2015 Off-Season

[Xiao Yao You]

Looks like Pleiss was pretty good but in foul trouble again. Someone posted he looks soft as charmin though. Not surprising looking at him.

[Xiao Yao You]

Double double for Pleiss going against Spain's bigs. Maybe he's got a shot?

[Xiao Yao You]

https://jazzfanatical.wordpress.com/2015/09/10/bits-from-randy-rigby-interview-99/

[QUOTE][B][U]On the Jazz

[Xiao Yao You]

http://saltcityhoops.com/interviewing-dr-mason-part-ii-ak-deron-ty-vs-quin/

[quote] It just wasn

[Xiao Yao You]

I guess Jerrett might be the other injured player? Have heard nothing about him since he got hurt. Strange.

[Xiao Yao You]

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865636540/Morning-links-Jim-McMahon-Danny-Ainge-on-most-infuriating-players-list-Devontae-Booker.html
[QUOTE]

[Xiao Yao You]

http://www.nba.com/2015/news/features/shaun_powell/09/11/30-teams-30-days-utah-jazz/


When you're loaded with players in their young 20s and finished with the sixth-best winning percentage in the NBA after the All-Star break, you know well enough to leave things alone.

When you're the Jazz and know from experience that you strike when the iron is hot you do your best to compete with the best. No excuse at all!


And that's what the Jazz did this summer, signaling a willingness to allow a fertile team to grow old(er) together.

They'll have to do it next season without Dante Exum (http://www.nba.com/playerfile/dante_exum/?iref:nba:story_page:playerfile), who supplied the only big summer news for the Jazz and it was all bad. Back in his native Australia and working out with the national team, Exum took a spill and required knee surgery (http://www.nba.com/2015/news/08/04/dante-exum-injures-knee.ap/index.html) and will be a spectator for at least eight months. Most likely, no matter how well his rehab goes this winter, the Jazz will instruct him to take the season off.

It was a game.



It's a setback for a player who just turned 20. But that's the rub: Exum is far too young to worry about this being a big setback. The only issue will rise up in the summer of 2017 when he's eligible for a contract extension. By then, assuming he's back to full health, will that be enough time for Utah to make an educated judgment about his ability as a player?


They'll know enough to offer him something and after this injury he might take a discount.



E
xum had a very inconsistent rookie season and quite honestly, the Jazz expected a bit more from the No. 5 pick in the 2014 Draft (http://www.nba.com/draft/2014/).


An NBA ready defender. Not sure they should have expected that. They should have expected he should be in the D-league with his lack of experience past Aussie high school ball.



He shot 35 percent, averaged 4.8 points and only occasionally showed a knack for finding the open man. But again, he was only 19 and was in a new country. And he claimed the starting point guard spot from Trey Burke (http://www.nba.com/playerfile/trey_burke/?iref:nba:story_page:playerfile) and made great strides defensively late in the season. Besides, Utah was in no rush to see him develop. Clearly, the franchise is taking the gradual road toward respectability.


Tanking. Don't get that approach now though.




When the season tips off, the Jazz starting five will all be under 25. Only the Sixers might put a younger group together, and Philadelphia isn't nearly as good and settled as Utah.

(http://www.nba.com/playerfile/gordon_hayward/?iref:nba:story_page:playerfile)
But the Jazz are taking a similar approach. How does that make any sense? (http://www.nba.com/playerfile/gordon_hayward/?iref:nba:story_page:playerfile)

(http://www.nba.com/playerfile/gordon_hayward/?iref:nba:story_page:playerfile)

Gordon Hayward (http://www.nba.com/playerfile/gordon_hayward/?iref:nba:story_page:playerfile), Derrick Favors (http://www.nba.com/playerfile/derrick_favors/?iref:nba:story_page:playerfile), Rudy Gobert (http://www.nba.com/playerfile/rudy_gobert/?iref:nba:story_page:playerfile) and Alec Burks (http://www.nba.com/playerfile/alec_burks/?iref:nba:story_page:playerfile), who missed most of the season after having left shoulder surgery in December. This group of players represents the foundation and convinced Utah to forgo any big trades or signings this summer in order to allow for its continued growth. That's the blueprint for now and the foreseeable future.



Anyway, Utah isn't a destination place for A-list free agents, so the Jazz must keep adding help mainly from the Draft, and the latest arrival is 6-foot-10 forward Trey Lyles.

They didn't necessarily need A list. They needed proven guys at the 1 and 5 minimum.



He fits in one respect: He's only 19. Lyles stayed only one season at Kentucky and his upside is considerable -- he only played 23 minutes a game on the deep Wildcats, where playing time was rationed. But he'll need lots of grooming and practice time and it wouldn't be beyond consideration for the Jazz to drop him to the NBA D-League for a stint. Otherwise, he'll get just a handful of minutes behind Favors.


Until I see Pleiss and Whitey he is the guy to beat for the back-up 5 in my mind. D-league would be fine if someone else steps up but the Jazz don't seem to want to use the D-league for some reason other to groom possible end of the bench guys like Cooley.




Also, was Lyles the best prospect at No. 12? The Jazz took him one spot ahead of Devin Booker (http://www.nba.com/playerfile/devin_booker/?iref:nba:story_page:playerfile), Lyle's sharpshooting college teammate and, over Bobby Portis (http://www.nba.com/playerfile/bobby_portis/?iref:nba:story_page:playerfile), the next-rated power forward in the Draft who went to the Bulls at 22. When you're building through the Draft as Utah's doing, mistakes can be costly, and the better Utah gets in the standings, the lower their Draft position will get.


I love the pick. Time will tell.




So far, Utah's had decent results from the Draft. That's where they found Hayward, Burke, Burks and Exum (trades brought Favors and Gobert, their shot-blocking center).


Burke and Exum don't look like that great of picks right now.



Hayward is a borderline All-Star who was retained two summers ago when the Jazz matched a contract offer from Charlotte. Burks received a contract extension from Utah last summer.



They're all works in progress, but especially Burke and Exum, and Exum won't have the chance to improve this season.



Utah made a pair of other low-cost, low-priority decisions this summer, signing Jeff Withey to pad the front line (http://www.nba.com/2015/news/08/24/withey-signs-with-jazz.ap/index.html), and letting forward/former Slam Dunk Contest champ Jeremy Evans go. Evans is a gifted artist whose work on canvas, so far, is more striking than his work on the court.




Not sure about that. Wouldn't be surprised if Carlisle gets some good minutes out of him like Ty did.



Utah went 19-10 when Exum replaced Burke in the starting lineup. While that flourishing finish was mainly due to Hayward, Favors and Gobert, Exum was getting in valuable reps. Now he's yet another injury casualty in the NBA and must wait his turn all over again.



And that's OK. This franchise has always preached patience, so there's plenty of time.

[Xiao Yao You]

Didn't need much from Rudy in a blowout.

[Xiao Yao You]

http://saltcityhoops.com/interviewing-dr-lyle-mason-part-iii-owners-gms-dante-and-gobert/


His decisions were designed to do that, and I think that really helped the team.
Depends on if making the playoffs or winning titles is your idea of success.

[quote] Nothing he hated worse than losing to the Clippers. (laughing) And losing to the Clippers just galled him. He

[Xiao Yao You]

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865636750/Utah-Jazz-Rudy-Gobert-works-on-defending-EuroBasket-title-Tibor-Pleiss-shows-flashes-potential.html


Following last season's Enes Kanter trade, Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert steadily improved and emerged as one of the better defensive-minded centers in the league.


