Utah Jazz Excuses 2018 - 2019

So I've been tracking since the start of the season. This thread is dedicated to documenting all of the reasons why the Jazz lose according to their own analysis. I feel I'm helping the team as a whole. Hopefully they consult this thread and are able to identify where they are failing. It's a labor of love and for their own good, really. Without further ado:



1. October 19 @ Golden State: “I think we stopped pushing the ball as fast as we did in the first half,” Rubio said. “Probably a little tired. But there’s nothing more to say; they played better. They played more aggressive. They were the champs the last 2-3 years, so of course they were going to play like that.”

2. October 22 vs. Memphis: “They got very physical, and we started thinking too much when shots didn’t go in,” said Rudy Gobert, who had 11 points and 10 boards. “We’ve got to keep trusting each other and keep playing as a team.”

3. October 31 @ Minnesotta: "[Rose] made a lot of plays, made some tough shots," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. "We had some breakdowns, a little bit of everything."

4. November 2 vs. Memphis: "Our group has to stake its claim on the defensive end," Utah coach Quin Snyder said. "No matter who's out there, that's something that we can control. ... The defensive end is where we have to put our focus."

5. November 3 @ Denver: "The score didn't reflect our effort," Utah coach Quin Snyder said. "But ultimately you've got to put the ball in the basket. We weren't able to do that in the fourth quarter."

6. November 5 vs. Toronto: "There are things we need to get better at — the little things that made us so good last year."We haven't really done any of them to this point. We’ve played quarters, we’ve played minutes. The runs teams have had against us — 20-0, 28-0 — it’s not like it’s 8-0 and we can get a stop and kind of regroup. It kind of just falls apart. We need to fix it quickly.”

7. November 14 @ Dallas: "There was a point where we stopped competing," Utah coach Quin Snyder said. "We all have to own that and obviously the scoreboard reflected that. "I think it's just that they outplayed us in every lineup," Gobert said. "Every guy that was on the court got outplayed."

8. November 16 @ Philadelphia: “We played with a lot of passion,” Donovan Mitchell said. “Philly is a great team. We had the game in the bags. If we don't make a few mistakes, the game goes the other way.” “I took 35 shots — that can’t happen,” Mitchell said. “Zero assists. That’s not who I am, that’s not who I’ve been. I have to be aggressive, but I have to be smart.”

9. November 19 @ Indiana: “We need to be more aggressive and not let a team impose their will on us that easily,” Jazz head coach Quin Snyder. “They were just alive,” said Donovan Mitchell, who finished with only 7 points in the loss. “They came out ready with energy. We had energy, but they had more.”

10. November 21 vs Sacramento: "There were times everyone was watching,” Mitchell said. “That’s why they got the offensive rebound at the end of the game. That's why we lost.” Jazz head coach Quin Snyder started his postgame presser with a simple declaration: “We have to play better to win."

11. November 23 @ Lakers:
"We have had some off nights lately,” said Ricky Rubio, who finished with 7 points on 3-for-12 shooting. “We just need to stay aggressive. They will come.” "Tonight was a night if we made some shots, maybe it tips the other way,” Snyder said.

12. November 26 vs Indiana: “There’s no one thing you can point to,” Snyder said. “We just have to keep working, keep grinding those things until we play better.” “We really didn’t have it,” Gobert said. “Hopefully, we don't have to say that every night. But sometimes that’s really what it is.” “We can’t keep going back and relying on the team we were last year,” Ingles said. “That’s gone; we all have to move on. It’s a new year.”

13. December 2 @ Miami: "I just want it to be consistent at one point," Gobert said. "Every night is the same (expletive). Every night has been the same (expletive). If you call something one way, you have to call it the other way. Once they start doing that, I’m going to have a little more respect. I’m just tired of it." "I make mistakes. Tonight we made a lot of mistakes," he said. "We could have won this game anyway. They can’t be deciding the issue of a game like that."

14. December 9 @ San Antonio: “We stopped moving the ball,” Ricky Rubio said. "... When you don’t get a bucket it’s hard to get stops.” “We couldn't score and that affected our defense too. At the end of the day, it’s about competing. When we compete and we trust each other, we are a very good team.” Gobert said.

15. December 10 @ Oklahoma City: “When you turn the basketball over, it is hard to defend against that.” Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. “We didn’t execute. That is what it came down to.”

16. December 15 @ Orlando: “We let them score 41 points in the fourth quarter,” Derrick Favors said. “That’s unacceptable.” “We played defense well,” Mitchell said. “We got stops. At the end of the day when you don’t make shots … the defense has to step up even more, and it didn’t at the end of the game.”

17. December 17 @ Houston: Harden scored 47 points on Monday and made 15 of 16 free throws. The third quarter featured Harden’s personal parade to the line. Harden’s antics overshadowed a strong defensive night from the Jazz. “What do you want me to say?,” [Harden] told ESPN after the game. “Tell on myself?” "I'm not going to answer, but I think 100 percent of the people know the answer,” Rubio said.

18. December 22 vs Oklahoma City: "Just missed a free throw," Mitchell said. "No way around it. That can't happen."

19. December 27 vs Philadelphia: "Usually when we make a mistake, we cover it up quick," Gobert said. "Tonight I feel we just weren't getting to the next play ... we got stuck in the past."

20. January 1 @ Toronto: "Jae was hot," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. "It's unfortunate that we didn't capitalize on the night that he had."

21. January 7 @ Milwaukee: “I think we just lost track on defense,” Mitchell said. “I think that‘s what it is.” Rudy Gobert said: “Tonight, through three quarters, they got the best of us at the end. That's the best team in the league right now and at home. I liked our mindset tonight. Just got to be better at the simple things — one-on-one defense, rebounds, and offensively, keep sharing the ball. We did for three quarters, three and a half, I would say. We are in a good place.”