You need to throw Strus in there and make it the big 4.It certainly is peculiar that we keep grinding out wins, but without Garlands 3 late clutch turnovers and less Mitchell iso 40 min tired legs bricks, it is proving to be the difference in some impressive team wins. Don't look now but a new big 3 has arrived with CPJ, CL, and JA to take us to the promised land.
I've played enough basketball in my life to know that I was always aware of my role on a team. There were times I was the best scorer on the floor (so I shot the most) and times when I was the worst player on the floor (so I stayed out of the way and just moved the ball around and tried to get offensive rebounds). Mitchell may think (rightly) that he is the best scorer on the team, but after watching the way the ball moves in the offense when he doesn't play and seeing how much better other guys play when they are involved in the offense, if he doesn't adjust his game accordingly, he is either 1) a stubborn ball hog or 2) stupid. He needs a coach who can explain this to him. If JBB does not, then he is either 1) afraid of offending his biggest star or 2) stupid.
I was opposed to the Mitchell trade at the time, but after seeing him on a nightly basis, I came to realize he brought us something we didn't have and that every championship team needs. However, unless he is willing (or has a coach who forces him) to curtail his isolation game and only use it at select times, this team isn't going to go any further than what the Jazz did.
The best players can play both iso offense (when needed) and team offense. And team offense doesn't mean pounding the ball for 15 seconds and then getting the assist when passing out of a triple team with 2 seconds left on the shot clock. It means passing, picking away, and moving without the ball. We need DM and DG to do that. They should learn from CPJ.