post draft off season part II-bring on the roster moves!

[Xiao Yao You]

Utah Jazz mailbag: Will the Jazz experiment more with lineups this year? (msn.com) (https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nba/utah-jazz-mailbag-will-the-jazz-experiment-more-with-lineups-this-year/ar-AANBAmx?ocid=winp1taskbar)


If I was a betting woman I would put my money on Snyder being tight with his rotations and not changing too many things. That being said, Snyder also plays to the strength of his personnel and he has some different pieces that will require some flexibility.





since when? Wizard is fired so he might try something when nothing else is working. His job should be on the line


There are also questions about how long it will take for rookie Jared Butler to be NBA ready and whether or not he’ll have a significant role on the team this season.




no reason to expect anything from him until at least later in the season


As the season progresses and the Jazz have more of a sense of where they stand compared to the competition, that’s when the biggest holes on the roster and the question marks are revealed.





Clarkson, Snyder and Hughes are still there. Already know they should be long gone


Looking back to last season’s playoffs, I think that if Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley were both healthy the Jazz could have beat the Los Angeles Clippers.




ya think? Imagine if Mitchell listened to the doctors instead of his posse


Sources close to the situation have indicated that Lindsey is expected to stick around for at least this season. Though Lindsey won’t have a role in the day-to-day operations, the team is still paying him and so why wouldn’t he stick around and enjoy time with his family while not having to do much?




doubt he's involved at all.

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/08/22/utah-jazz-ranking-rudy-gobert-centers/


4. Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert



:facepalm


On the other hand, Gobert is primarily held back in these rankings by his offensive limitations. Last season’s averages of 14.3 points and 1.3 assists per game last year do not scream superstar. Gobert is one, but he’d still rank higher among the NBA’s big men if he was more proficient at getting the ball in the basket.




the limitations that has an offense revolving around him? :lol


3. Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic



ahead of Rudy and Bam? Why didn't the Bulls make the playoffs?


Unfortunately for Embiid and the Philly faithful alike, injuries have plagued the confident big man throughout his NBA career to date. Last season, he was held to 50 out of 72 games, a particular shame in light of the solid MVP case he was in “The Process” of building.




take the guy you can count on


That’s impressive, but Jokic’s offense obviously has to outweigh Gobert’s defense in these rankings. Besides, Jokic may actually be an underrated defensive player, as his 109 Defensive Rating from last season is actually an entirely solid mark. Jokic is willing to work on that end, landing himself in the correct position as often as his slow feet allow. If his feet are a touch sluggish, his hands are anything but, which allowed him to grab 1.4 steals per game last season.




why is it obvious? Gobert was said to have had possibly the greatest defensive season since at least 77

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/08/22/utah-jazz-grueling-stretch-nba-schedule/


From January 23 up to February 4, the Jazz’s opponents, in order, are the Golden State Warriors, the Phoenix Suns, the Phoenix Suns (again), the Memphis Grizzlies, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Denver Nuggets and the Brooklyn Nets.




health could play a big factor there. Other than Phoenix and maybe the Nets it doesn't look that daunting depending on the health of a few guys

[Xiao Yao You]

https://sircharlesincharge.com/2021/08/22/nba-early-playoff-predictions-warriors/11/


2. Los Angeles Lakers
shitshow


3. Golden State Warriors



Klay isn't back yet. no


That’s how good I believe the Nuggets are. That’s why I believe that they can still be a top 4 team in the West despite having to win without Murray for at least a portion of the season. And let’s not forget about Nikola Jokic.




no Murray little D


5. Dallas Mavericks



not very good outside one player last year and got worse at head coach. :facepalm


Donovan Mitchell is great and will continue to get better, Rudy Gobert is a great defender but limited as an offensive player, and they might be the deepest team in the West. Still, I can’t take this team as a serious threat. Not yet.




an offense built around a limited player. Deep, Not deep, Deep? Which is it? No mention of one of the best players in the game a year ago Conley :roll:


Even though the Clippers didn’t look all that powerless in the playoffs without Kawhi, I find it hard to believe that they’ll be able to play at that high level all regular season long. Paul George is a good player, don’t get me wrong, but he doesn’t have the same impact on a team as Kawhi does.




no Kawai. Good luck


NBA Finals matchup: Brooklyn Nets vs. Los Angeles Lakers



Lakers won't be there. Nets look like they may have gotten worse. Can they stay healthy?

[Xiao Yao You]

According to a league source, the Warriors spoke with veteran forward Paul Millsap’s representation earlier this month. Although those talks did not advance to the point of anything material, the Warriors have not shut the door on potentially adding the 36-year-old Millsap (https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/08/23/source-warriors-spoke-to-millsap-which-remaining-free-agent-could-fill-final-roster-spot).
– via Wes Goldberg @ San Jose Mercury-News
(https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/08/23/source-warriors-spoke-to-millsap-which-remaining-free-agent-could-fill-final-roster-spot)




As the Denver Post reported last week, the Brooklyn Nets also registered interest in Millsap, (https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/08/23/source-warriors-spoke-to-millsap-which-remaining-free-agent-could-fill-final-roster-spot) a four-time All-Star who has played for Utah, Atlanta and Denver over his 15-year career. He is currently a free agent.
– via Wes Goldberg @ San Jose Mercury-News (https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/08/23/source-warriors-spoke-to-millsap-which-remaining-free-agent-could-fill-final-roster-spot)

Zalgiris completed its roster for the upcoming season with the signing of 25-year-old point guard Emmanuel Mudiay, (https://*********.com/rumors/#) who joins on a one-year contract.
– via Zalgiris (https://zalgiris.lt/en/news/bc-zalgiris/96389/)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/2021/8/23/22637884/can-the-utah-jazz-make-the-nba-finals-this-season


“They are deep and were the best team in the league most of last year,” Bontemps quotes an Eastern Conference executive as saying. “They had a bad series versus the Clippers, but a whole lot of people say you can’t win until you win. They were knocking on the door last year, and I think they get there this time.”




there's a chance but it will be tough with Clarkson, COTY and Mitchell

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/8/24/22628064/taking-stock-of-current-jazz-players-and-franchise-records


John Stockton and Karl Malone respectively played the 5th and 6th most games in NBA history. Stockton holds the NBA records for career assists and steals. Malone is second in points and field goals, first in free throws. Those guys reached those marks almost exclusively with the Jazz, so it’s an understatement to say that Utah Jazz (https://www.slcdunk.com/) franchise records are challenging to reach.




should be no problem for the best player in franchise history! :facepalm


The three-time Defensive Player of the Year is already one of the greatest players in franchise history, which shows in franchise records. Gobert is currently the franchise leader in DPOY awards, First Team All-Defense selections, field goal percentage, and many advanced statistics such as Win Shares per 48 minutes.




#3 in their history easy


He’s done all of that while not making the top ten in games or minutes played. Well, both of those things will likely change this season. Gobert needs to play 61 games this year to pass Rickey Green for 10th all-time in games played. He needs only 34 minutes to pass Derrick Favors for 10th in minutes played. If he plays most of the season at a regular pace, he can climb all the way to 7th.




hard to say it's likely. He's due to get hurt God forbid


Luckily for Ingles’ Jazz legacy, he’s already claimed the franchise records for 3-pointers made and attempted. Donovan Mitchell will certainly surpass him there, but Ingles has a solid lead, and even after Mitchell eventually claims the Jazz’ 3-pointer throne, Ingles will remain top 2 for a long time. The only current Jazz players that might have a chance of matching Ingles’ 3-pointer record (besides Mitchell) are Bogdanovic, O’Neale, and Butler, but none of them really have a great chance. Bojan Bogdanovic has the pace for sure, but how long will he remain on the team? Royce O’Neale doesn’t attempt enough shots. Jared Butler is a second-round pick, so it’s improbable he plays enough to reach that level. Ingles will likely stay number 1 for a couple more seasons, then number 2 for a long time.



wasn't until last year that the team started shooting an insane amount. Many will pass him in the years to come


Thurl Bailey has one of the franchise’s most unbreakable records. His 7,044 bench points are more than double the 3,079 put up by second-place Alec Burks.



unfortunately Clarkson has 3 more years on his contract :cry:


Jordan Clarkson became the first Utah Jazz player to be named Sixth Man of the Year.



should have been Ingles


Rudy Gobert is tied for 5th in NBA history in wedgies (https://www.wedgietracker.com/) (basketball wedged between the rim and the backboard), although this unofficial stat has only been recorded for the last five seasons.



there's a new one :lol

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/08/24/utah-jazz-one-improvement-every-player/


Efficient scoring always has value, but defenses have an even more difficult time accounting for a player who is a dual threat to create shots for his teammates. Bogdanovic’s 1.9 assists per game last season reflect a player who is uninterested in doing so.




I wouldn't say he's uninterested. Generally he's better off not passing because it doesn't end well


Like Azubuike, Brantley is unlikely to crack Quin Snyder’s regular rotation as a raw 24-year-old on a contending team. Still, Brantley should get plenty of opportunities to showcase his skills for Utah Jazz G-League affiliate Salt Lake City Stars. It’s imperative that he make the most of those opportunities.




probably won't make the team


Over the course of the last full G League season, Brantley was generally great for the Stars, but could have stood to remain aggressive in a bid to score consistently. Viewing his game logs from that season reflects considerable unpredictability: a 26 point game here, an 8 point game there, and so forth.







not really what they need from a role player. Fill the box score and defend


Clarkson should aim to shoot around that level of accuracy again, and more critically, maintain that efficiency all throughout the year into the playoffs.




his only aim is to shoot. Going in or not is of no concern to him or COTY :cry:


During his rookie campaign with the Utah Jazz, Forrest shot a ghastly 19.2% from three-point range on 0.9 attempts per game. By contrast, his 33% three-point accuracy in Summer League play inspires hope. Still, he’ll need to prove he can hit somewhere close to that mark on the professional level to reach mainstay status in Utah’s rotation.




would need a regular contract first


So, we went with spacing. Anyone who watches the Utah Jazz knows that Rudy Gobert is an absolute non-spacer. The front office has done a fantastic job of ensuring they run plenty of four-out lineups by surrounding the French rim-protector with shooters aplenty. Still, the development of an occasional three-point cannon, or even a midrange jumper, would do wonders for Gobert’s offensive profile.




one of the best spacers in the game. Give him a dunk or leave his teammates open from 3. Pick your poison


During Hughes’ 2020-21 rookie campaign, he shot an unimpressive 33% from the field. Uniquely, he actually shot a higher percentage on three-point attempts at 34.8%.




he sucks. Need to dump him


Donovan Mitchell is the most important player on the Utah Jazz. That’s a designation you earn with 26.4 points per game. He is the Jazz’s offensive lifeline, and without an offensive lifeline, an NBA team is dead in its tracks.




the guy that carries the team is more important than the best player in franchise history


With that said, his -0.6 Defensive Box Plus/Minus (DBPM) does suggest room for improvement on the defensive end. With the prerequisite length and burst, Mitchell could stand to make a habit of playing passing lanes, hounding ball-handlers, and generally making a larger mark on the defensive end.




attempting to defend would be an improvement!


His 4.2 fouls per 36 minutes seem like a good place to start. They’re much too high for any player, yet along a non-big. His 35.4 FG% needs to jump by at least 5% for him to become a viable rotation option. Furthermore, he’s flashed very little skill in the realm of playmaking with 1.9 assists per 36 minutes.




good playmaker with Stars. Needs to be consistent from 3


The Utah Jazz can provide the veteran big man with an opportunity to break this bad habit in the 2021-22 season. If he can, he should function as one of the best backup bigs in the NBA behind the always-in-position Rudy Gobert.










rather have Bradley

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/08/23/utah-jazz-donovan-mitchell-compete-mvp/


Donovan Mitchell just might have the talent (https://thejnotes.com/2021/08/20/utah-jazz-ranking-nba-shooting-guards/) to do it. The immensely talented young guard has made steady improvements to his statistical output in every season he’s been in the NBA so far, culminating in stellar averages of 26.4 points and 5.2 assists per game last season. He’s answered just about every question anyone could ask about his game, but at least one remains: how close is he to an MVP caliber player?




how close is he to being one of his teams two best players?


To garner MVP votes, Mitchell won’t necessarily need to put on the historic offensive clinic that Harden did in 2017-18. Last season, Mitchell finished with a -0.6 Defensive Rating. If he could make strides on the less glamorous end of the floor, while maintaining or (ideally) slightly improving his offensive statistics, and the Utah Jazz could replicate the feat of finishing with the NBA’s best regular season record, Mitchell’s name could gain steam in the MVP narrative.





defense and playmaking two things he doesn't like to do

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/466580/position-battles-to-eye-during-jazz-training-camp/


Whiteside Vs. Azubuike
Can't imagine this is a battle yet. Maybe by the end of the year


Azubuike meanwhile had a breakout performance for the Jazz during the summer league, showing off his ability to finish above the rim, block shots, and mimic much of what Rudy Gobert does in the starting lineup.




breakout performance? 1st rounder doing what he's supposed to do in summer league. Time to show something in camp and the Gleague now


Forrest gained the trust of coach Quin Snyder last season with his steady point guard play and competitiveness on the defensive end. Over the final 15 games of the regular season, Forrest actually averaged more minutes than Oni with both Mitchell and Conley missing the game due to injury.




He's better than Oni right now but so were several others last year that COTY refused to play. He's on a two way so his days are limited in the rotation. Butler should be the guy eventually. Hopefully someone makes Clarkson expendable. Hughes has a guaranteed deal not Oni, Forrest etc.!


With the addition of the veteran, the Jazz have 10 legitimate NBA rotation players on the roster. The problem — Snyder’s rotation, like most coaches in the NBA, is only nine players deep.




He was legitimate on a bad team. Got benched last year. Still not convinced he's better than Brantley, Morgan and Ersan myself. He'll be in the mix because of his bff status with Mitchell though


Rudy Gay will likely step into Georges Niang’s role from last season, and may even carve out a few extra minutes to give both Royce O’Neal and Bojan Bogdanovic added rest throughout the year.




if COTY wasn't so smart Gay/ Paschall/Brantley/Morgan/Ersan would get the minutes at the 4 and Royce would be back at wing where he belongs

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/08/25/utah-jazz-secret-weapon-coaching-staff/


Can also brings a master’s degree in political science and public administration from Ankara University in his native Turkey as well. With such a diverse and accomplished background, one can assume that Erdem Can will be a valuable asset for Head Coach Quin Snyder and the Utah Jazz as they continue their pursuit of a championship through the 2021-22 NBA season.







uh oh another coach that is too smart for his own good! :facepalm

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/08/24/60-simple-reasons-utah-jazz-win-60-games/


2. All five starters are likely to be back in Salt Lake City for a shot at again capturing the No. 1 seed out of the Western Conference.




no PF so not a plus


3. The top two vote-getters in the Sixth Man of the Year race — Jordan Clarkson and Joe Ingles, respectively — ought to return as well.




Clarkson also not a plus


11. Donovan Mitchell (https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/mitchdo01.html) should now officially have his sights on an MVP — plain and simple.




Just hoping he can improve and be at least the 3rd best on the team


13. On that same note, this will be the second season with Ryan Smith — Wade’s golfing buddy — as the franchise’s majority owner. The value in the 44-year-old’s youthful outlook and positive vibes behind the scenes is underrated.




We'll see. COTY still has a job and Clarkson and Hughes remain


15. The Jazz seemed to have upgraded their backup center with the free-agency addition of Hassan Whiteside, who has been no stranger to leading the league in blocks and rebounds per game.




remains to be seen if he's an upgrade. At least he doesn't make 10 million a year though!


17. With Gobert, Whiteside, and Gay on the roster, there’s every reason to assume Utah will again be among the elite rebounding squads after winding up with the NBA’s most boards per game (48.3) last season.




Gay?


22. Mike Conley is coming off his first All-Star campaign and entering his third season in Utah, suggesting his best days as a Jazzman may be just around the corner.




at his age it's hard to expect him to get better. Hopefully as good as last year and healthy when they need him


25. Off the bench, Jordan Clarkson will likely use the confidence boost from his Sixth Man of the Year trophy and the wisdom from his seven years in the league to improve his efficiency as a green-light perimeter scorer.




