The first-ever edition of The 5×5 from Purple Mountain Post centers on the Utah Jazz player responses to their recent slump, some feel-good events, and Tony Bradley becoming the league’s greatest sniper.

The 5×5 is one of the rarer statistical accomplishments in NBA basketball, earned when a player accumulates a total of five or more in each of the five positive statistical categories in a single game. That’s right — 5+ points, 5+ assists, 5+ rebounds, 5+ steals and 5+ blocks in one outing.

It’s a feat that has only been accomplished 19 times and by 12 different players since the league began recording blocks and steals as official stats in 1973. Former Utah Jazzman Andrei Kirilenko logged three such games, the second-most by any NBA player.

Here at PMP, we give a nod to both AK-47 and the iconic stat line with a weekly 5×5 post every Monday, updating you on the five bits of Utah Jazz related news or information you most need to know to get through the week.

Welcome to The 5×5! This will be a weekly tradition here at Purple Mountain Post and hopefully reading it will become a weekly tradition for all our readers as well! The 5×5 will include a look at the Utah Jazz schedule in the week ahead and some newsworthy items both on and off the court either from the upcoming or prior week.

Without further ado, let’s jump in!

#1. Encouraging responses to slump

It’s no secret that the Jazz haven’t been playing well of late. But several members of the Utah Jazz team are taking things the right way, and hopefully fans can follow suit. In each of the videos below, courtesy of The Salt Lake Tribune’s Eric Walden, I’ve included a positive word that comes to mind with each player response.

Bojan Bogdanovic: “I’m shooting pretty bad, especially from 3. I need to try to find an easy bucket early in the game. … I gotta be smarter. … My whole career, I’ve played better after the All-Star break. So I hope the last game was the last game I play like that.” pic.twitter.com/6uyAQGiuTY — Eric Walden (@tribjazz) February 28, 2020

Bojan Bogdanovic: “I don’t care about my numbers. The team is losing and I’m playing bad, so I’m putting the pressure on my back, individually — that we are playing bad because of me. So I have to step up, wake up, and play better.” pic.twitter.com/aHDP0Xm1Mv — Eric Walden (@tribjazz) February 28, 2020

The word for Bogey – ACCOUNTABILITY

Look, the Jazz have had a lot of issues lately. And Bogdanovic struggling has certainly been one of them. That said, he isn’t by any means the primary one at fault nor the one who deserves the most blame.

Nevertheless, he is taking accountability here, stating plainly that he has to be better on both ends, and that he has to step up his game. Sometimes when things go south for a team, the players will point fingers and cast blame elsewhere. Instead, Bogey is looking inward, taking responsibility, and aiming to change his fate.

In my mind, that’s a very good sign.

Donovan Mitchell, “We’ve been behind the 8-ball since the All-Star break. It feels good to get this win, but we can’t be satisfied.”

Also, Donovan and Royce speculate on who is loudly singing in the shower, initially speculating Georges … pic.twitter.com/iLYK3WnnUb — Eric Walden (@tribjazz) February 29, 2020

The word for Donovan – HUNGRY

The level of care and effort of the Utah Jazz players has been put in question lately due to lackluster performances and poor body language. Friday’s win over the Washington Wizards wasn’t exactly overly inspiring, but at least the Jazz came away with the W.

And even more importantly, Donovan’s response here seems to make it clear that the Jazz aren’t satisfied with one win, they’re not aiming to get complacent after one victory. That’s good news, because the Jazz still have a lot of work to do if they want to truly get back on track. Hopefully they’ll take the positives from Friday’s win and use them as a stepping stone to advance to greater heights to close out the season.

Rudy Gobert: “People overreact to winning and losing — the idea is to keep getting better. … It’s all about where we’re gonna be when the playoffs come.” pic.twitter.com/tsKtsOxuOl — Eric Walden (@tribjazz) February 29, 2020

Rudy, on his strong third-quarter stretch: “We moved the ball. I got a few plays called for me, and my teammates did a good job passing me the ball. I got a few rebounds, too. I think I should dominate at least like that every game.” pic.twitter.com/LKxDDDrUYy — Eric Walden (@tribjazz) February 29, 2020

The word for Rudy – TRUSTING

Rudy has had as much reason as anyone to be frustrated with the state of things the past few games as he hasn’t been getting the ball the way he’d like to and the Jazz haven’t been able to take advantage of his size against smaller defenders. Granted, Rudy hasn’t done some things the way he should be doing them either, especially on defense, but that’s another story.

