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Mike Conley is one of the most thoughtful and introspective basketball players I have ever interviewed, so when I found out that he sat down with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski for a long interview on the latter’s podcast, I had high hopes.
Let’s say I was not disappointed.
As much as it was the full 37+ minutes of installing the Woj Pod, they really saved the best for last.
At the 28:42 mark, Woj brings up the fact that Mike never made an All-Star Game and states that “if you had exactly the same career in the Eastern Conference, you would have six or seven-time All-Star. ”Even though it is not yet clear whether there will be a real All-Star game this season, voting for newcomers to a potential game has already started, and so they inevitably started to discuss Mike’s prospects. And Mike, to his credit, did not play it cool, did not claim that his career would still be complete without going, but rather bet everything on his desire for that to happen, and not only that, but also on his desire to bring not one. .. not two … but three Utah Jazz teammates with him:
“I can’t lie – I still think about it. It is something that, in my career, I have always sought, ”said Mike. “… It’s been years, you look at this [2015] The Atlanta Hawks team, which had four guys who made it, because they all deserved it … maybe that’s the case this year with Utah. We have so many good things going on here – me, Donovan, Rudy, JC, [maybe] we are all rewarded for playing as a team, for being one of the best teams out there. Perhaps this is the year. “
At the 30:36 mark, Woj brings up the COVID-19-induced drama between Donovan and Rudy, and asked how involved Mike was in trying to resolve it. Did he find it more appropriate, as a new guy on the team, to keep his distance? Or did he trust his respected veteran status to insinuate himself and try to grease the gears of reconciliation?
“For a minute, I thought I was brought here for this – just to be that guy who could be some kind of calming presence, I could lend some knowledge to both of them. And I did it, ”said Mike. “I remember sitting there and having conversations with the two of them, even Ed Davis was involved in this, a bunch of us who were veterinarians on the team, and we told them bluntly: ‘as much as you guys take us. You are the two best players on our team. ‘How important they are to each other and the things they don’t agree on are not big deals.
“… These guys really started working on it,” continued Mike. “And leading to the bubble after the whole COVID thing and all those things that came up, we were playing video games together, we were doing all those things in the bubble that really built a stable foundation for those guys. And you can see it now – they’re talking all the time, they’re on the phone, they’re on FaceTiming. They are tight. “
Jordan Clarkson with a tribute to Kobe
Tuesday marked the one-year anniversary of Kobe Bryant’s death, and his former Lakers teammate Jordan Clarkson was asked after the shootaround that morning if he had a favorite memory of him.
The one he chose: Bryant’s last game, when he lost 60 points at the Utah Jazz.
Later that night, JC had a moment that was almost certainly not an intentional homage, but that served as an accidental homage.
Jordan checked in to the game, curled up on a screen, made the inside pass and fired a turnaround, fadeaway 3. He had a shot attempt a few tenths of a second after entering the game.
It was Mamba Mentality in its purest distillation.
As always, if you have a question you want me to answer – about Jazz, the NBA, about the life of the beat writer, about music, about any randomness – send me a tweet (@TribJazz) or an email ( ewalden @ sltrib.com). Now, let’s go to the last batch:
• “Do you think Conley walks after this season? If so, would it be better to let it out or change it before the deadline? PS, I hope he stays, he’s killing this year! ”- @glendersen
First of all, do you remember that offseason story I did with a hypothesis about how it would make sense for Jazz to try an extension with Conley to reduce this year’s ceiling and keep it for a few more seasons? Dude, I’m smart. (Just kidding.) Anyway, I’m guessing that many of those who opposed it then wouldn’t be now. This is going to be interesting – with the extensions for Rudy and Donovan going into action, Jazz will fight it, the maximum salary. I have no idea if Mike is ready to leave or not – there is a lot at stake there, including his salary needs, his desire to be closer to home, etc. There is a risk in keeping him and watching him walk. But given how well he is playing, and how well Jazz is playing with him, I think it would be a big mistake to send him away early. This team has a chance to compete. They shouldn’t mess this up.
• “Suppose, hypothetically, Utah Jazz could solve any problem via negotiation, at minimal cost, before the negotiation deadline. What would Jazz look for most in such trade? ”- Calvan Johnson (via email)
This team not only has a very good depth, but also a very good depth that is well versed in the Quin Snyder system. Therefore, the search for an upgrade can boil down to whether someone gets hurt or not and decides they are now thin in that location. In the absence of such a warning, I suppose I would say that it would be ideal to have someone who could swing between 3 and 4 positions, who is perhaps a little taller and longer than Royce, but also perhaps a little more athletic than Georges? Such a player can be useful for specific defensive clashes in the future.
Introducing … the Top 5 of the week
I’m not listening to new music enough today to provide consistent recommendations, so let’s explore memory banks while being creative about it. And then: Weekly Top 5. They are inspired by my love for the movie “High Fidelity” and all the random lists that Rob, Barry and Dick created. These lists became a staple in the Walden family. Let’s start with a nostalgic look at my horrible music formation years with … “Top 5 Songs From My Childhood That Kick Off My Love of Music.” (This is going to be ugly. Don’t judge me too harshly.)
1. “Born to Be My Baby,” Bon Jovi: “New Jersey” was the first cassette I owned, and this was my favorite track of hers. I was hooked by those opening group vocals “Nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah”, and sucked into the struggle of the protagonists to do this, despite a cruel and unjust world.
2. “Straight Up”, Paula Abdul: From the first CD I bought with my own money. She was cool, she was hot, and this song – with its funky synth and percussive beat – was just so much fun.
3. “Nobody’s Fool,” Cinderella: Much of my musical taste was influenced by my sister Andrea, who is about 5 years older than me. One day, her best friend, Misty, came to our house and said that she brought “Cinderella” on a VHS tape to watch. I put my head in the room, waiting for a Disney movie. Instead, I got one of the most criminally underrated power ballads from one of the most underrated hair metal bands in the world.
4. “Pump Up the Jam”, Technotronic: It’s not the most sophisticated song out there, but to this day, I don’t know how you can be in a bad mood if it’s playing. “Put your booty on the ground tonight / Make my day.” Simple enough.
5. “Welcome to the Jungle,” Guns N ‘Roses: Another special from Andrea. It would take a few years for the GN’R bug to actually bite me, but even on the first day she put the “Appetite for Destruction” tape on her stereo, I recognized that they were something unique – darker, stronger, more bold, more unpleasant than all the other rock bands I heard on the radio. That afternoon remains a vivid memory, listening to Slash’s staccato, lowering the opening notes followed by Axl’s primitive howl, and having an unwavering feeling that this was very different.
• Utah Jazz have won 10 consecutive games. How did they get here? And how far can they go? – Tribune (exclusive subscriber)
• Resolution ‘Honoring Donovan Mitchell on Shaquille O’Neal’ Passes Utah House of Representatives 67-5 votes – Tribune
• Three points make headlines, but Utah Jazz says defense is an even bigger reason for their winning streak – Tribune
• Charles Barkley disconnected: Is ‘Inside the NBA’ too difficult or are today’s stars too sensitive? – Atlético
• Jerami Grant and Gordon Hayward headline our NBA Surprise Team – The Athletic
• Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith won $ 153 million in Qualtrics IPO the day after his NBA team took first place – CNBC
• Jazz’s ‘different vibe’ when your winning streak reaches 10 – NBA.com
• The case (too early) for Jordan Clarkson to win the Sixth Man of the Year – Deseret News
• Utah Jazz have the best NBA record after defeating the Mavericks, but they are chasing something bigger – Deseret News