He and COTY don't care. He will shoot regardless from anywhere


28. Probable third-year Utah Jazz starter Bojan Bogdanovic (https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/bogdabo02.html) showed late last season that he could fill in as a top scorer in the absence of Mitchell, Conley, or both. He did so to the tune of 48 points during a May win over the Denver Nuggets.




but ideally would come off the bench


29. Now, it feels like a good time to bring up continuity. Oops, we’ve already included that in this list? Well, it deserves another mention.




that's nice but COTY, Clarkson and Hughes still remain so it's hard to get too excited


30. On the other hand, the arrival of some new young talent, in addition to a few free-agent veterans, sets the stage for some healthy competition in the playing-time department.




got to have a coach that will play guys that deserve it. They don't


34. That early playoff exit also ought to allow the Jazz to understand their weaknesses and take the necessary steps to correct them (already evident in the franchise’s strategic offseason moves).




obviously they don't. Those mentioned above still remain


37. After watching Rudy Gobert give top-notch competition headaches in Olympic action this summer — on his way to taking home a silver medal with France — fans should expect to see an even more assertive version of the 7-footer next season.




got to have a coach and teammates that play their part like France did


42. Another Baylor national champ, MaCio Teague, is also likely to be on the roster — even if only on a two-way contract — after the well-rounded wing’s encouraging Summer League performances.




hardly call it likely with more camp spots and exhibit 10's to go. He is the front runner right now because he's the only one in the picture. That should change


45. Udoka Azubuike (https://www.deseret.com/2021/8/12/22621920/udoka-azubuike-quietly-working-to-prove-his-nba-worth-with-the-utah-jazz-second-year-center) is foul-prone and probably lacks the stamina to play long stretches, but his prowess in Summer League signals a formidable third-string center nonetheless.




if he's playing long stretches it means Gobert is hurt and it won't matter


46. Second-year forward Elijah Hughes has a lot of work to do before earning significant playing time in a Jazz jersey. Still, the 23-year-old’s creative iso moves might come in handy off the bench as early as next season.




:roll:


47. Power forward Jarrell Brantley also rarely saw the floor for Utah last season. Yet he also looks to be a promising long-term Jazz project who could surprise some folks in his third year as a pro.




doubt he's on the team


49. Besides providing safety options, the above assortment of youngsters should inspire Quin Snyder and his staff.



inspire him to lose playoff series by not playing them regardless like the past two years?


50. In general, when factoring in Jordan Clarkson, Joe Ingles, Rudy Gay, Hassan Whiteside, and Eric Paschall as well, the reserves in Salt Lake City ought to form one of the NBA’s most desirable benches next season.




deep! :lol


60. Finally, don’t discount that Utah has been to the playoffs in all but eight of the past 38 seasons. That level of consistency says the franchise is long overdue for a championship-level campaign, beginning with its first 60-win regular season this century.










tells me they don't have what it takes to win big. Maybe that changes with Smith but I'm not seeing it yet

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/466704/lillard-claims-to-be-nbas-best-rapper-jazz-oni-yawns/

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/466660/best-career-game-from-each-new-jazz-player/


Surprisingly, despite five seasons as a top-20 scorer in the NBA, Gay has never broken the 50 point barrier.




not a lot people get 50. Hardly surprising

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/08/26/utah-jazz-3-comparisons-jared-butler/


Some speculate that teams were apprehensive about Butler due to his diagnosed heart condition. Their loss. Butler is cleared to play, fills an immediate need for the Jazz (https://thejnotes.com/2021/08/10/utah-jazz-free-agency-3-guards-rotation/), and has the potential to be the steal of the 2021 NBA Draft.




What need? There's not a rotation spot open. Hopefully he forces them to dump Clarkson


Utah Jazz rookie Jared Butler ceiling comparison: George Hill



if he's anywhere near the Hill the Jazz had I'd be ecstatic

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/466755/when-do-jazz-players-contracts-expire/


Due to the size of Ingles deal, the fact that expires this season, and the many ways in which he can help teams, he will be an attractive trade piece this season.




not seeing it. Clarkson is the one. Coming off 6th man of the year he should be tradable as much as he sucks


However, the Jazz must hope he fits with the roster or risk losing another draft pick for a short-term rental like they did last season with Matt Thomas.




he better fit because his bff won't be happy otherwise


If the guard is beaten out in the rotation by Trent Forrest or Jared Butler, he could be an option to trade or waive by mid-season.




Oni isn't in the rotation


The good news however is that the wing has his contract guaranteed this season to prove he belongs in the NBA.




why is that good news? Was bad news last year. He sucks


However, that doesn’t guarantee that he’ll be on the roster come next summer and he could be a candidate for a third two-way contract with the team this season.




He's going from the main roster to another two way? Doubt it. Probably be cut sadly


Udoka Azubuike – Azubuike could hit free agency as soon as next summer, but it would be a surprise if the Jazz didn’t bring the center back for a third year.




they'll pick up his option soon


He’s got an expiring contract next season valued at nearly $20 million and a skillset that every team in the NBA desires. The Jazz are unquestionably better with him on the roster, but with repeater tax concerns, could be a tantalizing trade piece.




it's questionable especially as a starter


Jordan Clarkson: Player Option – Clarkson could hit free agency as soon as the season of 2023 if he were to opt-out of the final year of his contract.




some good news!

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/466762/cavs-coach-j-b-bickerstaff-adds-former-utah-jazz-assistant-to-staff/

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/8/26/22641367/what-should-you-expect-from-joe-ingles-this-season-utah-jazz-nba-offseason-downbeat-quin-snyder-rudy


At 33 years old, Joe Ingles arguably played his best season of NBA basketball. At times throughout the year, Ingles looked like he could be a starting point-guard in the league with his “floor general” skillset. His combination of efficiency, playmaking, and solid defense was amazing. On top of that, just take a look at a few of the career highs he posted:




not much argument


For Ingles, the relationship between these two words will dictate how his season goes. Essentially, if Ingles doesn’t receive more rest than he did last year, he will hit a wall prematurely and “regress.” He averaged about 28 minutes per game last year, which isn’t too bad, but is probably still too much for him. You have to keep in mind that since he was a teenager, Ingles has been playing basketball either professionally or nationally. He’s got a ton of miles on him. With the assumption that Utah’s second round draft pick Jared Butler can run some back up point guard minutes, I’m hoping that Quin Snyder cuts Ingles minutes to somewhere between 20-25 a game. This would go a long way in keeping him fresh for the playoffs.


his role needs to be smaller. COTY sucks though!


Dante clearly has his faults of which all Jazz fans are well aware, but he can still play great defense, he can handle the ball and initiate the offense, he still has that great first step in drives to the hoop, and he has become much better at shooting 3-point shots and finishing at the rim.
He should be able to be signed to a vet minimum contract—perhaps a non-guaranteed vet minimum contract, so if he doesn’t work out he could just be waived.
We all saw what he could do—in the summer Olympics—if he can stay healthy.
His main issue has always been his injuries, but with playing less minutes, the chance of injury would be reduced.

Posted by Fesenko for President (https://www.sbnation.com/users/Fesenko%20for%20President) on Aug 26, 2021 | 10:48 AM (https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/8/26/22641367/what-should-you-expect-from-joe-ingles-this-season-utah-jazz-nba-offseason-downbeat-quin-snyder-rudy#543984223)


God no!!!

I still think there are better players for 2.5 million



Posted by Calvin Chappell (https://www.sbnation.com/users/Calvin%20Chappell) on Aug 26, 2021 | 6:18 PM (https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/8/26/22641367/what-should-you-expect-from-joe-ingles-this-season-utah-jazz-nba-offseason-downbeat-quin-snyder-rudy#543998642)



like almost anyone not named Hughes


id rather they bring back any version of dante, even v0.0, than greyson

Posted by its_computers (https://www.sbnation.com/users/its_computers) on Aug 26, 2021 | 2:07 PM (https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/8/26/22641367/what-should-you-expect-from-joe-ingles-this-season-utah-jazz-nba-offseason-downbeat-quin-snyder-rudy#543991528)


certainly don't want anyone from Duke but at least he doesn't suck


Many Jazz fans lamented the contract extension (and pay raise) that Ingles received, but he is still a bargain. Players who can shoot like he does, play make, and not be a burden on defense are rare and get paid a lot more than the $14m expiring contract Joe will have this season.
And anyway, Jingle’s value extends beyond advanced stats. This is all about entertainment, and Joe has provided more entertainment per 48 than any player on the team (closely followed by Mitchell and Clarkson).

Posted by Kira Argonova (https://www.sbnation.com/users/Kira%20Argonova) on Aug 26, 2021 | 2:45 PM (https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/8/26/22641367/what-should-you-expect-from-joe-ingles-this-season-utah-jazz-nba-offseason-downbeat-quin-snyder-rudy#543993016)


it wasn't a good contract until last year. The previous two years he declined. I'd guess him spending the summer in Utah working instead of going back to Australia made the difference. Unfortunately that didn't happen this summer as well


I know there are a lot of Nance fans here so it seems that the Jazz could offer Ingles or O’Neale. Not that I think either is an ideal solution to CLE’s desire for a two-way wing (Ingles because of age and O’Neale because … well, just because).
So knowing that neither deal will happen but both work in the trade machine so either could form the foundation for a deal, the question is would you deal either of those two Jazz players to get Nance?

Posted by jmnunes5 (https://www.sbnation.com/users/jmnunes5) on Aug 26, 2021 | 3:56 PM (https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/8/26/22641367/what-should-you-expect-from-joe-ingles-this-season-utah-jazz-nba-offseason-downbeat-quin-snyder-rudy#543995260)


Those aren't the guys to trade! :facepalm

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/08/26/utah-jazz-lauri-markkanen/


Utah Jazz: The case for, and against, free agent Lauri Markkanen



this ought to be good! :roll:


If that sounds a lot like a description of a player who’s set to earn a substantial payday, don’t tell Markkanen. He may be stuck accepting a one-year, prove-it deal in the same vein as Dennis Schroder’s pact with the Boston Celtics (https://www.nba.com/news/report-dennis-schroder-agrees-to-deal-with-celtics) this offseason. If Markkanen is available at a similar short-term discount, here is the case for, and against, the Utah Jazz being the team to make him that offer.




Nulls can match :facepalm


The concerns with Markkanen revolve around his foot speed, and his defense. The Utah Jazz just might be a team equipped to mask both shortcomings for the offensively talented combo big.




need more D not less


Fans of the Utah Jazz who just watched Rudy Gobert struggle against the Los Angeles Clippers’ small-ball units in the Western Conference semifinals may not love the idea of adding another prodding big man who struggles to close out three-point attempts. Especially one that doesn’t even compensate by protecting the rim with elite effectiveness.




Rudy can close. He just needs someone to protect the rim if he does or have guys that guard the perimeter when he's at the rim. That's not Lauri

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/466822/jazz-mailbag-best-trade-deadline-option-biggest-surprises/


He’s a legitimate NBA talent and has the high-level experience from college to be one of the early contributors to a good team in this rookie class.




what do you mean early? No rookie has stepped right in and belonged under COTY. Even Mitchell was ready physically but the rest took some time. Some others played but shouldn't have until later on in the year at the earliest


As I mentioned last week, I have heard new ownership doesn’t love the Jazz classic purple note theme and may look to move away from that over time. If you’ve seen Ryan Smith or Dwyane Wade in Jazz gear, it’s almost always black and white, so by default, that might be the direction I’d suspect they want to head in.




Black and grey are the way to go though Smith generally looks like an idiot


Maybe it was karma in my favor after writing up some 25 pre-draft bios last season only to skip Udoka Azubuike and Elijah Hughes — the two guys the Jazz did wind up drafting.




too bad the Jazz didn't skip Hughes


That could mean any number of names from Bojan Bogdanovic, to Joe Ingles, to Jordan Clarkston, etc.




Clarkson and Hughes and maybe Whiteside if Udoka comes along


With that said, I have my concerns for this season. Certainly playing as many games as they did between the bubble and the most recent playoffs was going to take a toll on NBA players bodies, but I haven’t heard many people talk about what the total cost will be after mixing in travel from this past season and the number of games played in the condensed schedule.




another short off season


For the summer as a whole, I’d give the Jazz a solid B+ or A- as they still had to make some difficult cost-cutting moves including a first-round pick, but overall very solid.




F. COTY, Clarkson and Hughes still remain


I don’t know how many teams in the West got significantly better, those the Los Angeles Lakers should improve just by being healthier.




Lebron got older and Westbrook isn't taking you anywhere


The Suns had to bring Paul back regardless of the cost and they did. They also got Cameron Payne at a discount, and I like the addition of JaVale McGee and Landry Shamet.




McGee :roll:


However, the loss of Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig cut hurt them at times next year defensively.




Carter has certainly been tough against the Jazz


The new Jazz ownership is making an enormous financial investment into this team to win now, which is something the Miller’s always said they’d be willing to do for a championship.




Miller's talked a lot :facepalm

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/466820/nba-those-around-players-refs-must-have-vaccine/

:applause:

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/466800/jazz-nicknames-according-to-basketball-reference/


The guard earned them in the AAU circuit after a coach said he swung around the floor getting steals with the same agility as Spiderman.




plays no D now. Needs a different name


Jazz fans have probably seen the Jordan Clarkson “Flame Thrower” shirts floating around Vivint Arena. Joe Ingles even wore one when he surprised Clarkson with the Sixth Man of the Year Award.




gunner


It’s a little surprising basketball-reference even found that one.




never heard it

[Xiao Yao You]

https://sircharlesincharge.com/2021/08/27/utah-jazz-mitchell-gobert-build-ceiling/


And a big reason why is at least partly due to the fact that Gobert is limited in terms of a “star.” He can be schemed off the court and in a playoff series – we’ve already seen it time and time again over the last few years.




we haven't really seen it though


Essentially, they’re locked into the Mitchell-Gobert duo for essentially the next five years. The Jazz is all-in on Mitchell and Gobert. And based on recent results, I’m not sure this team is close to winning a championship. If that’s the ultimate goal, perhaps Utah needs to rethink its core. But, at the same time, they also have little-to-no wiggle room.





they were close last year. Injuries, Coty, Clarkson and Mitchell were too much to overcome. They certainly would have matched up well with the Bucks

[Xiao Yao You]

The G League Ignite agreed to a deal with Dakota Mathias, (https://*********.com/2021/08/28/source-g-league-ignite-dakota-mathias/) a league source told *********. Mathias was a member of Team USA’s AmeriCup qualifying roster and spent time with the Philadelphia 76ers as a two-way player last season.
– via Michael Scotto @ ********* (https://*********.com/2021/08/28/source-g-league-ignite-dakota-mathias/)





wasn't too impressed with him during summer league

[Xiao Yao You]

Rows of kids sat circled around Elijah Hughes on Saturday in the gym at Beacon High School, and one by one, the questions poured in. “What was it like playing in Madison Square Garden?” one youngster asked. “How many buzzer-beaters have you made?” cried another from the back of the room. “How (high) is your vertical (leap)?” another kid asked. Everett Vancott, a Beacon resident, asked Hughes if he met any famous basketball players during his first year in the NBA. “He said he met LeBron James!” Vancott said. “That’s cool.” (https://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/story/sports/2021/08/28/elijah-hughes-teaches-youth-beacon-after-nba-rookie-season/5609569001/)
– via A.J. Martelli @ Poughkeepsie Journal (https://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/story/sports/2021/08/28/elijah-hughes-teaches-youth-beacon-after-nba-rookie-season/5609569001/)



Hughes not only answered whatever questions the kids had, but taught them the fundamental ins and outs of the game at an LMC Athletics basketball clinic, alongside coaches Justin Cooper and former NBA player Tyler Lydon. (https://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/story/sports/2021/08/28/elijah-hughes-teaches-youth-beacon-after-nba-rookie-season/5609569001/) Back in his hometown, the Beacon native and Utah Jazz forward was thrilled to be working with the young players in the Hudson Valley, passing on the knowledge that led him to the professional ranks.
– via A.J. Martelli @ Poughkeepsie Journal (https://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/story/sports/2021/08/28/elijah-hughes-teaches-youth-beacon-after-nba-rookie-season/5609569001/)



Hughes will turn his attention back to the Jazz next month, when training camp opens. He’s looking forward to playing with fellow Hudson Valley product Donovan Mitchell, as well as Dobbs Ferry’s Eric Paschall — who was traded to the Jazz from the Golden State Warriors this month. “We’ve got three guys from the area. We’re looking to expand and have a good year,” Hughes said. (https://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/story/sports/2021/08/28/elijah-hughes-teaches-youth-beacon-after-nba-rookie-season/5609569001/) “I’m really blessed, to be around great people, a great staff and a great organization. We take care of business and we have fun doing it. That’s what makes it fun.”
– via A.J. Martelli @ Poughkeepsie Journal (https://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/story/sports/2021/08/28/elijah-hughes-teaches-youth-beacon-after-nba-rookie-season/5609569001/)





From same place as Mitchell. Guess that explains his contract :cry:

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/2021/8/28/22644465/shaq-is-still-being-critical-of-donovan-mitchell-utah-jazz


“You know, (Mitchell) he is a really good player, on his way, but to try to crown him as the next, and then I said, ‘OK, if he’s crowned the next, where is he ranked right now?,’ and people were saying five, six, seven. I said, ‘Well I don’t know where y’all come from, but being fifth is not acceptable to me. If I’m not No. 1 or No. 2, don’t bring my name up, ever.’”






