Back to work: Post virus break

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See how long this lasts

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Mike Conley won ESPN’s H-O-R-S-E competition in the safety and comfort of his own indoor basketball gym. Joe Ingles, meanwhile, had been itching for a chance to shoot a ball. But with the Zions Bank Basketball Campus closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the sharp-shooting lefty had no place to practice his jumper until he had a portable hoop set up in the backyard of his Salt Lake City home (https://www.nba.com/jazz/news/utah-jazz-players-return-teams-practice-facility-first-time-covid-19-outbreak).
– via Aaron Falk @ NBA.com (https://www.nba.com/jazz/news/utah-jazz-players-return-teams-practice-facility-first-time-covid-19-outbreak)

Among Utah Jazz players, Ingles’ situation is far more common than Conley’s—just one reason Jazz officials were thrilled to allow players to enter the team’s practice facility Monday for the first time since the Coronavirus outbreak shut down the NBA on March 11. Jazz officials confirmed “a handful of Utah Jazz players participated in voluntary, individual workouts” at the facility on Monday (https://www.nba.com/jazz/news/utah-jazz-players-return-teams-practice-facility-first-time-covid-19-outbreak).
– via Aaron Falk @ NBA.com (https://www.nba.com/jazz/news/utah-jazz-players-return-teams-practice-facility-first-time-covid-19-outbreak)

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Chris Mannix: Several Jazz players participated in voluntary, individual workouts today at the teams practice facility, (https://*********.com/social/) per team. Workouts were in accordance with Utah Department of Health and NBA regulations.
– via Twitter SIChrisMannix (https://twitter.com/SIChrisMannix)

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Besides the Heat, the other teams that have opened so far are Portland, Cleveland, Milwaukee, Denver, Atlanta, Indiana, Sacramento, Toronto and Utah. (https://sports.yahoo.com/nba-now-10-teams-back-voluntary-workouts-211824469--nba.html) More are expected in the coming days; among them, Orlando is close, and the Los Angeles Lakers are targeting Saturday.
– via TIM REYNOLDS @ Yahoo! Sports (https://sports.yahoo.com/nba-now-10-teams-back-voluntary-workouts-211824469--nba.html)

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https://thejnotes.com/2020/05/13/what-if-utah-jazz-hayward-trade/


At the time, Ben Simmons (https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/simmobe01.html) was looking very enticing as a potential franchise player. His passing skills and dexterity for his size drew comparisons to LeBron James (https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/jamesle01.html), although his jumper needed a lot of work.




Horrible fit with Rudy


The Jazz likely would have taken Amir Johnson (https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/johnsam01.html) to make the salries work, and missed the 2015 playoffs from suddenly losing their best player.
The unprotected pick from the Brooklyn Nets ended up landing at third overall, which the Jazz probably would have used to pick Jaylen Brown (https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/brownja02.html).
On draft night they tried their best to dangle the third and 12th overall picks, in addition to Dante Exum in an attempt to trade up and select either Ben Simmons or Brandon Ingram (https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/i/ingrabr01.html).


all but Simmons might have been nice


They wanted a potential superstar to come out of this draft night, but they make due with Jaylen Brown and Taurean Prince (https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/p/princta02.html). Utah rolls into the 2016-17 season with a depth chart looking like this:
C Rudy Gobert, Amir Johnson
PF Derrick Favors, Trey Lyles
SF Joe Ingles (https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/i/inglejo01.html), Taurean Prince
SG Rodney Hood, Jaylen Brown, Alec Burks
PG Dante Exum, Raul Neto (https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/n/netora01.html)


Amir or Prince or Lyles starting at the 4.


In conclusion the Jazz probably wouldn’t be very far off from where they are today had they decided to trade Hayward for the Brooklyn Nets’ unprotected first round pick in 2016.




who knows where they'd be but with Rudy still competitive at worst

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2020/05/13/utah-jazz-nba-draft-paul-reed-better-fits/


Many questions surround the future of Rudy Gobert (https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/goberru01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-), so it will be interesting to see if the Jazz do indeed decide to draft a big man in this year’s draft for insurance purposes. Regardless, Reed is someone that fits if Gobert is here or not.




Be stupid not to with Gobert and Bradley free agents after next year


Paul ReedAge: 20
Height: 6’9″
Weight: 220 lbs
Wingspan: N/A


Need someone bigger unless he has incredible wig span. Already have undersized guys in Morgan and Brantley

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Michigan State junior Xavier Tillman has entered his name into the upcoming NBA draft. But he has not hired an agent, so he could still return to school. With less than a month to decide, the Grand Rapids Christian High School graduate says he is still at the 50/50 mark, (https://www.woodtv.com/sports/xavier-tillman-weighs-nba-draft-options/) which is where he was when he put his name in the draft.
– via woodtv.com (https://www.woodtv.com/sports/xavier-tillman-weighs-nba-draft-options/)

The new reality we are all living has made the draft process considerably different than in past years. Since face-to-face meetings can’t happen right now, Tillman has been meeting with NBA teams through Zoom meetings. “I’ve had two so far with Utah and Detroit. (https://www.woodtv.com/sports/xavier-tillman-weighs-nba-draft-options/) It’s all about these Zoom interviews and how well you perform in those. Answering the questions honestly is the biggest key for those teams because they know everything about you,” Tillman said. Being born and raised in Michigan, Tillman says the Pistons are a team that is on his list.
– via woodtv.com (https://www.woodtv.com/sports/xavier-tillman-weighs-nba-draft-options/)

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https://thejnotes.com/2020/05/14/utah-jazz-pursue-derrick-white/


One of the burning questions of the future for the Utah Jazz is their presumptive point guard of the future.




It is? Mitchell :facepalm


They could throw their best trade package with Tony Bradley (https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/bradlto01.html) plus future draft picks and acquire White mid-season



yeah they need to get even smaller! :lol

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Eric Walden: Georges acknowledged that having the season shut down “was really tough for a lot of us.” (https://*********.com/social/) The dual-whammy of no basketball and not being able to go out in society as normal meant that, “Mentally, a lot of us felt trapped.” Said he’s started to feel better over the past 3 weeks.
– via Twitter tribjazz (https://twitter.com/tribjazz)

Eric Walden: Also, Georges estimated he’d need 2-3 weeks of working out to get back in game shape (“Other guys will need longer because my workout regimen is a lot harder”) and 2-3 weeks of team activities for the Jazz to be fully ready to cohesively return to game action (https://*********.com/social/).
– via Twitter tribjazz (https://twitter.com/tribjazz)

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Sarah Todd: Georges Niang has been working out at the Jazz practice facility over the last five days. He said that it’s been a great but a real adjustment with all the restrictions (https://*********.com/social/).
– via Twitter NBASarah (https://twitter.com/NBASarah)

Sarah Todd: At the Jazz practice facility, Niang called the person working out with him and following him around a “hygiene czar”. (https://*********.com/social/) Said that they are wiping down anything that his body touches and sanitizing constantly during the workouts.
– via Twitter NBASarah (https://twitter.com/NBASarah)

Eric Walden: Georges Niang said he’s trying not to get too far ahead of himself in terms of the possibility of the season resuming, but that he’s “thrilled” and everyone he’s talked to is excited about it, (https://*********.com/social/) provided they can keep people safe. Said no one wants unfinished business.
– via Twitter tribjazz (https://twitter.com/tribjazz)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2020/05/15/utah-jazz-advantage-season-finish/


The decision regarding Rudy Gobert (https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/goberru01.html) and his eligibility for the supermax extension (https://hoopshabit.com/2020/04/24/utah-jazz-rudy-gobert-supermax/) will be much harder for Jazz brass to make given that there might be no closure for this season. The Jazz don’t know for sure if Gobert can carry the Jazz farther than the second round of the playoffs.




what they do know is they suck without him


As for the Jazz, they have six games left to hit their 70 game mark. The double-header with the Lakers will be a big challenge, but the games against the Timberwolves, Grizzlies, and Pelicans are more forgiving.

who knows what 6 games they would play if any


Even if the Jazz don’t end up catching the Nuggets in this hypothetical finish to the NBA regular season, they will still get a good look at the Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Lakers, who figure to be very likely playoff opponents.




maybe they don't even make the playoffs? who knows if they take 8 teams. Be better off in the lottery at this point anyway.