He was actually doing much before the trade.


[QUOTE]His improvement was such that he finished third in the voting for the NBA

[Xiao Yao You]

http://www.slcdunk.com/2015/9/14/9323415/rudy-gobert-most-valuable-player-downbeat-1727

It's almost here folks!
The season of the Jazz's rise back to relevance into the national spotlight.
This is the Jazz's best shot at getting back to winning playoff games since 2010

Only because they haven't been trying and let their best player walk.


, We Jazz fans were spoiled at one point, but now we are famished. We are ready for the flourishing part of the cycle to commence once again.
We are ready for the first time in ages for...
DOMINANCE
http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/155479/1.png

http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/155483/2.png The title of today's downbeat was inspired by an article I found that looked for the best (most) value players by dividing their salaries by number of win shares they provided last season.
Who was the Best/Most Valuable Player of last season?
Spoiler warning: He is the non-flopper envisioning his future as alpha dog of the NBA in this picture
https://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/5D2TD_dJcU-zOonikzspeUgyKCM=/800x0/filters:no_upscale%28%29/cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/4059934/gobe.0.jpg Picture Source: Hardwood Paroxysm
Gobert crushes the league in value. I must emphasize the following:
Over 320 players will make more than Rudy Gobert next season, only 6 players in the NBA had higher Win Shares, Box Plus/Minus, and Value Over Replacement Player Stats than him!

For anyone who was wondering, the 6 players were Curry, Harden, Westbrook, Paul, James, and Davis.
Gobert was 10th in VORP, 15th in Win Shares, and 10th in BPM, absolutely incredible we have this centerpiece of our young talented core on this team. Our future championship hopes (despite how much of a longshot they are) live and die with Rudy.


Big ups to the Jazz for making one of the sneakiest trades heists backhanded slaps in the history of the NBA (http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2013/6/27/4468110/nba-draft-2013-denver-nuggets-rudy-gobert-utah-jazz).


Source: Best Value Players in the NBA (http://www.basesandbaskets.com/2015/09/best-value-nba-players-in-2015-rudy-gobert.html)

Why is it a longshot? This team is potentially better than Stockton/Malone Horny. I do agree without Rudy there is no hope.

[Xiao Yao You]

http://www.slcdunk.com/2015/9/15/9326571/utah-jazz-trey-lyles-nba-draft-downbeat-1728



I've been so preoccupied with Dante Exum's injury (https://i.imgur.com/AdiBPrO.jpg) and Rudy Gobert's European dominance (http://www.francetvinfo.fr/image/75576d9om-b659/578/325/6883899.gif) that I haven't given much thought to the young big man from Kentucky.

Not sure how you could. After pg it's the biggest question on the team now and after his performance in Summer League especially the last game there's plenty to be excited about with him.

NBA.com's Shaun Powell (http://www.nba.com/2015/news/features/shaun_powell/09/11/30-teams-30-days-utah-jazz/index.html), as part of the site's "30 Teams, 30 Days" series, questions whether Lyles will play much of a role this season (or if the Jazz should have made a different pick):

Anyway, Utah isn't a destination place for A-list free agents, so the Jazz must keep adding help mainly from the Draft, and the latest arrival is 6-foot-10 forward Trey Lyles.


He fits in one respect: He's only 19. Lyles stayed only one season at Kentucky and his upside is considerable -- he only played 23 minutes a game on the deep Wildcats, where playing time was rationed. But he'll need lots of grooming and practice time and it wouldn't be beyond consideration for the Jazz to drop him to the NBA D-League for a stint. Otherwise, he'll get just a handful of minutes behind Favors.

Still think if he's playing it's behind Rudy.

Also, was Lyles the best prospect at No. 12? The Jazz took him one spot ahead of Devin Booker, Lyle's sharpshooting college teammate and, over Bobby Portis, the next-rated power forward in the Draft who went to the Bulls at 22. When you're building through the Draft as Utah's doing, mistakes can be costly, and the better Utah gets in the standings, the lower their Draft position will get.
What do you think? Have you forgotten about Trey, or are you champing at the bit to see him on the court (after a somewhat lackluster Summer League)?

[Xiao Yao You]

http://www.sltrib.com/sports/2948573-155/utah-jazz-trevor-bookers-maturity-wisdom?fullpage=1


Trevor Booker on the basketball court is a backup to Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert. Some nights he plays 25 minutes, some nights he'll play 10.

Should be playing big minutes this year unless someone else steps up and the 5.


But one would be hard-pressed to find a better presence in the locker room or in the local community than the rugged 6-foot-6 power forward.

He shrunk?

Naples pummelled by hailstones the size of ping pong balls

(http://launch.newsinc.com/?type=VideoPlayer/16x9&videoId=29664750&trackingGroup=90262&widgetId=27728&playlistId=18158&siteSection=sltrib2300_spt_non_sec&embedOriginUrl=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.sltrib.com%2 52Fsports%252F2948573-155%252Futah-jazz-trevor-bookers-maturity-wisdom%253Ffullpage%253D1)










In one season, his impact on the organization has been that pronounced. That's why General Manager Dennis Lindsey guaranteed the second year of Booker's contract with little hesitation over the summer. That's why Booker is looked upon as a veteran leader on and off the court.
There was hesitation.


[QUOTE]In many ways, his maturity and infectious energy is why he's still in a Jazz uniform.


"It feels great to be back with the Jazz and around the team and playing with the guys," Booker told The Salt Lake Tribune. "I wasn't really nervous about being back. I knew I wanted to be here, and I knew the team liked me. It was a mutual feeling, so I wasn't really worried about coming back."
For many of the Jazz players, the summer was a busy one of the family front. Gordon Hayward's wife gave birth to a daughter. Joe Ingles got married. Derrick Favors and his girlfriend welcomed twins. And Booker joined the fray, marrying his longtime partner, April, with whom he's been with since his college days at Clemson.


The two have been together since Booker's sophomore season. He remembers the days when there was no money and they had to scrape together food stamps to make ends meet. He recalls the ups and downs, the good times as well as the bad. Raising three children, they were always a family.


Now, in Booker's eyes, that union is finally complete.


"She's been through it all with me," Booker said. "That's why I'm so happy to spend the rest of my life with her. It's like we have the perfect connection. She's been with me through everything."


Booker came to the Jazz last summer as a free agent from the Washington Wizards. In his one season with Utah, he played almost 20 minutes a night and averaged seven points and five rebounds.


His playing time suffered in the first half of the season, largely because of a crowded frontcourt that included Enes Kanter along with Favors and Gobert. But his role expanded significantly once Kanter was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder.


There were times when Booker showcased a striking ability to score the basketball, evidenced by his 36-point outburst against the Portland Trail Blazers toward the end of the season. Now, he hopes to show off an improved set of skills. As old as he is relative to this teammates

[Xiao Yao You]

http://saltcityhoops.com/derrick-favors-a-reason-for-hope/


Overlooked and underappreciated, Derrick Favors might never get the respect he rightfully deserves. On another team, in another market, he almost certainly would get more hype.


He was hyped as a top pick and for his D since he came to the Jazz. Finally started to live up to some of the hype last year.