He's not even 2nd on his own team. Play some D and pass the ball and get back to me

[Xiao Yao You]

If the Jazz hit on Butler and he’s really good for them this year, things get pretty exciting. The only thing is he has to play. Quin Snyder can’t bury him on the bench in lieu of another veteran guard with glaring weaknesses that Snyder inevitably ingnores. Gone should be the days of watching players like Shelvin Mack and Emmanuel Mudiay steal minutes from Jazz prospects only to see them traded away the following offseason. This Utah Jazz team used to pride itself on its development of players. That should be a point of pride again. Considering the Jazz have given up a lot of first-round picks for Mike Conley and to offload Derrick Favors, they need these prospects to develop or they’ll have wasted these last few years in replenishing their talent.





Mack was good. Exum sucks. Mudiay was good too. Who is it he stole minutes from? Remind me Grayson? I'd rather have Mudiay now than Clarkson. The Stars are there for development. They will be back this yearr


The Jazz’s biggest trade deadline move last season was to trade for Matt Thomas. They gave up a second-round pick for him and then promptly waived him this offseason. That type of move doesn’t cut it. You might as well do nothing instead of bring in a player that only took minutes away from guys like Elijah Hughes. Now, Hughes may turn out to be nothing but these types of short-sighted moves hurt you in the long run. You lose a pick for nothing and you miss out on seeing your rookie develop. The Jazz front office and coaching staff have to be aligned. No more of this childish bickering that was apparently happening behind the scenes (https://www.sltrib.com/sports/jazz/2021/06/28/story-behind-utah-jazzs/). If the Jazz draft a guy, the coach needs to make it his priority to develop them the best they can. Who cares if you didn’t like him. Although, the front office also has to be listening to the coaching staff. They need to understand who they are interested in and why. But whatever player is drafted, or trade made, the entire organization has to be all-hands-on-deck to make sure the players have the best chance to succeed. A trade for a player that will never see meaningful minutes makes no sense.




Hughes sucks. He was the biggest problem with the roster not Thomas. He's the biggest problem with the current one as well since yes he still sucks. They have a new GM. Sounds like they just need a new coach now. I had problems with the roster the past two years but Snyder lost two playoff series when he certainly had guys that could have made a difference and probably won both but he refused to try anything different. The fact that he still has a job is a joke and makes it hard to get behind the new ownership


Players like Torrey Craid and PJ Tucker were picked up last season by the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns (https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/) and played significant roles for their teams late into the playoffs. Utah needs to do what it can to shore up weaknesses that will eventually show up during the season. If a nice player is available, make a move. This season is likely one of the best shots this Jazz team will ever have at a title and cold feet won’t get it done. But an aggressive move could be the difference. We’ll see what the Jazz do.




last year may have been their best shot. Have to have a coach that will play guys



Great article, but what about Paschall ?


He was 2019-20 NBA All-Rookie First Team and was 5th among rookies averaging 14 points per game. He may be the steal of the offseason. I am willing to put more weight on his rookie season than the regression during last season. I hope Q will bring out the best in him.

Posted by statpower (https://www.sbnation.com/users/statpower) on Aug 30, 2021 | 1:34 AM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/8/29/22642363/things-to-look-for-this-season-with-the-utah-jazz-2021-offseason-jared-butler-donovan-mitchell#544084134)


is he as good as Ersan, Brantley and Morgan? He'll be in the mix because of bff regardless

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/8/29/22642363/things-to-look-for-this-season-with-the-utah-jazz-2021-offseason-jared-butler-donovan-mitchell


The Utah Jazz (https://www.slcdunk.com/) overall have had a nice offseason. They’ve attacked some of their weak points with better talent by replacing Georges Niang with Rudy Gay and removing Derrick Favors’ bloated contract with a minimum contract for Hassan Whiteside. They also managed to draft Jared Butler in the second round. Even with all these changes, the Utah Jazz won’t look that much different. The bench is better, but the starting lineup will be the same. So should we just auto-generate this season till the playoffs to see how things pan out? No! In essence, that’s what happened last year and in some ways it hurt them in the playoffs.




shooting got worse and Whiteside is probably worse than Favors and gave up a first to do so. The fact that the starting lineup is the same and COTY, Clarkson and Hughes remain is a joke!


Experiment with lineups





good luck with that one. Same lame coach


Home court advantage is nice, but having a team equipped with multiple lineup options could be the thing that gets the Jazz to the finals. Look at the Milwaukee Bucks (https://www.brewhoop.com/). They notoriously spent last season experimenting with switching, something they didn’t do much of previously. It cost them wins. But when the playoffs came around their team had already battled through the growing pains that come with change. On the other side of the league, you had the Jazz who played the exact same lineups all season and essentially did the exact same things on defense night after night. It helped them demolish the worst teams in the league, mostly dominate average teams, and struggle against the good ones. When the playoffs came around they came up against a team that found the answer to stop the Jazz’s defensive scheme and the Jazz had no answers. Utah has to change that this year.




they had answers. Just a coach that refuse to try them


The only changes to lineups that ever happened last year were only because of rest and injuries. Miye Oni only saw the floor when Mike Conley was resting or injured. As soon as Mike Conley would return, Miye Oni rarely saw the floor. This was painfully clear in the playoffs. In Game 6 against the Los Angeles Clippers (https://www.clipsnation.com/), the Jazz were up by 22 at halftime. Wouldn’t it make sense to have a defensive-focused lineup on the floor for that second half? Miye Oni had gotten minutes during the year and sat on the bench that entire game and the rest is history.



Oni sucked in the playoffs. Playing one of your best players Ersan or trying Brantley, Morgan, Forrest or even Thomas would have made sense though


So what does that experimenting look like? Well, let me tell you and also cool your jets okay, it’s the offseason and this is the type of article you’re going to get! Quin Snyder needs to loosen things up with rotations and schemes. Try playing a 5-out scheme with Rudy Gay at the 5. The Jazz had one really fun game against the Los Angeles Lakers (https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/) when Ersan Ilyasova played significant minutes at the 5 and was bombing threes. It was the most unique look we’ve seen from this Jazz team in years and I wish we had seen a little more of it. Imagine having that lineup with Rudy Gay, whose defensive numbers are actually really good, and throwing that on the floor in a playoff game randomly. It’s going to throw off another team immediately who’s prepared for everything that Rudy Gobert does. (On a side note, having two Rudy G’s is going to result in using last names much more often.)



good luck without Gobert. They lost that game


This season I hope we see more things like that. I also hope we see younger players get actual, real minutes. Miye Oni played big-time minutes for Nigeria at the Olympics and deserves more time on the floor. His defensive presence should be counted on more. We also need to see Udoka Azubuike on the floor more. He was dominant in the summer league and if his style of play can carry over to the regular season, the Jazz may have a nice backup center for years to come.




Oni was playing in the playoffs That was a big reason they lost. He hasn't earned anything. He's an end of the bench energy guy until he proves otherwise. Forrest is a better option if you want a non shooter and Brantley, Morgan and Ersan would have been too. Thomas could shoot. Udoka needs to be with the Stars until he proves otherwise


The Jazz need to play a lot of Jared Butler





again. Stars until he proves otherwise

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/08/30/utah-jazz-3-rudy-gobert-trades/


Still, crazier things have happened, and as long as that’s true, we should feel free to dabble in thought experimentation. Here are two things that are true about the Jazz: they are built around 24-year-old Donovan Mitchell, and they are in the thick of contention for the NBA championship. Typically, title contention does not coincide with a team’s best player’s age 24 season.




if they were built around Mitchell they'd be in the lottery


Utah Jazz land stretch big Myles Turner



how many picks do they get to tank?


Really, there are two simple reasons: spacing and age. For his career, Turner is shooting 35.2% from three-point range on 2.4 attempts per game. That’s a little better than Gobert’s 0.0% on 0.0 attempts per. Furthermore, at 25, Turner aligns with Donovan Mitchell’s timeline a lot more cleanly than the 29-year-old Frenchman.




the other reason would be to get picks and young players. Have to trade the other big contracts vets to because that move puts you in the lottery


For the last time: the Utah Jazz will not be trading Rudy Gobert, at the very least, before this year’s trade deadline (and most likely, not then either). Please, consider this a thought experiment: the Jazz’s two centerpieces have certainly failed to co-exist in the past, and the age gap between the two does at least open up possibilities.





maybe they should trade Mitchell and get their top two players some help?

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/08/29/utah-jazz-donovan-mitchell-taste-come/

Need less of that not more. Would rather he was working on D and running the pick and roll

[Xiao Yao You]

Ricky Rubio discussed his NBA career and more with Spanish outlet Marca. “I am a little tired,” he admitted (https://www.eurohoops.net/en/nba-news/1241952/ricky-rubio-talks-trades-nba-free-agency/) regarding being traded for the third time in the last ten months, “Ultimately, every player like me prefers stability, especially now with my family also needing stability.”
– via EuroHoops.net (https://www.eurohoops.net/en/nba-news/1241952/ricky-rubio-talks-trades-nba-free-agency/)





really feel for ya :facepalm

[Xiao Yao You]

The late NBA star Mark Eaton was honored posthumously today by top leaders of the nation’s largest veterans association (https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nba-all-star-mark-eaton-honored-posthumously-with-good-guy-award-301365636.html). “Not everyone who is nominated for this award receives it,” Past National Commander of The American Legion John P. “Jake” Comer said during the presentation of the 2021 James V. Day “Good Guy” Award. “Many celebrities are accustomed to receiving lucrative appearance or speaking fees. We don’t offer that. I say this because those who accept this prestigious award truly have proven to be good people simply by putting veterans above financial gain.”
– via The American Legion @ PR Newswire (https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nba-all-star-mark-eaton-honored-posthumously-with-good-guy-award-301365636.html)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/466981/jazz-ranked-third-in-nba-offseason-power-rankings/


Are they versatile enough?




does it matter? same COTY :cry:


Here’s the complete Western Conference Power Rankings:
Phoenix Suns
Los Angeles Lakers
Utah Jazz
Dallas Mavericks
Los Angeles Clippers
Denver Nuggets
Golden State Warriors
Portland Trail Blazers
Memphis Grizzlies
Minnesota Timberwolves
New Orleans Pelicans
Sacramento Kings
San Antonio Spurs
Houston Rockets
Oklahoma C

Lakers don't worry me. Mavs improved? Weren't much last year. No Kawai. No Murray to start. No Klay to start. Looks like Suns and Jazz again to me

[Xiao Yao You]

https://fansided.com/betsided/posts/rudy-gobert-predicted-achieve-record-tying-feat?utm_source=RSS

[Xiao Yao You]

Ryan Smith said the NBA is like a 24/7 job, but he still finds time to calendar golf, playing in events like the Utah Open, the PGA Tour’s AT&T Pro-Am at Pebble Beach, and the famous Dunhill Pro-Am in Scotland. (https://www.deseret.com/2021/8/30/22647375/jazz-owner-ryan-smith-nba-golf-tony-finau-qualtrics-byu-nba) In both those events, Smith partnered with longtime friend Tony Finau, who recently won the Northern Trust, the first leg of the FedEx Cup playoffs.
– via Dick Harmon @ deseret.com (https://www.deseret.com/2021/8/30/22647375/jazz-owner-ryan-smith-nba-golf-tony-finau-qualtrics-byu-nba)



Smith joined an NBA board that is helping review where the game is going, to create ambassadors to represent the game. Part of that is involvement in golf. He said it started during the COVID-19 bubble season when a lot of NBA players either took up golf or brought their clubs to play as things were sorted out with the pandemic. “Whether it is Dwyane Wade, Mike Conley or Donovan (Mitchell), I play a lot of golf with all of them and wherever they are on the skill level, whether just getting started or played a while, it’s just incredible and it’s good for the game. (https://www.deseret.com/2021/8/30/22647375/jazz-owner-ryan-smith-nba-golf-tony-finau-qualtrics-byu-nba) I think we’ve got a long way to go but I think all of these guys playing is definitely massively positive and incredible marketing and branding for the game of golf.”
– via Dick Harmon @ deseret.com (https://www.deseret.com/2021/8/30/22647375/jazz-owner-ryan-smith-nba-golf-tony-finau-qualtrics-byu-nba)



Smith said Danny Ainge has been a mentor and friend for 20 years and they play all the time. (https://www.deseret.com/2021/8/30/22647375/jazz-owner-ryan-smith-nba-golf-tony-finau-qualtrics-byu-nba) Some in the media might like to make something of that, now he’s the owner of an NBA franchise, but with Ainge, they were golfers and buddies before Smith ever thought of owning an NBA team.
– via Dick Harmon @ deseret.com (https://www.deseret.com/2021/8/30/22647375/jazz-owner-ryan-smith-nba-golf-tony-finau-qualtrics-byu-nba)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/467024/50-jazz-defending-the-best-record-in-the-nba/


It was a remarkable close to the season for the Jazz who slipped to the second seed in the West behind Phoenix on May 2 but battled back to earn home-court advantage throughout the playoffs over the final two weeks of the season without the services of Mike Conley or Donovan Mitchell.




thanks you Rudy. Someone out here appreciates it :bowdown:

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/2021/8/31/22648395/for-utah-jazz-anything-short-of-reaching-conference-finals-would-be-failure


If the team enters 2022 playoffs with a healthy roster, anything short of advancing to the conference finals would come across as a failure




goodbye COTY?


Like it or not, the successes the Jazz have had over the past two years have created a situation where nearly everyone will be on the hot seat, and if the team can’t make it past the second round of the playoffs, there will be plenty of blame to go around.




everyone but the greatest player in franchise history!


The job of Zanik and the rest of the Jazz brass this offseason was to address the weaknesses of the team in order to make them a more formidable contender. On paper, that’s what the Jazz did with the additions of Rudy Gay (https://www.deseret.com/2021/8/3/22608459/what-does-the-rudy-gay-signing-mean-for-the-utah-jazz-analysis-san-antonio-spurs), Hassan Whiteside (https://www.deseret.com/2021/8/3/22608778/report-utah-jazz-sign-center-hassan-whiteside), Eric Paschall (https://www.deseret.com/2021/8/4/22610195/report-utah-jazz-acquiring-eric-paschall-from-golden-state-warriors-for-draft-pick)and rookie Jared Butler (https://www.deseret.com/2021/7/30/22598631/utah-jazz-liked-jared-butler-and-were-happy-to-get-him-with-40th-pick-in-nba-draft). Now, it all has to translate on the hardwood. And if not, who will take the blame?




Same coach, Clarkson and Hughes remain and still no starting PF


If the Jazz flame out once again in the one of the first two rounds of the playoffs it will mark the sixth time in the eight years that Snyder has been at the helm and had the same result. If a great regular-season record is the peak, it’s hard to think the Jazz wouldn’t start to look elsewhere for leadership. Will they be willing to stay with Snyder if the team experiences more of the same?




the fact that he remains after his refusal to do anything in the last two playoffs is mind blowing as it is!


