Danny Ainge

According to Ainge, I observed a team of players that didn't indeed have faith in one another over the season. "I believe each person has resolved" (sic). I don't think they did it all together. Since the team's belief in one another wasn't as strong as previous teams I've been on or around, we saw several guys striving to succeed on their own.

That was Danny Ainge, the president of the Utah Jazz, explaining last week his decision to trade Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, dismantling the Jazz squad that had the best record in the NBA two seasons before starting fresh.

Mitchell disagreed, though. Following Mitchell's Wednesday morning press conference, he said to ESPN's Brian Windhorst.

Cleveland as a Cavalier

After being traded on September 1, Mitchell said on his first day in Cleveland as a Cavalier, "I don't think we didn't believe [in each other]." "I advised against trading [Rudy Gobert] after the season. Let's resolve this and go forward. And it didn't take place. I'm afraid I have to disagree with what he said after being around the team for six months. But as you well know, that is ultimately his choice.

That club may have genuinely believed in one another, and their potential within the locker room, and Mitchell may be right.

But Ainge's conclusion that the Mitchell/Gobert Jazz had played their best and weren't at championship level may also be accurate.

"Belief in each other" is ambiguous and somewhat subjective. However, there is an indication on the floor that the Jazz squad, as assembled, had limitations. The Jazz did not have many (if any) good perimeter defenders. Gobert had to clean up a lot in the paint, allowing the Clippers to play five-out and forcing Gobert into an impossible choice between defending the rim and preventing a layup or dunk from the player who had just blown past his defender or sticking with a hot shooter in the corner. The Mitchell-led Jazz offence was potent but could only go so far against a weak defence.

Jazz ownership and management had three options:

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• Be successful for years (until Mitchell left).
• Pack the arena but never really pose a threat to the league title.
• Demolish everything and start fresh.

Regardless of whether the players in the locker room have confidence in one another, what Ainge picked is obvious.

For his part, Mitchell is ecstatic to have joined a Cavaliers squad with a promising future.