The Utah Jazz entered the season without expectations of winning. After losing their best players last summer, many thought that the team would go into tank-mode, but they didn’t
The Utah Jazz has become one of the most exciting teams to watch in the ongoing 2018 NBA Playoffs. After finishing sixth in the regular season, Utah dispatched fifth seed Oklahoma City Thunder in six games during the first round.
Without a legitimate superstar, last year’s 13th overall pick Donovan Mitchell has emerged as the team’s best player. The Rookie of the Year candidate averaged 28.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists and shot 46.2 percent against OKC.
Meanwhile, Jazz veterans Rudy Gobert, Derrick Favors, Joe Ingles, and Ricky Rubio all played their roles quite well. Rubio particularly held the team together against Russell Westbrook and company. The 27-year-old Spaniard performed with consistency as he averaged 14.0 points, 7.3 boards, and 7.0 assists during the series.
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However, Rubio injured his left hamstring during the series-clinching win last Friday. According to ESPN, the starting point guard would be sidelined for the next 10 days.
Without Rubio, some analysts again tagged the Jazz as the overwhelming underdogs against their next opponent: the regular season’s top team, Houston Rockets.
Two games later, Utah managed to tie their conference semifinals series with Houston, 1-1. They beat the 65-win squad, 116-108, on Wednesday at the Toyota Center. No one expected them to stand a chance against a superstar-laden team like the Rockets.
But they are now heading home for Game 3 after splitting the first two games on the road.
The power of a team
No matter how far they end up finishing the postseason, Utah surely has already achieved more than enough.
After the team lost Gordon Hayward in free agency last summer, the Vegas oddsmakers thought the team would not qualify for the playoffs. They are now in the second round.
Perhaps the strength of this Jazz team lies in their teamwork. In a league dominated by individual giants like OKC’s Westbrook, Houston’s James Harden, and Cleveland’s LeBron James, team play can easily be overlooked.
Utah showcased their teamwork during the Game 2 victory over the Rockets, with six players scoring in double figures.
During a night when Mitchell shot 6-for-21 from the field, Ingles stepped up and scored a career-high 27 points. Mitchell made up for his misses, though, by dishing off a franchise rookie-record of 11 assists, more than what Utah Jazz legend John Stockton had made in his career.
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Of course, Mitchell and Ingles can’t do this every game. But head coach Quin Snyder had instilled in his players a mindset that allows each one to step up and cover for their teammates when needed.
If the Utah Jazz can maintain this kind of teamwork and level of play, then unforeseen heights could be achieved this year. At the moment, Snyder and his guys have already secured the fans and media’s attention. Many see them as overachievers. And, for now, that may be enough.