[QUOTE]. It took until last year to really shBut Favors is more than just hype

[Xiao Yao You]

While out injured last season, Nash did similar work with Los Angeles Lakers youngster Jordan Clarkson and, sources say, has likewise worked out this summer with a variety of guards around the league: Jeremy Lin, Dante Exum, Kemba Walker and C.J. McCollum (http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/13664255/steve-nash-talks-part-consultant-golden-state-warriors).

[Xiao Yao You]

[QUOTE]But the Tribune has learned [URL="http://www.sltrib.com/blogs/jazznotes/2952424-155/utah-jazz-content-to-let-point"]the Jazz fully plan to go into training camp and the preseason with Burke, Neto and Cotton as their floor leaders. If things don

[Xiao Yao You]

[QUOTE] In need of some big bodies, the Wizards have signed a couple centers, Josh Harrellson and Jaleel Roberts, to non-guaranteed contracts with invitations to training camp, (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wizards-insider/wp/2015/09/15/wizards-invite-a-couple-centers-to-training-camp/) which is slated to begin at Towson University on Sept. 29. Despite the lack of centers, both players are long shots to make the Wizards roster because it is already at the 15-man limit and the team plans to utilize more small-ball lineups this season.

[Xiao Yao You]

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865636811/Morning-links-Delighting-in-Tanner-Mangum-Quin-Snyder-a-developer-former-Logan-High-star-in.html

[Xiao Yao You]

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765680141/Utah-Jazz-broadcast-schedule-includes-six-nationally-televised-games.html

at least a few games I won't have to listen to their announcers anyway.

[Xiao Yao You]

http://www.sltrib.com/blogs/jazznotes/2952934-155/jazz-announce-broadcast-teams-schedule

same announcers unfortunately

[Xiao Yao You]

http://www.sltrib.com/blogs/jazznotes/2952424-155/utah-jazz-content-to-let-point


With Dante Exum expected to miss the season because of a torn ACL, with Trey Burke coming off an uneven sophomore year, with Raul Neto being a rookie and with Bryce Cotton still being somewhat of an unknown, it isn't unreasonable to think that the point guard position holds the key to the Utah Jazz making the playoffs or spending another year in the NBA's draft lottery.


that was the case with or without Dante. The biggest problem is Trey is more likely to be on the team and playing than he was before. But they could certainly be better without Dante. Neto and Cotton will be better at the offensive end than Exum was a year ago. Hopefully Burks will take most of those minutes.




That's a mouth full, we know. But at this point, it's also very fair. Health permitting, the shooting guard spot is solid with Rodney Hood and Alec Burks. Gordon Hayward is fast becoming one of the best small forwards in the league. Derrick Favors is getting better and better at power forward. And of course, Rudy Gobert mans the center spot.


And Ingles and Booker proved themselves last year so putting Alec at the 1 will not hurt them there.


[QUOTE] It all brings us back to the point guard, and with that position cumulatively being arguably the strongest spot in the NBA, it's a bad time for the Jazz to have unrest at this spot. All of this has led to speculation of Utah wanting to bring in at least temporary help in the form of a veteran. But the Tribune has learned the Jazz fully plan to go into training camp and the preseason with Burke, Neto and Cotton as their floor leaders. If things don't work out, the front office could take another course of action once the regular season begins in November. Or if someone makes a trade offer the Jazz would be fools to turn down, but that's a remote possibility. For now, Utah's content to go with its trio of playmakers and let them

[Xiao Yao You]

http://saltcityhoops.com/utah-jazz-ceilings-and-floors-part-i-guards-and-wings/

[quote]It

[Xiao Yao You]

http://saltcityhoops.com/rudy-gobert-wrecking-havoc-in-eurobasket/


Over the past few years, the French National Team has been able to make their mark as one of the elite teams on the international circuit.


They become elite last year because of Rudy just like the Jazz.


[QUOTE]While they

[Xiao Yao You]

[QUOTE] Eric Pincus: [URL="http://*********.com/social/"]A

[DMV2]

Xiao, what will the 1st and 2nd unit look like for 2015-16?

[Giaodollo]

Xiao, what will the 1st and 2nd unit look like for 2015-16?

I can already tell you how it will look, but not nessecary how I think it should be.

Burke/Neto
Burks/Millsap
Hayward/Hood/Ingles
Favors/Lyles
Gobert/Booker/Pleiss

I'd probably prefer Hood over Burks beside Hayward, but I don't mind him being the punch of the bench.

[Xiao Yao You]

I still feel like Trey will be gone at some point so it's hard for me to say. I think their roster might be changing still. I'm hoping so at least after their disappointing off-season. I also think Burks should playing the 1 but it doesn't sound like that will happen. So many questions still to be answered at the 1 and 5 especially.

Based on last season I think they have 7 proven guys. Of course Gobert should be at the top of any list. The team lives and dies(I'm afraid) with him. Then you have Hayward. Then Favors. There's your front court.

Than you have Burks and Hood. Those 5 should all be playing heavy minutes. I think unless Alec starts at the 1 I might bring both of them off the bench. Alec still hasn't proven himself as a starter or in this system. I'm hoping last year was because of the new system and the bum shoulder and he has a lot more in him still but he's a proven bench scorer at least. I think Hood off the bench makes sense until he shows durability.

I like Ingles starting unless Millsap starts knocking down the 3 ball at a high rate. Ingles proved himself late last year like Hood. Booker is the number 3 big right now and could be playing big minutes too depending on what happens with the other bigs. I'd guess they'll try to keep everyone's minutes down with the playoffs in sight. Hayward and Favors were both tired at the end of the last year.

After that it gets harder. I think they'll go with Neto to start at the one. He plays D and is the only pure pg on the team which maybe isn't that important with this team like it was with Jerry. Jerry would love the guy I'm sure! Biggest question with him will be being able to knock down open shots like it is with much of the roster. One of their biggest problems last year. That could leave him and Rudy as guys the other team lays off if they aren't hitting shots which may put Cotton in there instead. I think Rudy will be running the pick and roll and have at least a short jumper and hook to keep people honest.

From what I saw of Lyles he should be the 4th big. He's a player. He has the size and length to play the 5 though no one is saying it. Ideally he's in Idaho and Pleiss or Withey can step up but they both sound too thin too me. Whitey is a shot blocker and not much of a rebounder but if he can protect the rim they might go with him. Pleiss they like to stretch the floor it sounds like but he's going to get bullied otherwise I'm thinking. They can get away with only a few minutes a game here so it's not as big of a concern right now as the 1. Cooley could be in the mix if he wins a spot over Withey. I could see them rotating guys here depending on match-ups.

Cotton will back up Neto and their bench is looking a lot stronger than last year. Millsap as an end of bench energy guy/defensive stopper. Burke I guess as the 3rd pg. Sounds like they really like Johnson but he's going to have to play a lot better than the 2 younger guys behind him to make the team. I'm thinking Treveon Graham might take his spot. He's about 3 years younger. He has length. He hit the 3 ball in college and rebounded too. Stick him in Idaho with the other guys that stick around after they are cut and Lyles if he isn't playing.

I wasn't that impressed with O'Brien but they seem to like him and he's a couple years younger than Johnson too. Plays D. I think he's someone they're hoping to stash in Idaho after he's cut. They had a few of those guys last year and only Cooley stuck around. I think that's why they rewarded him. Show other guys it could pay off.

