Utah Jazz: Ex-Jazz players excel elsewhere this postseason

Do not fiddle with your remote control.

There's no need to adjust your television. If you're a Utah Jazz fan, your eyes aren't playing tricks on you.

Yes, the 2016 NBA postseason is really littered with former Jazz players playing integral roles on other teams. And the NBA Finals — currently a bloodbath with the Golden State Warriors up 2-0 on the Cleveland Cavaliers — features former Utah guys on both teams (Richard Jefferson and Mo Williams with Cleveland, and Ian Clark and Brandon Rush with Golden State).

Several players who have left Salt Lake City for one reason or another over the past five years have played key roles during these playoffs.

"It's very exciting to be a part of this and to be a part of such a great group," Jefferson told Fox Sports Ohio last week. "I went to the Finals when I first got into the league [with the then-New Jersey Nets], and I'm excited to be playing for a championship again. It's really special to be able to play with LeBron James in his prime."

Jefferson signed with Cleveland expecting to play a menial role. But he's been thrust to the forefront in the Finals. On a team with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, Jefferson was arguably Cleveland's second-best player in Game 2, a 110-77 Golden State shellacking.

The small forward scored 12 points. Other than James, he was the only Cavalier player able to get to the basket, and his hustle on both ends has won him points with his coaches and teammates. Love took an elbow to the head from Harrison Barnes in the first half of Sunday's game and had to leave with concussion-like symptoms. If he can't play in Game 3, Jefferson may find himself in Wednesday's starting lineup.

Because Leandro Barbosa has played so well off Steve Kerr's bench in the first two games, Clark has seen limited minutes. But for much of the postseason, the guard has seen consistent time in Golden State's second unit.

Clark was released by the Jazz late last season, before finishing the 2015 year with the Denver Nuggets. He signed with the Warriors just before this season, and in a surprise, found a niche. He's done so by being a shooter and a good defender off the bench. He's even had a few signature moments, like hitting four 3-pointers against the Jazz in a regular-season Golden State win.

Because he went undrafted out of Belmont, and because he's bounced around between the NBA and the D-League, Clark is appreciative of every chance he's earned. A year ago, he was looking for work. Today, he's two wins from his first NBA title.

"I just wanted to come in and make the most of this opportunity," Clark told reporters during Golden State's Western Conference semifinal series win over the Portland Trail Blazers. "This team, we just do it together. It's our job to come together as a team, and that's what we've done in large part."

Every round of this postseason has had a former Jazz player making an impact. The Oklahoma City Thunder were able to beat the San Antonio Spurs and push the Warriors because of contributions from Enes Kanter.

The Atlanta Hawks are built around Paul Millsap and Kyle Korver. Al Jefferson and Marvin Williams are mainstays with the Charlotte Hornets. DeMarre Carroll was big for the Toronto Raptors and their march to the Eastern Conference finals. Deron Williams and Wes Matthews formed the starting backcourt for the Dallas Mavericks.

In all, 14 former Jazz players dating to 2011 suited up in the postseason. Half of those were starters. People like Jefferson, Kanter, Indiana Pacers forward C.J. Miles and OKC's Randy Foye played roles off the bench. Only Rush and Mo Williams have been consistently out of the playing rotations for their respective teams.

What does this mean for the Jazz, good or bad? Not much, other than general manager Dennis Lindsey allowed good players to walk for the sake of the current rebuild.

People like Miles, Matthews, Deron Williams and Korver were gone either before Lindsey came to Utah, or before he had full control. Jefferson and Rush were veterans who didn't fit into future plans. Clark's emergence with Golden State was somewhat of a surprise. Marvin Williams, Millsap and Jefferson were difficult-but-necessary casualties because Lindsey wanted to go young and build from the ground up.

Carroll was the one guy who you can make a case for still being in a Jazz jersey. He was young enough to fit with the current group. He has emerged as one of the premier perimeter defenders in the league, and has greatly improved as a shooter.

If anything, the success elsewhere of those recently let go ratchets up the importance of the current roster finding its way to the postseason. Lindsey and the Jazz let a lot of those guys walk to elevate current players to starters or key roles.

Which means the Jazz need the current players to taste some success of their own.

tjones@sltrib.com

Twitter: @tjonessltrib