But after another game on Friday where Gobert could have been unhappy with how he was utilized, he instead focused on the positive. Oft remembered for his famous “We will be fine” tweet, Gobert showed in this interview that he plans to continue to trust in his teammates, in his coach, and in their system. There will be ups and downs, but he’s targeting for the team to be at its best come playoff time. In other words, he’s trusting that adversity now and patience to overcome it will pay off in the long run if they keep playing the right way.

Let’s hope his trust remains well-placed.

Mike Conley, on the social media reaction to the news he was being benched: “I know what everybody says. … It’s unfortunate the perception it out on me … but I’m an adult, I’m grown, I got kids to worry about. That’s the least of my worries.” pic.twitter.com/08CRmsWOVB — Eric Walden (@tribjazz) February 29, 2020

The word for Conley – PATIENCE

I feel for Mike Conley, honestly. Sure, he’s struggled in a Jazz uniform. But by all rights he’s an awesome dude who was excited to play with this team and is facing some difficulties. Unfortunately, fan reception during what’s been a turbulent time hasn’t been ideal.

Nevertheless, I think this video proves a misconception about Conley. When the “Conley being benched, then not being benched” fiasco occurred last week, many assumed that he had complained or someone in his camp had raised an issue with the team. Yet from his response here, it doesn’t feel like such was really the case. If anything, Conley seems distraught that he was thought of in that way when he really just wants to do whatever it takes to win.

Conley has dealt with a difficult system, a role that’s different than what he’s used to, and criticisms (both fair and unfair) from every corner. Thankfully, he’s taking those in stride and appears to be patient with the process.

It’s been a rocky start for him thus far, but this response gives me optimism that he’s still fitting in with Quin and his teammates, and that he’s being patient with himself and the process. I’m hopeful that he and the Jazz can still figure this pairing out and make it work before season’s end.

The Jazz have been in a tough stretch, but these four varying responses from some of their leaders are reassuring that they’re taking on the appropriate attitudes and mentalities to break out of their current funk.

#2. Upcoming Schedule and Prediction

The Utah Jazz head out on an Eastern Conference road trip this week with all four games coming on the road.

Monday, March 2nd

Utah at Cleveland

5:00 PM MT – AT&T SportsNet

After seemingly receiving a jolt of energy playing for interim head coach J.B. Bickerstaff instead of departed coach John Beilein and defeating both the Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers, the Cavs have since lost two straight to find themselves at dead last in the Eastern Conference. Andre Drummond has had some success against Rudy Gobert in the past, but this is one the Jazz absolutely should win against a dreadfully bad Cleveland team.

Wednesday, March 4th

Utah at New York

5:30 PM MT – AT&T SportsNet

The competition level won’t go up by much on Wednesday as the Jazz will go from facing the 15th ranked team in the East in Cleveland to the 14th ranked team in the East in New York. The Knicks are coming off a win over the nearly equally abysmal Chicago Bulls, but still should present an easy victory for the Jazz. If ever there was an opportunity for the Jazz to get back on track, these first two games of the week would be the time.

Friday, March 6th

Utah at Boston

6:00 PM MT – AT&T SportsNet

The Jazz had their chances against Boston in last week’s matchup despite some poor play, but ultimately the stellar performances of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, coupled with the late hot shooting of Marcus Smart proved to be too much. Despite some narrow losses to the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers, the Celtics have been red hot of late and Kemba Walker could be back in action for Friday’s bout. Contrast that with how poorly the Jazz have played lately, and they’re facing a likely loss in Boston.