After restructuring the starting lineup two years ago with the additions of Conley and Bojan Bogdanovic, the Jazz had some built-in excuses. The team was new and still learning to play together through the 2019-20 season. Plus, they didn’t have Bogdanovic for the playoffs.




should have beat Denver regardless


Last year, injuries to the Jazz’s All-Star backcourt gave the Jazz the chance to not overreact or make drastic changes to the roster. After all, they might have beat the Los Angeles Clippers if Conley and Mitchell had been healthy.




again should have beat them regardless


But last year the Jazz once again had some critical flaws that were exposed. When healthy, they’re pretty good, though they lacked experience, depth and versatility around the edges of the roster. It seemed to be a consensus around the league that the Jazz were still a couple pieces away from being a legitimate title contender.




all year the deepest team in the league until they lose! They had plenty to win it all last year. COTY watched them get beat :facepalm

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/8/31/22646515/2021-utah-jazz-player-profile-royce-oneale-what-to-expect-from-royce-oneale


How important is Royce O’Neale for the Utah Jazz?




maybe 3rd most important. Too bad he can't just concentrate on the wing instead of rebounding though


It is crazy to talk about trading him.
Elite perimeter defender. Very good 3P shooter. Aggressive rebounder. Does the dirty work. Never complains. No drama, no scandals.
And for $8.7m!

Posted by Kira Argonova (https://www.sbnation.com/users/Kira%20Argonova) on Aug 31, 2021 | 9:13 AM (https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/8/31/22646515/2021-utah-jazz-player-profile-royce-oneale-what-to-expect-from-royce-oneale#544119923)


yeah trade him! :roll:


adding a driving game works against the Jazz.
Speaking of basketballs, Brooklyn has yet to face all three famous guys in their lineup for a serious stretch of time. If they manage that, no telling how many basketballs they will need, and who will explode first. Or will the Lakers explode before they do? Hmmm.

Posted by templeguardtm (https://www.sbnation.com/users/templeguardtm) on Sep 1, 2021 | 10:33 AM (https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/8/31/22646515/2021-utah-jazz-player-profile-royce-oneale-what-to-expect-from-royce-oneale#544157463)


don't agree. His drive game improved greatly and gives them another look


he will be the greatest Jazz player of all time
maybe even GOAT


Posted by statpower on Aug 31, 2021 | 1:42 PM


already is! :lol


The whole point of the Jazz constructing their roster like this is that everyone besides the center should have a green light and the offensive system distributes the ball so that everyone gets opportunities.

Posted by GregOstertagged (https://www.sbnation.com/users/GregOstertagged) on Sep 1, 2021 | 8:05 AM (https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/8/31/22646515/2021-utah-jazz-player-profile-royce-oneale-what-to-expect-from-royce-oneale#544152087)


really sucks when a good shooter gives up an open shot so Clarkson can take one :cry:


everyone loves to complain about clarkson shooting too much,


but he also never passes up an open (or partially open) three

Posted by letter to the Corinthians (https://www.sbnation.com/users/letter%20to%20the%20Corinthians) on Sep 1, 2021 | 11:43 AM (https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/8/31/22646515/2021-utah-jazz-player-profile-royce-oneale-what-to-expect-from-royce-oneale#544160135)


He never passes period

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/09/01/utah-jazz-2-free-agents-pursued/


Gay is qualified for the role, but Paul Millsap may have been better.




should have never let him go. Who knows where they'd be with Gobert/Millsap instead of the love affair they've had with Favors


Admittedly, the Jazz almost certainly did not have Dennis Schroder on their radar heading into this offseason. No matter how highly one values the German floor general, there would have been a league-wide consensus that he’d have been too pricey for Utah to seriously pursue. Nonetheless, Schroder’s market value plummeted like a pale lager in a boot-shaped mug at Oktoberfest, as he agreed to a one-year, $5.9 million dollar pact with the Boston Celtics. (https://www.si.com/nba/2021/08/10/dennis-schroder-contract-celtics-one-year-deal#:~:text=Dennis%20Schr%C3%B6der%20has%20agreed %20to,story%20he%20is%20Boston%2Dbound.)




would have been nice instead of Clarkson anyway

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/08/31/utah-jazz-2021-2022-western-conference-preview/


If you are a Jazz fan, you probably agree with the top of this. If you are a fan of most of the other teams, you may have questions about this list. How are the Lakers not on top after adding Russell Westbrook? How is Phoenix third after they just won the West and brought back the same team? How is Portland fourth when they lost in the first round of the playoffs to Denver who didn’t even have Jamaal Murray?




should be Jazz and Suns again


The Los Angeles Lakers (https://lakeshowlife.com/) are loaded with star power and seem to be the heavy favorites to come out of the West this year. They may have come out of the West this past year had it not been for an Anthony Davis injury. But LeBron is notoriously known for taking off the regular season if he needs to in order to be prepared for the Playoffs and with turning 37 this year, I’m sure he’ll do that again. Russell Westbrook will elevate their regular season floor however and so they will be a contender for the top spot in the West. Health and age will be a big factor for this team this year.




their time has passed


This is a really solid roster still with Lillard, McCollum, Powell, Covington, Nance, and Nurkic, among others. If Powell and McCollum can take the pressure off of Lillard some, this could be a very good regular season team, and I expect that they will. On top of that, this front office is desperate to keep Lillard and will make whatever moves they need to in order to compete this year. They should be a middle-of-the-pack team in the West with the upside to move into the top tier of the standings behind a great Lillard season.




dark horse. Love the Nance pick up


Dallas (https://thesmokingcuban.com/) is another team that could be all over the place due to the fact that they have Luka Doncic and not a whole lot else. Luka has shown that he is good enough to carry a team and he still seems to be improving. With the right pieces around him, this team could ascend into the top tier as well because Luka is that good. They re-signed Hardaway Jr and they signed Reggie Bullock. This team should be better than last year. But they are also a Luka injury away from falling out of the playoffs altogether.




lost their coach


The Clippers (https://clipperholics.com/) are without Kahwi Leonard all season long (reportedly) and with that, they will need to look like the team they were in the playoffs in order to get back to the postseason. They are certainly expected to regress from what their performance was in the playoffs but if they are close to that form, then they are a tier too low. If they do regress, the worst-case scenario seems to be here where they are competing to make the playoffs.




no Kawai good luck

[Xiao Yao You]

Randolph will be honored Saturday, Dec. 11 vs. the Houston Rockets. Tony Allen will be celebrated on Friday, Jan. 28 vs. the Utah Jazz, with former teammate Mike Conley in the building. (https://www.localmemphis.com/article/sports/nba/grizz-nation/grizzlies-to-retire-numbers-of-zach-randolph-tony-allen-this-season/522-759ed86d-842b-45bf-a7d6-ef7fe94da032) The Grizzlies have already announced their intention to retire all four Core Four jerseys: Randolph, Allen, Conley, and Marc Gasol. The latter two are still actively playing in the NBA.
– via Clayton Collier @ LocalMemphis.com (https://www.localmemphis.com/article/sports/nba/grizz-nation/grizzlies-to-retire-numbers-of-zach-randolph-tony-allen-this-season/522-759ed86d-842b-45bf-a7d6-ef7fe94da032)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/467117/49-can-jazz-have-three-repeat-all-stars/

probably not


Mitchell is a near-lock to be named to his third All-Star team barring injury. The fifth-year guard is perennially one of the NBA’s top-15 leading scorers and is only now starting to scratch the surface of his enormous potential.




and has the hype of an all star


Conley could fill that final space if he has similar to success to last season, though he’ll be competing with both Booker and Suns teammate Chris Paul who were picked ahead of him last season to represent the West.






could fill in Mitchell's spot since he was better last year


While Conley faces an uphill climb, it’s not out of the question that another Jazzman could make his All-Star debut.




:facepalm

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/09/01/utah-jazz-3-players-least-likely-roster/


The first player that could be on his way out of Salt Lake City is third-year forward Juwan Morgan (https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/morgaju01.html). In his first two seasons in the league, he played a total of 50 games for the Jazz. However, with the arrival of Eric Paschall, who has proven that he can play the small-ball five effectively (https://www.sfchronicle.com/warriors/article/How-Eric-Paschall-s-move-to-center-is-15854478.php), it doesn’t make much sense to keep Morgan, who has struggled to adjust to that role.




unrestricted free agent :facepalm

Morgan has been fine as a small ball 5 or 4


Utah Jazz wing Miye Oni



their 10th man. Likely to make it. COTY loves him. Brantley less likely


This contract, like Oni’s, is not guaranteed, though, making Teague expendable if someone else were to come along.




no one needs to come along. Exhibit 10. Camp body. Future Star :roll:

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/467213/utah-jazz-add-irv-roland-to-quin-snyders-coaching-staff/

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/9/2/22645648/2021-utah-jazz-player-profile-rudy-gay-nba


On the offensive end, a majority of Gay’s issues stem from his questionable shot selection. His TS last year of 53.2% was well below league average, and this was more so do to a lack of quality shot selection rather than deficiencies in his skill set. He often settled for low efficiency 2-pointers, taking nearly a quarter of his shots from the mid-range. While Gay can make these looks at a decent rate and the skill is good to have in his bag, no one should be taking that many mid-ranges in 2021 unless they’re a Chris Paul or Kevin Durant level shooter. It’s worth noting that some of these tough shots were due to his lack of quickness stopping him from creating good looks on his own, but hopefully on a Utah team that’s stacked offensively he won’t be creating for himself as much as he did last year anyway. Gay’s lack of vertical explosion around the rim also hinders him, as he struggles to finish over length and in traffic.



Spurs shot more from the mid range than anyone. Doubt he'll be taking many long 2's


With the departure of Georges Niang to Philadelphia this offseason it would make sense for Rudy to more or less replace his spot in the rotation as the primary backup 4. He should be able to do just about everything Niang did (although not as good of a spot up shooter), while also adding a couple of new elements the team previously lacked. He can play multiple roles on offense, and his ability to offer secondary rim protection outside of the Center position should help the defense a lot in non-Gobert minutes. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see both the Rudy’s play together in high leverage situations either, as Utah’s best defensive lineup likely will feature both of them. Overall Gay figures to play a good sized role on next years team and will hopefully help fix some of last seasons issues.




same coach, Clarkson, Mitchell. Same issues



It also makes me think that R-Gay and possibly Paschall could replace like ~80% of Bogey’s production…maybe. Obviously R-Gay is too old to be a long term solution, but Paschall could be a long term solution if he excels with the Jazz. Not banking on this because Paschall hasn’t proven much of anything yet. But if R-Gay is the next-2-year solution and Paschall is the long-term solution, suddenly Bogey is expendable. I know it’s too early to make any decisions, but I wouldn’t be sad if 2-3 months into the season, we realize that R-Gay/Paschall could take over the PF, moving Royce to SF. I don’t necessarily want to get rid of Bogey because I think he could be due for a big bounce back year, but if he becomes expendable-ish and there is a decent offer out there, it could get interesting.

Posted by BobWiley (https://www.sbnation.com/users/BobWiley) on Sep 2, 2021 | 1:56 PM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/9/2/22645648/2021-utah-jazz-player-profile-rudy-gay-nba#544199746)


Bojan is already expendanble. But Clarkson is the one that needs to go. Bojan to 6th man


Conley kind of really sucked too his 1st few months.

Posted by statpower (https://www.sbnation.com/users/statpower) on Sep 2, 2021 | 3:27 PM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/9/2/22645648/2021-utah-jazz-player-profile-rudy-gay-nba#544203176)


He didn't really though


Play an 8 man rotation and exhaust the players and risk injuries for #1 seed while not developing young talent
or
Play 10-12 man rotation developing DOK and Butler while utilizing Paschall and Rudy for a #4-6 seed but no injuries, a deeper team, and potentially a better playoff performance

Posted by statpower (https://www.sbnation.com/users/statpower) on Sep 2, 2021 | 3:32 PM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/9/2/22645648/2021-utah-jazz-player-profile-rudy-gay-nba#544203314)


They have the Stars. They will develop.

[Xiao Yao You]

Executives around the league continue to speculate about when and where former Utah Jazz general manager Dennis Lindsey could reemerge at the helm of another front office. (https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2947977-br-nba-exec-survey-who-are-the-leagues-next-top-gm-candidates) Rumors suggested Lindsey had an interest in joining the Houston Rockets, and then the Dallas Mavericks under new president Nico Harrison, but those conversations appear to have ceased, sources said.
– via Jake Fischer @ Bleacher Report (https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2947977-br-nba-exec-survey-who-are-the-leagues-next-top-gm-candidates)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/467049/47-utah-jazz-rookie-macio-teague/


Where Teague tipped off his real intrigue, however, was in the Jazz Las Vegas finale where for the first time, he started at point guard. Teague showed off previously unseen playmaking skills as he recorded 12 assists, the most of his basketball career, including college, while adding 17 points on 7-15 shooting.




also played D

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/9/3/22652594/2021-utah-jazz-player-profile-donovan-mitchell-nba


Can Donovan Mitchell compete for the NBA’s scoring title?




not really what they need from him. Again offense hasn't been their problem. Can he put any effort into D and pass the ball to his teammates?


In typical Donovan Mitchell fashion, those averages actually increased during the playoffs (despite essentially playing on one leg). He averaged 32.3 points and 5.5 assists per game during the playoffs while keeping his rebounds stable at 4.2 per game.




and why was he playing on one leg? Because he forced his way on to the floor when the doctors thought he should sit


More important to Jazz fans and to Donovan Mitchell himself will be to help the Jazz achieve their goals of winning a long-awaited title for the organization. Mitchell will likely be the biggest key to achieving that goal and the expected increase to efficient scoring through free throws and playmaking will only help that cause.





He is the key only because he has yet to live up to the hype


It won’t take all that much movement for Mitchell to be a 30/5/6 guy, which should put him squarely in the MVP conversation if the Jazz keep winning. For comparison, recent guards who won MVP averaged 30/5/9 (Harden), 30/5/7 (Curry), 24/4/8 (Curry), 25/4/8 (Rose), and 28/6/5 (Kobe).
I have high hopes for Mitch this year. Fingers crossed he stays healthy and comes out strong out of the gate.

Posted by TVNY (https://www.sbnation.com/users/TVNY) on Sep 3, 2021 | 10:55 AM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/9/3/22652594/2021-utah-jazz-player-profile-donovan-mitchell-nba#544225152)


can't see MVP if you aren't even one of the top two players on your team


I couldn't care less if Mitchell increases his PPG to 28 or 30, or whatever.
I want to see him shoot more efficiently, help his teammates shoot more efficiently, and make his opponents shoot less efficiently.
I would love to see his TS% hit ~60% (more FTs will help) and improve his defensive metrics. That would help the team more than increasing his PPG by a couple of points by taking more shots.

Posted by Kira Argonova (https://www.sbnation.com/users/Kira%20Argonova) on Sep 3, 2021 | 12:27 PM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/9/3/22652594/2021-utah-jazz-player-profile-donovan-mitchell-nba#544227852)


someone gets it


The second biggest problem I see for the team this year is coach Q. How stubborn is he going to be? Are Jared, R-Gay, Eric, Udoka, Trent, Hassan going to be riding the pine as the starters are run into the ground? If they can stay healthy and Q works in some other pieces I will trust our guys to do the things they need to do to improve.
I have watched almost every game the Jazz have played since 1980.
I believe this the best and most complete roster the Jazz have ever had!
I hope they don’t waste it.

Posted by JazzManJapan2745 (https://www.sbnation.com/users/JazzManJapan2745) on Sep 4, 2021 | 4:39 AM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/9/3/22652594/2021-utah-jazz-player-profile-donovan-mitchell-nba#544251841)


COTY is the biggest problem. Clarkson, Michell and Hughes are the others. Jared, Eric, Udoka and Trent can play with the Stars. Trent mostly will have to


The idea that Quin plays his starters too many minutes is the stuff of fantasy, made up wholly in the minds of the ignorant masses.

Posted by jmnunes5 (https://www.sbnation.com/users/jmnunes5) on Sep 4, 2021 | 8:18 AM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/9/3/22652594/2021-utah-jazz-player-profile-donovan-mitchell-nba#544253694)


refusing to change anything despite being in a desperate situation is unforgivable

[El Kabong]

From The Athletic and one thing I'd like to see more of.

"The one thing the Jazz can do better? Feed Gobert in the post
If you watched France in the Olympics, you saw Gobert post up regularly with passion and effort. That’s because he knew the ball would be coming his way. The French guards threw it to him time and again.

If he dropped a pass, a follow-up pass was coming on the next possession. When he did catch, there was little anyone could do with him. He either dunked, or he got fouled.

