Utah Jazz take unique approach to training camp heading into 2021-22

The Utah Jazz enter the 2021-22 season with a singular goal: winning the NBA championship. It was clear from the messaging from the players on Media Day that there was a common focus on the ultimate prize. That’s the expectation when your club is coming off of a year where they led the regular season in wins, and added savvy veterans like Rudy Gay and Hassan Whiteside.

According to grizzled floor veteran Mike Conley Jr., those veteran additions allowed the team to approach training camp a little differently than usual.

“We didn’t spent too much time on teaching much stuff” said Conley Jr.

“Normally in training camp you spend a good amount of time just walking around and going through detail after detail. With the vets we brought in….we’re allowed to just skip all that and just go straight to live action or working on different things that can expedite our situation as a team. So having that kind of group is huge”.

Part of the reason the Utah Jazz are able to run such a unique, fast-tracked training camp is the wealth of experience of their recently acquired players. With that said, the continuity on this roster doesn’t hurt either.

“It’s a lot easier the first day of camp with bringing so many guys back than it was four or five years ago when we had that big turnover of players. So things get incorporated a bit quicker” said Jazz fan favorite Joe Ingles.

Donovan Mitchell says he’s feeling the difference.

“It’s a different mindset, different vibe about the group” Mitchell said about this year’s Jazz.

“We’ve got to continue to have that throughout the whole season. Not just start off early, or not just start doing it later, but throughout the full 82 and in the playoffs”.

That sounds a lot like music in the ears of an Utah Jazz fan.