In other words, what I’m saying is the Jazz may be the NBA’s Cinderella team (https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2020/5/2/21245414/if-the-nba-playoffs-ever-return-the-utah-jazz-could-be-a-dark-horse-contender-rudy-gobert) of the 2020 abbreviated playoffs.







You weren't paying attention this year and Ingles isn't even playing at the moment

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https://thejnotes.com/2020/05/16/utah-jazz-repurcussion-hiatus/2/


My hope is that Gobert realizes how much he would help the front office by taking a deal that is still a max contract, but not quite the supermax.




that would be my guess assuming the rumors of them trading him and tanking aren't true. Can still pay him more than anyone else and a lot less than super max


In other words there’s a good chance these guys are getting overpaid just at the decline of their careers and the decline of the salary cap, which will make it awfully hard for the Jazz front office to have any wiggle room with making the team any better.




they are all worth the money with the cap where it was except for Conley and he is expiring after next year. Now things have been changed obviously. Bojan has 3 more years which who knows where he will be than


Joe Ingles was intended to be the sixth man this season, but floundered in that role with his buddy Derrick Favors being gone in New Orleans. He plays much better as a starter and alongside Rudy Gobert.




Ingles plays much better around good players. He was fine once they changed up the bench. Bradley is even better in pick and roll than Gobert



Factor in Donovan Mitchell’s minutes he plays at the 1 (49 percent of his minutes this season), and also Jordan Clarkson (assuming he returns), and there’s not a regular spot in the rotation for Mudiay.







Him or Clarkson will be gone maybe both. He could be a 6th man and lots cheaper. Need a starting 4 more than anything



When the Jazz cashed in their chips to bring in Mike Conley and Bojan Bogdanovic in the same summer, they were really setting themselves up to have their best shot at winning a championship in a two year window.




with 6 rookies and no starting 4. Typical Jazz. Lots of talk

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NBA Central: “He only had really one job. And that was to just score. And he did that at an amazing, amazing rate. But I don’t feel like his way of winning then would translate to what it is now. Guys wouldn’t want to play with him.” -Channing Frye on Michael Jordan (NBC Sports North West). Evan Fournier: @channingfrye bro you bugging for real. Lol. Channing Frye: Boris Biaw is the best French player of all time. Evan Fournier: Lol na you aint getting away from that statement with this s— (https://*********.com/social/tweets/).
– via Twitter EvanFourmizz (https://twitter.com/EvanFourmizz)





No French player has carried a team like Rudy :bowdown:

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Utah Jazz forward Georges Niang told reporters a few days ago that every NBA player he has spoken to since the season went on hiatus is eager for games to start up again, for the schedule to be completed and a champion to be crowned. In the same conversation, Niang gave some intriguing insight into how he is preparing to return to action should the season indeed be restarted (https://www.sltrib.com/sports/jazz/2020/05/17/utah-jazzs-george-niang/).
– via Salt Lake Tribune (https://www.sltrib.com/sports/jazz/2020/05/17/utah-jazzs-george-niang/)

On May 8, the league granted teams the ability to reopen their practice facilities to players for individual, voluntary workouts, provided that the locale in which those facilities are situated have correspondingly eased stay-at-home restrictions amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic (https://www.sltrib.com/sports/jazz/2020/05/17/utah-jazzs-george-niang/).
– via Salt Lake Tribune (https://www.sltrib.com/sports/jazz/2020/05/17/utah-jazzs-george-niang/)

“The guy that is on our training staff has to be in full [personal protective equipment] — whether that’s a mask, gloves; I know he’s carrying around a spray bottle and a towel,” Niang said. (https://www.sltrib.com/sports/jazz/2020/05/17/utah-jazzs-george-niang/) “So, basically every step that I take or wherever I go, that place is getting sprayed down.”
– via Salt Lake Tribune (https://www.sltrib.com/sports/jazz/2020/05/17/utah-jazzs-george-niang/)

Even if we’re still weeks away from an official comeback plan for resuming the season being officially announced, the simple process of hearing that practice facilities would be reopening meant a lot to Jazz players craving some semblance of routine. “Once you started hearing, ‘May 1st, the facility is going to open,’ and then it moved to May 8th, then it was May 11th and … the timeline has been the best thing. Guys just have been prepared to have a timeline for their life,” Niang said. “The season, it’s from one month to another month, the offseason is another month to another month, and I think guys are just excited that we’re kind of get some dates and some months nailed down to where we can finally feel like we can get back to somewhat of a normal [existence].” (https://www.sltrib.com/sports/jazz/2020/05/17/utah-jazzs-george-niang/)
– via Salt Lake Tribune (https://www.sltrib.com/sports/jazz/2020/05/17/utah-jazzs-george-niang/)

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Jonathan Feigen: Highlights of NBA Inside Stuff reunion so far. Clyde Drexler forced by David Robinson to admit he brought 2 left shoes to a Dream team practice. And John Stockton when asked if any current player is like him. After others all said ‘no,’ Stockton said there is one. Antetokounmpo (https://*********.com/social/).
– via Twitter Jonathan_Feigen (https://twitter.com/Jonathan_Feigen)





:lol

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Steve Luhm: Talking to Stockton, I once suggested the Bulls were the better team in ‘97 and the Jazz were the better team in ‘98. I’ll always remember his response: “I think we were better both years.” (https://*********.com/social/) Typical Stockton.
– via Twitter sluhm (https://twitter.com/sluhm)

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In the late stages of Game 1 of the 1997 NBA Finals, Utah Jazz big man Karl Malone was at the free throw line attempting to help his team steal a win. The game was tied at 82 with 9.2 seconds remaining when Malone went to the charity stripe, but he ended up missing both free throws thanks to one classic line from Pippen. “I had my brother in town, my brother was a postman,” Pippen said on ESPN. Karl Malone was at the free throw line and the game is on the line. I was pretty good friends with Karl actually so I just walked by him and said ‘the Mailman don’t deliver on Sunday.’ To this day, I think that’s the greatest line in basketball (https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/scottie-pippen-recalls-karl-malone-trash-talking-incident-that-helped-bulls-beat-jazz-in-1997-nba-finals/).
– via CBSSports.com (https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/scottie-pippen-recalls-karl-malone-trash-talking-incident-that-helped-bulls-beat-jazz-in-1997-nba-finals/)

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At the end of the broadcast, the guys were showing their appreciation for one another as they were saying goodbye. Malone asked the players one thing at the end. “I need to say this because I know that (John) Stockton and I have been talking a lot recently,” Malone stated. “Coach (Jerry) Sloan is not doing well, so I want you guys to pray for coach Sloan (https://kslsports.com/434398/karl-malone-asked-nba-legends-to-pray-for-jazz-head-coach-jerry-sloan/).
– via KSL Sports (https://kslsports.com/434398/karl-malone-asked-nba-legends-to-pray-for-jazz-head-coach-jerry-sloan/)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2020/05/17/dante-exum-biggest-bust-utah-jazz-history/

Larry Knight didn't even make the team! :facepalm

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Adrian Wojnarowski: Utah Jazz F Bojan Bogdanovic is undergoing season-ending surgery on his right wrist, sources tell ESPN. Full recovery expected for start of 2020-21 season. He’s averaged 20 points per game for Jazz, fourth-seed in West. – via Twitter wojespn

This rumor is part of a storyline: 8 more rumors
Adrian Wojnarowski: Bogdanovic injured wrist in January and played in pain throughout season. The discomfort/injury emerged again during shutdown, sources said. Decision for surgery makes sense to protect him and franchise for long-term. He signed a four-year, $73M deal last summer. – via Twitter wojespn

why now and not months ago? I guess he couldn't have elective surgery before? :(

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Shams Charania: Sources: The Knicks are finalizing hiring Jazz VP of Player Personnel Walt Perrin as assistant general manager as they reshuffle front office under Leon Rose. (https://*********.com/social/) Perrin is a well-respected executive who has worked in Jazz organization for 19 years.
– via Twitter ShamsCharania (https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania)

Ian Begley: Knicks are expected to hire Jazz VP of Player Personnel Walt Perrin as assistant GM, per league sources. In addition to Perrin, Knicks president Leon Rose has added Brock Aller in a VP role and retained Scott Perry as general manager. (https://*********.com/social/) The Athletic first reported the Perrin hire.
– via Twitter IanBegley (https://twitter.com/IanBegley)