The Jazz need to throw him the ball when teams go small against them. Gobert has gotten to the point where if he gets the ball in the paint, he’s dunking it, or he’s going to the free-throw line. One of the reasons the Phoenix Suns defeated the LA Clippers in the Western Conference finals is that DeAndre Ayton absolutely punished them when they tried to go small.

Guards and wings should not be able to guard Gobert in the paint. And if the Jazz can get him the ball consistently, and Gobert can make teams pay consistently, then teams may think twice before trying to put 6-foot-6 guys on him defensively."

[Xiao Yao You]

yep. France should have got it to him more too though. They probably win the gold if they do. Also his French teammates helped him a lot more on D. They went big and he didn't have to cover the rim and the perimeter all by himself. Can COTY change? Unlikely

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/467036/46-the-jazz-preseason/

less than a month for camp!

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/2021/9/3/22654684/utah-jazz-newsletter-what-to-watch-closely-nba-2021-22-season-begins-quin-snyder-rotation


There was plenty of fan criticism for the way the Jazz head coach handled end-of-game rotations last season. It wasn’t just the fans, though. I shared in criticizing how long Snyder would keep his main rotation players in a game.




He's always done it. He was actually a lot better at getting them out of games in blowouts last year than ever


I honestly don’t know what the answers are and it’s something that I’ll be watching closely as soon as the Jazz are back in action.




you'd know the answers if you'd been following the team more than just the past two years

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/09/04/utah-jazz-mike-conley-home-special-honor/


Assuming Conley stays somewhat injury-free — i.e., avoiding further hiccups from the hamstring issues that plagued the Jazz in their early postseason exit — he should retain his starting job across the entire upcoming season. It’s reasonable to think the beloved veteran will again contend for an All-Star selection.




unlikely. He should have made it last year without injuries

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/09/04/utah-jazz-evidence-jared-butler/

is going to have a much harder time getting that shot off in the NBA. Needs a higher release point like Ingles did

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/09/03/analyst-utah-jazz-one-wing-short/


In a recent article outlining every NBA team’s most critical weakness (https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2947891-why-your-favorite-team-wont-win-the-2022-nba-championship), Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale referred to the Utah Jazz as “one wing short”. In fairness to Favale, the spirit of his article was to find a weakness with every NBA team. That’s a difficult proposition when it comes to the Jazz, as one of the deeper, more well-rounded teams across the Association.







a starting 4 and new coach short


Still, it’s hard to justify the position that the Jazz are a short a defensive wing when at least two of the NBA’s top 5 teams roster exactly zero positive wing defenders according to DBPM, and they host two. Furthermore (spoiler alert), the next team on this list didn’t exactly blow Utah out of the water, with an average DBPM of 0.6. For those who struggle with math, that’s 0.1 more than the Utah Jazz.




you forgot Clarkson and Mitchell and their lack of even attempting to play D :facepalm

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/467130/45-can-jazz-fix-postseason-net-rating/


Or did learn that Royce O’Neale, their one above-average perimeter defender wasn’t enough to keep the Clippers guards from repeatedly attacking Gobert in the paint? Or that Gobert is incapable of defending a smaller wing on the perimeter full-time while also being asked to defend the rim?




yeah let's blame the 2 guys that actually defend :facepalm


If the Jazz are hoping to see their postseason net rating improve, it must come on the defensive, and for now, it appears they are gambling on the health of Conley and Donovan Mitchell, and reserve minutes from Gay.




Mitchell, Clarkson and COTY:cry:

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/9/5/22611630/trent-forrest-2021-utah-jazz-player-profile


Except, we’ve seen this song and dance before. Summer League superstars are a yearly phenomenon. Sometimes it works out (see also: Donovan Mitchell), many times it doesn’t (see also: Josh Selby). Forrest is going to keep looking good in summer league and G-League scenarios, but is there any chance it will translate to the NBA?






already has. Better than Ricky and not making 17 mill a year


So how has Forrest been getting along in improving this skill? Well, he improved each year from three in college, going from 12.5 percent (1 of 8) as a freshman to 28.1 percent (16 of 57). That steady improvement didn’t carry into his rookie season (just 19.2 percent on 26 attempts) but to be fair the 3-point line moves back from college to NBA. The encouraging thing is that Forrest has shot 36.8 percent (7 of 19) in the SLC and Las Vegas Summer Leagues combined.




his shot still didn't look good


One problem for Forrest is that Utah’s ball-handling guard rotation won’t be as thin as last year. Jared Butler, a man the Jazz were willing to draft in the first round if the rest of the league weren’t down on him, will likely see any leftover minutes from Mitchell and Conley. If another injury situation develops, like the one that led to Forrest being a rotation player for 10 games, Butler will likely be looked to instead of Forrest.




remains to be seen. Weren't thin last year. Just had a coach that wanted the Wizard fired

[Xiao Yao You]

Paul Garcia: Some players who have signed training camp deals with teams per Real GM recently: Matt Thomas – Bulls, Marquese Chriss – Blazers, George King – Clippers, Dennis Smith Jr.- Blazers (https://*********.com/social/)
– via Twitter PaulGarciaNBA (https://twitter.com/PaulGarciaNBA)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/467188/44-the-contract-of-jazz-forward-jarrell-brantley/


How Brantley plays during the training camp and preseason will likely determine his future role with the team.




doubt it matters. COTY isn't a fan. He's gone. Someone will be lucky to get him


Should he play well, the Jazz could ink the third-year forward to a guaranteed, or partially guaranteed contract that would allow him to develop with the primary roster throughout the season.




already has a contract. Partially guaranteed


Brantley is also eligible to sign a third two-way contract with the Jazz, joining second-year guard Trent Forrest in splitting time between the main roster and the Salt Lake City Stars during the G League season.




I supposed they could cut him and pay him his 84,000 guarantee and sign him to a two way but why if the coach doesn't like him?


If the forward struggles, the Jazz could release Brantley before the season begins and not incur his salary, or the added luxury tax penalties that will come with his contract.



they will pay tax on the 84 k


Throughout his career, Brantley has had flashes of brilliance with the Jazz dating back to his initial summer league with the team. However, a hip injury pushed him out of the summer rotation and may have cost him an opportunity to sign a long-term contract with the franchise that ultimately went to Oni.




that's what I figured at the time but obviously COTY like's Oni better for whatever reason


Brantley averaged 12.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and handed out 2.0 assists per game, showing off his versatility for the Jazz, though he struggled to shoot the ball, and too often got sped up with the ball in his hands.



put him in there with rotation players and he'll do fine as he has in his limited chances


With just one open roster spot, and Bojan Bogdanovic, Royce O’Neale, Rudy Gay, and Eric Paschall sitting in front of him on the depth chart, Brantley faces an uphill climb to secure a guaranteed contract on the team.




Paschall shouldn't be ahead of him and neither should Oni or Hughes.

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/2021/9/6/22616731/nba-a-tiered-list-of-western-conference-contenders-utah-jazz-phoenix-suns-los-angeles-lakers


Jazz, Suns and Lakers should all be tough outs in 2021-22, but here’s who else is lurking




should be Jazz and Suns. I think Portland could be a darkhorse. See if Billups can coach


The good teamsPhoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, Utah Jazz

Lakers are getting overrated


Great news, Jazz fans! The Utah Jazz (https://www.deseret.com/utah-jazz) are pretty widely expected to be one of the top teams coming out of the West. They are running things back for the most part, with some small tweaks to the second unit, and they’re hoping health and continuity will take them farther than a second-round playoff exit.



unfortunately the same coach and 6th man


The Lakers, might have won it all for a second straight season if injuries to LeBron James and Anthony Davis hadn’t derailed their postseason. There are plenty of criticisms about the the new-look and veteran squad the Lakers will field this coming season, but the time to count out James and Co. has not come yet.




probably wouldn't have won last year if not for the pandemic and the months they got to rest and than not travel in the bubble. Lebron has been hurt for 3 years. Davis is always hurt so that's a big if


The teams that will probably be goodDenver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, Dallas Mavericks

with no Kawai the Clippers could be in the lottery. Mavs weren't that good last year outside one player and they lost their coach. Nuggets should be good but still without Murray


The Clippers are facing a similar situation with Kawhi Leonard expected to miss most if not all of the 2021-22 season. But the Clippers still have Paul George and a host of versatile players who know how to get the job done.




this isn't the east


The Warriors haven’t had a fully healthy squad for years and though many expect for them to be right back at the top of the West once Klay Thompson returns, there are too many questions that need to be answered before we can do that.




I'd put them ahead of the Clippers for sure. At a similar place as the others that aren't the Suns and Jazz


Is Thompson going to be the same player he was more than two years ago? We don’t know. Is Andrew Wiggins playoff ready? Who knows? Is adding Andre Iguodala to the roster once again something that can help get the younger players like James Wiseman and Jonathan Kuminga ready for a championship run? Your guess is as good as mine.




Iguodala was done when they last had him


Memphis is the team that upended the Warriors in the play-in tournament last season, and they have one of the most fun and talented young rosters in the league. They should be good again, but it doesn’t really feel like they’ve done anything to be more than a play-in team.




young and getting better. They could certainly make a jump. Again after the top two it should be wide open


Jonas Valanciunas was with the Grizzlies last season but now he’s with the Pelicans, and Steven Adams has taken his spot in Memphis. I have no idea if that swap is going to make a difference for either team, and the other big move the Pelicans made was adding Devonte’ Graham to the mix. Will any of this move the needle? We have yet to see Zion Williamson really flourish and there are a ton of question marks in New Orleans.



can Pelicans improve on D?


The Blazers are a huge question mark of a team. They still have one of the most impressive and talented backcourts in the NBA with Damian Lillard (https://www.deseret.com/2017/8/27/20618303/randy-hollis-weber-state-retires-jersey-of-damian-lillard-a-no-1-guy-on-and-off-the-court) and CJ McCollum, but they didn’t make any splashy moves this offseason. There’s a new coach and a ton of rumors swirling around whether this team is even intact by the time the trade deadline rolls around. They should be good, but there’s a lot that can change.




I like them. Nurkic, Covington, Powell and now Nance


The teams with zero expectationsOklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, Sacramento Kings, Minnesota Timberwolves

some of those teams should have expectations. If you're going to continue to hype certain players they need to win games. Towns I'm looking at you


The Thunder are all young and draft picks so we’re probably looking at another tanking season in Oklahoma City.



probably?


And finally, the Sacramento Kings. They have good players. But they never seem to do anything right. If they can even fight in the play-in, it will probably seem like a successful season.




again at some point you need to win games

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/09/07/ranking-utah-jazz-bench-among-best/


The former cleared out some of their most productive bench players in a blockbuster deal that found them acquiring Russell Westbrook, while the latter will spend most of the season without Kawhi Leonard, forcing them to shift at least one key bench player into the starting unit. Could these events create a perfect storm for the Utah Jazz to field the best bench in the NBA next season?




supposedly they were the best last year until the playoffs when COTY refused to play anyone but his 10


Something tells us (https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/advanced/?sort=W&dir=-1) they didn’t have the best bench in the NBA.




maybe they did? Just a crappy starting 5


The New York Knicks’ bench power all begins at the point guard spot. It’s difficult to predict whether Head Coach Tom Thibodeau will grant the starting position to the familiar Derrick Rose, or the (probably?) more valuable Kemba Walker heading into the 2021-22 season. Either way, it’s a rich man’s dilemma: the Knicks should roster a Sixth Man of the Year candidate no matter which course of action Thibs takes.




Walker


Beyond the potential battle for starting point guard honors, this Knicks bench features an intriguing mixture of solid veterans and upstart prospects. Alec Burks projects as one of the league’s most underrated second unit scorers, and Nerlens Noel is one of the best stoppers not to hold down a starting gig. The Knicks will hope that second-year players Obi Toppin and Immanuel Quickley can develop from unproven talents to winning assets.




too bad COTY didn't like Burks. Always saw him as a great 6th man. Quickley proved himself last year no?


Can a team be too deep? That’s a question the Wizards may be set to answer throughout the 2021-22 season, and until they do, they don’t earn a placement ahead of the Utah Jazz or a couple of other squads in these rankings.



a crappy team in the east is too deep? :facepalm


None of which led to any decisions that had a major bearing on a second unit that ranked sixth in points per game last season, at 39.1. The most significant player the Grizzlies parted with was Lithuanian big man Jonas Valanciunas, who was a starter last season. Otherwise, Grayson Allen was a significant bench cog that the team traded this offseason, but the arrival of Jarrett Culver and Juancho Hernangomez should offset the loss of the former Duke product.




it should? Grayson was a legit 6th man. Those guys aren't


Otherwise, this second unit is bolstered by the presence of quality rotational players like De’Anthony Melton, Tyus Jones, Xavier Tillman and Brandon Clarke. The subtraction of Valanciunas leaves this team wanting at the center position, but the front office will undoubtedly be hoping that recently acquired Daniel Oturu can break out in his age-22 season after filling a limited role on the contending Los Angeles Clippers.




Clarke wasn't even playing by the end of the year and he's good


Lineups with Dario Saric in place of Deandre Ayton torched opponents to the tune of 119.0 points per 100 possessions, which landed them in the 89th percentile across the NBA according to CleaningtheGlass. They also shot an effective field goal percentage (eFG%) of 57.4%, good for the 91st percentile.




see how much they use him at the 5 with McGee


At face value, Shamet-for-Craig is a roughly lateral move, but with a surplus of guards and a dearth of wings on this second unit, the Phoenix Suns may need to make some additional moves to claim a bench as thorough and talented as that of the Utah Jazz.




no Clarkson and a coach that will utilize his bench is already better


If you’re asking yourself about the legitimacy of that claim, consider the following: Jordan Clarkson won the Sixth Man of the Year Award for the 2020-21 NBA regular season. The runner-up for that award was none other than his Utah Jazz teammate Joe Ingles.




too bad Clarkson sucks


This offseason’s acquisitions of Rudy Gay (https://thejnotes.com/2021/08/03/utah-jazz-rudy-gay-agreed-deal-jazz/), Eric Paschall (https://thejnotes.com/2021/08/05/utah-jazz-grading-eric-paschall-trade/) and Hassan Whiteside (https://thejnotes.com/2021/08/04/utah-jazz-free-agency-hassan-whiteside/) all point to a deeper, more balanced Utah Jazz squad. Both Gay and Paschall will be able to man the 5 spot in five-out, small-ball formations, or cover the backup 4 position admirably. Meanwhile, Whiteside is a high-end backup center who projects as a lateral move from Jazz mainstay Derrick Favors, if not a marginal upgrade.




Gay is an upgrade probably. Whiteside isn't(Udoka could be eventually) and COTY has to play those guys at the 5 before they can be deeper and more balanced



Utah Jazz faithful will also hope that incoming rookie Jared Butler is ready to contribute right away, and that promising young players like Trent Forrest, Udoka Azubuike and Elijah Hughes, among others, are ready to make a step forward. However, even if they’re not, the Jazzmen’s 10-man rotation of the starting unit plus Clarkson, Ingles, Gay, Paschall and Whiteside ought to be the envy of contending teams across the Association.




I'd hope Butler plays for the Stars until he's ready. Hughes sucks. If anyone envies Clarkson please trade him!. Whiteside is on a minimum contract for a reason. Paschall got benched on a play in team. Ingles and Gay!!! :cheers:

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/09/06/utah-jazz-dwyane-wade-brainy-teammate/

already took another job outside basketball :facepalm

[Xiao Yao You]

Keith Smith: The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed Tre Scott to a non-guaranteed training camp deal, (https://*********.com/social/) a league source tells @spotrac.
– via Twitter KeithSmithNBA (https://twitter.com/KeithSmithNBA)





he was one of the better players on their Gleague team last year

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.vanquishthefoe.com/2021/9/7/22662084/utah-jazz-head-coach-quin-snyder-visits-byu-speaks-to-student-athletes

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/467598/43-will-joe-ingles-dunk-again/

really have nothing else you can write about? :facepalm

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/467561/on-his-25th-birthday-25-facts-about-donovan-mitchell/


The Utah Jazz superstar has already earned his stripes as one of the best players in basketball today, and at his current pace, Mitchell ought to solidify himself as one of the five greatest players to ever wear a Jazz uniform.




hasn't earned shit. Maravich carried his team. Dantley carried his team. Stockton/Malone carried their teams. AK carried a team. Deron carried a team. Gobert has carried a team. Mitchell isn't even in the top two players on his team.


