The timing of the NBA suspending the season may be a good thing for the Utah Jazz.
Rudy Gobert tested positive for coronavirus on Wednesday. The rest of the team was also tested following Gobert’s positive test. Donovan Mitchell had a positive test and seemed to take a passive-aggressive approach to Gobert in a statement about the situation.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the seeming swipe from Mitchell was not accidental.
“The Jazz are fortunate that they don’t have to get back together and start playing games again right now. There is a lot of work to do to repair relationships. Not just between Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, but others in the locker room. There’s a lot of frustration with Gobert,” Woj said on “SportsCenter.”
Woj said it would be a test to get the team back on track if and when the league returns to play this season.
The report is not surprising considering Woj said earlier in the day that Jazz players felt Gobert was “careless” with his behavior. We certainly saw that when he mocked coronavirus by touching the media’s equipment on Monday.
And while players certainly are entitled to feel frustrated over the situation, nobody should be taking any anger out on Gobert. Yes, he was careless, and yes, his behavior was stupid. But he did not mean malice when he did it, he has already apologized, and being angry with him won’t help resolve the situation.
We should use his case as a reminder to be careful until the pandemic is under control.
“The Jazz are fortunate that they don’t have to get back together and start playing games again right now. There is a lot of work to do to repair relationships…there’s a lot of frustration with Gobert.”
-Woj
( ESPN) pic.twitter.com/ofCa75PCFW— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) March 13, 2020
