NBA Rumors: The whispers of a possible schism in the Utah Jazz locker room, presumably between Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, are growing once again.
With roughly 25 games remaining in the regular season, the Utah Jazz is currently 4th in the Western Conference standings. Considering that they’ve finished first in the conference last season, I’m not sure how you can reflect on this season thus far and not come to the conclusion that the team has taken a bit of a step back.
And the natural byproduct of that has opened the possibility of star Donovan Mitchell asking for a trade – because that’s what all stars do when they want out of a losing situation, especially in one where his star power exceeds the size of the organization.
That’s not a knock on the Jazz; that’s pretty much a general consensus. That doesn’t mean Mitchell can’t blossom in Utah, it just means stars rarely do so in small markets. Mitchell could be one of those stars, but there already has been some reported smoke of the alternative.
All season long, there have been whispers that there is a possible schism going on inside the Jazz locker room.
Rudy Gobert subtweet? pic.twitter.com/tMuFTRiHqG
— Eric Walden (@tribjazz) January 14, 2022
Most recently, those whispers have been voiced by actual reports. Some even have fun at the possibility of Donovan Mitchell wanting out during the offseason. Again, for now, these are just “whispers.” There hasn’t really been much substance reported. It’s certainly something to keep an eye on, at the very least.
Of course, winning cures all. If the Jazz can make a deep playoff run, all rumblings of a possible schism would go away. However, should the team be subjected to another early playoff loss, there’s no question that these “whispers,” if they’re even that, are only going to grow.
Currently, the Jazz has been somewhat overlooked in the Western Conference. With little-to-no expectations heading into the stretch run, the Jazz is one team that should be kept an eye on.