1. Mitchell’s 28.8 playoff points per game average is the second-highest in Jazz history behind only Adrian Dantley who averaged 28.9 points per game.




and Dantley was the best player on his team. Efficient, leading scorer in the league. One of the best low post scorers ever. Top 5?


2. Mitchell is the only Jazz player to lead all scorers in the playoffs. Though they were eliminated in just seven games, Mitchell’s 36.3 points per game against the Denver Nuggets led all postseason performers.




too bad he didn't play D. They would have won


9. Mitchell has the fourth-highest career scoring average in Jazz history. At 23.4, the guard only trails Dantley (29.6), Malone (25.4), and Pete Maravich (25.2).




top 5 gunner anyway!


10. While Mitchell is known for his scoring acumen, he’s also one of the better passers in franchise history.



:roll:


11. Though he’s not known for his defense, the guard is prolific in one category.




he's known for not playing any


The guard ranks second in usage percentage at 31.1 behind only John Drew who played 144 games for the Jazz between 1982 and 1985.




the Drugslinger ahead of Mitchell and Clarkson! :lol


17. Mitchell is one of only eight Jazz players to be named to multiple All-Star teams.




might actually earn one one day

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/9/8/22655021/2021-utah-jazz-player-profile-hassan-whiteside-nba


Last season ended in heartbreak. The last thirty seconds of game five against the LA Clippers haunts my nightmares. It was over long before that, but man. It wasn’t supposed to end that way. My heart sank into my stomach. Jazz fans, myself included, spent the next few days replaying it over and over. What went wrong? Was it Mike Conley’s injury that kept him off the court for most of the series? Donovan’s lingering pain from his ankle injury? Quin Snyder’s affinity for tight black pants and Gucci belts overtaking his ability to make any timely adjustments? A fictitious unsalvageable relationship between our two stars that maybe wasn’t fictitious at all?




timely adjustments? How about no adjustments! Two straight playoffs. Guess he got what he wanted. The Wizard is gone! :facepalm


The regular lineup has largely remained the same. Early on in the offseason, the Jazz parted ways with Favors for the second time. Despite playing limited minutes, Favors played well during the reprisal of his role. Fans were stoked when the Jazz re-signed Favors before the start of the 2020-2021 season, and many were hurt all over again to see him go the second time around. One fan even had to talk to her therapist about it. (It was me. I’m the one fan.)




shitshow


For the last several years, winning the Gobert minutes hasn’t been a problem. It’s while Gobert sits that things go to crap. Tony Bradley wasn’t the answer, and sadly, neither was Favors 2.0.
If Whiteside can play intimidating defense and create space for his teammates on offense, we can win the non-Gobert minutes. And if we win the non-Gobert minutes, we can be the best team in the league.

Posted by Kira Argonova (https://www.sbnation.com/users/Kira%20Argonova) on Sep 8, 2021 | 9:40 AM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/9/8/22655021/2021-utah-jazz-player-profile-hassan-whiteside-nba#544387586)


Bradley was young cheap and improving. As we saw last year he wasn't their problem

[Xiao Yao You]

The Boston Celtics agreed to a deal with Juwan Morgan, his agency Edge Sports told ********* (https://*********.com/2021/09/08/boston-celtics-agree-to-deal-with-juwan-morgan/). Morgan, 24, spent the past two seasons with the Utah Jazz and started multiple playoff games during the 2019-20 season.
– via Michael Scotto @ ********* (https://*********.com/2021/09/08/boston-celtics-agree-to-deal-with-juwan-morgan/)





good luck. Too bad COTY sucks

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/09/08/utah-jazz-regrading-bogdanovic-signing/


In case you’ve somehow gotten this far in life without the following information, we’ve got you covered: NBA contracts are big. The Utah Jazz handed Croatian sharpshooter Bojan Bogdanovic a four-year, $72 million dollar contract in the summer of 2019. Should they have buyer’s remorse?


yes. Still have no PF that Snyder will play


Luckily for the Jazz, that’s not Bogdanovic’s only value on the offensive end. Unlike similarly compensated floor spacers (paging Davis Bertans), Bogey can create his own shot as a safety valve when Coach Snyder’s primary creators are stifled by opposing defenses. His ability to get his shot off against tight defensive coverage separates him from floor-spacing specialists. He can also put the ball on the floor and make drives when necessary.




He's better off just shooting. Not dribbling or passing


In total, Bogdanovic scored 20.2 points per game on a very efficient 60.3 True Shooting % (TS%) in 2019-20, the first year of his contract. He unquestionably earned his keep in year one, but last season, his production did suffer some slippage. Still, 17.0 points per game on a 58.8 TS% is solid value. Offensively, Bogdanovic likely exceeded his contract value in 2019-20, and simply met it in 2020-21.




hurt in playoffs so no he didn't earn it


A perusal of players in Bogdanovic’s general pay range finds players that both clearly exceed and clearly fall short of the combo forward’s value. If you follow the NBA, you probably don’t need to pull up advanced metrics to know that Domantas Sabonis ($19.8 million), Zach Lavine ($19.5) and Fred VanVleet ($19.6) are better players than Bojan, or that Eric Gordon ($18.2), Eric Bledsoe ($18.1) and Ricky Rubio ($17.8) are not.




depends on what you need


Still, contending teams (https://thejnotes.com/2021/09/03/analyst-utah-jazz-one-wing-short/) like the Utah Jazz can afford to overpay veterans. Bojan Bogdanovic provides them with reliable floor spacing and positional versatility, and ultimately, it’s unlikely that the team’s front office has deep regrets about the signing.




dump Clarkson and move Bojan to the bench and I'd be happier

[Xiao Yao You]

Sarah Todd: Donovan Mitchell, partnering w/Clorox & donorschoose.org, asked about Adams’ comments. “I’m really focused on helping teachers…I don’t really want to answer him. I will speak to that but this is something I’ve put my heart in.” Doesn’t want Adam’s to be the story today (https://*********.com/social/)
– via Twitter NBASarah (https://twitter.com/NBASarah)



Sarah Todd: Donovan Mitchell on The Zone – “Some people don’t understand what’s 30 minutes down the street, so seeing other speak about certain issues…being black in this country is a job.” (https://*********.com/social/)
– via Twitter NBASarah (https://twitter.com/NBASarah)

[Xiao Yao You]

Still, the bottom line is simple: Nikola Mirotic remains the highest-paid player in Europe and that’s not going to change anytime soon and EuroLeague champion and MVP Vasilije Micic is the only really big winner of this summer with a contract that very few had in the history of European basketball. 1. Nikola Mirotic, Barcelona $4,5 M. The exact numbers of Mirotic’s contract remain a riddle and even $4,5 M can be pretty tame considering the rumors about the initial deal between the player and FC Barcelona. (https://www.eurohoops.net/en/trademarks/1240837/the-top-10-euroleague-salaries-of-2021-22/) However, we are already in the third year of the contract and Barcelona is in total debt of more than one billion euros.
– via EuroHoops.net (https://www.eurohoops.net/en/trademarks/1240837/the-top-10-euroleague-salaries-of-2021-22/)





Would have got a lot more than that from the Jazz

[Xiao Yao You]

One of Utah’s legislative leaders is getting backlash on social media after a video began circulating Wednesday that shows him talking about Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell’s vocal pushback on Utah lawmakers’ handling of critical race theory. (https://www.deseret.com/utah/2021/9/8/22663062/utah-jazz-donovan-mitchell-didnt-understand-critical-race-theory-debate-stuart-adams-says-video) In the video, Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, can be seen participating on a panel with other conservative leaders from across the nation in May, a day after the Utah Legislature called its own “extraordinary session” to pass a pair of nonbinding resolutions urging the State School Board to ban what lawmakers considered “harmful” critical race theory concepts.
– via Katie McKellar @ deseret.com (https://www.deseret.com/utah/2021/9/8/22663062/utah-jazz-donovan-mitchell-didnt-understand-critical-race-theory-debate-stuart-adams-says-video)



Adams was responding to a question about pushback from business or corporate interests on “cultural issues,” such as abortion or transgender athletes participating in girls sports. “I hate to use names, but I will. Donovan Mitchell is not happy with us,” Adams says in the video. “And you start to get … very popular sports stars like that that are pushing back. (https://www.deseret.com/utah/2021/9/8/22663062/utah-jazz-donovan-mitchell-didnt-understand-critical-race-theory-debate-stuart-adams-says-video) We’ve got work to do to try to educate them. My text back was, ‘Let’s get after him and let’s go tell him what we’re doing,’ because I don’t really think he understands what happened.”
– via Katie McKellar @ deseret.com (https://www.deseret.com/utah/2021/9/8/22663062/utah-jazz-donovan-mitchell-didnt-understand-critical-race-theory-debate-stuart-adams-says-video)



On a separate issue, Adams also pointed to general pushback from sports organizations on a bill proposed earlier this year that would have banned transgender athletes in girls sports, but stalled. “(The transgender athletes bill) made it through the House, came to the Senate, we thought we had it done, but then there was pretty good backlash from the Jazz and other sports organizations and the NBA, and it stalled in the Senate,” Adams said in the video. “I hate to tell you that, but it did.” (https://www.deseret.com/utah/2021/9/8/22663062/utah-jazz-donovan-mitchell-didnt-understand-critical-race-theory-debate-stuart-adams-says-video)
– via Katie McKellar @ deseret.com (https://www.deseret.com/utah/2021/9/8/22663062/utah-jazz-donovan-mitchell-didnt-understand-critical-race-theory-debate-stuart-adams-says-video)



Sarah Todd: Donovan Mitchell’s response when asked about his thoughts on Utah lawmakers passing a resolution to ban teaching of critical race theory in schools. (https://*********.com/social/) He wasn’t aware that this resolution had passed before being asked the question. Overall he seemed disappointed.
– via Twitter NBASarah (https://twitter.com/NBASarah)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/467630/42-the-jazz-future-with-miye-oni/


Oni enters his third season with the Jazz having outgrown the title as the team’s youngest guard project, but also lacks a clearly defined role on the roster.




was pretty clearly their 10th man unless more than one guy was hurt than he wasn't! :facepalm


Further complicating the issue for Oni is that his contract is only guaranteed through January, making him a candidate to be waived mid-season, if not sooner should the organization decide he’s not in their long-term plans.




don't think it's guaranteed at all. COTY loves him though. Thought playing anyone else and beating the Clippers wasn't as good of an idea as playing Oni. End of the bench energy guy. Showed more with the Stars


That isn’t to say however that the guard couldn’t carve out a promising role in the Jazz rotation. With his excellent size and athleticism, Oni has a legitimate edge over each of the previously mentioned guards on the defensive end, including Conley, Mitchell, Ingles, and Clarkson.






hasn't shown enough overall though. Would love if he or anyone was playing instead of Clarkson


Only Forrest rivals Oni’s combination of size and length but still trails the veteran by nearly two inches in both categories. Furthermore, Oni has shown potential as a three-point shooter knocking down the deep ball at a 15 percent better rate than Forrest.




Ingles is bigger and longer than Forrest! More like 4 inches in length. Oni has 6'11 wingspan which pales to Brantley's 7'2. Oni certainly looks to have more potential as a shooter but extremely streaky


But, despite his size and athleticism, Oni lacks the playmaking and ball skills that every other player in the team’s backcourt possesses which may force him to compete for more minutes in the Jazz’s frontcourt, rather than as a guard.




frontcourt? He did rebound well but they need to get bigger in the frontcourt not smaller. He showed playmaking ability with the Stars. Not that we'd expect Jazz writers to know that!

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/467619/report-former-jazzman-juwan-morgan-signs-with-celtics/


Morgan’s best stretch with the Jazz came during the 2020 playoffs held at the Walt Disney World Resorts in Orlando when the rookie saw increased minutes due to the absence of Bojan Bogdanovic and Mike Conley.







his best stretch was the 13 pt 7 rbd game he had last year and never played again :facepalm


With the return of Derrick Favors to the Jazz roster ahead of the 2020-21 season, Morgan was pushed out of the team’s rotation and appeared in just 29 games as a sophomore.




He was never in the rotation but he was ahead of Oni


Though the Jazz traded Favors to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the offseason, the emergence of Udoka Azubuike during summer league and the signing of veteran center Hassan Whiteside limited the opportunity for Morgan to carve out minutes in the team’s rotation.




got hurt. Rather have him than Whiteside. Not sure Paschall is better either


Amid a major roster overhaul, the Celtics have several higher-profile names at center on their team, though Morgan could find minutes at the thinner power forward position.



good thing since he is a 4 more than a 5

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/9/9/22663154/which-jazz-player-will-breakout-this-season-donovan-mitchell-jared-butler-miye-oni-utah-jazz-gobert


For the Utah Jazz (https://www.slcdunk.com/), this phenomenon has fortunately been one that has worked in their favor the past few seasons. Between Rudy Gobert, Joe Ingles, Donovan Mitchell, Royce O’Neale, and Jordan Clarkson, the Jazz have had more than their fair trade of players come into a season and blow out all expectations. Although this upcoming season’s roster largely remains the same as last’s, there are still multiple players on the team that have the potential to “breakout.” Here are my picks:



when did Mitchell and Clarkson blow out expectations?


Didn’t I just that Mitchell had already experienced a breakout a few seasons ago? Yes. That doesn’t mean he can’t do it again. This year, I’m hoping that Mitchell becomes more of a complete player. Last season he put up amazing averages of 26.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 5.2 assists; a stat-line that looks pretty complete already. However, what’s missing here is the defensive side of the ball.



What's missing is passing the ball and showing up when the season starts not December of January


Nobody is expecting Mitchell to become a lockdown, primary defender every game. What would be nice to see is Mitchell putting in a little more effort and limiting the amount of ugly mistakes he makes on that side of the ball. Preventing backdoor cuts, properly switching on screens, and making smarter off-ball rotations would go a long way for him. It’s what would elevate him from an all-star to a true MVP candidate. If he brought this to his game next season, I would be pleasantly surprised.



I'd be happy with some effort at that end.


Yes, I think that Butler has a real chance to breakout as a solid rotation player off the bench this season for Utah. It’s almost a guarantee that Butler will have opportunities to show off his skillset as the Jazz’s backup point guard, especially when Conley and Mitchell inevitably need some rest.




no guarantees. Should be a Star until he proves otherwise


I think this season is Oni’s last chance. We were told last off-season that the coaching staff was thrilled with his progress, and then he barely played. He’s had opportunities to prove himself. If he doesn’t do something special this season, I think the Jazz moves on.

Posted by Kira Argonova (https://www.sbnation.com/users/Kira%20Argonova) on Sep 9, 2021 | 11:08 AM (https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/9/9/22663154/which-jazz-player-will-breakout-this-season-donovan-mitchell-jared-butler-miye-oni-utah-jazz-gobert#544424820)


He was their 10th man. Obviously COTY loved him. Forrest is the only other guy he seemed to like and that was only when they got desperate

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/09/09/utah-jazz-redrafting-mitchell-draft/2/


The odds of him providing the type of play that’s typically expected of a number one overall pick, however, are beginning to look pretty slim. The Utah Jazz quite clearly landed a superior guard in Donovan Mitchell with their 13th overall selection.




remains to be seen. What if Fultz becomes a two way player?


The margins in this comparison are narrow, but in a make-or-miss league, Markkanen’s capacity to make from three-point range gives him an edge over his newfound teammate.




nah. Allen has all NBA potential


It’s been such a remarkable transition that its led some pundits to question whether Ball is something closer to a 3-and-D with playmaking ability rather than a pure point guard. Ball’s passing in the open floor is beyond reproach, but his limited athleticism and bag of offensive tricks have hampered his ability to create for himself and others in half court sets throughout his career thus far.




he's an old school pass first pg which there isn't much room for in today's game. He can defend and hit 3's though. Too bad about his dad


De’Aron Fox has not managed to best the VORP of 2.3 he posted in his sophomore campaign, but his Player Efficiency Rating (PER) has steadily risen since, from 18.1 to last season’s 20.7. That’s a mark that puts him in some elite company, hovering around guards like CJ McCollum, Chris Paul, and (you guessed it) Utah Jazz draft mate Donovan Mitchell.




