The league number one is the Sun, the league number two is the Warriors, and who is the league number three? bull? Nets? Neither! The Jazz are currently 29-14 and are not only third in the West, but also third in the league. In the Jazz's 125-102 win over the Nuggets, Mitchell had 31 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals, and Gobert had 18 points, 19 rebounds, two assists and two blocks.
To be able to sit in third place in the league, the Jazz have played the expectations of fans, but the team is not very peaceful. It all started with a passage by Gobert, who praised Booker by name: Devin Booker is very the defensive end, but we Jazz have not done it. The Suns or the Warriors, for example, are proud of their defensive performances. ”
As soon as this sentence came out, the fans felt that something was not quite right. Not only that, but even Eric Walden, a reporter with the Jazz, tweeted: "Is Gobert subtweet?" Subtweet usually refers to sneaky mockery or criticism. Even more surprisingly, jazz guards Mitchell and Clarkson both gave Eric Walden a thumbs up!
Some fans are curious: Will it be that these two people slipped their hands? If the hand slips, the like will definitely be canceled afterwards. But three days have passed, and neither Mitchell nor Clarkson has canceled the likes. The operation of the two of them can also be understood, Gobert publicly praised the Suns guard Booker's good defense, is not to say that the Jazz guard's defense is poor?
Gobert is not fooled, he missed five games from January 4-17. The Jazz are 1-4, and the defensive efficiency value of these five games is 120.8, the bottom of the league. From another point of view, Mitchell and Clarkson are both offensive defenders, and the poor defense can be understood. Mitchell is 4th in the league in offensive efficiency and 248th in defensive efficiency this season.
Clarkson is 21st in offensive efficiency league, 76th in defensive efficiency, and 16th in net efficiency league, which is already good. Gobert can criticize the team's defense, just pay attention to the way it is. Besides, defending badly is not just a matter of the defensive line, and now mitchell and Clarkson are not happy, why bother?
Remember that league shutdown in March 2020? At that time, Gobert and Mitchell also had a conflict and did not contact each other for nearly a month. It wasn't until mid-April that Gobert called Mitchell and the relationship was repaired. On November 28, 2020, the Jazz renewed Mitchell's contract for $163 million for five years, and on December 20, 2020, he renewed his contract with Gobert for $205 million for five years.
Mitchell has averaged 25.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.6 steals this season, shooting 45.3 percent from the field, 34.6 percent from three-point range and 87.5 percent from the free throw line. He, like Gobert, has a player option that expires in the summer of 2026 for the 2025-26 season. NBA star Tim Mac Mahon said Mitchell may think the Salt Lake City market is too small.
Another reporter, Greg Sylvander, said the Heat would be his preferred home if Mitchell left the Jazz, and he has also said he has been a fan of the Heat since he was a child. Mitchell himself responded: "When we lose, you like to do something negative; once we win, you are quiet." ”
Although the Jazz have a good record and Mitchell's statistics are good, his popularity is not enough, and the All-Star vote only ranks 7th in the Western Conference backcourt! And with the Jazz's current lineup, it does not have the strength to win the championship. Do you think Mitchell would consider leaving?