TAKE
NOTE
After a Jan. 22 loss at Atlanta, the fortunes of the Utah Jazz looked bleak, sitting nine
games below .500. But the tide would turn—dramatically—with the Jazz finishing the
season on a 28-6 run to make the NBA Playoffs for a second-straight season.
Fueled by the return of center Rudy Gobert, the emergence of rookie
Donovan Mitchell, and coach Quin Snyder’s belief that the “strength of
our team is our team,” the Jazz won 11 straight games from January 24 to
February 14 and won 12 straight road games between January 24 and March 23.
Finishing the regular season with 48 wins, the Jazz earned the fifth seed
in the difficult Western Conference where they squared off against fourthseeded
Oklahoma City. The Jazz advanced behind the raucous crowds at
Vivint Smart Home Arena, including the decisive Game 6 home triumph.
The Jazz were later eliminated by second-seeded Houston in the Western
Conference semifinals.
In the 2018 NBA Awards program, Rudy Gobert captured Defensive
Player of the Year honors while impressive runner-up finishes were
recorded by Donovan Mitchell for Rookie of the Year, Quin Snyder for
Coach of the Year, and Dennis Lindsey for Executive of the Year in the
final media voting totals.
In his fifth season with the Jazz, Gobert was selected to the 2018 NBA
All-Defensive First Team for the second straight year, joining Karl Malone and
Mark Eaton as only the third Jazzman to earn multiple All-Defensive First
Team recognition. His return from injury in late January was the turning point
as he played in every game and helped the Jazz to a 31-7 record.
A five-time Western Conference Rookie of the Month honoree,
Mitchell never played like a rookie. However, he led all newcomers in
points per game (20.6), three-pointers made (187, breaking record of
Portland’s Damian Lillard), and 20-point games (46). Mitchell became the
first rookie to lead his team in scoring with the team winning 45+ games
since David Robinson in 1989–90.
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