There was less than a second showing on the clock when the final shot was taken. Donovan Mitchell watched it from the opposite side of the court, his arms raised. Who could say how much of the past year raced through his mind as the ball arc toward the rim, spin around the cylinder and, agonizingly, pop back out.
Mitchell felt the weight of it all, though, as he collapsed to the floor, the Utah Jazz’s 2019-20 season finally finished.
“I didn’t really know what else to do,” Mitchell said after his team’s 80-78 Game 7 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night. “I was exhausted.”
Mitchell had scored 22 points to help his team rally from 19 down in the elimination game, but there had been so much more to the Jazz’s journey than that.
In the 314 days since the regular season tipped off, there had been All-Star debuts for Mitchell and center Rudy Gobert, the positive COVID-19 diagnoses that shut down the NBA on March 11. There were months of uncertainty as the global pandemic swept over the country. There were moments of unthinkable pain as black Americans were killed by police, prompting protests across the country and within the NBA. The Jazz finished the highly irregular 2019-2020 regular season with a record of 44-28, earning the sixth seed in the Western Conference and a first round matchup with the Denver Nuggets.
The seven-game series between the Jazz and Nuggets thrust Mitchell and Denver guard Jamal Murray into the spotlight with each player setting scoring records as they dueled. There was a 3-1 lead and three chances to advance to the second round.
And then, on the 56th night inside the NBA’s Disney World Bubble, there was nothing left but the end.
“It’s definitely a devastating feeling right now,” said Jazz guard Mike Conley, who had eight points, four rebounds and seven assists on the night. “ It hurts more than any loss I’ve had in my career. So much you sacrificed, so much you gave up to be here, how much these guys fought, how much these guys played for each other. It’s tough to walk off that court and knowing you won’t be on it again until next season, so it’s tough.”
Gobert said the Jazz would leave the bubble better for the experience.
“There’s been a lot of adversity,” he said. “Not just for me but for all of us as a team, for the rest of the world too, it’s been some interesting few months. I’m really proud of the way we’ve been able to handle that as a team, as human beings.
The Jazz finished the highly irregular 2019-2020 regular season with a record of 44-28, earning the sixth seed in the Western Conference. For the first time in two years, they will not be playing the Houston Rockets in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
There is a silver lining around the cloud hovering over the 2019-20 season. Rudy Gobert was named to the 2019-20 All-NBA Third Team. It is the third time that he has received All-NBA accolades after being selected to the All-NBA Third Team in 2018-19 and the All-NBA Second Team following the 2016-17 season.
Gobert led the NBA for the second-straight season in slam dunks, jamming home 221 on the year. In addition, he totaled 471 screen assists, which was also a league-high for the second-straight season. With a block against Phoenix on February 24, the center logged his 1000th career block, becoming the third-fastest active player to hit that milestone, doing so in his 462nd NBA contest.
In addition to his efforts on the court, Gobert was named a candidate for a third Community Assist Award. The award recognizes a player’s sustained commitment to positively impacting his community during the course of the season. Earlier in the season, Gobert was named the Pro Male Athlete of the Year by the Utah Sports Commission. The Commission recognized Gobert for his excellence on the court as well as his impact on the state of Utah. Gobert established Rudy’s Kids Foundation, which supports charities that directly impact the lives of youth in Utah and a program that donates money to ShelterKids and Salt Lake County Youth Services, and the Utah Refugee Connection with every blocked shot Gobert records on the floor.
As the Jazz wind one season down and gear up for the next, the team added new talent to the coaching roster. Dell Demps and Keyon Dooling bring decades of experience as players, managers, and coaches to the Jazz. Dell Demps is best known for his time as the New Orleans Pelicans’ senior vice president of basketball operations and general manager from 2010-19. He and Coach Quin Snyder previously worked together in the then-D League with the Austin Toros between 2007-10, where Demps served as GM and Snyder as the head coach.
“I was fortunate to work with Dell to begin my career as a head coach in professional basketball, and I know he will delve into his role on the bench,” Snyder said. “He has an incredible work ethic and commitment to his craft. His vast experience both as a player and in front office roles brings a unique perspective that will be invaluable to our team. We’re excited to welcome him to the Jazz.”
Kenyon Dooling will also be making his NBA coaching debut with the Jazz, where he will serve in a player development role. After playing for Snyder at the University of Missouri, Dooling played in the NBA from 2000-13, with seven teams. He has career averages of 7.0 points and 2.2 assists in 728 career NBA games.
“Keyon is a fantastic addition for us on multiple levels and someone I’ve always had tremendous respect for since our time at Missouri, where we formed a close bond that has continued throughout the years,” said Snyder. “He’s a natural leader who was a captain on multiple teams in the league, and I have no doubt that the way he approached the game as a player will translate to the work he puts in with our roster on the court.”