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Sarah Todd: Bojan will have surgery tomorrow in New York. (https://*********.com/social/) He has been in Utah during the hiatus.
– via Twitter NBASarah (https://twitter.com/NBASarah)

Eric Walden: Jazz say Bojan Bogdanovic injured a ligmament sometime in 2019 and has been getting periodic check-ups from doctors ever since. (https://*********.com/social/) He will undergo surgery tomorrow morning in New York.
– via Twitter tribjazz (https://twitter.com/tribjazz)

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Tony Jones: Bojan Bogdanovic originally injured his wrist in a late November game, League Sources tell The Athletic. Bogdanovic then had an MRI and chose to play through the pain. (https://*********.com/social/) He aggravated the original injury at various points through the season
– via Twitter Tjonesonthenba (https://twitter.com/Tjonesonthenba)

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Tony Jones: The Jazz won’t immediate search for a replacement for Walt Perrin, (https://*********.com/social/) League Sources tell The Athletic. They will divide his responsibility up in house
– via Twitter Tjonesonthenba (https://twitter.com/Tjonesonthenba)




kind of figured with all the gm's they have. He's been running the draft workouts for a long time though

[Xiao Yao You]

https://*********.com/2020/04/22/rudy-gobert-trade-options/


The Knicks could be looking to trade their young players and future picks for an established All-Star like Gobert. With no player seemingly safe under the new Knicks front office, they could offer a package that includes Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson, and a future first-round pick for Gobert. The Jazz get their center of the future in Robinson who, like Gobert, came into the league very raw but with attributes that suggested elite defensive potential. They also get a viable power forward in Randle who could be a great small-ball center.

Robinson would make some sense

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/sports/2020/5/18/21262574/report-utah-jazz-forward-bojan-bogdanovic-season-ending-surgery


With Bogdanovic sidelined and Ingles becoming a mainstay with the starting five, the Jazz would have few options off the bench at the forward position, leading to increased minutes and responsibility for both reserve Niang, and starting man Royce O’Neale.




Ingles would start and Mudiay would be next in line if there is any regular season. Playoffs the rotation is shortened anyway

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/nba-offseason/2020/5/18/21254948/utah-jazz-covid19-rudy-gobert-donovan-mitchell-revenue-nba-offseason


If the league is forced to play a 2020-21 season without fans they could see up to a 40% reduction in revenue. Such a hit could cost Utah at least $116.8M in revenue. If Utah made only 60% of their estimated revenue of their 2018-2019 season, they would only bring in $175 million for the entire season. The Jazz are already on the hook for $117 million in payroll alone next season for 12 players. If they were to re-sign Jordan Clarkson (https://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/246165/jordan-clarkson) on a deal similar to his current contract, Utah would be at about $130M in salary. That’s before we account for a 1st round pick ($1.9) and a potential Mid Level Exception ($6M).




starting 4 and better D without losing spacing on offense should be the goal


Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell say they have buried the hatchet and are looking at competing when they get back on the court. That’s awesome. But the bill is about to come due. Utah may have to split up their team. It won’t be due to drama in the locker room. It will be Utah trying to balance the books. This is not another Utah has to trade either Rudy Gobert or Donovan Mitchell piece. This is about Utah having to move their expensive contracts regardless of the name attached to them. Those players would include Bojan Bogdanovic (https://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/300202/bojan-bogdanovic), Mike Conley (https://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/297144/mike-conley), Rudy Gobert, and Joe Ingles. If Utah does have to shed salary, I doubt they want to repeat the Paul Millsap (https://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/295612/paul-millsap) and Al Jefferson (https://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/296456/al-jefferson) offseason where they let both walk away for nothing.




Wasn't nothing. Cap space

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Andy Larsen: Bojan Bogdanovic’s wrist surgery in NYC this morning was successful, team says. The injury occurred in 2019, Jazz say (https://*********.com/social/). “Bogdanović will begin his rehabilitation at the appropriate time and will remain out indefinitely. Further updates will be provided as needed.”
– via Twitter andyblarsen (https://twitter.com/andyblarsen)

Sarah Todd: Re: Bogdanovic surgery and recovery timetable, He’s looking at roughtly 4-6 months says orthopedic surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute David Clark Hay, MD (https://*********.com/social/). Because it was his shooting hand and he is a regular outside shooter, there is concern about lingering tightness
– via Twitter NBASarah (https://twitter.com/NBASarah)

If he'd had the surgery when they first stopped playing he'd have been back possibly for a possible return of this season :rant

[Xiao Yao You]

Tim Reynolds: Mike Conley of the Utah Jazz announced today that he has donated a total of $200,000 to five communities in Utah, Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee and Arkansas to assist with the coronavirus response. It’ll go toward addressing food insecurity, homelessness and remote learning needs (https://*********.com/social/).
– via Twitter ByTimReynolds (https://twitter.com/ByTimReynolds)

[Xiao Yao You]

Eric Walden: Utah Jazz guard Mike Conley, to the media on a Zoom call, on why he made his $200K donation now: “Immediately, my knee-jerk reaction was to do something right away,” but he wanted to research where his money could ultimately provide the most help (https://*********.com/social/).
– via Twitter tribjazz (https://twitter.com/tribjazz)

[Xiao Yao You]

Michael Gallagher: Chris Paul said he’s producing a show about players telling their stories from the day the NBA suspended its season (via The Daily Show) (https://*********.com/social/). The Jazz were in OKC that night, so should be good stuff.
– via Twitter MikeSGallagher (https://twitter.com/MikeSGallagher)

Tim Reynolds: A small step toward normal again in Utah: The Jazz Team Store will mark its public re-opening at Vivint Smart Home Arena on Saturday (https://*********.com/social/).
– via Twitter ByTimReynolds (https://twitter.com/ByTimReynolds)

[Xiao Yao You]

Renata Burigatto received a text message from her husband, NBA referee Mark Lindsay, 30 minutes after the scheduled tip-off of the game he was assigned to officiate between the Utah Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder on March 11. “I texted him, ‘Oh no, you OK? Did you get hurt?” Burigatto told USA TODAY Sports. “He replied, ‘No, they stopped the game and are going to test us for the coronavirus.’ ” (https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2020/05/20/referee-mark-lindsay-jazz-thunder-game-wife-doctor-coronavirus/5229714002/)
– via USA Today Sports (https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2020/05/20/referee-mark-lindsay-jazz-thunder-game-wife-doctor-coronavirus/5229714002/)

That began a stressful 12 hours for the couple, who were already operating under great stress because Burigatto is a frontline COVID-19 doctor specializing in acute in-patient care at Penn Medicine’s Chester County (Pennsylvania) Hospital. “It was a very powerful night for us both on a personal and professional level,” Burigatto said. “I very busy in the hospital, working seven days in a row, 13 hours a day. (https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2020/05/20/referee-mark-lindsay-jazz-thunder-game-wife-doctor-coronavirus/5229714002/) Trying [to] balance that with trying to convey safety was challenging. We also have three young children at home. We were trying to keep them safe and consider whether we were going to keep them in school at that time. There was a little of uncertainty and there was a lot of anxiety about what choices we were going to make to keep all of safe.”
– via USA Today Sports (https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2020/05/20/referee-mark-lindsay-jazz-thunder-game-wife-doctor-coronavirus/5229714002/)

In their own way, Lindsay and Burigatto are at the heart of COVID-19 – Lindsay being on the court when the Thunder team doctor ran on the court to inform referees of the unfolding situation of a player testing positive and the idea that other players could be infected and Burigatto caring for patients on the East Coast. “The anxiety of her or one of us becoming infected is very real,” Lindsay said. “That thought is never too far from my mind especially when she’s at the hospital. We experience that anxiety, isolation and uncertainty.” (https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2020/05/20/referee-mark-lindsay-jazz-thunder-game-wife-doctor-coronavirus/5229714002/)
– via USA Today Sports (https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2020/05/20/referee-mark-lindsay-jazz-thunder-game-wife-doctor-coronavirus/5229714002/)

[Xiao Yao You]

Ingles, a key member of the Utah Jazz who sit in fourth place in the Western Conference, has said he is prepared to “walk away, fly to Australia and never play another game in my life and be very content with it” to protect his family from the virus. (https://au.sports.yahoo.com/nba-eyes-orlando-ingles-may-not-play-204725282--spt.html) His wife, Australian netball great Renae Ingles, is expecting their third child and four-year-old son Jacob has autism and a weakened immune system.
– via Peter Mitchell @ Yahoo! Sports (https://au.sports.yahoo.com/nba-eyes-orlando-ingles-may-not-play-204725282--spt.html)

Ingles will take a wait-and-see approach to playing games if the season does start. “It’s not worth it,” Ingles, discussing practice at the Jazz facility, told Utah radio station 1280 The Zone last week. “I have a gym, I have everything I can do. As for basketball, it’s a bit more difficult, but I think that as we go ahead and find out more information about it, it will be easier to make a decision. But I am in no way willing to risk my children, and Renae, and everything else, to go play basketball.” (https://au.sports.yahoo.com/nba-eyes-orlando-ingles-may-not-play-204725282--spt.html)
– via Peter Mitchell @ Yahoo! Sports (https://au.sports.yahoo.com/nba-eyes-orlando-ingles-may-not-play-204725282--spt.html)

Start Clarkson?