The Jazz still are under the cap and have only 13 fully guaranteed contracts and they will be able to replace Exum's spot it sounds like at some point. Jerrett will likely be gone. Burke should be. Think Jerrett might still be recovering from the separated shoulder? Haven't heard anything about him since he got hurt other than two guys are hurt right now. Maybe Hayward coming off surgery? He didn't play in the USA scrimmage.

They have a lot of flexibilty to make moves still if guys don't step up.

[Xiao Yao You]

I can already tell you how it will look, but not nessecary how I think it should be.

Burke/Neto
Burks/Millsap
Hayward/Hood/Ingles
Favors/Lyles
Gobert/Booker/Pleiss

I'd probably prefer Hood over Burks beside Hayward, but I don't mind him being the punch of the bench.

Booker at the 5?

[Xiao Yao You]

http://saltcityhoops.com/utah-jazz-ceilings-and-floors-part-ii-bigs/

[QUOTE] He grasps Quin Snyder

[Xiao Yao You]

http://www.slcdunk.com/2015/9/15/9312701/jumus-2nd-annual-jazzmen-previews-10


he ended up being clearly no lower than 3rd, and arguably 1st.
Don't see any argument for him not being their best player by far.

Had Dante not experienced his unfortunate injury, I would have slotted him as around the 5th/6th best Jazz player next season.

Not sure how you could put him that high.

I would be very surprised if he plays any more of a role than D-League stash this season.
I'm predicting he beats Johnson out. Probably won't play unless forced to because of injuries.
I was at the same prom as him back in the day, he didn't have that sweet fade top back then)
Can't see him ahead of Graham.
Neither of our schools probably ever had a graduating class of even a hundred students....moving on)
I think he might play in the league still. Not for the Jazz.
Will the Jazz-Johnson pairing be where gold is struck?
The numbers aren't looking good for him.
but who knows what the tight-lipped Jazz will do though.

I thought he'd make it before they got Withey
It's a breath of fresh air to have backup big insurance though.
Remains to be seen rather him or Pleiss are insurance though.
I would also expect Cotton, like Ronnie to end up being our 3rd string (maybe 2nd string) if all things go right for him.
Looks like at least 2nd string if Burks doesn't play the one.
Here's to hoping though!
Need to watch him and forget the stats. Kid can play.
We've got height this season folks, I'm ready to see the havoc it wreaks!
Height and no strength. I'm skeptical.

Jerrett gets cut (due to suffering the cruel combination of injury and lack of standout talent) More a numbers game. He is younger than anyone besides Lyles out of the bigs, has hit 3's in the D-league and has a guaranteed contract which before last year would have guaranteed him a spot sp he has a shot but it's remote I'd think at this point.

Graham, O'Brien, Johnson, and Cooley all are D-League regulars for the Stampede

That I can see with Graham on the Jazz roster.
Exum will make a full recovery by the end of the season but will be held out as a precaution

Would be lame if they are in the playoff hunt.


leave your guesses for who will come in at #10 next time!
Let's Go Jazz, it's about time for playoffs!
-JuMu, over and out

Look to be way off. Burke at 10. He'd be a lot lower on mine and hopefully Quins

[Xiao Yao You]

https://jazzfanatical.wordpress.com/2015/09/17/bits-from-randy-rigby-interview-916/

[QUOTE] Quin [Snyder] and the coaching staff have been very busy on some of the work that they

[Xiao Yao You]

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865636894/Morning-links-Can-BYU-return-to-glory-Gobert-oop-earns-top-play-honors-Utes-uniforms-freshest.html

Gobert earns top play at Eurobasket


Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert has certainly made his presence known at the Eurobasket tournament over the past few weeks playing for France, and he was at it again Tuesday, connecting with teammate and San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker on an impressive alley-oop.
The dunk got the top slot in FIBA's plays of the day (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKkEe1vJ_qk&feature=youtu.be) (skip to the 1:48 mark to see just that play).


A Vine version of the oop was also created by Zach Harper of CBS Sports:
Gobert finished with 13 points, six rebounds and three blocks in 25 minutes of play Tuesday as France defeated Latvia 84-70 in the quarterfinals. France will play Spain in the semifinals on Thursday. Should Gobert and company win, they'd play in the finals on Sunday.


The Jazz report for training camp Monday, Sept. 28.

[Xiao Yao You]

Looks like Rudy will be headed back to Salt Lake. Fouled out. Probably the difference in the game. Everyone will be in Utah soon! Let's get on! :rockon:

[Xiao Yao You]

[QUOTE] Marc J. Spears: Jazz say Trevor Booker had a minor outpatient surgical procedure to repair a nasal fracture. He is expected to be ready for training camp (http://*********.com/social/).

[Xiao Yao You]

[QUOTE]Ricky Rubio: No class act RT: Rudy Gobert: (http://*********.com/social/tweets/) Hard to play when somebody can touch you but you can

[Xiao Yao You]

[QUOTE][URL="http://*********.com/social/tweets/"]Rudy Gobert: I won

[Xiao Yao You]

Jazz rookie forward Trey Lyles has signed a multi-year shoe deal with Nike, (http://*********.com/social/) a source told Yahoo Sports.

[Xiao Yao You]

http://www.sltrib.com/blogs/jazznotes/2966748-155/utah-jazz-blog-gobert-and-gasol

[QUOTE]"Hard to play when somebody can touch you but you can't touch him! Tough loss it is painful to lose this way but we will bounce back!!" Obviously, Gobert wasn't happy with the officiating, (Gasol shot 18 free-throws). His tweet touched a few nerves, most notably Ricky Rubio, a Spanish player and the starting point guard for the Minnesota Timberwolves.



Rubio retweeted Gobert, adding: "No class" to the Gobert's original post. Obviously, this bears watching during the NBA season. The Jazz and the Wolves play each other four times, so that will be fun.



Gobert and Gasol truly went at it on Friday. Gasol was obviously the star, but Gobert made important defensive plays, as he normally does, blocking a shot to send the game into overtime among other things.

[Xiao Yao You]

http://www.slcdunk.com/2015/9/18/9338023/jumus-jazzmen-previews-10-trey-lyles


#10. Trey Lyles (http://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/257521/trey-lyles), Rookie, 19 years old, 6'10", 241 pounds, PF/C



Good to see someone list him as a center. I've yet to hear him called that but that's where he could help them right now the most and he appears to have the size and length to do it especially off the bench.


Backstory:

Trey Lyles was born in Saskatchewan, Canada back in November 1995. He lived on the syrup-side of the border until his family moved to Indiana (where he would go on to play high school ball) when he was 7 years old.
He's represented both the U.S. and Canada, but since his junior year of high school has played for Canada in international play. He averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds while helping lead Canada to 6th place in the 2013 FIBA under 19 World Championships.


Coming out of high school, ESPN scouts had him ranked as the 6th best prospect of the class of 2014 (notably above fellow Kentucky teammate Karl-Anthony Towns (http://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/257564/karl-anthony-towns)).

His draft position doesn't indicate it but from what I saw this summer he could definitely live up to that. I think he has a shot to replace Favors in the next few years.



On a stacked Kentucky team, Trey Lyles was not forced to be a dominant scorer, but rather fit into John Calipari's smooth system.
Not sure that will ever be his game. He's got multiple skills. Looks to be a great fit in SLC.




Trey was 6th in points per game for Kentucky last season at 8.7, which may sound underwhelming, but that's just how balanced this team was, as their leading scorer Aaron Harrison (http://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/257576/aaron-harrison) only averaged 11 points.


