOTO CREDIT: Melissa Majchrzak/Getty Images.)

Sometimes, it just doesn’t feel like the Utah Jazz have the best record in the league. It’s really because of the somewhat blatant disrespect the team gets from fans, media, and even fellow players.

Historically, when you think of the Jazz, you think pick-and-roll since they had the most unstoppable duo in Karl Malone and John Stockton. A lot of the league turned to that play and the Jazz themselves still run multiple versions of that. But while extremely fundamental, people don’t think the Jazz as an exciting team when the 3-ball has become one of the more fun things to watch in basketball. The Jazz are on pace to set a record with 3-point field goals made with 17 per game. So maybe in that regard, some people think they are today’s Houston Rockets.

Some people make fun of Rudy Gobert even though he’s such a deadly defensive player. He doesn’t seem to get the respect as, say, a Ben Wallace would. But he’s one of the best rim protectors in the last few years, if not the best. People blast him for his immaturity (the infamous touching of the mics before the pandemic blew up) and his vulnerability (when he cried for not making the all-star team… and, by the way, people have GOT to stop making fun of people being emotional). Gobert changes the game so much, though, and the Jazz wouldn’t be as good as they are without him.

Donovan Mitchell gets flak for “shooting too much.” But so did Michael Jordan. So did Allen Iverson. And yet they are so revered. We’ve seen Mitchell deliver 50-point games in the postseason. He gets the job done. You’d RATHER have your star player take 35 shots instead of Royce O’Neale taking those 35. Plus Mitchell might be my favorite dunker in the league with the way his legs move in the air on those tomahawk jams. No, he’s not on the level of a Kevin Durant. No, he’s not on the level of a James Harden. But he might be the best “pure” shooting guard in the league today if there is even such a thing as that.

Heck, LeBron James and Durant picked those two players last in the All-Star draft. While James is right that people don’t pick the Utah Jazz in video games, I feel like he’s BSing a bit because he did claim recently that he treats NBA 2K like it’s real basketball; he plays the game “the right way.” And the Jazz play the game “the right way” with their multitude of threes, grabbing the boards, defending like hell, and finding the open man.

The disrespect fuels that duo, though, and it’s hard for me not to root for that team to go all the way. And maybe there is that disrespect because, well, this generation of Utah Jazz players hasn’t made it past the second round. So yes, I get that. But maybe we should give them credit for having the best record in the league. After all, even Michael Jordan couldn’t get past the first round early in his career. Even though Kobe Bryant had early success, there were times when he couldn’t lead a team past the first round. James himself had years where he couldn’t get the Cavs to the playoffs. So everyone has to start somewhere. Everyone has growing pains.

This may be the year that the Jazz go far in the playoffs. Hell, they may not even go anywhere at all. But they still deserve more credit than what they’re getting now. They took all the hits and still got to where they are. That has to be something, right?

Bullet Passes

Wizards announcer Justin Kutcher had something to say about Ben Simmons:

The funny thing is that this isn’t exactly a “hot take”; have you SEEN social media? People get so upset about Ben Simmons (especially since he doesn’t shoot outside shots). Kutcher stood by it:

I mean, I guess. It’s his opinion. But Simmons is one of those guys that can change the game without scoring much. He averages 17-8-8 for crying out loud; Simmons still scores plenty, anyway. He handcuffs people on defense and he’s one of the best free safeties (if we can call it that) in basketball. If he stands by that, then I still stand by what I said previously: people that think Ben Simmons is “overrated” or is some kind of poltroon when he doesn’t shoot a 3 don’t know much about basketball.

The Grizzlies were down by one when Ja Morant drove in and got bodied up by Nikola Jokic. I feel like Morant did not get fouled although him getting a body foul is in your discretion.

However, look at the ref:

Yup. The official raised his hand right on that moment. But the foul was called on Dillon Brooks after that particular play. Obviously, the game doesn’t come down to one play but good grief, the officials sure blew that one.

Denver continues to have the longest current win streak in the league with 5.

Back to the Sixers, Joel Embiid hurt his knee and it was ruled a hyperextension. Embiid has been playing on an MVP level and if he’s out for an extended period of time, the Sixers may not last as the #1 seed in the East. Let’s hope he’s only out for a short amount of time.

Well, Utah gave Houston their 15th straight loss. Technically, the Rockets’ franchise record for longest losing streak is 17 when they were an expansion team in San Diego. But this is easily their longest skid in HOUSTON ROCKETS history.

Boy, did New Orleans need that win. By the way, how the heck do you get 17 boards in 21 minutes, Steven Adams?

Gosh. I know many of their players are hurt. But sometimes, I just think about how the Orlando Magic should blow things up. Well, maybe not “blow it up” but probably move on from a couple of their key players. They’re just not getting anywhere.

NBA Scoreboard

Mar. 12, 2021

Watch This Play

This is a hell of a tomahawk jam by Keldon Johnson.

An exciting play from the Spurs! Who woulda thunk?!

Everyone, please take care of yourselves during this pandemic. And that goes for everyone involved with the NBA as well.

You can find Rey-Rey on Twitter at @TheNoLookPass.

You can also check out Rey-Rey’s podcast, Rey-Rey Is Fundamental, for more basketball content and, really, whatever else.

R.I.P. Nala.

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