[Xiao Yao You]

Quin Snyder talked about how things unfolded from a coaching perspective after the team came back from Oklahoma City on March 12, the day after Rudy Gobert tested positive for the coronavirus and the NBA suspended its season. Rather than go ahead with things like it was business as usual, Snyder felt the gravity of the situation and wanted to take a break from basketball and let the team process what was happening, not only in the NBA, but in the world (https://www.deseret.com/sports/2020/5/21/21265496/jazz-head-coach-quin-snyder-film-sessions-coronavirus-pandemic-joe-ingles-podcast-nba-utah).
– via Sarah Todd @ deseret.com (https://www.deseret.com/sports/2020/5/21/21265496/jazz-head-coach-quin-snyder-film-sessions-coronavirus-pandemic-joe-ingles-podcast-nba-utah)

“When we got back from Oklahoma, it was a time where there was so much uncertainty and anxiety and everything,” Snyder said. “I didn’t want to think about basketball and I didn’t want anybody else to think about it either.” (https://www.deseret.com/sports/2020/5/21/21265496/jazz-head-coach-quin-snyder-film-sessions-coronavirus-pandemic-joe-ingles-podcast-nba-utah)
– via Sarah Todd @ deseret.com (https://www.deseret.com/sports/2020/5/21/21265496/jazz-head-coach-quin-snyder-film-sessions-coronavirus-pandemic-joe-ingles-podcast-nba-utah)

With the possibility of basketball and the NBA playoffs on the horizon, losing the sharp-shooting and 20.2 points per game of Bogdanovic is a huge blow to the Jazz, but Ingles said he’s confident that everyone will step up and joked that maybe he’d get a couple extra shots with Bogdanovic on the sidelines. “We’ve obviously got a very deep team,” Ingles said. “It’s not all on one person. Maybe bits and pieces of our minutes go up a little bit, but overall I think it’ll be a team effort.” (https://www.deseret.com/sports/2020/5/21/21265496/jazz-head-coach-quin-snyder-film-sessions-coronavirus-pandemic-joe-ingles-podcast-nba-utah)
– via Sarah Todd @ deseret.com (https://www.deseret.com/sports/2020/5/21/21265496/jazz-head-coach-quin-snyder-film-sessions-coronavirus-pandemic-joe-ingles-podcast-nba-utah)

hardly deep. Might be starting 3 guards and have 5 of 8 rotation players under 6'5

[Xiao Yao You]

Joe Ingles: For context, I said this over 2 months ago when we knew nothing about the virus & what it could do. I know the Jazz/NBA would only have us play if they were confident that everyone’s health has been put first. When it’s safe to go back and play, I will not let my teammates down! (https://*********.com/social/tweets/)

[Xiao Yao You]

Mirotic confirmed that he had a three-year offer on his hands by the Utah Jazz. He was actually about to interrupt his vacations in Greece in order to attend a meeting with the club to sign the deal (https://www.eurohoops.net/en/euroleague/1062294/nikola-mirotic-on-returning-to-europe-a-step-forward-in-my-career/) but didn’t board the plane at the very last minute since he came to the final decision that he doesn’t want to be in the NBA anymore.
– via EuroHoops.net (https://www.eurohoops.net/en/euroleague/1062294/nikola-mirotic-on-returning-to-europe-a-step-forward-in-my-career/)

“I wanted to spend free agency while on vacation in Greece with my family. Utah wanted to have a meeting on June 30 to sign me as the first player in free agency,” Mirotic said. “They offered me three years guaranteed, a great contract. I spoke to my wife and she told me to take what made me happy. I took a ticket for two days, a round trip, and I left. I was waiting at the gate of the Thessaloniki airport when I started to think: ‘What do I do at the airport? Why am I not with my family? The NBA?’. I said to myself: ‘Don’t do it Niko. If you go, you will sign.’ I left the airport and went back to the hotel. (https://www.eurohoops.net/en/euroleague/1062294/nikola-mirotic-on-returning-to-europe-a-step-forward-in-my-career/) I told my agent that I wasn’t going to catch the flight and to apologize to Utah for not attending the meeting. “I’m going to take another path, I don’t want to continue in the NBA.”
– via EuroHoops.net (https://www.eurohoops.net/en/euroleague/1062294/nikola-mirotic-on-returning-to-europe-a-step-forward-in-my-career/)

“There are people who want to be in the NBA, even if they don’t play. But basketball in Europe is of a high level, the EuroLeague is becoming more competitive, the Liga Endesa is being tremendously strong and, for me, this is a step forward in my career. Now, I have to prove something again,” Mirotic said (https://www.eurohoops.net/en/euroleague/1062294/nikola-mirotic-on-returning-to-europe-a-step-forward-in-my-career/) in a video interview for Sergiobasket Vlogs.
– via EuroHoops.net (https://www.eurohoops.net/en/euroleague/1062294/nikola-mirotic-on-returning-to-europe-a-step-forward-in-my-career/)

I originally thought they dodged a bullet there but with their hole at the 4 and lack of size he might have actually been a better fit than Bojan

[Xiao Yao You]

Eric Woodyard: Jazz star Rudy Gobert to ESPN on loss of Jerry Sloan: “It’s a big loss for our community and the basketball world but his legacy lives on forever.” (https://*********.com/social/)

[Xiao Yao You]

Alex English: I had an opportunity to play for the Utah Jazz under Jerry Sloan my last NBA season. I opted to go play with the Dallas Mavericks. That was one of the biggest mistakes of my NBA career. (http://twitter.com/AlexEnglish_2/status/1263864435854229511) I admired Sloan as a player and Coach.
– via Twitter (http://twitter.com/AlexEnglish_2/status/1263864435854229511)




didn't know that

[Xiao Yao You]

https://basketball.realgm.com/analysis/258268/Basketballs-Grandest-Ballad-The-Utah-Jazz



The saddest ballad in all of jazz comes out of Salt Lake City. In 1988, surging with the nascent, still pretty raw potential of the pairing of a young John Stockton (26) with a young Karl Malone (24), the city’s ironically titled basketball team pushed the soon-to-be NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers to seven games in a playoff series. It was reasonably assumed, the following season, that the Jazz were title contenders as the dynamic between one of the game’s best ever point guards and one of its best ever finishers sharpened, and both were anchored by a nimble 7-foot-4 Defensive Player of the Year, Mark Eaton. Instead, in what was both an early flash of the future of basketball and a harbinger of more than a decade of indignities to come, the Jazz were swept out of the first round of the 1989 playoffs by Don Nelson’s Golden State Warriors, who had Eaton running all over the place, struggling to keep up with a barrage of small, quick three-guard lineups.




why would Eaton struggle being so nimble and all? :roll:

[Xiao Yao You]

Eric Walden: Jazz training staff being honored with Thunder for how they responded to the COVID-19 situation on March 11 in OKC (https://*********.com/social/).