Lyles was also 3rd in rebounds per game for Kentucky at 5.2 with fellow lottery bigs Karl-Anthony Towns (6.7) and Willey Cauley-Stein (6.3) in front.


Lyles shot 48.8% from the field, 13.8% from 3, and 73.5% from the line while championing a 19.8 PER, 54.3 TS%, 4.4 WS, and a 8.9 Box Plus/Minus.


Kentucky made it to the Final 4 before being knocked out by Wisconsin.
In the 2015 draft, Kentucky's crazy talented roster went on to have 6 players drafted, and a shocking 4 of them in the lottery! Towns was picked 1st, Cauley-Stein 6th, Lyles 12th, and Devin Booker (http://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/255243/devin-booker) 13th. It will be interesting tracking each of these teammate's progress in the big leagues.
To those who have not gotten a chance to see much of Lyles, engorge yourself in what he did in summer league:

Indeed especially the last game with the 4 3's!
What to Expect This Season:

Projecting Trey Lyles this season is not the easiest assignment. He's a lottery pick, can fit into a nice team system like the Jazz's (http://www.sbnation.com/nba/teams/utah-jazz) fairly easily but probably won't end up with many wowing stats for the season.


I could see him doing a lot by the end of the season certainly. Could end up playing big minutes as their 3rd big. It's just a matter of time. I'd expect it by his 3rd season certainly probably by next year.


Maybe just a handful of breakout games, but even that is no guarantee. Unless, injuries, trades, or unexpected development occur, it appears that Lyles will be a 3rd stringer scraping for a consistent role with Booker and Favors ahead of him in the Power Forward pecking order while Hayward and either of Ingles or Hood could easily be playing ahead of Lyles at the backup Small Forward position.

I doubt he plays much if at all at the 3. I could see Booker more as a 3 and the sf competing for Booker's time at the 4 more than him at the 3 in today's game. He's certainly skilled enough for it but just too big.



Drafting Lyles may not have been a sexy pick, but it does appear to align with the Jazz's long-term focused plan of being able to maintain a playoff-capable young core with many backup choices in case we are not able to keep all of our roster together in the future.


With that said, this is what I would project Trey Lyles' rookie season to end up being somewhere in this ballpark:


G
MP
FGA
FG%
FT%
TRB
AST
PTS
PER
WS
BPM
VORP

50

16.0

4

0.470

0.750

3.0

1.0

7.0

10.0

1.0

0.0

0.0



It would be great for the Jazz, if Lyles defied the odds and surprised everyone from the get go, making Booker expendable and allowing the Jazz to possibly trade for a top 10 point guard to help get us closer to contender-status. However, realistically the odds are against that happening.

I can see Booker being traded at some point but they need at least 2 of the 3 unproven bigs that will likely be on the roster to show they are rotation players. Lyles looks like one eventually. Withey sounds like he could be but sounds one dimensional. I still have doubts about Pleiss despite the hype.


Lyles is not a good 3 point shooter


I think he will be if he's not already. He just needs reps and it sounds like he works hard so I'd expect it eventually if not right out of the gate. His shot looked good in summer. He just wasn't used to that line yet but by game 3 he was hitting them and I'm sure they told him to keep shooting them and have had him shooting them all summer. In the comments it said he hit 35% in high school.




, but he slashes and cuts well with foul-drawing prowess. He is a modest rebounder but overall his offensive game (barring development) is going to be really dependent on the Jazz running plays that suit his fluid cuts to the rim.


He will be a great fit. I think he would anywhere though. He's highly skilled for a guy his size.




He does possess nice ball handling skills for a 6-10 player (with a near 7-4 wingspan!) and Quin should be able to find a way to utilize that strength.
Once Lyles does start contributing more regularly to this team, expect him to assume the role of X-factor on this team.

Lyles still has everything to be a perfectly above-average 12th pick though. I can imagine him being a key 3rd big a year or 2 down the line once Quin's system has evolved into the nightmare fuel playoff contender it is capable of being on the defensive end.

He's bust if he's not. Booker will probably be too expensive next year. He'll be expected to be the 3rd big by then if not sooner I'd guess.
Conclusion:

Trey Lyles will be on the short end of the playing time stick early on in the season, but expect Lyles to be Favors' primary backup eventually.


I see him as Rudy's back-up right now and maybe even in the future with the way the game is being played. His a much more skilled version of Okur.


Depending on how fast he learns his role in the system and develops more NBA-level skills and aggressiveness, Lyles may become our team's 3rd big around All-Star break at the earliest with next season being the likeliest scenario.

Will Lyles become the Jazz's X-factor?

I think it's possible he's playing more than Booker right away. I could also see him in Idaho if Pleiss or Withey show anything.



Chances of him being with the team in the 2016-2017 season:


95%


99.9

[Xiao Yao You]

http://basketball.realgm.com/analysis/239251/Pau-Gasol-Vs-Rudy-Gobert-In-the-Eurobasket-Semifinals
[QUOTE]More often than not, scoring from the post isn

[Xiao Yao You]

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865637171/Jazzs-Derrick-Favors-ready-for-season-and-doing-favors-for-others.html

[QUOTE]Specifically, Favors has been working on his outside shooting, trying to extend his range now that he has 7-foot-2 Rudy Gobert patrolling the paint down low.

[Xiao Yao You]

http://www.sltrib.com/sports/2965721-155/utah-jazz-with-start-of-camp


You aren't going to hear anyone connected with the Utah Jazz making any grand declarations when it comes to the upcoming NBA season. There are goals in mind, but players and officials say success will come only on the floor. No reason to talk about it.


What are the going to say after the off0season they have? They've been hyping their non proven guys like they're something special.




At the same time, it's difficult to contain the excitement. A little more than a week from training camp, players are already working out at the practice facility. There's a sense of confidence, borne from last season's 19-10 finish. There's a sense of anticipation about a team that improved significantly in coach Quin Snyder's first season.










Now, everyone wants to take the next step in a Western Conference that is again expected to be loaded.

everyone but the front office. They seem to prefer another lottery pick. Maybe they'll finally win it if they try enough?



"For the most part, guys want to pick up and capitalize on the momentum we had from last year," Jazz power forward Derrick Favors said. "It's a different feeling right now. Everyone is familiar with the system and the plays, so everyone is more comfortable. Guys just want to try and make a push and make a run."


Is a run to the postseason possible?


Certainly, if you listen to NBA observers. The Jazz are considered one of the teams capable of challenging for the eighth playoff spot in the West.
Yet, while the team is more stable than it was at this time last year, that doesn't mean questions don't exist.

Based on what they did at the end of last year they should be in the conversation but while everyone else they're competing with went out and made major moves to get better the Jazz made minor ones.



First and foremost: How do the Jazz compensate defensively for the loss of Dante Exum? The point guard tore his ACL over the summer and is likely to miss the season, leaving Trey Burke, rookie Raul Neto and Bryce Cotton.


Jazz could be better without Exum. Neto is better than last year's Exum and so is Burks if they're smart enough to play him there.


[QUOTE]Second, who starts at shooting guard? Alec Burks is back after he missed most of last season due to shoulder surgery. Second-year guard Rodney Hood was impressive at the end of last year and has continued to improve during the offseason, dominating during summer league.


