The Utah Jazz have struggled lately. If there’s any value in struggle, it comes in the lessons we learn from it.
Quin Snyder had better hope that’s more than a platitude. If they Jazz want to make a serious run at the NBA championship, they’ll need a crash course or two. After all, this team has lost 8 of their last 10 games. Generally speaking, that is not the stuff that title runs are made of.
Of course, there is still time. Specifically, there are 33 more games and a trade deadline before the postseason begins. Here are 3 takeaways the Utah Jazz can take from their recent struggles in the meantime.
Takeaway #1: Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson may be better on his own
Like many volume scoring guards, Jordan Clarkson is as capable of an All-Star caliber performance as he is an outright dud. Since his running mate Donovan Mitchell suffered a concussion against the Los Angeles Lakers on January 17, he’s been turning in a lot more of the former.
All told, Clarkson is averaging 21.0 points and 3.6 assists per game in the 8 contests he’s played without Mitchell this season (5 of which came over this recent stretch). That’s a stark contrast to his numbers with Mitchell in 2021-22. He’s averaging 14.4 and 2.2 assists per game when the two share the floor.
When you look at Clarkson’s shooting percentages with and without Spida, the picture becomes even clearer. In Mitchell’s absence, he’s shooting 45.7% from the field and 39% from downtown. In games alongside Mitchell, he’s shooting 38.8% from the field and 31.1% from deep.
It doesn’t take an NBA head coach to see what’s happening. Mitchell and Clarkson are extremely similar players. They’re both undersized, ball-dominant volume scoring guards who struggle to find consistency from beyond the arc. They’re also both remarkably talented: Mitchell is simply a little better.
Pairing two ball-dominant guards is only viable when one can also function as a high-level off-ball weapon. Neither of these two Utah Jazz teammates qualify.
It might be time for the team to exchange Clarkson for a player who fits more cleanly with Mitchell. The numbers certainly suggest as much.