It’s no longer really a secret: the Jazz has embarked on a vast reconstruction project in recent weeks. Exit the senior players of recent seasons, we release everyone and we do a big cleaning, the trades of Rudy Gobert at Wolves then Donovan Mitchell at the Cavs are going in this direction. So beware, such a decision was obviously not taken overnight, but the arrival of Danny Ainge as general manager of Jazz has greatly contributed to shaking things up. For the ex-Celtic, something had broken between the players and the pieces might no longer be put back together.
Present at a press conference yesterday, Danny Ainge took the opportunity to explain the why and how of the reconstruction of Jazz. It’s true what, the question may seem legitimate since the Mormons had one of the strongest numbers in the League, on paper anyway. Already a triple All-Star and a rather serious player, Donovan Mitchell probably still had the means to progress a little more. Rudy Gobert, the other central piece of the Jazz, is an elite defender in the NBA, on which almost all rackets would like to be able to rely. Add to that that the two guys were still surrounded by several role players luxury, Mike Conley, Jordan Clarkson and Bojan Bogdanovic among others, and you get a team a priori cut for the Playoffs. And we say a priori since on paper, all this has never really clicked. Moreover, this is largely why Danny Ainge decided to send everything crashing down to rebuild. Landed as “general manager of the franchise” during last season, the double NBA champion obviously did not appreciate what he saw from this group, and even more so in the Playoffs.
“What I saw when I arrived was a group of players who didn’t believe in each other. The whole group liked each other much more than it was said, but I’m not sure it was real mutual trust [..] When we arrived in the Playoffs, I said to myself that this team had had a disappointing Playoffs and that they were perhaps waiting for this moment. I gave them the benefit of the doubt, but it is clear that the team has not performed well, once once more. –Danny Ainge
And boom, in the teeth. Finally, these statements by Danny Ainge only confirm what some had already seen: the Jazz version Quin Snyder was incapable or almost of transcending himself in the Playoffs. As a reminder, the guys have still never exceeded the semi-finals of the Conference in six seasons. In addition to these campaigns postseason disappointing, the atmosphere in the locker room would have sometimes become deleterious, probably largely because of the supposed quarrel between Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell. Okay, that last point is just guesswork and you like we weren’t hiding behind the door to hear what’s being said, but still the band exploded and Utah is getting ready to rebuild away from the basics of recent seasons. Goodbye Rudy Gobert, bye bye Donovan Mitchell ou encore see you later never Quin Snyder, the hard core of the team has been totally disassembled. From now on, it is the young people who are in power and certain cracks like Collin Sexton or Talen Horton-Tucker will be responsible for raising the franchise as high as possible. A priori, next season does not look as successful as the last ones, but the Jazz continues little by little to advance in its reconstruction. It only remains to transfer some stragglers (Mike Conley, Jordan Clarkson, Bojan Bogdanovic, Rudy Gay) and the account will be good.
After several years crowned with more or less success, Danny Ainge has finally decided to turn the Donovan Mitchell / Rudy Gobert page. As soon as he arrived, the general manager grasped the problem head-on and things didn’t drag on. From now on, we will have to be patient to rebuild properly, before perhaps finding the heights of the Western Conference.
Source texte : ESPN
