The Utah Jazz are submerged in a critical moment that not only affects the current performance of the team but also the future of the project. The franchise has lost the showy game that it exhibited last year and in recent weeks they have shown a worrying inconsistency that has led them to lose six of the last seven games played.
Low intensity, lack of communication, defensive passivity or abuse of the rinses make up some of the indicators that have pressed the alarm button in Salt Lake City: we are not only talking about a small bump in results but a loss of collective identity and an apparent chemistry problem.
This is what Rudy Gobert wanted to talk about, who has emerged as the main pillar on which the team’s results are being sustained. The French international has already recently criticized the defensive performance of his teammates but in this case it affected a loss of motivation to enjoy on the pitch.
“I feel like those guys had more fun than we did,” Gobert said of Wednesday’s loss to the Houston Rockets. “Yes, there are matches that we are supposed to win, obviously, but I think we should enjoy the game. We must enjoy our work, what we do, playing with each other.
A situation that, in effect, is making a dent in the mental aspect of some Jazz who have been visibly frustrated. “The enjoyment part is hard right now because of the frustration with how we’ve been playing,” Joe Ingles said. “Clearly there are things that we need to solve and improve. I don’t think this is the time to lock ourselves in and get frustrated. Obviously, we all have to look at ourselves, but we have to figure this out together, coaching staff and players.”
It is a fact that the Jazz need a hit if they want to emerge as contenders and prevent the project from falling apart. This season they have lost to six of the seven worst teams in the NBA and have not yet been able to add a resounding victory against any of the teams called to fight for the ring.
At the moment, it is rumored that Utah is looking for an outside defender, although it is very possible that the recent arrival at the offices of Danny Ainge is a declaration of intent for much more notorious movements.
(Cover photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