A year ago, Burks was the starter. Now, heading into camp, the Jazz appear to have three wing starters

[Xiao Yao You]

Rudy seemed to get stronger as the tourny went on. Just glad he'shealthy. See you next week!:rockon:

[Xiao Yao You]

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865637258/Morning-links-BYU-not-done-Utes-on-the-verge-of-national-legitimacy-Kirilenko-Okur-ranked.html

And Rudy is better than both

[Xiao Yao You]

Bennett might be worth looking at

[Xiao Yao You]

Jazz don't have enough to claim him off waivers though I'm guessing they might be close and could cut Johnson and or Cooley who I'm thinking won't make the team anyway.

[Xiao Yao You]

http://saltcityhoops.com/rudy-gobert-on-his-future-in-utah/

[QUOTE]Tony Parker: Concerning your contract, in any case, there won

[Xiao Yao You]

http://www.slcdunk.com/2015/9/22/9367735/the-utah-jazzs-almost-all-stars-the-downbeat-1732


So we know the upcoming Jazz season will revolve around our Big Three (who also happen to be the three biggest starters): Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors, and Rudy Gobert.

We don't know until it happens. Trey was in all the pictures with Hayward and Favors last year as part of their big 3! :facepalm


By multiple (http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/hollinger/statistics) measures (http://stats.nba.com/league/player/#%21/advanced/?sort=PIE&dir=1&CF=GP*GE*50&Season=2014-15&SeasonType=Regular%20Season), these three Jazzmen are top-50 players in the NBA. But none of them has been an NBA All-Star yet.

That's not necessarily a surprise. They're all young, and they haven't taken full-time starting roles until the past few years (or half of last year, in Rudy's case). And they play in the stacked Western Conference, where competition is fierce and people will always vote for Kobe.

And they sucked until Rudy. Hard to make on a losing team no matter what.



But Derrick Favors, at least, is making All-Star status a personal mission this season. From the New York Daily News' Stefan Bondy (http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/nets/ex-net-derrick-favors-ready-breakout-season-jazz-article-1.2367017):



Favors has operated in anonymity in Utah, which is how the soft-spoken and unassuming 24-year-old prefers it. But he also acknowledged that the time for slow progress is over this season, regarding both himself and his rising team. Favors said he's gunning to be the first All-Star from the Jazz since - you guessed it - Deron Williams.


"It's a personal goal for me to be an All-Star. And I think right now, I've been put in a position to hopefully make it with a good team, a good coach, an organization and a front office that's pushing for it," Favors said. "So I think I have a good chance to make it. But it all depends on me - how I play this year, how bad do I want it."


Rudy should be their first all-star. Maxi G would be 2. Favors 3. We're talking one of the top teams in the league if all 3 make it.


Even if Favors improves on last year's 16 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game -- which I think he will -- there might not be any room for him among Western Conference All-Star forwards, especially with a healthy Kevin Durant back in the picture.


Remains to be seen if he's healthy. How many guys come back from foot injuries and never have problems again?



It might be easier for Rudy to beat out his fellow centers, or for Hayward to sneak in at a guard position. But the most likely outcome is that the Jazz will have no All-Stars for another season.


No reason all 3 shouldn't be in the mix. You don't know how the season will go. Can predict the starters probably but after that a lot can happen. Just win baby! :cheers:




What do you think? Which Jazzman will be an All-Star first? Or should we even worry about the award at all?


You worry about it only because if they are winning it will take care of itself. Coaches know who these guys are rather the fans are clueless or not.

[QUOTE]http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/155483/2_medium.png Favors may be a clear top 50 NBA player, but check out who NBA 2K16 has ranked above him:



Video games aren't real life -- my mother always said I would realize that one day -- so we shouldn't be surprised that despite the support of multiple advanced statistics, Favors' value hasn't translated over to his digital doppelg

[Xiao Yao You]

http://saltcityhoops.com/how-to-attack-the-utah-jazzs-defense/



Raul Neto remains a major unknown at the NBA level even in an area assumed to be a strength.

The question is will they still be able to defend at a high level and will they be better overall. That's my guess. Neto defends. He's a better offensive player than Dante was a year ago too so even if they drop off quite a bit defensively they could still be the best in the league while hopefully improving a lot at the other end. Cotton will get under people's skin with his size and speed. Trey won't be playing either I'm thinking. :banana:



[quote]Utah

[Xiao Yao You]

http://saltcityhoops.com/the-crucible-of-rudy-gobert-why-last-thursday-was-awesome/

[QUOTE] France outscored Spain by 11 in Gobert

[Xiao Yao You]

http://saltcityhoops.com/east-coast-hayward/



The Jazz had a pace of 92.781 (http://saltcityhoops.com/east-coast-hayward/#note-1) last season, placing them at the very bottom of all NBA teams. While this style of play may help the Jazz win more games by grinding out the clock, it can have a slightly hindering affect for someone who is as gifted offensively as Hayward.


Seems like a bad idea for a young team with the talent they have. Need to push it. Neto and Cotton should be able to that better than Trey and Exum. What happened to the play with the pass we heard so much about when the season started? Didn't happen.



[QUOTE]In contrast, the Celtics played at a pace of 98.4 possessions per 48 minutes

[Xiao Yao You]

http://www.sltrib.com/sports/2973427-155/utah-jazz-alec-burks-is-back

[QUOTE]This is why General Manager Dennis Lindsey told anyone who would listen that Burks' return to the lineup

[Xiao Yao You]

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865637380/Brad-Rock-Rebuilding-plan-still-on-trial-as-Jazz-prepare-for-camp.html

But how far up can they rise? Some believe far enough to inch into the playoffs.

Beyond that, the ledger is full. Golden State, San Antonio, Los Angeles Clippers, Houston, Memphis, Oklahoma City and New Orleans are projected ahead of the Jazz, with Phoenix, Portland, Denver, Sacramento, the Lakers, Minnesota and Dallas fighting Utah for the final spot.
For now, the most optimistic predictions are for the Jazz to break their three-year playoff drought by landing the eighth position in the Western Conference.

They were the 6th best team to end the year. No reason they shouldn't have been expecting to be right up there with anyone. The fact that the front office still acts like they are tanking is hard to grasp.


Sound familiar? They finished eighth in 2012 and ninth in 2013. The Jazz rearranged their nucleus in the summer of 2013 when DeMarre Carroll, Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap left via free agency.

:banghead:
[QUOTE]In 2011 they traded Deron Williams to New Jersey, six months after sending Carlos Boozer to the Bulls.

Thus began their quest to increase youth, athleticism and versatility. But in 2015, they

[Xiao Yao You]

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865637401/Morning-links-BYU-fulfills-Power-5-quota-for-Big-Ten-Hayward-sixth-best-small-forward-Yogi-Berra.html


Hayward sixth on 2K's small forward list


In a run-up to the release of the "NBA 2K16" video game by 2K Sports, the company has released lists of its top 10 players at each position, and Utah Jazz small forward Gordon Hayward is the only player on Quin Snyder's club to crack a list.


Entering his sixth year in the NBA, Hayward is rated the sixth-best small forward on the game. Ahead of Hayward are LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Hayward has an overall rating of 83. Former Jazzman DeMarre Carroll is 10th on the list.


Rudy and Favors aren't top 10 at their positions?

