Following an uneventful trade deadline, the Utah Jazz suffered through a lifeless game against the Washington Wizards.
For fans expecting fireworks from the Utah Jazz ahead of Thursday’s NBA trade deadline, there was little excitement to be had when the team failed to acquire a starting point guard. However, the real failure came later that night when the team suffered through a post All-Star break hangover against the Washington Wizards.
The Jazz committed a season-high 23 turnovers, were outscored in every quarter and only connected on 40 percent of their field goal attempts in a 103-89 loss to the Wizards at the Verizon Center. Jazz coach Quin Snyder didn’t pull any punches in his appraisal of the team’s effort–
"“We had a very poor game. I don’t know if it was rhythm or what, but we played very poorly. We were careless, Washington applied a lot of pressure, they were aggressive. We were forced to make plays and we didn’t make them.”"
Despite the uneven performance from the team, the Jazz did have some impressive individual efforts. Rodney Hood continued to play well offensively, scoring 18 points, dishing out five assists and hitting three of five from behind the arc (although he did committed five turnovers).
Meanwhile, Gordon Hayward added 19 points, five rebounds and two steals, and Rudy Gobert finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds after a strong second-half effort. The Wizards were led by Marcin Gortat‘s 22 points, while John Wall added 17 points, 11 assists and four steals.
Jazz Host the Celtics
The Jazz have little time to lick their wounds as the team is back in action on Friday at Vivint Smart Home Arena against the Boston Celtics. The Celtics won 10 of their last 12 games in advance of the All-Star break and currently hold the third-best record in the Eastern Conference at 32-23.
The game could feature a reunion from the 2010 Butler Bulldogs team that reached the NCAA National Championship Game. Hayward and newly-acquired Jazz guard Shelvin Mack both played for the Bulldogs under Celtics coach Brad Stevens. If Mack and the other players involved in Thursday’s trade pass their physicals in time, the 25-year-old could suit up against Boston.
Despite the bad loss to the Wizards and a quick turnaround, I’m predicting a Jazz win against the surging Celtics. If the defense can contain Isaiah Thomas at the point of attack and close out on Jae Crowder, Avery Bradley and the rest of the C’s three-point shooters, they should find themselves in a good position to win.
Of course, that’s exactly what they failed to do against the Wiz, as Wall controlled the action and Washington hit on 39 percent from three-point range. However, I expect a better effort at home from Quin Snyder’s crew.
The game is scheduled to tip-off at 8:30 PM MDT and will be broadcast on ESPN.
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Randy Rigby Retirement
Finally, I’d be remiss in my duties if I didn’t mention the announcement that Jazz president Randy Rigby will be retiring at the end of the season. Rigby has always been an interesting and important figure in the Jazz organization; a thoughtful individual that any team would be lucky to have as one of the faces of its franchise.
Social media was abuzz with praise, well-wishes and thanks for the job he’s done with the Jazz–
Big picture : Randy Rigby influence on the Jazz and particularly the broadcasts can't be under estimated
— David Locke (@DLocke09) February 17, 2016
But more importantly, Randy Rigby is an incredible friend and mentor. It was an honor to work with him for the past 10 years. Thank you, sir
— Scott Garrard (@ScottyGZone) February 17, 2016
Next: Grading the Deal: Utah Jazz Acquire Shelvin Mack
Rigby will transition to a new role as an organizational adviser, according to the team. Steve Starks, president of Larry H. Miller Sports & Entertainment, will assume Rigby’s duties as Jazz president. The staff of Purple & Blues would like to offer our congratulations to Rigby on an unforgettable career.