As I've said there's other guys putting up similar numbers to Mitchell in the league who aren't being hyped since they aren't being carried by Gobert and now Conley


He simply isn’t as dominant an offensive weapon as the two players ranked ahead of him in this redraft, but make no mistake: Bam Adebayo is a star. His 14th overall selection in 2017 would have made him the steal of the draft, if not for the next player to be listed.




I'll take the guy that plays both ends


Defensive improvement may be the next step (https://thejnotes.com/2021/08/23/utah-jazz-donovan-mitchell-compete-mvp/) for Spida to take in order to achieve truly elite status in the league. That would be wonderful, but Coach Snyder will live with his mediocrity if he continues to produce at his current offensive level, let alone exceed it. Mitchell climbs 11 spots in this 2017 redraft, and his Utah Jazz end up with one of the best value 13th overall picks in NBA history.




I wish he was mediocre on D!


All told, the Utah Jazz guard and Tatum are separated by something closer to a hair than a gulf, but the point remains: in redrafting the 2017 NBA draft, Jayson Tatum earns the number one overall selection.










it's not close. At best Mitchell is 3rd on the list if you're not a homer

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/09/08/utah-jazz-forward-inks-deal-elsewhere/


Whether the solid but limited bruiser ends up benefitting the Celtics to a greater degree remains to be seen. Yet according to Brian Robb of Mass Live, Morgan will likely battle Jabari Parker (https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2021/09/celtics-sign-juwan-morgan-to-training-camp-deal-combo-forward-could-be-a-candidate-for-two-way-contract.html) in training camp for Boston’s final roster spot.





good shot at making the team it looks like!

[Xiao Yao You]

https://fansided.com/betsided/posts/jordan-clarkson-could-make-nba-history-this-season?utm_source=RSS

let's hope he is dumped!

[Xiao Yao You]

After being passed from NBA player to NBA player, this Woodland Hills home just traded hands for the third time in three years — this time for $3.7 million. The seller was NBA big man Thomas Bryant, (https://www.latimes.com/business/real-estate/story/2021-09-09/nbas-thomas-bryant-sells-woodland-hills-home-he-bought-from-ex-laker-teammate-jordan-clarkson) who bought it from his former teammate Jordan Clarkson for $3.25 million last summer. The pair played for the Lakers together during the 2017-18 season.
– via Jack Flemming @ Los Angeles Times (https://www.latimes.com/business/real-estate/story/2021-09-09/nbas-thomas-bryant-sells-woodland-hills-home-he-bought-from-ex-laker-teammate-jordan-clarkson)

[Xiao Yao You]

Donovan Mitchell is teaming with Clorox to help donate a million dollars to DonorsChoose, a non-profit organization that raises money for independent public school projects. (https://kslsports.com/467637/donovan-mitchell-teams-with-clorox-to-help-public-schools/) Mitchell discussed the initiative Wednesday on 97.5 The Zone. “Being able to have an appreciation for teachers, when you work with a brand like Clorox, when they reached out to us and said ‘This is what we want to do,’ I was like, ‘Man, this is fantastic,’” Mitchell said.
– via KSL Sports (https://kslsports.com/467637/donovan-mitchell-teams-with-clorox-to-help-public-schools/)



The Utah Jazz guard is the son of a school teacher and wanted to team with the Clorox brand to help give back. “We want to show our appreciation to teachers and with Clorox donating a million dollars to DonorChoose which helps cover, books, disinfectants, food, as well as Wi-Fi, for this virtual world we live in.” (https://kslsports.com/467637/donovan-mitchell-teams-with-clorox-to-help-public-schools/) Teachers often fund their classroom projects with money out of their own pocket, sometimes totaling upwards of $500-600 dollars according to Mitchell.
– via KSL Sports (https://kslsports.com/467637/donovan-mitchell-teams-with-clorox-to-help-public-schools/)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/467657/gobert-unveils-court-at-upcoming-rudy-gobert-academy/

sweet court!

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/467654/jordan-clarkson-shows-off-new-face-and-neck-tattoos/

not so sweet

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/9/10/22644510/2021-utah-jazz-player-profile-miye-oni-nba-nigeria


It was to my great surprise that the Jazz were able to draft him with the 58th overall pick in that draft, the third of three made in the 50s that night. And, surprisingly, Miye has done the best out of all of them - Justin Wright-Foreman, the 52nd pick, flamed out after just one year, and 55th pick Jarrell Brantley is still working on a two-way contract with the Jazz. Miye, on the other hand, has gone to become a bit player for the Jazz wing rotation, plugging in in the case of injuries and occasionally when the situation called for a defensive stopper. But his tremendous development has been on full display this summer, playing critical minutes in the 4th quarter representing Nigeria against the United States in their shocking pre-Olympic exhibition upset (https://kslsports.com/463186/utah-jazz-guard-miye-oni-nigeria-upset-damian-lillard-usa-basketball-in-exhibition/), sinking the three to put Nigeria up for good with about 6 minutes left, and a dribble-pull up to put Nigeria up 78-74.






Debatable if he's done the best. Brantley has certainly looked better with the Jazz and Stars since their first summer league. Wright Forman is still better than Hughes. He also did better than Oni with the Stars at least the first part of the year. He was their leading scorer. Non of it surprising except COTY falling for one guy and not others


What do I hope to see more of from Oni this season? I hope he is more aggressive with the ball, shooting open shots and driving hard to the rim. I was looking through his G-League footage and was shocked to see how hard this guy likes to dunk - I don’t think I’ve seen him do anything like this at the NBA level. Granted, the G-League competition isn’t quite as high, but Oni needs to have that same level of intensity and ferocity instead of settling for 90% of his shots as threes.





I'd say most of that is COTY wanting them to play a certain role and not deviate from it

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/09/10/utah-jazz-underrated-players-history/


Much of what was said about Byron Russell applies to Matt Harpring. He served the Utah Jazz from 2002-03 to 2008-09 as a gritty, defensive minded, floor-spacing wing. In many ways, Russell passed a torch to Harpring. Still, there were essential differences between the two.




hardly call a guy who's bread and butter was a short shot off of running a hook pattern a floor spcare. Hit the 3 his first year. Good player but one of those that Sloan fell in love with too much. A horrible commentator


From 1980-81 to 1984-85, Griffith averaged under 20 points per game once, scoring 19.8 per contest in his sophomore 1981-82 season. His mark of 22.6 in 1984-85 would be a career high. Griffith poured in such a high volume of points with an elite blend of ball handling and athleticism, allowing him to get to the basket with ease and deliver (you guessed it) electrifying dunks on a nightly basis.




He was not a good ball handler. It's something along with passing and D he improved at over the years though. Nice when you actually watched these guys before writing about them. Too bad Frank Layden preferred the stiff Hansen over Griffith :cry:


The late, great Mark Eaton is probably the most recognized name on this list. As a general rule, it’s difficult to forget any man who stands 7’4 and weighs 274 pounds. Nonetheless, he accomplished enough both on and off the court (https://thejnotes.com/2021/09/02/utah-jazz-mark-eaton-awarded/) that he deserves more recognition than he currently receives.








He was listed at 290 and might be the most overrated player ever. He sucked!


Inevitably, highly-talented players will enter and exit the NBA, and eventually become lost to history. Time has never lost a battle to memory. Nonetheless, these five NBA players deserve more recognition for their contributions to the Utah Jazz franchise.










Truck had a great season on a bad team

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/09/09/utah-jazz-donovan-mitchell-season-mantra/


“I think we need to come out with an edge — you know, a little fire in us. I think we’ve made our mark the past two years. Obviously, we didn’t do it necessarily winning in the playoffs. But I think we are at a point where teams know who we are. Teams are coming after us. Now, we gotta come out there with a fire in ourselves and be like, we’re here, this is who we are.”




when you play some D and pass the ball get back to us about fire

[Xiao Yao You]

It’s well known in league circles that all-star point guard Mike Conley Jr. and owner Ryan Smith are in the upper echelon when it comes to playing golf. But ever the competitor, Mitchell took some time away from the court this offseason to get better on the course, a feat he says he’s now accomplished. “My golf game is immaculate at this point. … There’s not many of us at the top of the golf game,” he said. (https://www.nba.com/jazz/roundball-roundup-donovan-mitchell-talks-golf-office-and-charity) “There’s a saying, and I’ve been saying it all summer, ‘it’s lonely at the top’. Hopefully Mike hears this too… and Ryan Smith. I’ve improved without a coach. … I take pride in that, that’s what makes me who I am on the golf course, exceptional.”
– via NBA.com (https://www.nba.com/jazz/roundball-roundup-donovan-mitchell-talks-golf-office-and-charity)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/467726/mailbag-do-the-jazz-have-a-small-ball-center/


I would be surprised to see Rudy Gay get many minutes at the center positions considering the Jazz already have 33 minutes penciled in for Rudy Gobert, and another 15 available to Hassan Whiteside and Udoka Azubuike.







exactly. He had the option the past two years and only went to it out of desperation because of injury


The same can be said for Whiteside who has a significantly better post-up game than Gobert, though I’m hesitant to believe Quin Snyder will deviate much from his offensive system to draw up back to the basket looks for Azubuike and Whiteside, especially in the playoffs when the Jazz have proven to need it most.



someone gets it though COTY isn't trying to get the Wizard fired anymore so maybe he will surprise us. He should be playing for his job


Eric Paschall could be another story, however. The big man played nearly 30 percent of his minutes last season at the center in Golden State after playing just two percent of his minutes there as a rookie.




Mitchell's bff so they will certainly try to get him minutes rather he deserves them or not


Considering Snyder, like most NBA coaches, has relied on a nine-man rotation, I think the initial belief that Paschall, Jared Butler, and Trent Forrest will struggle to find minutes every night is probably accurate.




but we can hope COTY gets smart and Clarkson is dumped and someone else takes those minutes


Let’s look at the Jazz depth chart entering training camp before we go any further.
PG: Mike Conley/Joe Ingles/Trent Forrest
SG: Donovan Mitchell/Jordan Clarkson/Jared Butler
F: Bojan Bogdanovic/Eric Paschall/Miye Oni/Elijah Hughes
F: Royce O’Neale/Rudy Gay/Jarrell Brantley
C: Rudy Gobert/Hassan Whiteside/Udoka Azubuike


Paschall at the 3? Ahead of Oni? Brantley won't make the team. Oni might not either if he moves down the depth chart


The Jazz are legitimately two-deep at the point guard, shooting guard, and either forward spot with proven NBA players (you can interchange Bojan Bogdanovic and Royce O’Neale as the team’s small forward or power forward) with Gay playing backup at the four.



Mitchell and Clarkson are your two deep at the 2 though. Bojan is no PF. Sadly O'Neale is


As for Forrest and Butler, I’d keep an eye on how liberally Snyder rests the top four players in his guard rotation next season. Conley, Mitchell, and Jordan Clarkson were all dealing with pronounced injuries during the playoffs last season, and Joe Ingles is coming off a summer filled with Olympic basketball.




Clarkson was hurt? How can you tell. He was shooting every time he touched it and missing most of them. Ingles needs a smaller role


Aiming to rest one of those players at least once a week could open up a ton of opportunity for both Forrest and Butler, both of who I believe can carve out a role in an NBA rotation.




Forrest on a two way unfortunately so he can't even be on the roster all year


He’s a two-time All-Star, a perennial top-20 scorer, one of the best playoff performers in basketball, and is only now scratching the surface of his enormous potential.



the best playoff performers win series because they do more than shoot a lot

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/467721/40-quin-snyder-and-the-utah-jazz-coaching-staff/


The Jazz coaching staff is headed by Snyder who enters his eighth season in Utah coming off his best year overseeing the team.




he's certainly gotten worse the past two years in the playoffs


Both running the 2021-22 season back with a nearly identical roster and not filling the role left vacant by Lindsey clears room for Snyder to have an even larger impact on the team’s fortunes.




scary thought

[Xiao Yao You]

Dave McMenamin: The Lakers hired John Lucas III to their coaching staff, (https://*********.com/social/) sources told ESPN. Lucas carved out a respectable journeyman NBA run at PG in a career that included stints in the G League, Europe and China. He joins LAL after coaching with MIN. … And he has some history with LeBron.

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/09/11/utah-jazz-locks-donovan-mitchell-pickup/


Last season, despite his second consecutive All-Star appearance, Donovan Mitchell missed out on millions in his contract as he somehow fell short of what would have been his first All-NBA nod (not counting 2017-18 All-Rookie honors).




somehow? not even one of the top two players on his own team

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/09/11/utah-jazz-ranking-team-division-rivals/


Do you love long, lanky playmakers? Aleksej Pokusevski loves you back, and recent 6th overall pick Josh Giddey would like a word too. Are 3-and-D wings more you speed? Luguentz Dort is already a folk hero, and his legend stands to grow. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is already a bonafide star, and if you’re just a diehard Utah Jazz fan, watching former longtime Jazzman Derrick Favors mentor this group should be enjoyable as well.




throwing around the star label lightly again. Stars win


The Minnesota Timberwolves have got the talent to outpace this ranking, especially given the uncertainty surrounding some of the other teams in the division. Jamal Murray may not play this season, and the Pups may have the goods to leapfrog the Denver Nuggets if he can’t. We’ve already mentioned Damian Lillard. The Portland Trailblazers will likely have to launch into a wholesale rebuild should he demand relocation before the season’s end.




no indication that Murray won't be back. Wolves aren't better than them or Portland anyway. Again stars win.


At least Anthony Edwards is extremely fun.




he gives them hope finally


If not for that pesky Jamal Murray injury, the debate between the Denver Nuggets and the Portland Trailblazers for the third spot in these rankings would be nonexistent. Instead, we’d be torn between the Nuggets and the Utah Jazz for the top spot in the Northwest Division.




not sure about that. I like what Portland has done. See if Billups can coach


In the meantime, this Portland Trail Blazers team has an opportunity to improve upon last season’s 42-30 performance. Swapping Derrick Jones Jr. for Larry Nance Jr. certainly qualifies as an upgrade. Portland will now have optionality, being able to run their own variation of the Golden State Warriors’ iconic Death Lineup with Lillard, McCollum and Norm Powell in a three-guard formation with Robert Covington and Larry Nance Jr. manning the front court.




yep. I see them as a dark horse behind the Jazz and Suns


Meanwhile, the Blazers still roster Jusuf Nurkic as a traditional center. They’ll be hoping he can return to his 2018-19 form after two injury-riddled seasons: that year, he posted a solid 2.8 Value Over Replacement Player (VORP) as a bruising inside scorer who can control the glass and defend the rim.




a great talent as well


Still, anyone questioning whether this Blazers team has enough to contend for the NBA championship (or even challenge the Utah Jazz in the Northwest Division) is asking the right questions. If they can’t, the solid-yet-unremarkable offseason additions of Nance Jr., Cody Zeller and Ben McLemore may not be enough to convince Dame to stay put.




didn't know they had Zeller. Nice insurance behind Nurkic


In fact, the Utah Jazz merit comparison to NBA teams outside of the Northwest Division. Questions about whether they can conquer the Los Angeles Lakers (https://thejnotes.com/2021/08/06/3-reasons-utah-jazz-counter-lakers/), Brooklyn Nets or reigning champion Milwaukee Bucks are entirely legitimate. Questions about whether they can beat the Portland Trail Blazers or Murray-less Denver Nuggets feel hollow.