[Xiao Yao You]

Sirius XM NBA: “That was kind of blown out of proportion.” @Georges Niang has no concerns about reported tensions in the Jazz locker room following the positive COVID-19 tests. (https://*********.com/social/) #takenote pic.twitter.com/5kddhj4zHf

[Xiao Yao You]

Georges Niang: In this time we need to come together as humans regardless of race, gender and enthicity! And do the right thing and try our best to spread love and positivity! (https://*********.com/social/tweets/) What is happening to our country is devastating and we need to come together and change that now!
– via Twitter GeorgesNiang20 (https://twitter.com/GeorgesNiang20)

[Xiao Yao You]

Bobby Portis, who has a team option next season that opposing teams see as unlikely to be exercised, (https://www.sny.tv/knicks/news/heres-who-knicks-could-target-as-leon-roses-front-office-reshapes-roster/313481746) hit 36 percent of his three-point attempts (which matches his career average).
– via SportsNet New York (https://www.sny.tv/knicks/news/heres-who-knicks-could-target-as-leon-roses-front-office-reshapes-roster/313481746)





might be able to get him on a good deal with the uncertainty ahead

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/sports/2020/5/29/21202018/looking-back-utah-jazz-okc-thunder-wild-finish-postgame-hug-dawn-of-a-new-era


As the buzzer sounded, the crowd went nuts, confetti rained down from the ceiling, Mitchell raised his arms in celebration, Westbrook went to the locker room and Snyder circled around to hug a bunch of his players. When he met Mitchell, the pain of losing Hayward 10 months previous was officially gone and a new course of Utah Jazz basketball was being charted.




Pretty much the same course as it's been since December 2014. Go as far as Rudy carries you

[XYY]

Eric Walden: Asked how the Jazz can play more uptempo with top transition finisher Bojan Bogdanovic out, Ingles said he expects lots of lineups in which Gobert/Bradley are surrounded by 4 guys who “can handle, push, rebound the ball. … We can be a really dangerous team playing like that.” – via Twitter tribjazz

We knew that Hayward's last season and yet they put Favors back in the starting lineup and replaced Hill with Rubio. :facepalm

[XYY]

https://saltcityhoops.com/bold-jazz-takes-explored-part-i-big-what-ifs-alternate-reality-titles/


Jazz would be legit contenders if Gordon Hayward had stayed. We all think the Jazz are better off now, but we could have a 7-man rotation of Ricky Rubio, Donovan Mitchell, Hayward, Derrick Favors, Rudy Gobert, Royce O’Neale and Joe Ingles right now.

@CCool_CCCool

The offense would suck with Rubio and Favors back in the fold but sure that's a contender. :facepalm


The Jazz did eventually find a way to replace the departed star with what we can call an upper middle class man’s Hayward. Bojan Bogdanovic is older than Hayward and doesn’t defend as well, but both guys are legit NBA scorers with size who know what it’s like to be on top of the scouting report. That said, the pivot toward Bogdanovic cost Utah Favors and left the frontline uncomfortably thin.


Bojan is a better shooter and maybe a better scorer. Hayward is better at everything else. Hayward might be at the 4 now which is a huge weakness on the current team


That’s just one of several alternate timelines forking off the if-Hayward-stays inflexion point that we need to consider if we’re to buy Mr. CCCool’s premise about the current 7-man core. Would Utah still have Rubio at this point, or would they have eventually wanted to angle for a point guard upgrade anyway, like they did in this version of reality with Mike Conley? Would they have still moved on from Rodney Hood, Alec Burks and Dante Exum (moves that yielded them Jae Crowder, Kyle Korver and Jordan Clarkson, respectively, but also cost them picks), or would a more solid core rotation have afforded them the patience to not part with the assets that those deals cost them?


They gave up on Rubio because they couldn't get past Houston with horrible offense. Don't see how that changes. Hood asked out because he thought he was a lot better than a 6th man which is what he's been since he left and again how does that change? Coach didn't like Burks. Exum sucks! The big question is who would be at pg. Probably wouldn't be able to afford Conley, Hayward and Gobert. Maybe Mitchell? With them being able to play through Hayward as well as others that might have made most sense as it might now anyway

[XYY]

If we had Quin Snyder when Trey Burke and Enes Kanter were rookies, they would have worked out better. I don’t think Ty Corbin did anything for them.

I also wonder if the drafting would have gone differently on some of those years if we had Quin. Imagine if we had managed to grab Kawhi Leonard, Kemba Walker, or Giannis Antetokounmpo. I’m not saying that Quin has had everything to do with the drafting, but I’m sure he has some sway.

@bigd_84095

Burke sucks. He's a 3rd pg at best. You can't hang that on Ty. Kanter got time as the 4th big with 3 players better than him ahead of him. How does that change? They get rid of their best player Millsap even earlier than they stupidly did? If anything maybe Snyder would have realized Millsap was their best player and they wouldn't have let him go to tank?


Had Kanter been OK with that new pecking order, he could have provided the Jazz with the same stuff he gave OKC, Portland and Boston as a stat-stuffing, high-minute reserve big.

Exactly. Kind of like Hood's role hasn't changed after he asked out. If anything the Jazz overvalued guys when they were here and made those players think they were more than they are


Though I hated it at the time, the rumored Bryon Russell + Donyell Marshall trade for Keith Van Horn could have catapulted us back into contender status.

@IrwinMFletcher8

Donyell was someone they shouldn't have let go. Cheap owner comes into play yet again!


Actually, my own related hot take here is that the Jazz held onto Bryon Russell too long. That was certainly not my view at the time, as a rather un-erudite teenage fan who liked Russell’s dunks and swagger. But if the blogosphere and advanced stats had been more fully deployed during Russell’s career, I think it would have been obvious to more folks that there was a point in time when his trade value exceeded his basketball value.

Russell was one guy I actually thought they let go at the right time even though he had some good years after he left

[XYY]

https://saltcityhoops.com/bold-takes-explored-part-ii-modern-jazz-moving-forward-cosmic-forces/


But yeah, it seems odd that someone who has been named the very best at something that makes up 50% of a basketball game (defense) for two years running doesn’t really get mentioned in the same breath as the guys who are among the very best at the other 50%. For better or worse, MVP tends to be focused on offensive stars, and on guys who really set the narrative for a particular NBA season.


what is really odd is that he isn't even appreciated in Utah like he should be. The Jazz have been a horrible team without him but keep going on about Hayward, Lindsey, Snyder and Mitchell!


First of all, we just got done talking about how Gobert is firmly a top 10-15 player in the NBA in terms of overall impact. When you get someone that good, the question isn’t whether or not he “fits” your team, but rather who fits with him. All-league impact is by far the hardest thing to replicate or replace, so when you get a player at that level, that’s what you build around.


Yep. We saw with Hill and joe Johnson starting what kind of team should be around their best player and not until this year did they put that team around him. With Favors and Hayward leading the team they were as bad as anyone in the league:facepalm


Rubio/Gobert and Favors/Gobert worked, it was the trio of them that didn’t.


It worked at making the playoffs as does almost anything with a healthy Gobert. Beyond that it is certainly limited


In particular, the success of the Gobert-Favors duo when Rubio sat is enough to make fans wonder what the offense might have looked like had the Jazz still dealt for Conley but found a way to keep Favors.


the defense would have been better but they wouldn't have one of the best offenses in the league. Need to get someone that can spread the floor and defend


It’s also worth remembering that Hill turned 31 that spring, and has never come close to equaling the career-best numbers he produced with the Jazz, even on a per-minute or per-possession basis. So there’s a case to be made that, in hindsight, it’s good the Jazz didn’t hitch their wagon to that horse just in time for his production to start declining.


He was a perfect fit unlike Ricky


What’s worrisome about the Jazz in this case is that they are probably borderline title contenders at this point, so they have leveraged themselves into this position without a clear path to make that last mini-jump from “on the cusp” to true contention. But there are still a few ways they can get there:


What's worrisome is that they continue to talk about being all in but instead of trying to replace Bojan with Lance Thomas of Moute to shore up their weakness at the 4 they've signed no one


Maybe. I will say that I think the only way they even consider trading him on his current contract is if they have a sense that he’s definitely not coming back. As I wrote above, top-15 players are really, really hard to replace.


sounds like he could be gone since they think Mitchell is a lot better than he is

[XYY]

https://saltcityhoops.com/bold-takes-explored-part-iii-more-opinions-on-jazz-teams-of-the-past/


Quince is referring to a deal that sent out Blue Edwards (coming off 12.6 points and 38% shooting from three the season prior) and Erick Murdock (4.1 ppg as a deep bench guard) plus a first-round pick in exchange for Jay Humphries (14.0 points and 6.6 assists) and Larry Krystkowiak (9 points, 5 boards).


