The J-Notes
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Utah Jazz: Midseason Report Card for Emmanuel Mudiay

By Caleb Manser

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 12: Emmanuel Mudiay #8 of the Utah Jazz looks on during the game against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena on January 12, 2020 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 12: Emmanuel Mudiay #8 of the Utah Jazz looks on during the game against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena on January 12, 2020 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images) /
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Utah Jazz
Emmanuel Mudiay, Utah Jazz. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images) /

Offense

EM hasn’t been a spectacular offensive player. Back in the dark days of November and December when the Jazz bench was among the worst in the league, I had a flicker of hope that Mudiay could be a go-to scorer off the bench.

He likes to dribble around and create his own shot in the mid range, sometimes to a fault. I hoped at one point or another his shots would start falling, but it turns out the Jazz bench needed a personnel change.

Before the bench had that personnel change on December 23rd, Mudiay was often paired with Donovan Mitchell in the backcourt. That pairing didn’t work well at all, and still hasn’t to date on the season.

The two man pairing of Mitchell with Mudiay gets outscored by 4.6 points per 100 possessions, and the pairing of Mudiay with Ed Davis got outscored by over five points per 100 possessions.

So how is it that Mudiay’s been better since the Jazz shook up the bench by acquiring Jordan Clarkson?

Has it been Clarkson himself, as a better complement to Mudiay? Has it been Mudiay gaining a familiarity with Quin Snyder’s system?

I think a big part of it has been confidence and spacing. Now that Georges Niang and Tony Bradley have taken Ed Davis and Jeff Green‘s spots in the rotation, there is much better spacing on the offensive end for the Jazz bench.

Mudiay now has more space to slash to the rim and kick out to a three point shooter and initiate the blender offense. He also has the space to do his isolation moves in the mid range, which we saw on full display against the New York Knicks.

This season Mudiay is shooting a career best efficiency from the three point line, at a respectable 35 percent clip. He’s been able to limit his turnovers with a solid 3.1 turnover percentage.

The long string of games with lesser opponents and no Mike Conley in his way did a number for Mudiay’s confidence, and may have solidified his place in the league for another few years. The Jazz offense takes a notable step back with Mudiay on the court, but that should be expected since our starting unit has been phenomenal.

Grade: B 

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