Utah Jazz: New Year’s Resolutions for Each Player
Kyle Korver: Be a Mentor
This is already a major part of Kyle Korver’s contribution to the Utah Jazz, but the team simply can’t get enough of his mentorship, on and off the court.
Help Joe Ingles to move better without the ball and shoot without a conscience.
Teach Donovan all he learned and observed playing with LeBron.
Demonstrate to Ricky the importance of shooting mechanics.
Help the less-defensively-adept players see how far heart and hustle can carry them.
Guide all the young players through the ups and downs of a long season and (hopefully) a playoff run.
And yes, can threes left and right. But you knew that already.
Donovan Mitchell: Rediscover Three-Point Shot, Dominate World
It’s a simple formula.
If Donovan Mitchell can just shoot from distance as well as he did during his rookie season, everything gets easier. Easier for him, easier for his teammates, and easier for the Utah Jazz’ playoff hopes.
A 34 percent three-point shooter as a rookie, Mitchell has struggled this season, managing just 29.3 percent thus far. It’s only a few percentage points, but when you’re a volume shooter like Donovan, it makes a difference.
Mitchell set the all-time NBA record for three pointers made during a rookie season last year; rediscovering some of his prodigious production from long range can help the Jazz take their offense to the next level.
It should be noted here that, ideally, Donovan will eventually far surpass his 34 percent rookie clip. His ceiling is still nowhere in sight.
Thabo Sefolosha: Carry On with Unprecedented Efficiency
Rejoining and contributing to a playoff team that has largely jelled without you can’t be a simple endeavor. But Thabo Sefolosha is looking pretty good doing it as of this writing.
In addition to his usual workman-like, unselfish efforts, Thabo has been shooting more efficiently than at any other point in his long career (including during his Finals run with the Thunder in days of yore). Shooting 56 percent overall and an even 50 percent from three-point land, Sefalosha is helping the Utah Jazz’ offense in ways no one quite expected.
His role may change from night to night, but if he can continue this remarkable run of efficiency, Thabo will always find minutes one way or another.
Rudy Gobert: Repeat as DPOY and Become and All-Star
Rudy Gobert is playing the best basketball of his spectacular career.
Offensively and defensively, Gobert has been a force of nature rivaled by very few others this year.
And he’s only getting better.
Now, it’s time for the voters to take note.
No one is on Gobert’s individual level defensively. No single player impacts half the game as much as he does every night.
Few players in NBA history have scored as efficiently as he has this year, either.
Rudy must bring the fire on both ends of the court down the stretch if the Jazz are to succeed. If he does, he’ll be taking home some hardware yet again. (And who knows how far the Utah Jazz will climb.)
Next. Mitchell's signature shoes are distinctly Donovan. dark
Happy New Year, Jazz Nation!