Sloan didn't like Blue and they thought some crappy white guy was better than Murdock. Les, Crotty, etc.? Humphries had been a good player but sucked here. Liked Larry though


John Crotty (version 2.0) was Stockton’s best backup.


:roll:

I'd go Mark Jackson though in retrospect I guess he was a problem in the locker room that led to Stockton's retirement and Vaughn. The rest sucked. A big reason the Jazz never did anything


Greg Ostertag was right up there with Mark Eaton, Andrei Kirilenko and Gobert as one of the great defensive Jazz players ever!


Tag was better than Eaton who was a joke


There probably aren’t too many players in between that holy triumvirate and ‘Tag, but the drop-off there is still really steep. Ostertag only had one season (the lockout-shortened ’99 campaign) where he ranked in the top 10 in defensive BPM. I also don’t think Tag was nearly the deterrent that any of those three were. He blocked shots because of the sheer physics involved of being 7-foot-2 and always near the rim, but those three were all more mobile than him and all possessed better understanding of schemes and defensive timing.


Eaton wasn't more mobile than anyone :facepalm


Stockton > Malone.


I'd take Stockton everyday


The ’98 Jazz were right in the middle of a 6-year period where they won more than 72% of their games. Only three modern teams had a stretch like that and didn’t win at least one title during that span: the ’90s Sonics, the 2001-02 to 2006-07 Mavs1 and the Jazz. In other words, the team you’re talking about can make a case for being the best team ever to not win a title. As interesting as the current group is, they haven’t yet accomplished anything that comes close to the level of the ’90s Jazz. Obviously Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell and others aren’t done writing their respective stories yet, but as of today, the Finals teams sit head and shoulders above their counterparts from any Jazz era, including the modern version.


but what era are they playing in? Both are great offensive teams and mediocre defensive teams. It's closer than you think. Snyder is probably the better coach


Hoffa was… not good.


actually liked him too. He shouldn't have been a lottery pick but he didn't suck like Collins and many others

[XYY]

But let’s be honest: he earned that second Jazz stint by the way his first one ended: after tearing his ACL on a play, he still hobbled to the hoop to finish the play with a layup before checking out with the season-ending injury. Sloan was a sucker for that type of toughness. Remember, this is the coach who promoted Aleksandar Radojevic — with his whole 61 minutes of NBA experience at that point — to a starting position for the sole reason that he was impressed to see the 7-foot-3 “Rado” dive all the way to hardwood for a loose ball at the end of a blowout loss. I don’t know the exact exchange rate between “7-footer-floor dives” and “finish the play on a busted knee instead of stopping play,” but part of me is surprised Handlogten didn’t get a 7-year extension on the spot.


yep. Jazz aren't known for making moves based on skill and talent


He had other draft misses (Curtis Borchardt, Kirk Snyder, Morris Almond, etc.), but also engineered his way into the top three to get an All-NBA guard, and later selected future All-Stars with the ninth and 47th (twice) picks. C.J. Miles (34th) was a solid NBA contributor for a long time and Wesley Matthews (undrafted) is still producing for a contender, to say nothing of the acquisitions of Mehmet Okur, Carlos Boozer, Matt Harpring, Derrick Favors and more. (Technically we should include Al Jefferson in here, although my own personal KOC-related hot take is that the Jefferson acquisition really hurt Utah long-term, in part because they had to give two decent mid first-rounders that would have helped with the eventual rebuild and in part because integrating Jefferson required a not-subtle shift in philosophies that may have exacerbated the Sloan-DWill tension and hastened the end of an era… But that’s probably its own topic for another time).


Jefferson was certainly a horrible move


Eleven winning seasons out of 13 is a pretty good indication that you know how to assemble a basketball team.


you have a star you should win. Not that impressive


The fairest criticism of KOC, I think, is that he was slow to recognize the opportunity to step into a full rebuild post-DWill. The fact that the Jazz really had one foot in the competitive mindset and one foot in rebuilding for those last couple of KOC seasons made it harder to truly start the reset. That probably cost the 2011-2013 Jazz some valuable opportunities, and might have slowed the development of guys like Hayward and Favors.


tank!!!!!!!!! :facepalm

[XYY]

Sarah Todd: Quin Snyder says it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Rudy Gobert and Tony Bradley play together. – via Twitter NBASarah


Good to hear. Bradley was playing with Willie Reed with the Stars and was playing on the perimeter. He can shoot which we've yet to see unleashed with the Jazz yet. Defensively would be the question. I'd think Rudy would have to play away from the basket with Bradley as the rim protector which would leave Rudy as the deadliest help defender in the league. They need more size. Be interesting to see if Brantley or Morgan or anyone else gets some run now with Bojan out. It's basically a new season and training camp so minutes should be up for grabs

[XYY]

Made a run with Bradley/Gobert starting the 2nd half. Probably the best they looked all night. Bradley missed on a couple of corner 3's badly but he can hit it. Gobert made a nice pass to Bradley for a dunk. Defense would be the bigger question but they should be able to play together at times. They need more size anyway they can get it

8 man rotation in the first half

[XYY]

In fact, according to executives from two other teams, Thad Young, not LaVine, is the player considered most readily available. That’s largely based on Young’s displeasure with his role and usage last season, his team-friendly deal that carries only a partial guarantee in 2021-22 and his dependability and professionalism. – via K.C. Johnson @ NBC Sports


this could make sense though it doesn't really work in the trade machine right now. That might change in the off season? Need a starting 4! I think the Jazz know based on Bradley starting the 2nd half. Beed to play Brantley and Morgan with Rudy and see what happens

[XYY]

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/yahoo-sports-nba-2019-20-season-restart-team-previews-utah-jazz-112903688.html


How much their partnership has to do with Utah’s underachievement this season is less clear, as Mitchell and Gobert respectively continued to perform at elite levels offensively and defensively throughout the season. Without them, the Jazz never would have been in line for a home playoff seed when the season stopped. Of greater concern was the performance and availability of Mike Conley, who cost the Jazz three straight first-round picks and a pair of potential rotational players in Jae Crowder and Kyle Korver.


if Mitchell was elite defensively or offensively throughout the season they might be the team to beat


If the Jazz have any chance of still making some playoff noise in the absence of Bogdanovic, it is with Conley assuming a greater offensive burden. His track record is evidence of his capability. Ingles will share some responsibility, but Conley as an upgrade over Ricky Rubio is the biggest difference between this Jazz team and the one that was run out of the gym by the Houston Rockets in last year’s first round.


and Favors isn't spotting up from the corner and Jae isn't taking 8 3's a night...

[XYY]

https://www.deseret.com/sports/2020/7/26/21272604/can-the-utah-jazz-keep-donovan-mitchell-rudy-gobert-supermax-nba-free-agency-coronavirus-nba


But that’s exactly what an extension is — a prediction that a player will have value in future years. And that’s why from a team perspective, a young player like Mitchell is a better bet than Gobert.


betting on potential over a guy that has proven he can carry a team?


Let’s say, though, that the Jazz offer Gobert the supermax and sign Mitchell to a max extension, and down the line they run into a situation where they have to pay a luxury tax in order to build around the two stars.


you know they aren't paying tax no matter how much they say they will


The Jazz’s first order of business this offseason will likely be to get rid of Davis’ contract via trade. In doing so, they’ll want to make it so that whatever they bring back in salary is on a non-guaranteed contract that they can waive so it doesn’t count against the cap and they can open up that $5 million that Davis is currently occupying. The Jazz will probably let Mudiay walk if he wants anything more than a minimum contract, and they’ll deal with Brantley and Wright-Foreman in pretty quick fashion by either waiving or signing them to new two-way deals.


good luck trading Davis for non guaranteed deals! Don't think it's that simple with Mudiay. They probably can't afford him because they are limited in what they can offer but if Clarkson goes I'd want to keep Mudiay. Doubt Brantley is back as a two way. He might be in the rotation. They've yet to have a guy as a two way for 2 years straight so I doubt Wright Forman is back unless it's on the regular roster


The first, and most valuable exception to teams above the cap, is the non-taxpayer mid-level exception. Currently expected to be set at around $9.75 million next season, teams above the cap can use up to that amount on free agents so long as after the exception is used they do not go over the apron.


who can you get for that to start at the 4? Either that or trade Conley or Bojan if you can


The starting unit is not the issue with the Jazz. Once Bogdanovic returns from injury and the Jazz have a full season to really go for it, with Conley having more time to gel with everyone, it’s the bench that needs to be beefed up. Keeping Clarkson is the first step there, and getting some more athletic bodies and firepower could do the trick to keep the Jazz in the upper echelon of the Western Conference.