[Xiao Yao You]

[QUOTE] Portland and Philly can still claim him off waivers, though doing so would mean eating his salary. That would leave the Sixers with something like $7 million in cap space,2 and that

[Xiao Yao You]

http://www.slcdunk.com/2015/9/23/9386475/jumus-jazzmen-previews-9-joe-ingles




Ingles ended up playing the 6th most minutes on our team last season, not bad for a waiver wire pick up!

Not bad for him or a team tanking. Bad for basketball though.


He did appear to assume the role of Jazzman who plays a lot without doing much on the court, but to label his entire season production under this bucket is a bit of an undersell. He shot 35.6% from 3 point land last year, a couple of our three point specialists last year in Hayward and Hood both shot 36% last year from distance. Ingles is a useful perimeter option on a team that could use it, the Jazz were in the bottom half in the league in both 3-point attempts and 3-point %.


42% after the break!




Ingles was also a sneaky good defender last year, with only Elijah Millsap (http://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/122824/elijah-millsap) being the only rotation player with a higher steal percentage on our team than him.



the one game he made a bunch of big defensive plays right in a row.


What to Expect This Season:

Joe Ingles future role with this team does appear a bit murky. He has great chemistry with our teammates as evidenced by his awesome twitter game. However, camaraderie can only get a wing player so far that is frankly no higher than 4th in the wing player pecking order this season (Burks/Hood/Hayward).

Not sure what's murky about it. After the way he ended the year a rotation spot is his to lose. There's plenty of minutes for guys that can play. He's in the top 7 guys on the team until someone else steps up.

Assuming that the shooting guard injury hex lets up just a little bit this season, Ingles playing time is unlikely to be at the same level that it was last season (21.2 MPG). Honestly I'd put the odds at 50/50 of Ingles even making the 8-9 man rotation as we get to the more crucial parts of the season if the Jazz are still in the playoff hunt. With that said, here are my projections for Ingles playing time and stats this season:


G
MP
FGA
FG%
3P%
TRB
AST
STL
PTS
PER
WS
VORP

60

17.5

4

0.430

0.350

2.0

2.0

1.0

5.0

10.0

2.0

0.0



At this point, Ingles is likely to get the majority of his playing time backing up Gordon Hayward (http://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/111897/gordon-hayward).

I think he could start. Should play less than Maxi, Burks and Hood.

Once again, do not expect any jaw-dropping stats from the lovable Aussie, on the flip side of the coin, don't count Ingles out from being on the floor in key moments (especially early on in the season) as he was the master inbounder for multiple gamewinners last year.


Conclusion:

Ingles will be on the bubble this season as far as playing time goes. Burks, Hood, and Hayward are clearly going to prioritized over Ingles on this team with Elijah Millsap being another valid threat to his playing time this season as well.
Joe could win out his role as incumbent and have his minute average in the teens this season, but that's about his likely ceiling of a role on this team unless his talent makes an unexpected jump.

It did make a jump after the break. You must have missed that?


He is signed through 2016-17 on the cheap, so keep an eye on him being a possible trade chip over the next 2 seasons.


Wouldn't count on it

[Xiao Yao You]

http://saltcityhoops.com/the-utah-jazz-roster-spot-battle/

[quote]How will Rudy Gobert respond to being the starter from day one, and are NBA teams ready for him? Will Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors continue their ascent among the league

[Xiao Yao You]

http://saltcityhoops.com/the-most-interesting-jazz-training-camp-duels/


he and his boss both come from a discipline that says that training camp exists precisely so that players can re-earn their place in the pecking order by showcasing where and by how much they have improved.
I certainly hope that is the case but the fact that we keep hearing Burke's name as the starter and Exum before that and Pleiss supposedly the back-up I wonder.

This guy is a legitimate outside threat on nearly every play

His mid range game is even better and that's a lost art.

[quote] But let

[Xiao Yao You]

http://www.slcdunk.com/2015/9/24/9391857/jumus-jazzmen-previews-8-elijah-millsap


He now dominates for the Hawks.

What a joke!



Elijah (Age 28, Height 6-6) is the third oldest brother and played for lesser known colleges in University Louisiana-Lafayette and University Alabama-Birmingham. He was the best player on Birmingham with 16 points and 9.5 rebounds a game, but this was not enough for him to get drafted in 2010. He played some NBA preseason games for the Thunder (http://www.sbnation.com/nba/teams/oklahoma-city-thunder) in 2010 and the Bucks (http://www.sbnation.com/nba/teams/milwaukee-bucks) in 2014 but never made it to get NBA regular season playing time before last season.


It's hard to believe his D didn't get him in the league. I always wondered why the Jazz hadn't looked at him because of Paul. He was always on the fringe of the league.




Before moving on with Elijah's story, wanted to mention that the last Millsap brother Abraham (Age 26, Height 6-4) also exists and played in France last season. Back to Elijah!


Let's get him over for a look! 2 of 3 now isn't bad.




Elijah was a NBA D-League standout, making NBA D-League All Star and 2nd team in 2012. He was a consistently dominant player in the D-League yet it still took several years before any NBA team took a flier on him to actually play in the big leagues.


The Jazz gave him that promotion on the 5th of January this year. Where they played him 18 minutes in his professional debut. It is important to remember the context of what the Jazz were facing at this time.
Alec Burks (http://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/149904/alec-burks) had his season-ending injury on December 22nd.


Rodney Hood started having his nagging injury issues on December 30th.
Patrick Christopher's 4 game stint ended 5 minutes into a Hawks game on January 2nd with a gruesome knee injury.
It was at that moment Quin Snyder (http://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/111859/quin-snyder) and Paul Millsap (http://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/21649/paul-millsap) made eye contact and it was made abundantly clear that the basketball deities had made it known that injuries would plague the Jazz's shooting guard position worse and worse until they refulfilled balance to the roster with a Millsap once again! (citation needed)
Enter Elijah
Elijah went from never playing an NBA regular season game at the age of 27 to playing 47 of 48 of the Jazz's final games this season. And he wasn't just some schmuck playing garbage time either, nope! He played at least 30 minutes 6 times this season and at least 20 minutes 23 times this season.
Millsap was given his role of defensive nuisance and by the will of Elijah did he play the role to a tee.
Now his shooting and overall offensive game was underwhelming and even was in the negative impact range, but Lil' Sap would more than make up for it on the defensive end. The Jazz had found themselves a new hustler and his name is Millsap.
What to Expect This Season:

http://cache3.asset-cache.net/gc/467202650-elijah-millsap-of-the-utah-jazz-drives-to-gettyimages.jpg?v=1&c=IWSAsset&k=2&d=GkZZ8bf5zL1ZiijUmxa7QZXyqhJJs5eVSOJINW1AQEtNLxwq H9QVjUTKHrsoP8DQyMB%2B9erlSZY0XilejxB%2B%2Bb%2B7Ht NX8fz6V%2Fp0ZCjcIku3lWFKr78ni%2FVD%2BWGMBRWy
Source: Getty Images
Elijah Millsap is going to be in a bit of a tough spot playing time wise, as was also discussed about Joe Ingles in the previous entry.

If he hits the 3 there will be plenty of time for him.

Elijah got his chance to play in the big leagues only because of the injury decimation of our shooting guards last season. What will become of his role with a healthy Burks and Hood ahead of him?


