Jazz Gobert, Clarkson, Ingles, Snyder Named NBA Awards Finalists
May 20, 2021, 6:17 PM
Jordan Clarkson #00, Joe Ingles #2, Rudy Gobert #27 and Royce O'Neale #23 of the Utah Jazz celebrate after a play against the Washington Wizards during the second half at Capital One Arena on January 12, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images)
(Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Utah Jazz are well represented among finalists for the NBA end-of-season awards. Rudy Gobert, Jordan Clarkson, Joe Ingles, and Quin Snyder are all among the top three in their respective categories to earn awards.
The finalists were named Thursday night on TNT, with the winners being named later in the postseason.
Gobert earned his bid as a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year, the fifth consecutive season the French center has been named among the league’s top three.
Gobert won the award in 2018 and 2019, finished third in 2020, and second in 2017. Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons and Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green are also finalists.
The All-NBA center is considered the heavy favorite to win the award after leading the Jazz to the third-best defense in the NBA and the best overall record. Gobert led the NBA in raw plus-minus at +728, was second in blocks and rebounds per game.
Here are the 2020-21 #KiaDPOY finalists…
⭐️ Rudy Gobert
⭐️ Ben Simmons
⭐️ Draymond Green #NBAAwards pic.twitter.com/2Z2Rk18MNL— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 20, 2021
Two Jazz players were named finalists for the Sixth Man of the Year award.
Jordan Clarkson and Joe Ingles both made the list and were joined by New York Knicks guard Derrick Rose, giving the Jazz a strong opportunity to earn the honor.
Clarkson was considered the heavy favorite through the first half of the season, but his scoring efficiency cooled off in the second half of the season while Ingles made a furious push.
Clarkson led all bench scorers in the NBA averaging 18.4 points per game, while Ingles added 12.1 points per game on an impressive 49 percent shooting from the floor including 45 percent from three.
Your 2020-21 #KiaSixth finalists are…
⭐️ Jordan Clarkson
⭐️ Joe Ingles
⭐️ Derrick Rose#NBAAwards pic.twitter.com/JLkaJ3RCCd— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 20, 2021
Jazz coach Quin Snyder is also a finalist for the NBA Coach of the Year award.
Snyder led the Jazz to the outright top record in the NBA for the first time in Jazz history, despite losing All-Stars Mike Conley and Donovan Mitchell in his backcourt for a combined 40 games.
The Jazz owned the best record in the NBA for all but two nights over the final 103 days of the regular season, while Snyder was named Coach of the Month in January and February.
Snyder was joined as a finalist by Phoenix Suns coach Monty Williams and New York Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau. Williams is considered the favorite to earn the award.
Presenting your 2020-21 Coach of the Year finalists…
⭐️ Monty Williams
⭐️ Tom Thibodeau
⭐️ Quin Snyder #NBAAwards pic.twitter.com/v3eyFlX2HR— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 20, 2021
The Jazz haven’t had a Coach of the Year winner since Frank Layden earned the honor in 1984.
The team has also never won the Sixth Man of the Year, but are likely to see that streak end between Ingles and Clarkson.
A Gobert win would mark the fifth Defensive Player of the Year award for the Jazz, as both the Frenchman and former Jazz All-Star Mark Eaton have each won the award twice.
With four finalists among the NBA end-of-season awards nominees, the Jazz figure to be well presented when the season is over.
