Clippers swingman Terance Mann was caught taking a shot at the Utah Jazz during an Instagram live session on Monday.
In a conversation with Nets guard Bruce Brown, he referred to the team (his Western Conference competitors) as “regular season animals.”
Terrence Mann on his IG live:
“I don’t think I’ve ever won a regular season game in Utah. You know… the Jazz are regular season animals.”
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— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) March 21, 2022
Those words aren’t just trash talk They embody how many fans analysts, and players feel about the organization today.
Despite great regular-season records, the Jazz have not made a Western Conference Finals appearance since 2007, when they were defeated by the Spurs in a 4-1 series blowout.
“They still gotta prove it in the playoffs,” said Charles Barkley back in May of 2021. “To me, they’re the Milwaukee Bucks of the West. They are like, they’re terrific, they’re terrific, oh, they lost again in the playoffs. Until they prove that they can win in the playoffs, it doesn’t matter if they have the best record in the West.”
Obviously, the Jazz have to prove they can win when it really matters, and their current duo (Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert) is good enough to make them competitive against anyone in the league.
But the reports coming out about what is happening in the locker room suggest there are some serious internal problems.
“It’s the most underplayed story in the league, I think,” said Brian Windhorst. “The Jazz are struggling a lot. This team had big expectations and they’re getting passed by frankly. They are not on the level they were a year ago. Donovan and Gobert, even though they’re both under long-term contract, are under each other’s skin. There’s all kind of subtweeting and passive aggressive stuff going on.”
This season, Utah is in an interesting position. Despite doubts, a lack of faith from the community, and reports of chemistry issues, the team still holds the 4th best record in the West.
But unless they can make a deep run into April, May, and June, they will never be taken seriously as a title contender.
