Every year, it’s the same refrain. Ambitious, the Jazz wants to take a step forward in the Playoffs, but ends up crashing spectacularly before the conference finals stage. And in 2022, it was downright in the first round that Quin Snyder’s men fell.
Bojan Bogdanovic had the opportunity to put on the savior costume in the final moments of Game 6 in Utah, he who had the match point at the buzzer when the score indicated 98-96 for Dallas. Perfectly executed system, inspired fake shot, and then… the brick. In a dead silence, the Jazz season has just come to an abrupt end when Utah was favorite against Dallas following the injury of Luka Doncic. Yes, for half of the series, the Mavericks had to do without their MVP and the Jazz managed the feat of losing, the fault in particular of a defense which is always smoked in the same way (penetration, kickout, string) and a 3-point address which disappeared at the worst moment. This new premature elimination is perfectly in line with the previous ones, the Jazz now being on six consecutive defeats before the stage of the finals of conf ‘. We remember very well last year’s game against the Clippers, when Utah – the best regular team – led 2-0 in the series before losing four times in a row while Kawhi Leonard was unavailable for the end. of the series (Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley were also diminished, but it remains a big fail). We also remember this 3-1 lead lost in the bubble against the Nuggets in 2020, which must still remain across the throat of the Mormons. In short, it’s really a lot and it clearly feels the end of the cycle on the side of Salt Lake City today.
MAVS HANG ON pic.twitter.com/qniROQ66a1
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 29, 2022
This year, the Jazz has never really managed to become again this formidable machine that we could see on a regular basis last season. On the contrary, it was a campaign made up of ups and downs and marked in particular by several controversies around the duo Donovan Mitchell – Rudy Gobert. We have not forgotten the episode where Rudy put everyone on the spot publicly to denounce the lack of defensive efforts of the group, nor the number of times Spida preferred to finish solo rather than serve the French pivot . So many elements that lead us to believe that the next version of the Jazz will be very different from the one we have today, and not only in terms of jerseys. What will owner Ryan Smith and his pal Danny Ainge do to change the trajectory of the franchise? Will Quin Snyder still be on the Utah bench next year? Is this the end of the Mitchell – Rudy tandem? So many questions that weigh very heavily today and for which we can’t wait to have the answers. In any case, what is certain is that the Jazz had approached this 2021-22 season with the one and only objective of integrating at least the Final Four NBA, we can say that they have planted themselves in style. Still.
The season without panache of the Jazz is already over, and we almost want to say so much the better this team was so frustrating to follow. When you’re unable to capitalize on the injury of a player of Luka Doncic’s caliber, you simply don’t deserve better than a first round elimination from the Playoffs. Come on, let’s move on, that’s enough.