It took me a long time to decide who would come out ahead between Millsap and Ingles. Looking at the game logs of the 2nd half of last season, there was not a clear player ahead of the other in the playing time pecking order. Quin seemingly would alternate who would get more time depending on matchup as well as in-game situations of whether we needed on-ball defense or the occasional 3 point shot/better passer on the wing more.
I gave Elijah the nod over Ingles as having a better season this year due to the defensive identity that Quin appears to be building with our team. Joe Ingles really does not provide much to push the needle his way from an impact standpoint when you look at the strengths that Burks, Hood, and Millsap all have.

Ingles is better all around He was hitting the 3 at the end of the year. He passes. Handles the ball. Leads. And he does play D too.


Another point to consider in the Joe Ingles vs. Elijah Millsap playing time decision. They will be playing on the 2nd unit


one could start



, depending on matchups and the rest of the 2nd unit on the floor at the time, Quin must make the choice of Elijah if he wants to prioritize defense, or Ingles if he needs a glue guy out there. With 2 of Hood/Burks/Booker out there for the 2nd unit, we may need more help on D, than with ball handling or perimeter shooting.


Millsap makes more sense as a specialist at the end of the bench unless he hits the 3.




Elijah has got the defensive prowess, and as long as he maintains that hustle, he should find a way to prolong his NBA career. I mean, look at what DeMarre Carroll (http://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/71927/demarre-carroll) has done over the last couple seasons...he went from fringe NBA player who hustled to making the big bucks now.


Yep Demarre and his brother Paul didn't hit the 4 either. It's something you can learn.



Expect Elijah's playing time to take a little bit of a hit, but not enough to hinder the impact he has on the floor:


G
MP
FGA
FG%
3P%
TRB
AST
STL
PTS
PER
WS
VORP

60

16.0

4

0.370

0.320

3.0

1.2

1.0

6.0

12.0

2.0

0.0



Elijah Millsap will have many nights where you see him being an effective pest to the other team but then you'll look at his ugly box-score production and see why a player's overall value cannot be limited to just the basic stats.
Conclusion:

It is slightly premature at this point to guarantee that Elijah will be a defensive monster this season on the wing for the Jazz. There is still a chance that the Jazz cut him

no there's not. They could trade him if they wanted for sure. He's an NBAer now.


or that he simply does not make the rotation this season once all our shooting guards are healthy again.

Elijah should be given the benefit of the doubt though. He filled in the role he was expected to when the Jazz needed him most last year. Judging from how the identity this team is trying to build, Elijah fits the bill of backup defensive wing this team will need at times.
Elijah Millsap: Ugly box score; defensive pest

NBA Rank came out and it didn't even have Elijah Millsap in the top 400, huge snub. We'll see if Elijah will have the chance to make a bigger name for himself this season..


Make us proud Lil' Sap!

[Xiao Yao You]

https://jazzfanatical.wordpress.com/2015/09/25/bits-from-quin-snyder-interview-part-1/

[QUOTE][B]On the Jazz

[Xiao Yao You]

https://jazzfanatical.wordpress.com/2015/09/25/bits-from-quin-snyder-interview-part-2/

[QUOTE]the good thing about the summer league that was exciting, that made it, I think, even harder when he got hurt, was he had a really poor first quarter and didn

[Xiao Yao You]

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865637488/Analysis-Forecasting-the-Utah-Jazz7s-2015-16-record-using-win-shares.html

[QUOTE]
Spoiler alert: The Utah Jazz are going to the playoffs this season.
At least that

[Xiao Yao You]

https://jazzfanatical.wordpress.com/2015/09/26/bits-from-dennis-lindsey-interview-924/

[QUOTE]So you

[Xiao Yao You]

http://www.slcdunk.com/2015/9/25/9398769/jumus-jazzmen-previews-7-trevor-booker


In today's installment we explore one of our best free agents of the last decade, that's right, good ol' Booker T!

Not saying much is it?




18% of people in the poll said I was OVERRATING him at 7, and 64% agreed with my ranking. Only you clever 19% who said I underrated him made me quite the fool.
[/font]
I'd say you were overrating him. He was a project as a rookie. Last summer was the first glimpse that he might be more.


but thank goodness he broke out!

Wasn't supposed to be this good ever!




How high will Rudy climb this year's previews?

#1 or bust




our 3rd consecutive 28 year old for this upcoming season.

He's 6 or 7. The fact that Trey isn't at the bottom of this list is a joke!


(Case #2938458 of why the Jazz cannot build a team through free agency, just drafts and trades).
Harris and Marvin were horrible? :roll:

it looks like Quin Snyder (http://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/111859/quin-snyder) finally gave Booker the go-ahead to shoot the long ball this season.

It looks like? Another guy that doesn't watch games but just stats?

the Jazz tried that little experiment and apparently deemed it a failure (31% on wide open threes wasn't blowing anybody away).

It's not a bad start. He'll certainly be able to shoot it eventually. I think the Thunder want him down low though. He's so good down there you kind of hate having him shooting 3's.



Trevor Booker's (http://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/112570/trevor-booker) role with the Jazz moving forward is going to be highly contingent on Trey Lyles' development.
I'd say it has more to do with rather Pleiss or Withey show they are rotation players and how much they can use Maxi G and possibe Ingles/Hood at the 4.




There will definitely be a handful of interested suitors looking for a cheap 1 year rental in the form of a 3rd big quality player in Booker.
He's going to get paid a lot next year and I can't see the Jazz wanting to commit a lot to him past next year. They might overpay for him next year to keep him around for one more year.



I thought 19 year olds were expected to play right away and the D-league was just a thing to develop the Cooley's of the world?


[quote] it appears unlikely or at least not the best choice for the Jazz to offer him another contract next summer for a few reasons.
Again to me it's more about the other two bigs than Lyles. Lyles is a player no doubt in my mind. It's just a matter of time.


1. In today's NBA and salary climate, Booker could easily make twice as much on the open market.

Maybe a lot more.




2. The Jazz will have to be very mindful of juggling contracts due to arguably 5 of our top 6 players Hayward, Favors, Exum, Hood, and Gobert all being up for new contracts in 2 crucial back-to-back offseasons in 2017/2018.

Exum has shown he's a defensive specialist and may never even be that player again after injury. Let's not hype him as a big contract until he shows more. Burke isn't getting a big contract too? :roll:




3. Lyles at less than an average of $3 million per season through 2019 as our backup PF makes more sense than shelling out 8 figures for a 3rd big.

Lyles has the length and size to play the 5 and with his skill set that could be the place for him in today's game. Let's not get ahead of ourselves.




at the bare minimum, the first third of the season.

I see bigger minutes from him this year unless at least one of the other 3 show they deserve minutes. Maxi said he's ready for minutes at the 3 too!




his hustle keeps him relevant day in and day out![/font]
Not to mention his veteran leadership which the team sorely lacks.
hopefully he even explodes for another 30+ point outburst or too.
If he does it means Gobert or Favors are hurt. :wtf:

sorry Trevor, but we've got bigger mouths to feed.
Remains to be seen. He and Gobert actually appeared like they might be a better fit than Rudy and Favors.
[/font]

[Xiao Yao You]

http://www.sltrib.com/sports/2992539-155/utah-jazz-more-mature-favors-looks


This summer, however, Favors worked on his range. He stopped just short of proclaiming himself ready to launch 3-pointers from the corners of EnergySolutions Arena. But clearly, Favors feels like he's developed more range and the confidence to showcase that range in game situations once the upcoming season begins.

was expected


Favors and Rudy Gobert form one of the best defensive frontcourts in the NBA.


anyone and Rudy does


[QUOTE]But last season