The Jazz Continue to Disappoint

After deciding to bench Mike Conley, Utah reversed course and benched Joe Ingles instead.

Entering the home stretch of the regular season, the Western Conference champion is widely viewed as a two-horse race centered in Los Angeles.

The Lakers and Clippers are rightfully the frontrunners. Besides the saturation of transcendent talent, every player has a defined role that rarely encroaches on the other. Both have benches that won't pull the rug out from under their team.

While the Los Angeles powerhouses were expected to be atop the standings, the Utah Jazz were also considered to be among the league's best, with a world-beating starting five and no lack of depth.

Now the Jazz are noticeably absent from the list of favorites. Much of this subdued sentiment can be pinned squarely on their not-so-longer-prized acquisition: point guard Mike Conley, who is averaging just a 13-4-3 line on career-low shooting percentages. On Wednesday, the Jazz made the bold move to bench Conley in favor of their best perimeter defender, Royce O'Neale. No more than an hour later, it was revealed that Utah was actually going to bench Joe Ingles instead.

Yes, Utah is currently fifth in the West at 36-21, which is nothing to scoff at. A potential rematch with the small-ball Rockets may actually not be an unfavorable matchup this year. But this move is tragic for a Jazz team that is still yet to have everything humming before the playoffs start and time is running out.

Conley has been a true bust this season, much like another previously-vaunted, veteran acquisition in Sixers forward Al Horford. The difference, though, is that Philadelphia admitted that Horford's enormous contract no longer precludes him from starting on the bench. The Jazz are still incorrigible.

Analytics back up that sentiment. When Conley is off the floor, Utah's net rating jumps from 0.4 to 4.8. Their shot selection is also more statistics-friendly. With Conley riding the pine, the Jazz shoot more threes and shots within five feet.

Beyond the numbers, Conley's poor play makes his place with the other starting four questionable. In theory, it should have been one of the most dynamic offenses in the league. Conley has been regarded as a high-IQ player that can attack the rim, a seemingly fantastic fit alongside three great outside shooters and one of the best screeners in the game in Rudy Gobert — that simply hasn't materialized. Donovan Mitchell thrives with the ball in his hands and proved his mettle in last year's playoffs, if not his entire rookie campaign, as the go-to scorer. Ingles, O'Neale, and Bojan Bogdanovic are all 40-percent-plus 3-point shooters who should thrive with anyone who can drive and orchestrate an offense well.

It is the best supporting cast that Conley has ever had, and it has been disappointing to see him struggle in this environment. He is posting his lowest PER (12.7) since his rookie year (12.6), which qualifies him as a "non-rotation player" according to former Grizzlies executive John Hollinger's ratings.

It is high time for Utah to swallow their pride and move Conley to the bench. Nobody's job is on the line. It is a sunk cost. As it stands, the Jazz don't have a meaningful path to the Finals, and having a veteran leader coming off the bench could change that dynamic. The starters will have a lethal offense with four excellent shooters and Gobert to gather rebounds and expose mismatches down low. The bench, with a less-pressured and better-rested Conley, could also open up and give more opportunities to guys like Jordan Clarkson.

Because what's happening right now isn't working, and Utah's switch from Ingles to O'Neale isn't enough. Conley is having his second-worst shooting season in his career, and isn't getting to the charity stripe either. His assist numbers are a career low. Defensively, he isn't even averaging at least one block or steal combined a game.

The move will surely benefit Ingles, who has a -3.6 net rating with Conley on the floor, and +5.0 without. But at the expense of having Conley orchestrate the starting unit? That remains to be seen, with evidence pointing it to be a zero-sum move.

The underwhelming season for Utah has made them an afterthought compared to the likes of the Los Angeles teams or Milwaukee or Toronto. Realistically, they have the talent to go toe-to-toe with those contenders.

That is, if they even want to.