Saturday, March 7th

Utah at Detroit

5:00 PM MT – AT&T SportsNet

The Detroit Pistons traded Andre Drummond and bought out Reggie Jackson to fully embrace the tank. They’re 2-8 in their last 10 games. It’s a little dicey that this will be the last game of a four-game trip and on the second night of a back-to-back for Utah, but the Jazz still really have no excuse to lose this one with how poorly the Pistons have played of late.

Prediction

Put bluntly, the Utah Jazz face three really bad teams this week, so there’s no reason why they shouldn’t earn at least three wins. The game versus Boston will be tough, and based how Utah has played lately, I doubt they’ll get that one. 4-0 is a slight possibility, but I’m predicting they’ll go 3-1 on the week.

#3. Hospital Visit & Autism Awareness Night

In the middle of the Utah Jazz struggles last week, they took a moment to help us gain a better perspective and granted us with two important reminders. 1) They are real people (and incredibly good guys at that) and 2) there are far bigger things in this world than basketball and more difficult struggles than facing a losing streak on the court.

These reminders came about when they took time on one of their days off to visit Primary Children’s Hospital, spreading joy, hope, and a moment’s reprieve to many children in need and their families. It was an awesome change of pace and an excellent sight to behold.

You can see more about it in the video and article linked below as well as the touching photo gallery here.

📹| "This is what just makes everything worthwhile, just being able to come and spend time with children that are so strong." Join us for our annual visit to @primarychildren's hospital as the guys meet patients and families ❤️#ThisIsWhyWePlay

» https://t.co/7BHr2enMHY pic.twitter.com/hlxxmtvLeq — Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) February 28, 2020

📓| “It’s something we love doing as a team. It puts things in perspective."#ThisIsWhyWePlay | @nbacares

» https://t.co/2w56lpxoYo — Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 2, 2020

Along the lines of doing good, the Utah Jazz G-League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars, is hosting an awesome event as a part of their game on Monday against the South Bay Lakers. That event is Autism Awareness Night, and the Stars will be rocking an incredible jersey for the contest as seen below:

Monday night’s 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 jersey 🧩

Bid now on these jerseys

➪ https://t.co/XM8jsbl5ui 💙 Catch the Stars live in action in these one-of-a-kind jerseys tomorrow night.

A portion of all proceeds benefit @VivintGivesBack ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/vVtZJLg20m — Salt Lake City Stars (@slcstars) March 1, 2020

The night will also feature a Joe Ingles Bobblehead giveaway. The Ingles family has a son that was diagnosed with autism, and they’ve done an extensive amount of work raising money and awareness for the disorder. Therefore, the event certainly will hold a special place in the heart of him and his family, even though Joe will be playing against the Cavaliers in Cleveland that evening.

It’s cool to see the Jazz organization and Salt Lake City Stars teaming up for such a meaningful event that includes a unique and unforgettable jersey as well as awareness and proceeds for such a good cause.

#4. Tony Bradley – Three-Point Sniper?

It was great to see the Utah Jazz get a win on Friday against the Washington Wizards after losing the four games prior. One of the coolest moments of the night, though, was Tony Bradley taking and making his first career three-pointer.

Off a tipped jump ball and with the shot clock winding down, Bradley lined it up and drained the deep ball with ease.

Which means Tony Bradley is now a 100 percent three-point shooter, the best in the NBA. Who saw that coming?

Small sample size? Who cares. The Jazz now have a perfect three-point threat in their midst. Time will tell if he’ll quit while he’s ahead or further his impressive streak by continuing to drain more without missing.

#5. Fun ahead from PMP

This is a little out of the ordinary for this first rendition of The 5×5, but we’ll wrap things up with a little self-promotion. Make sure you stay glued to the Purple Mountain Post Twitter and Facebook pages as we’ll be unrolling some cool things in the coming weeks, such as prize giveaways, the #12to32 Assist of the Week – paying homage to the great #12 John Stockton and #32 Karl Malone dimes of old – and the Spida Dunk Ratings where we’ll be rating the best Jazz dunks.

Be sure to give us a follow on Twitter – @PurpleMtnPost – and on Facebook at facebook.com/PurpleMtnPost.

Thanks for joining us on The 5×5! Stayed tuned to Purple Mountain Post for all your Jazz news and opinion!