“I’ve been told recently that they might be a little worse than we’ve been led to believe” - Howard Beck on the issues in the Utah Jazz locker room

Rudy Gobert #27 of the Utah Jazz celebrates a defensive stop with teammates Royce O'Neale #23, Joe Ingles #2 and Donovan Mitchell #45 against the the Denver Nuggets during the first half of Game Two of a first round playoff game at AdventHealth Arena at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 19, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

The Utah Jazz's 2021-22 NBA season has proved to be highly spirited, as the team finds themselves occupying fourth spot in the Western Conference standings. They are currently on a five-game winning streak, which includes victories over some of the top teams in the NBA such as the Denver Nuggets, Brooklyn Nets and the Golden State Warriors.

Despite their good solid run this season, there is growing concern around some of their playing personnel. More specifically, the ongoing feud between Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, with the pair reportedly still at odds nearly three years after their apparent rift at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Sports Illustrated senior writer Howard Beck, the relationship between the two players is a lot worse than everyone has been led to believe.

“They’re in trouble because this thing has run its course and we know there are some tensions that are in that locker room…I’ve been told recently that they might be a little worse than we’ve even been led to believe.”

“They’re in trouble because this thing has run its course and we know there are some tensions that are in that locker room…I’ve been told recently that they might be a little worse than we’ve even been led to believe.”

- @HowardBeck on Utah

(Via @TheCrossover |h/t HoopsHype) https://t.co/sXczgJXKUw

It even appears the pair may have recently taken their feud to Twitter, with Mitchell liking a tweet that contained what some have suggested was a subliminal message from Gobert aimed at him,

Rudy Gobert subtweet? https://t.co/tMuFTRiHqG

How has the Utah Jazz fared in the 2021-22 NBA season?

Royce O'Neale #23, Rudy Gobert #27 and Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz during the first half of the NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena on October 28, 2019 in Phoenix, Arizona.

The Utah Jazz finished the 2020-21 NBA season ranked 1st in the Western Conference with a 52-20 record. They carried some of that momentum into the postseason, defeating the Memphis Grizzlies 4-1 in a five-game series during the first round of the playoffs. However, Utah was knocked out in the conference semifinals by the LA Clippers.

2020-21 Utah Jazz

W%: 1st
Point differential: 1st
NetRtg: 1st
NetRtg against top 10 teams: 1st

3P/gm: 1st (all time)
3P allowed/gm: 1st

DefRtg: 1st
OffRtg: 3rd

eFG%: 3rd
Opp eFG%: 1st

OREB%: 5th
DREB%: 2nd

FTr: 8th
Opp FTr: 1st

They will be hoping to put up a better fight in their 2021-22 campaign, as they surely look to become Western Conference champions this season. With a 62.5 win-loss percentage, the Jazz lead the Northwest Division. Utah is currently ranked below just three teams: the Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies.

The Jazz will look to extend their winning streak Monday against the Houston Rockets. The team will also take confidence from the fact that some of their recent victories were blowouts, as they beat both the Brooklyn Nets and the Golden State Warriors by 20+ points.