Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert are playing roughly the same minutes as last year. But this is no time to give them R&R.
SALT LAKE CITY — Quin Snyder says looking on the bright side, his team’s injuries have expanded its versatility. But he’s not denying the luxury of having healthy stars.
“I think Rudy (Gobert) has been really terrific — we’ve ridden him a little bit — and then Donovan (Mitchell), as well, with his playmaking, and those two guys have got to be good for us to be good,” he said this week. “And they have been.”
In the Jazz’s pivotal win over Denver on Wednesday, Mitchell logged 38 minutes, Gobert 37. Friday against Minnesota they played 38 and 36, respectively. That’s well above their season averages, which makes sense considering the importance of the games. But it’s also dicey for the Jazz.
The miles are adding up.
How many miles are too many for their stars?
ESPN’s Baxter Holmes published a story last week on the tricky balance between winning games and wearing out star players. Exhibit A is Houston’s James Harden, who scored 61 points against New York. Harden played 40 minutes and launched 38 shots in a game the Rockets won by three. He is averaging over 37 minutes, three more than his career numbers.
This ties to the Jazz’s dilemma of positioning for the postseason without deep-frying Gobert and Mitchell.
