“They always, always, always wet the bed. They make me sick” - Stephen A. Smith criticizes the Utah Jazz, says he can’t stand them
During an episode of “First Take” on ESPN, JJ Redick joined Stephen A. Smith to speculate about the Utah Jazz's chances in this year's playoffs. Smith voiced his disappointment with the team's history of failure, stating:
“I can’t stand this team. They always, always, always wet the bed. They make me sick.”
The Utah Jazz finished in fifth place in the Western Conference with 49 wins to 33 losses. They started their run with a win, but Smith’s comments were made after the team's loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night.
Game 2 ended with the Utah Jazz losing by a score of 110-104.
The loss may have been easily stomached except for the fact that Luka Doncic was not playing. The Jazz lost to a team missing its generational superstar. As a result, Stephen A. Smith expects yet another collapse. Smith stated:
“So Luka Doncic is out.… Tim Hardaway Jr. is out. It’s a playoff game. And Jalen Brunson drops 41. He’s a good player. I like him a lot.… I’m a fan of Jalen Brunson, but 41 points? This is the Utah Jazz. Every single time you expect something from them, they let you down.”
The Utah Jazz have reached the playoffs 30 times, across their 48-season existence. The team has never won a championship. They have only made it to the Conference Finals six times, and the finals twice.
Utah lost to the Chicago Bulls in both finals (1996-97, 1997-98). The Jazz have not been to the Conference Finals since their 2006-07 loss to the Spurs.
With Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert running the floor together, the squad has looked like contenders. The squad had a good run during the 2020-21 season, but that ended in a 2-4 series loss to the Clippers in the Conference Semi-Finals.
Donovan Mitchell's continued scoring dominance for the Utah Jazz
While explaining where his distaste for the squad lies, Smith showed love for Donovan Mitchell, absolving him of blame. Smith said:
“I love me some Donovan Mitchell. I mean this brother is special.”
Donovan Mitchell finished the season having averaged 25.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game across 67 appearances. Mitchell was a large contributing factor to Utah's success, if not the largest.
For Game 1 of their playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks, Mitchell dropped 32 points, six assists, and six rebounds. In Game 2, he finished with 34 points, five assists, and two rebounds.
Rudy Gobert has been a major factor as well. Gobert averaged 15.6 points, 14.7 rebounds (league-high), and 1.1 assists per game. Contributing on defense as well, Rudy averaged 0.7 steals and 2.2 blocks per game.
Regardless of his defensive dominance and consistent rebounding efforts, Smith remains disappointed with Rudy Gobert’s playoff contributions. Stephen A. Smith stated:
“Stevie Wonder could see that Rudy Gobert should not be playing.”
Gobert finished Game 1 with five points, zero assists, and 17 rebounds. He would then go on to score eight points, 17 rebounds, and two assists in Game 2 of the series.
While many have criticized his lack of offensive contributions, it's important to note that Mitchell oftentimes fails to get Gobert involved on that end.
Here’s a fun stat:
Donovan averages 2 passes a game to Rudy Gobert.
Not assists. Passes…
At the moment, Gobert stands as the only defensive force for Utah. Smith saying he 'should not be playing' might be an overstatement. However, Gobert will have to step up going forward if the squad hopes to best Dallas.