Need a starting 4 and better d. I think they may be better without Bojan. He's a scorer/shooter not much else. Conley and Mitchell together isn't ideal either. Clarkson wasn't an ideal fit but he seems to be playing more within the system now that they've had a camp with him

[XYY]

Rudy was great in the last game and it was good to see the rookies pull out the win against veteran NBA players. Need to give Brantley and Morgan some run with Rudy and the top guys. They need more size starting at the 4!

[XYY]

https://saltcityhoops.com/sc7-competitive-sans-bogey/


One way the Jazz will cope with the Bojan Bogdanovic injury is by pairing Royce O’Neale with Joe Ingles more often — and that’s a good thing. So far this season, that duo has the best Net Rating of any Jazz player pair with at least 500 minutes together. They also have the best defensive rating at 103.92. That last stat isn’t a fluke, either; O’Neale-Ingles also had the best DRtg of any high-minute player combo last season, at 97.0 in 673 shared minutes. Those two are both long, tough, and understand the Jazz’s schemes extremely well. Deploying them together will be a big key for Snyder


Be better if one of them was coming off the bench and they had a real NBA caliber starting PF


Someone will have to step up for the Jazz not to have serious problems at the back of their rotation. Almost anybody they face in the playoffs is bound to have at least a couple of guys coming off their bench who have played major roles for playoff teams in the past: guys like Dennis Schroder, Austin Rivers, Eric Gordon, Lou Williams, Moe Harkless and more.


imagine that. Contenders with vets instead of rookies. What a novel idea!


Mitchell is second, with nine. Not surpring, since he’s the Jazz’s co-MVP.


he's not co MVP :facepalm


Bogey is right behind with eight. The Jazz will miss him in Orlando.


I think they may be better without him. Better D and will still be able to space the floor

[XYY]

https://saltcityhoops.com/big-offseason-questions-could-be-answered-in-the-bubble/


The Jazz only have a couple unrestricted free agents this fall to worry about: Jordan Clarkson and Emmanuel Mudiay. Both of these guys will play a bigger role during the upcoming Restart and postseason due to the injury to Bojan Bogdanović. Rayjon Tucker and Juwan Morgan have partially guaranteed deals for next season, and the Jazz will have the ability to convert their two-way players, Jarrell Brantley and Justin Wright-Foreman, into restricted free agents. Brantley and Morgan might see some time in the bubble, because without Bogdanovic the Jazz get really small really quick.


I think Morgan and Brantley should have gotten a look but it looks like Bradley is their first option to play bigger


Last year the Jazz traded the beloved Derrick Favors to the Pelicans to clear cap space to sign Bogdanovic. This coming offseason Favors will be a free agent and The Athletics’ Tony Jones (who is close with Favors) reported on his podcast Game Notes that a reunion is possible. “I will say that there’s some interest there, I would say, both ways,” Jones said. Who wouldn’t want to see Favors back in a Jazz uniform? The Jazz would have to use their mid-level exception since they don’t have the cap space to sign him outright.


doesn't make much sense to me. Need a 4 that can spread the floor and Bradley is the backup 5


Last season’s mid-level was worth around $9 million but as of now it’s anybody’s guess as to how much it will be worth next season. If it’s much lower than this, signing Favors back will become more difficult and unlikely. The other aspect to consider before signing Favors is that the Jazz already have a young developing backup center behind Rudy Gobert. Tony Bradley has been the talk of this midseason mini training camp in Orlando. If he shows well during the playoff run, the Jazz may want to use their mid-level on another position, like adding some size at the power forward spot behind Bogdanovic.


Need a starting 4

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Reports out of the Disney Bubble are that Conley looks much more comfortable and should have a huge impact on this team’s playoff run. If Conley struggles then the question will arise again whether the Jazz should try to trade him. This could be tough because of the unknown offseason and the size of his contract. One thing to remember is during the 2021 summer, it will be the offseason of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s free agency. This is when Conley’s contract comes off the books and many teams who are targeting Antekokounmpo will need to clear a lot of cap space in order to sign him. Having a large expiring contract like Conley’s could be quite appealing. So if the Jazz feel they don’t have a chance at Antetokounmpo and Conley still isn’t fitting in well, trying to turn him into something else would be a wise move.


I think they should look at dealing Conley because he's not the ideal fit next to Mitchell and Bojan because he doesn't do much besides shoot and score. Get a starting 4, maybe another wing and pg(if they can't keep Mudiay). The rest would be gravy


Since the Jazz don’t have much cap space to spend this offseason, they will have to look for smaller contracts. Without Bogdanovic, they Jazz will start 6-foot-4 Royce O’Neale at power forward. The Jazz could use more depth, size and skill at that position. A few names to watch in the bubble are Dario Saric, a playmaking four, who hasn’t been the same player since his trade away from Philadelphia (who can blame him since his stops were in Minnesota and Phoenix?). Sacramento’s Harry Giles could be a good option as a combo power forward/center. Miami’s Derrick Jones Jr. has had a surprise season for them. A return of Jae Crowder or Marvin Williams could make some sense for the Jazz. Lastly, a low risk/high reward guy is Memphis’ Josh Jackson, the former high lottery pick of the Suns. He’s been a borderline bust so far but once he was called up from the G-League, he was making a difference for the Grizzlies.


Giles doesn't shoot the 3. Is he better than Bradley, Morgan or Brantley? Jones doesn't shoot the 3 well. Crowder isn't a starting 4. Marvin might make more sense now than he did before but I wasn't a fan then. Jackson hasn't shot the 3 well and is a headcase. Not a guy I see them interested in. Looks like Saric and Marvin out of those guys. Give me Saric assuming you don't get a 4 in a trade


The Jazz would be more than happy to give him the regular max deal (up to 30 percent of the cap) but would Gobert’s camp be on board with this during these unprecedented times?


Ideally you pay him more than other teams can pay him and everyone is happy. If he's smart he will go where they are all in and don't just say they are with 6 rookies

[XYY]

https://saltcityhoops.com/constraint-theory-why-the-jazz-could-thrive-in-the-bubble/


Hayward’s departure and the resulting identity crisis were a constraint. Yet head coach Quin Snyder and the Utah Jazz stunned everyone. They picked up a wide-eyed rookie replacement from the Nuggets draft factory, took on a new identity, and found a way to win more playoff games than the previous year. Without the constraint of Hayward’s departure, the ball would not have been in the hands of Donovan Mitchell so frequently that early in his career, which means his development would have been stunted. Losing the Jazz’s biggest asset in a decade actually worked to their benefit.


No mention of the 3rd most important man in Jazz history. :facepalm

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https://saltcityhoops.com/a-whole-new-game-conleys-return-to-form-could-help-utah-fill-a-void/


While many expected Conley to step in as the second offensive option behind Donovan Mitchell, it was Bogdanovic who stepped into the role

thats how I expected it. Bojan is a scorer that does little else. Conley is a playmaker that can score


However, unknown to most, Bogdanovic was playing with a ruptured scapholunate ligament in his wrist from an injury he sustained early in the season. On May 19, while the league was still assessing its options for a resumption of the season, Bogdanovic had surgery to repair the ligament and officially ended his season. While this was a smart long-term decision, it means Bogdanovic won’t participate in the NBA Restart, leaving the Jazz without one of their major offensive contributors. It begs the question: how that void will be filled.


why didn't he have the surgery in March so he could have possibly made it back?

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https://www.sltrib.com/sports/jazz/2020/07/30/triple-team-donovan/


The Jazz don’t have a lot of options at these positions. Sure, I guess Jarrell Brantley or Juwan Morgan could play those minutes. But as much as those guys don’t necessarily feature the negative that Niang and Bradley do, their positives aren’t as strong either. When Niang’s shot is going, he’s a legitimate microwave off the bench, spacing things so Clarkson can go to work. Bradley’s big screens allow the Jazz’s offense to operate: Morgan just isn’t as effective at that.


