The latest NBA GM Survey is out and the Utah Jazz were name-checked as a team and individually with Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell and Quin Snyder.
‘Tis the season for polls and prognostication in the basketball world and, as such, the 2018-19 NBA GM Survey dropped amid much fanfare on Wednesday. The Utah Jazz were well represented on the survey, with multiple mentions going the way of the team, as well as Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell and Quin Snyder.
Having said that, there was definitely some weirdness where the Jazz band was concerned. Let’s start with the good, though, shall we?
First and foremost, GMs have the Jazz pegged as a top-four team in the Western Conference. In fact, 33 percent of respondents have Utah slated to be the third-seeded team come playoff time. Meanwhile, the Jazz were the top pick for having the league’s best defense and second to just the Golden State Warriors in terms of home court advantage.
Individually, there’s a lot to dissect, but it’s mostly good news.
Gobert was tied with Toronto Raptors star Kawhi Leonard for the best defender distinction. In looking at interior defense specifically, the Stifle Tower crushed the field, capturing the eyes of 80 percent of respondents.
Speaking of defense, Snyder was tapped as the head coach with the best defensive schemes, just edging out Boston Celtics headman Brad Stevens. He also finished fourth offensively and was tied with the Dallas Mavericks’ Rick Carlisle in terms of in-game adjustments. Alex Jensen also received a vote as a top assistant.
As for Mitchell, he was picked as the fourth most athletic player in the Association, just behind LeBron James.
On that note, we enter the weirdness of the survey.
The only other place Mitchell was name-checked was in the potential breakout season category, where he only just registered among the others receiving votes. The rationale of those surveyed could have been that Mitchell’s breakout was last season. However, one of Mitchell’s rookie rivals, Jayson Tatum, was tied for second.
Also — a multi-time All-Star and former NBA Finals in Leonard was mentioned. So, at best, the exact criteria is hard to define here. Of course, this pales in comparison to the fact that Gobert didn’t receive a single vote for top center in the league.
The top two picks there were the players you’d expect in Anthony Davis and Joel Embiid. That’s fine, but I can’t quite fathom Karl-Anthony Towns, Giannis Antetokounmpo (a non-center), DeMarcus Cousins, Andre Drummond, Marc Gasol, Al Horford and Nikola Jokic all getting votes while Gobert received none.
He didn’t get any play among top foreign players, either. Even as Luka Doncic, who has yet to play a minute of regular season NBA basketball, was in the top four. I’m a Doncic fan and I have high hopes for his future in the league, but his presence on the list (as well as an aging Gasol’s) feel odd given Gobert’s strange exclusion.
It’s also worth noting that Snyder didn’t crack the top five in the best coach category (although he did pick up a vote). Stevens took top honors there with nearly half of respondents picking him.
Ricky Rubio only received passing mention in the best passer category, which is disappointing. He may not put up the same assist numbers as he did in Minnesota, but his vision still ranks among the league’s elite.
The Jazz as a team were also undervalued in the best young core category. For my part, I would put the Mitchell-Gobert tandem right up there with the rising stars of the Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers.
On the whole, the Jazz got some good mentions from the league’s GMs here. However, some of the omissions lend credence to the idea that they don’t take the league surveys all too seriously. Still, the team’s profile is clearly growing and will likely continue to do so as the year progresses.
For the full survey results, go to NBA.com.