Salt Lake City - Once again, the Utah Jazz suffered a postseason collapse. But an early exit from the NBA playoffs has dealt a lot more this season.
The top-seeded Jazz lost to the LA Clippers in six games after taking a 2–0 series lead. Injuries to All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and Mike Connelly, along with defensive shortcomings highlighted by the Clippers' small ball lineup, took down a Utah team after dominating the regular season.
For a team that had given Denver a 3-1 series lead a season earlier, this latest postseason setback left an extra bitter taste.
"It hurts more than last year because we were up again and lost again," Mitchell said. "It's going to eat into me. When I go to the grocery store, I'm still going to think about it."
Mitchell took another step forward as a rising superstar for the Jazz during the post season, even playing in pain after re-injuring his right ankle in the series against the Clippers.
The two-time NBA All-Star missed Utah's last 16 regular-season games after spraining his ankle in mid-April. He finally returned to action in Game 2 against Memphis in the first round.
Mitchell averaged 32.3 points, 5.5 assists and 4.2 rebounds during the playoffs. He had 39 points, nine rebounds and nine assists -- while making nine 3-pointers -- in his final game against the Clippers, becoming the first NBA player to post that stat line in a playoff game.
"He's a warrior," said Jazz coach Quinn Snyder. "It's a unique player with a willingness to compete and play with that type of pain."
The Jazz had a league-leading +9.3 net rating and held opponents to 107.2 points per game during the regular season. Their strong defense struggled season after season, however, when faced with smaller lineups, with more versatile athletic players.
Against Los Angeles, Utah surrendered 125.0 points per game from four consecutive losses that ended their season and allowed the Clippers to shoot at least 56% off the field in two of four consecutive losses.
The Jazz surrendered a 25-point third-quarter lead in Game 6 after allowing Los Angeles to score 81 points on 45 properties.
Now Utah will spend an offseason doing some soul searching and figuring out what should be the next step for the franchise.
"Obviously we had higher expectations than we lost in the second round, so it's painful," said Rudy Gobert. "You try to ask yourself the right questions and try to think about what we can do so that this stops happening."
Courting Conley
One of the biggest off-season questions facing the Jazz is over the point guard. Conley is set to become a free agent, and bringing him back is expected to be the team's priority.
Their health may be a determining factor in the size and length of the contract offer. Conley struggled with recurrent hamstring injuries during his two seasons in Utah. He had to miss all but one game in the series with the Clippers due to a hamstring strain.
While recovering, Conley ran the offense smoothly and efficiently. His presence frees Mitchell and Gobert to exert more influence on offense and defense respectively. Conley earned his first career NBA All-Star appearance last season after scoring 16.2 points and 6.0 assists in 51 regular-season games. He offered valuable leadership on the court and in the locker room as well.
For his part, Conley expressed a desire to continue his career with the franchise. He enjoyed being a part of jazz in a couple of up and down seasons.
"Obviously I can't speak, look into the future and know exactly what will happen," said Conley, who spent his first 12 seasons with Memphis. "[This] is actually my first time being a real free agent, so it will be interesting. But I enjoyed being here. We'll see what happens."
OVERHAUL AHEAD?
If the Jazz decides to reshape the roster to address defensive deficiencies revealed during the playoffs, there could be several trades and/or signings ahead to move to the Utah office.
In addition to Conley, Georges Niang is a prominent free agent. Niang carved out a spot in Snyder's nine-man rotation with his outside shooting and superior perimeter defense. The forward averaged a career-high 6.9 points in 16.0 minutes per game, shooting 42.5% from the ground, but struggled on both ends of the court post-season.
Joe Ingalls can provide some useful trade value during the off season. The veteran guard, who entered the final year of a four-year deal he signed in 2017, is owed $14 million. Ingalls has emerged as one of the league's top outside shooters, shooting a career-best 45.1% from long distances this season. But he may be expendable in the pursuit of long, versatile, athletic wings to shore up Utah's perimeter defense.
Summer plans
Many jazz players will switch gears and join their national teams for the Tokyo Olympic Games later this summer. Ingalls confirmed his plans to play for Australia. Bojan Bogdanovic will play for Croatia. Gobert will play for France.
Both Mitchell and Connelly are suspected to be joining Team USA while rehabbing from their late-season injuries. Conley expressed interest in participating while his hamstrings are healthy.