Morgan looked good in the few stints he got. Only negative on Brantley is his shooting and he can shoot albeit inconsistently. It's a shame they didn't even get a look with the rotation in pre season. One of them needs to start at the 4. Puts Ingles or O'Neale on the bench and they aren't so small anymore since they chose to pay Davis instead of a starting 4 and chose to carry 6 rookies on a team that was supposedly playing for a title


That Jazz transition defense number isn’t good enough. We talked about how Mudiay left Redick open from deep in transition, but Mudiay wasn’t alone. The Jazz have struggled in consistently finding a man running back since coming to Orlando, especially the bench. It’s a relatively easy point of improvement, and given how effective their defense can be in the halfcourt, one that would pay off in a big way.


struggled all year. Should be better without Bojan

[XYY]

https://saltcityhoops.com/jazz-basketball-is-back


The 14 previous minutes that fivesome played together before Thursday came over five different games. In a very limited sample, the combination looks like it works, posting a +21.3 Net Rating before the restart and the insane +48.6 last night. Of course, having a starting lineup that dominates like that and barely winning the game means that the lineups featuring reserves were not what one might hope. The Jazz bench needs help.


Need a starting pf and O'Neale or Ingles on the bench for starters

[XYY]

https://www.deseret.com/sports/2020/7/31/21345012/in-the-nba-bubble-the-young-players-at-the-end-of-the-utah-jazz-bench-are-more-important-than-ever


“One of the biggest things they’ve done is they’ve defended,” he said. “Particularly in a practice situation like this to have guys come in and really guard, it challenges our rotational guys to make plays and to be really good and have to make reads because the defense is good. That’s been a big help.”


maybe you should play some of them than? Doesn't make much sense to me. Snyder has always played rookies even when they hadn't earned it. They have a big hole at the 4 and issues with the bench. Morgan and Brantley at least should have gotten a look in pre season and Oni and Tucker could add much needed size and length as well. It was impressive that they kept the lead in two pre season games against vets


That group also includes Tony Bradley, who is also one of the Jazz’s younger players and before this season spent much of his time in the G League. Now, Bradley is a regular rotational player coming in as backup for Rudy Gobert.


he's the youngest :coleman:

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https://www.sltrib.com/sports/2020/08/01/triple-team-response-okc/


They played with blinders on. This is Mitchell’s third shot of the night. Shot clock is running down, but passes up his own open shot and a simple swing pass to Joe Ingles who has an open three. Instead, Mitchell drives into traffic and gets swatted easily.


I noticed that too. Looks like it might have ended up swinging to O'Neale the corner too. They were trying to move the ball for a bit at the beginnign of the 2nd half. Clarkson looked better in pre season but is now back to his selfish play. He shouldn't be the number one option with Mitchell, Conley and Gobert on the floor!


Literally every other Jazzman is open, all five Thunder players are in the paint. Mitchell has a delightful buffet of options here: the lob to Rudy Gobert, the short kickout to Joe Ingles, one of the league’s best corner 3-point shooters, the long pass to Mike Conley, good shooter, or even, if he wants to make it tough, the turn and throw to Georges Niang, also a good 3-point shooter.


those options are always there and sometimes even a 5 who can shoot in Bradley or Morgan who I thought looked good again in the few quality minutes he got


Remember when the Jazz beat the Thunder in a playoff series three years ago? They did that by taking advantage of Oklahoma City’s aggressive defense, getting open shot after open shot. When they collapse, it’s time to move the ball. Instead, the Jazz ballhandlers just kept it. At one point, I started trying to keep track of how often an open 3-point shooter had his hands up asking for the ball only to be ignored, and quickly gave up on that idea: it happened almost every possession.


they haven't been shooting well and against the Pelicans they could get to the rim at will so that may have something to do with it

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He ended up with a -14 Saturday after getting a -15 on Thursday. I didn’t think the first game plus-minus was his fault, but rather was due to the underperforming Mudiay, Georges Niang, and Tony Bradley. (Those guys underperformed Saturday too, by the way. The Jazz’s bench is... not good.)


time to let someone else play than. Morgan looked good yet again


Look, the Jazz need Clarkson’s scoring off the bench, so him being aggressive is usually a good thing. But on that opportunity, Mitchell, Conley, Ingles, and Gobert were all out on the floor with him. Get a better shot than that, especially after making only four of your last 16 shots.


that's the problem. He's playing even more with Bojan out. He should be 4th option with those guys on the floor with him


If that were the only shot like that, I’d spare him the complaint, but Clarkson absolutely dribbled the air out of the ball, using precious shot clock seconds to maneuver around the floor. Attack, move the defense, and find the open man. Easier said than done, but the attempt needs to be made.


that's how he always plays and people seem to love him for it usually. Ready to pay him big money despite their bigger need at the 4


Low passes are tough for any big, but Gobert is particularly bad at it. He does have poor hands down low, and he’s always expecting the pass high. That’s partially because he’s been coached to do so, partially because he’s a 7-foot-1 physical freak. He needs to be ready to do stuff with his hands high, not low.


he's ok down low to an extent. off his shins he's not though!

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https://www.deseret.com/sports/2020/8/2/21351379/utah-jazz-mailbag-what-happened-to-the-blender-have-the-jazz-lost-their-identity


Yes, Jordan Clarkson is guilty of this, but so was every other guard/wing on the team, and Clarkson is a player that seems to play as the rest of the team is. If Donovan Mitchell, Joe Ingles, Royce O’Neale, George Niang, and Emmanuel Mudiay are all resorting to playing iso ball, Clarkson is going to also, and it’s doubtful that if he’d passed the ball more on Saturday that the recipient would have done anything other than just isolate and drive.


I've only seen Clarkson play one way


I understand that Snyder is a defense-first coach and that he expects for his team to let the defense dictate the game, especially with two-time DPOY Rudy Gobert on the roster, but it might be time to accept that this team, the 2019-20 squad, just doesn’t have the same juice that others before it have had. A middling defense is concerning, especially when the offense doesn’t look that great either.


Is he really a defense first coach? Without Rudy we've never much D from them


I guess they could be considered a fast-paced 3-point shooting team, but without Bojan Bogdanovic on the floor and with hesitation to shoot from some of the other players, along with streaky outings across the board, it’s hard for that to be their identity.


they aren't fast paced. They were the best offensive team in the league after the changes to their bench. Bojan's absence shouldn't change them that much at that end. Be more worried about the D

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https://www.sltrib.com/sports/jazz/2020/08/03/triple-team-jazz-do/


That’s long been among Quin Snyder’s philosophies. He noticed that the high-turnover teams were actually frequently near the top of the offensive rating leaderboards, and concluded that some turnovers are okay if they come in the context of good offense. Tonight, I think we saw that — and again, the shots just didn’t fall.


but the offense hasn't been good except for the end of Hayward's last year and this year after they made the changes to the bench. Turnovers have always been high under Snyder


You’d have to believe that avoiding the Rockets would be priority No. 1. I think no one on the Jazz wants to face the Rockets again, and likely lose to them again. But then again, they just got blown out by OKC. We’ll see how they fare against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday, but you can argue the current No. 3 seed is their most favorable matchup. Sliding down to No. 6 also would mean the Jazz would avoid the Lakers until the Western Conference Finals.


They lost to Houston because of bad offense. Different team now


Truthfully, it may not matter much — the Jazz might just be undermanned either way after Bogdanovic’s injury. But doesn’t that just maximize the importance of facing someone you have a fighting chance against?


not convinced they can't be better without Bojan. They looked good tonite. Shots weren't falling

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https://saltcityhoops.com/salt-city-seven-basketball-in-a-crazy-world-playoff-picture-patient-conley-more/


The flip side, of course, is that Utah’s bench has, um, not been good. All four of the Jazz’s regular reserves have double-digit negative Net Ratings in the bubble. Emmanuel Mudiay has the best (or least bad, anyway) at -16.9, while Tony Bradley has posted a -44.8. Jordan Clarkson has scored a bunch, but on efficiency that is far below average, and his defense has been next-level bad in Disney World. And Georges Niang suddenly can’t make shots, easily his best NBA skill. Quin Snyder gave Juwan Morgan a chance on Saturday night, albeit in a blowout. Of the deep reserves, Morgan seems most likely to get a chance to crash the rotation. He has 81 NBA minutes to his name, but if the bench continues to struggle the way they are now, eventually the door will crack open for somebody.


appears it has. Mice to see him playing the 4 finally! Of course he went back to Niang in the 2nd half