Utah Jazz: Studs and duds from Utah’s loss to the Charlotte Hornets

Despite 35 points from Donovan Mitchell, the Utah Jazz fell 99-88 to the Kemba Walker-led Charlotte Hornets on Friday night and fell to 1-3 to complete their road trip.

An impressive win over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night led many to believe that the Utah Jazz had rediscovered their mojo and were primed to string some wins together and get back in the playoff hunt.

Kemba Walker and the Charlotte Hornets had a different idea.

Utah played well in the game’s first 40-plus minutes, however, poor late-game execution led to Utah’s third loss of the road trip.

Without further ado, let’s examine some of Utah’s studs and duds in a game that was much closer than the final score indicated…

Studs:

Donovan Mitchell (First three quarters)

I have long complained that Utah’s struggles primarily stem from the fact that they rarely have the game’s best player. Over the game’s first 40 minutes, though, Donovan Mitchell was exactly that.

Despite a hot start from Charlotte’s Kemba Walker in which he started 4-of-4 from three, the rookie out-dueled the former All-Star.

Mitchell finished the first half with a career-high 22 points on an efficient 7-of-12 from the field and 3-of-6 from beyond the arc. Mitchell added nine points to his total in the third quarter en route to finishing with a game-high 35.

Mitchell’s first-half performance alone was enough to tie him with an all-time Jazz great…

Not bad company for the 13th pick, eh?

Mitchell really impressed me with his ability to get to the line as he finished the game with 11 attempts from the stripe, hitting on 10.

While we will get to Mitchell’s late-game struggles later on, Mitchell simply put the team on his back tonight. His 35 point performance was 14 points better than the combined efforts from the rest of Utah’s starting lineup who finished with a measly 21 points combined.

Royce O’Neale

Jazz fans have patiently waited all season for Royce O’Neale’s role to increase. It seems as though Jazz fans are about to get their wish.

After helping the Jazz defeat the Wizards, Quin elected to give O’Neale the minutes that Alec Burks typically gets. The undrafted rookie out Baylor did anything but disappoint in his extended role.

Despite the lack of non-Mitchell scoring, O’Neale’s play was one of Utah’s bright spots. O’Neale finished the night with an 11 point and 10 rebound double-double.

O’Neale seemed to be everywhere on the floor. His tenacity on defense and knack for rebounding will likely sit well with Quin Snyder as he further evaluates Utah’s rotation.

Fingers crossed that we will continue to see Royce play an increased role in Utah’s plans moving forward. Just another tribute to Dennis Lindsey and Utah’s staff.

Ekpe Udoh

Can a player finish with one point on 0-of-3 shooting really be considered a “stud”?

You bet. As long as that player does EVERYTHING else on the floor, including playing impressive perimeter defense on Kemba Walker.

Sure, Walker got the best of Udoh on an impressive step back jumper, but Udoh’s defense was solid all night long.

On a night that Utah needed a strong interior presence to match up with the athletic Dwight Howard, Udoh stepped up yet again. His ability to defend the entire floor truly is remarkable.

While it wasn’t quite the 16 point, nine rebound game he turned in against Washington in Favors’ absence, Udoh still led the team in +/- with a +8. While I typically don’t read much into +/- stats, there is no discrediting the effect that Udoh has on Utah’s defense whenever he is on the floor.

Duds:

Derrick Favors

During the game a few of my J-Notes colleagues questioned whether or not Derrick Favors’ lethargic play was due to the fact that he knew he would soon be traded?

Whether or not (probably not) that was the case for Favors’ rough night, his play was hard to watch.

Maybe this is D-Faves’ way of making his impending trade less brutal on Jazz fans that have grown to love the Georgia Tech product during his tenure with the Jazz?

Favors finished the night with just five points on an equally underwhelming four shot attempts. Favors was not able to supplement his poor offensive outing on the defensive end either, as he was constantly getting beat down low.

Again, nothing is official with Favors’ trade status, however, if he does end up staying in Utah, the Jazz cannot afford for him to have many nights similar to this one.

Joe Johnson

About halfway through the third quarter, Thabo Sefolosha went back to the locker room with an apparent knee injury. The Jazz later said he would not return due to a right knee strain.

With Sefolosha sidelined, Snyder elected to give the majority of his minutes to NBA journeyman Joe Johnson. While Johnson has played well of late, tonight was not one of his better performances.

Johnson finished with just five points on 2-of-8 shooting. Much like Favors, Johnson was not able to counter his offensive struggles with tough defense. Instead, Johnson was caught sleeping on multiple occasions that led to easy looks for the Hornets.

Johnson has proven that he can still be a viable offensive option, however, his performance tonight did little to build on that.

No long-term worries here. Even the league’s best have off games. However, it would have been nice to see Quin give a few more minutes to Jonas Jerebko.

Donovan Mitchell (Fourth quarter)

LIke I said above, it is hard to win in the NBA when you can only manage to finish with three scorers in double figures. Mitchell was forced to shoulder most of Utah’s offensive load tonight without much other help.

With that said, Mitchell really struggled down the stretch of this game.

Here is a look at how things got away from the Jazz on their final 13 possessions…

Mitchell went 0-of-4 with four turnovers during that stretch.

Again, Mitchell had essentially single-handedly kept Utah in the game leading up to that point so it’s hard to fault the rookie for, well, playing like a rookie.

Jazz fans need to take the good with the bad as Mitchell continues to develop into a star. Stretches like this are inevitable for any young player. No reason to get down on the kid.

Remember, HE SCORED 35 POINTS.

Jazz Nation, Lets get this “dud” into the All-Star game. #NBAVote

https://twitter.com/grabaedits/status/951903087328886784

What’s Next?

The 17-25 Jazz FINALLY head back to Salt Lake City on Monday night to take on Victor Oladipo and the 22-20 Indiana Pacers.

If Utah’s road struggles are going to continue, they MUST take advantage of every home game, especially against beatable opponents. Utah is 13-7 at Vivint Smart Home Arena so far this season.

Utah will play just one game at home before heading out to the West Coast to take on the 13-28 Sacramento Kings on Wednesday.

While both of these upcoming games are winnable, Utah’s travel is sure to play a factor.

Next: Utah Jazz report card: Each Jazz player’s grades at the season’s midway point

Follow me on Twitter @TylerDThorpe for more Utah Jazz news and analysis.