After ten long years, the Utah Jazz Point Guard curse is finally broken

The Utah Jazz of the last few years can be defined by a few simple traits. A well-run organization, a respected coach, a passionate fan base and … a lifetime supply of temporary point guards, with a disappointing average.

The Utah Jazz franchise used to have a steady hand in the leadership position. From 1980 to 2003, the Jazz only had two starting PGs (unless a rare injury required a reserve to make an odd start). It’s 23 consecutive seasons with just one change at the starting point. Rickey Green started for six consecutive years before handing over the reins to John Stockton. After that the post belonged to Stockton. We can also name the post after it. He has played all 82 games in 17 of his 19 seasons. He has led the league in assists 9 times. He was a mainstay of the All Star and All-NBA teams. John Stockton was the ultimate consistent playmaker.

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The standard has been set for future Jazz protection points. Stockton’s career is an unfair yardstick to compare future players to, but that doesn’t stop jazz fans from doing just that. This team expects excellence from their point guards.

After John retired, there were only two quick seasons of uncertainty as to who would take the job before the Jazz drafted their next franchise point guard, Deron Williams.

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Deron Williams won the starting position midway through his rookie season. An impressive feat considering Jerry Sloan’s reputation for saving young players minutes. D-Will thrived in this role for the next five and a half seasons. Williams has led the team to the playoffs for four years in a row, including a Western Conference final appearance. He was an All Star and All-NBA Olympic Gold Medalist.

He was also unhappy with the team and the coaching staff. Jerry Sloan and D-Will hit each other often, and Williams had decided he would leave the team in free agency. He informed the team of this decision, so on February 23, 2011, the Utah Jazz made one of the biggest moves in franchise history. Deron Williams was traded from the Utah Jazz to the New Jersey Nets.

Since that fateful day, the position of the starting point of Utah Jazz has been, in the minds of many fans, cursed. There have been a grand total of 14 different players to start at least one point guard game for the Jazz from then until today. These players are:

Some were solid veterans. Some were wise backups. Some were high lottery picks, brimming with potential. Some fired at guards, assuming the role out of necessity. Regardless of who they were, none could hold this position for long. Ricky Rubio was the starting point guardian of the Jazz for two full seasons, and it was the greatest stability the position has seen in those nine years. Ricky was a solid player and definitely brought a lot to these defensive Jazz teams. But it was never enough. He was not the revolutionary playmaker Jazz needed. The Utah front office knew an upgrade was needed. So they traded a trade for Mike Conley, a true All-Star stage general.

Optimism abounded among the fans. The team seemed, on paper, complete. Couple Mike Conley and Donovan Mitchell in the backcourt looked like a perfect fit. Could this be the season when the curse was finally broken?

In the first game of Mike wearing a Jazz uniform, he couldn’t take a break. its patented float would not fall. His three-point shooting was in full swing. Conley went 1-16 in this game and scored 5 points. It was the start of a tough season for Mike. Having recorded career high scores in his final season at Memphis, he looked like he couldn’t reach that level for much of his first season with Jazz. Whether it was injuries, a change of scenery, a new system, new teammates, or just his age, it turned out that playmaker Jazz’s curse had taken his final victim.

There is, however, an important note to be made here. If you look at Conley’s 2019-20 season as a whole, you will definitely see a year on the decline. The worst year of its peak. But if you look at it with some context, you’ll see that there has been a turning point. After Conley fully recovered from his injury, with no more minute restrictions, his game drastically changed. He seemed to be figuring out how to fit in alongside Donovan Mitchell and the rest of his new teammates. His three-point fire became his starting weapon, and it was dangerous. This game continued into the playoffs. In the Disney bubble, Mike set the nets on fire. He has accumulated nearly 20 points per game, to accompany five assists and 42.9% of three-pointers. Jazz ultimately failed, but Jazz fans began to wonder if they had a truly reliable playmaker?

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Well, now that the 2020-21 season has started, and through 5 games, Conley has been tremendous. It’s not just the stats he flaunts, although they are fantastic (21.4 points, 5.2 assists, 5.2 rebounds per game). It is something that you can see. When he dances around a Rudy Gobert screen to get three wide open, you see it. When he sneaks through the defense and throws a ball rebound pass to Derrick Favors for a dunk, you see it. When he moves the ball around the corner and hits a clutch three, you see him. You can see something tangible that you couldn’t last year.

You can feel it too. It is a feeling of confidence when the ball is in his hands and the game clock is ticking. A feeling of stability when he returns to the game after a rest. He is finally the real leader and floor general of this team.

Mike Conley has found his rhythm with the Utah Jazz, and no curse prevents him.