Lakers? :facepalm

[Xiao Yao You]

“But now you’re adding back the jumping and the athleticism. The ankle feels good. I’ll be ready to go. I think last year definitely was shaky. (https://theathletic.com/2822106/2021/09/13/this-is-our-time-right-here-donovan-mitchell-on-jazz-bouncing-back-the-bright-side-of-injury-education-and-more/?source=rss) There were just so many different obstacles with the ankle and whatnot, but — like I said — no slight to Phoenix or Milwaukee or the Clippers, you know, (but) I feel like if we were healthy, you know, we, we get to the Finals. I feel like we (would) win, but you know it’s all easy when you say ifs, ands or buts. It’s easy to say that.”
– via Sam Amick @ The Athletic (https://theathletic.com/2822106/2021/09/13/this-is-our-time-right-here-donovan-mitchell-on-jazz-bouncing-back-the-bright-side-of-injury-education-and-more/?source=rss)



As we chronicled at the time, and as Mitchell discussed in our chat, he believed he was ready to play for the postseason opener. Then again, as he shared in detail, he was never quite the same after he returned and was forced to grow his game as a result. “I’ve kind of got to a point where I’m appreciative of the injury for myself,” Mitchell said. “For my personal growth on and off the floor, I think that injury really — and you know me, Sam, like I love jumping through, (https://theathletic.com/2822106/2021/09/13/this-is-our-time-right-here-donovan-mitchell-on-jazz-bouncing-back-the-bright-side-of-injury-education-and-more/?source=rss) around you or over you — (but) that injury kept me on the ground for the entire playoffs, and it allowed me to have to make decisions on the ground. Slow it down. Different things that really opened things up to (where) I was like, ‘OK, this is another level, (a) layer of my game that I can get to without (the athleticism).
– via Sam Amick @ The Athletic (https://theathletic.com/2822106/2021/09/13/this-is-our-time-right-here-donovan-mitchell-on-jazz-bouncing-back-the-bright-side-of-injury-education-and-more/?source=rss)





do the doctors think your ankle is good. That is what matters. Hopefully you learned that much

[Xiao Yao You]

Eric Walden: Utah Jazz have signed ex-Boise State forward Derrick Alston Jr. He averaged 17.0p, 3.7r, 2.2a for the Broncos last season. The 6-9, 190-pounder will be coming to training camp (https://*********.com/social/).
– via Twitter tribjazz (https://twitter.com/tribjazz)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/468023/37-utah-jazz-training-roster-camp-invitees/


But in total, the Jazz have 18 players under contract with the non-guaranteed deals of Jarrell Brantley, MaCio Teague, and Derrick Alston Jr. who signed with the team on Monday.




I wish people that wrote about the Jazz at least had a clue. Oni is non guaranteed. Brantley is partial. Teague is Exhibit 10 as I imagine Alston is too?

[Xiao Yao You]

Alykhan Bijani: As @Shams Charania mentions in the story, the #Rockets have held discussions with free-agent point guards in the marketplace in recent days. This includes Dante Exum (https://*********.com/social/).
– via Twitter Rockets_Insider (https://twitter.com/Rockets_Insider)





they never learn!

[Xiao Yao You]

The NBA G League today announced a new innovative format to its season structure featuring both a 36-game regular season and an expanded Showcase Cup, a 14-game tournament which begins on Friday, Nov. 5 (https://gleague.nba.com/news/nba-g-league-tips-off-2021-22-season-on-nov-5-with-innovative-new-format/) and then concludes at the annual NBA G League Winter Showcase from Dec. 19-22. The 2021-22 regular-season will then commence on Dec. 27 with traditional playoffs and the NBA G League Finals presented by YouTube TV in April 2022. The NBA G League today also released its complete game schedule for the full season for 2021-22 play.
– via gleague.nba.com (https://gleague.nba.com/news/nba-g-league-tips-off-2021-22-season-on-nov-5-with-innovative-new-format/)

[Xiao Yao You]

Igor Kokoskov’s status was uncertain since Serbia missed the Olympics and it came as no surprise that the Federation announced parting ways with the coach. (https://www.eurohoops.net/en/national-teams/1246349/igor-kokoskov-is-officially-no-longer-the-head-coach-of-serbia/) The two sides mutually agreed to the decision and the Serbian Federation will search for his replacement in the upcoming days. As already reported, Svetislav Pesic has been the main candidate for the position and has been willing to take the job as long as he can choose who to work with.
– via EuroHoops.net (https://www.eurohoops.net/en/national-teams/1246349/igor-kokoskov-is-officially-no-longer-the-head-coach-of-serbia/)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/2021/9/13/22665409/utah-jazz-insider-newsletter-havent-proven-theyre-more-than-a-second-round-team


The Lakers were bounced in the first round of the playoffs last season, but they were the reigning champions, and two of the best players in the world in LeBron James and Anthony Davis were injured when the postseason began. It’s understandable to believe that healthy they will be one of the best teams in the league. The Suns were the team that beat the Lakers and then went on to play in the finals. Those are the two Western Conference teams listed ahead of the Jazz in Stein’s rankings. That’s pretty good.



healthy matters. Unlikely the Lakers will be and you throw in Westrook. Good luck!

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/9/13/22654338/2021-utah-jazz-player-profile-jordan-clarkson-sixth-man-of-the-year


Clarkson is a pure scorer and he’s dang good at it. When the Jazz just need a bucket however they can get it, Clarkson is the man they often go to. He creates chances out of nowhere and then makes those shots.




too bad he misses so many more while his teammates stand around watching


To put his offensive impact in perspective, FiveThirtyEight’s RAPTOR puts Clarkson (+3.3 O-RAPTOR) above Devin Booker (+3.2). Now that’s not a universal claim of offensive metrics but B-Ball Index’s LEBRON has Clarkson’s offensive impact as the second best among “Secondary Ball-Handlers” behind Brandon Ingram so Clarkson is clearly among the better in the league on offense.





he's maybe the biggest gunner ever. Not efficient


Firstly, he’s a negative defender and has been all his career. Defensive metrics like Box Plus-Minus, RAPTOR and LEBRON all have Clarkson as a negative on that side of the ball. Cleaning the Glass’ on/off data paints Clarkson as a disaster on defense with the Jazz allowing 6.3 more points per 100 possessions with him on the court, a number in the 8th percentile.




luckily we can blame Gobert! :facepalm


Secondly, Clarkson’s 3-point shooting is not nearly effective enough for the volume he takes them at. Clarkson was the worst 3-point shooter in Utah’s regular rotation last year (with the obvious exception of Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors). This is not only true for raw 3-point percentage, but also catch-and-shoot percentages. And yet he was one of the league leaders in attempts from beyond the arc.




what a joke!


Whether Clarkson will once again reach 18 points per game is hard to say. If he increases his percentages Clarkson could reach 20 PPG. It’s also possible Bojan Bogdanovic has a resurgent year and cuts into Clarkson’s volume. And depending on how good Jared Butler is, Clarkson could have some of his part of the pie given to the rookie.




with any luck Bojan will take his place as 6th man and he'll be playing elsewhere


Clarkson is a lot of fun to watch when the crazy shots are falling, but he could really help the team out by being more selective with his field goal attempts.

Posted by Kira Argonova (https://www.sbnation.com/users/Kira%20Argonova) on Sep 14, 2021 | 9:40 AM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/9/13/22654338/2021-utah-jazz-player-profile-jordan-clarkson-sixth-man-of-the-year#544573860)


I don't enjoy watching him no matter how many shots he's hitting



Snyder has no other plans/schemes/strategies to adjust to



Posted by statpower (https://www.sbnation.com/users/statpower) on Sep 14, 2021 | 6:38 PM (https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/9/13/22654338/2021-utah-jazz-player-profile-jordan-clarkson-sixth-man-of-the-year#544590499)


give that man an extension already! :lol

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/9/14/22672144/utah-jazz-what-if-alternate-realities

they wouldn't be in Utah. Already had a better player in Dantley


What if the Jazz decided not to trade him? Sharing the court with Adrian Dantley might not have been the most natural fit, and he likely would have gotten fewer touches as a rookie, but Wilkins would have earned plenty of minutes and touches very quickly. Wilkins was averaging 30 points per game by his fourth season in Atlanta. He would have blossomed similarly in Utah, and the Jazz would have been a better team. The big question then becomes, do the Jazz become too good in his first couple of seasons?




debatable if they become a better team


But, just for argument’s sake, what if Malone and Stockton somehow did end up joining The Human Highlight Film in Utah? Well, Dominique answered that question himself in a 2018 interview with Eric Woodyard (https://www.deseret.com/2018/1/23/20625362/former-jazz-pick-dominique-wilkins-feels-he-could-ve-won-titles-playing-with-stockton-and-malone#former-atlanta-hawks-star-and-nba-hall-of-famer-dominique-wilkins-greets-fans-in-front-of-a-recently-unveiled-statue-of-himself-outside-the-philips-arena-before-an-nba-between-the-hawks-and-cleveland-cavaliers-friday-march-6-2015-in-atlanta-ap-photo-john-bazemore); “Playing with Stockton and Malone, we probably could’ve won a few championships,” Wilkins said. “Not probably, we would’ve, but again, things happen in life for a reason, and you’ve got to take what cards are dealt...”




doubtful. One of the most overrated players ever


Of course, we can’t see the alternate reality in which Magic Johnson played for the Jazz, so we don’t know exactly what would have happened, but we can guess. I’d think that both the Dantley trade and the King trade still happen. The Lakers were disappointed with Dantley’s decreased production since joining them and wanted a strong role player in exchange. The Jazz would have still had interest in both Dantley and King, as they were both in their early twenties at the time and would have fit Johnson’s timeline. King likely still would have struggled in his short time with the Jazz and moved on right away, leaving the Jazz as a franchise new to Utah, with a bright future, boasting two young stars in Dantley and Johnson.




you have no idea. Those guys make much less sense with Magic


From that foundation, Jazz history would be drastically changed. There’s no way to predict who would have joined forces with Magic and AD, but that’s a core that could have won multiple titles.




Magic is probably playing for titles regardless. who or where is the only questions


Before we get into the scenario in which Hayward stays, let's first look at what would happen if he still chose Boston, but he made his decision quicker. Hayward’s now-infamous indecision cost Utah multiple opportunities. Most notably, Utah was in serious talks with All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry. According to the Salt Lake Tribune (https://www.sltrib.com/sports/2018/11/08/gordon-hayward-is-back/), “the Jazz spoke extensively to Toronto point guard Kyle Lowry’s representatives about bringing the All-Star point guard to Utah. After those discussions, the Jazz felt confident about their ability to land Lowry but chose to pull out of any potential deal because signing Lowry would have required cap space earmarked for the Hayward.”








They'd already traded for Rubio so I call bullshit on this one


The Jazz of the last two seasons could have boasted a core of Conley, Mitchell, Hayward, and Gobert. Four All-Stars. In this reality, Utah would have had two really great chances at titles in 2019-20 and 2020-21.




stupid to even talk about. He didn't want to be here


What if the Utah Jazz had drafted Tony Parker?



didn't fit. Lopez did


There are so many more ‘what ifs’ we could go through. What if the two infamous shot clock calls in Game 6 of the 1998 Finals were called correctly? What if Utah drafted Chris Paul instead of Deron Williams? What if Mike Conley made the buzzer-beater in Game 7 against Denver? We could go on and on.




what if COTY makes adjustments. What if Miller spends money. What if Mitchell plays D? What if Sloan gets fired for not getting the job done?


What if Luther Wright wasn’t addicted to drugs?
After Mark Eaton’s back began giving him problems, his production dropped and his career was cut short. The Jazz spent the next 25 seasons wishing they had a decent center.
But they had drafted one! In 1993, right at the end of Eaton’s career, the Jazz drafted Luther Wright with the 18th pick. The man was huge, 7’2" and 325 lbs. Unfortunately, drug addiction and mental health problems resulted in him only playing 92 minutes in the NBA. He lived in a mental institution and then on the streets. His foot got frostbite and was amputated.
That’s a big What If? not only for the Jazz, but for the man himself. His life could have been so different.
John Stockton never mentioned Wright by name in his autobiography (Assisted), but he tells a story of a teammate coming to practice and telling the team that if someone offered him a million bucks or a handful of narcotics, he’d take the drugs. He told the team he couldn’t play anymore and left.

Posted by Kira Argonova (https://www.sbnation.com/users/Kira%20Argonova) on Sep 14, 2021 | 11:53 AM (https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/9/14/22672144/utah-jazz-what-if-alternate-realities#544578093)


Wright sucked. Eaton sucked. Got better once he was done.


I prefer a what if scenario where Larry Miller was not so cheap
and he paid a little extra to bring someone to help two potential dynasties that never happened
The Stockton and Deron Williams

Posted by statpower (https://www.sbnation.com/users/statpower) on Sep 14, 2021 | 6:35 PM (https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/9/14/22672144/utah-jazz-what-if-alternate-realities#544590397)


someone was paying attention

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/09/14/utah-jazz-reacting-nba-2k22-rating/


Utah Jazz guard Trent Forrest2K rating: 69
No major surprises on this slide, where we’ll be covering the five lowest rated members of the Utah Jazz. Trent Forrest simply hasn’t had a ton of opportunity to showcase his abilities in the NBA, which is reflected in his low 69 overall 2K22 rating. Should Forrest find any opportunity to crack Quin Snyder’s regular rotation this season, it’s possible he’ll be able to leverage his passing ability into a few more 2K playmaking badges.
Utah Jazz guard Elijah Hughes2K rating: 69
Hughes’ player archetype designation in NBA 2K22 is “Prospect”, which is effectively a code for “unknown entity”. The Utah Jazz will be hoping that Hughes finds an opportunity to establish what his skill set really is at the professional level, but he’ll need a fair amount of luck for that to happen. It’s hard to argue with his 2K rating, as he has not been in a position to give the game’s developers any reason to rate him any higher.
Utah Jazz forward Jarrell Brantley2k rating: 70
Brantley is the first Utah Jazz player to venture past the 70 overall benchmark. While Brantley has also received limited run over the course of his first two seasons in the NBA, he likely receives a rating boost for his solid defense (107 Defensive Rating, 1.6 Defensive Box Plus/Minus last season) and general athleticism. Advanced metrics are always deserving of scrutiny when applied to low-usage, low-minute players like Brantley, but his 16.6 Player Efficiency Rating (PER) from the 2020-21 season does raise eyebrows.
Utah Jazz guard Miye Oni2k rating: 70
If you’re somewhat surprised to see Oni get the 70 overall nod over teammates like Trent Forrest and Elijah Hughes, you’re not alone. Nothing in Oni’s statistical profile suggests that he’s worthy of a higher rating than either, as he has also played in an extremely limited capacity over the past two seasons for the Utah Jazz. It’s possible that his solid career 34.6% accuracy from three-point range factors into his overall NBA 2K22 rating.
Utah Jazz center Udoka Azubuike2K rating: 70


Forrest should be higher than everyone there. Oni next, Then Brantley. Then Udoka way back from him and than Hughes with the lowest possible


If you’re somewhat surprised to see Oni get the 70 overall nod over teammates like Trent Forrest and Elijah Hughes, you’re not alone. Nothing in Oni’s statistical profile suggests that he’s worthy of a higher rating than either, as he has also played in an extremely limited capacity over the past two seasons for the Utah Jazz. It’s possible that his solid career 34.6% accuracy from three-point range factors into his overall NBA 2K22 rating.






nothing except actually playing


Utah Jazz guard Jared Butler2K rating: 70
Rookies are just harder for 2K to rate than any other type of player, as the developers don’t have the season prior to use as a frame of reference. If anything, Butler’s 70 overall rating is on the high end of any reasonable expectation for a 40th overall pick heading into their rookie season. Butler gets a decent rating for his solid, dependable, low maintenance style of play.


unproven guy getting as good or better than proven


Utah Jazz forward Royce O’Neale
2k rating: 76
Here, see a major leap forward for this Utah Jazz roster, as O’Neale is the first member of the team to crack the 75 overall threshold. We actually predicted that 2K was likely to underrate O’Neale some (https://thejnotes.com/2021/08/18/utah-jazz-predicting-nba-2k22-rating/4/), as his value is predicated on intangibles, intensity and effort more than the game’s more highly rated players. His 76 overall rating is well-deserved vindication for both O’Neale and fans of the Utah Jazz in general.
Utah Jazz forward Eric Paschall2k rating: 76
One interesting note about Paschall to come from the 2K world is his listing as a power forward/center. It seems that at least NBA 2K22 has bought into the notion that Paschall’s secondary position is small-ball 5. We’ve written about Utah’s need for such a player fairly extensively. Otherewise, Paschall earns a 76 overall rating as a versatile inside-out scorer who would have earned a higher grade with a stronger defensive presence.
Utah Jazz forward Bojan Bogdanovic2k rating: 77
Bojan Bogdanovic is simply too significant of an offensive force for the Utah Jazz to earn a rating any lower than the 77 he’s received. In spite of a marginal slippage in three-point volume and accuracy last season (39% on 6.4 attempts per game, down from 41.4% on 7.3 in 2019-20) Bogdanovic still likely receives a well-deserved A to A+ in three-point shooting, which enhances his rating. Throw in some shot creation badges, and Bogey finishes with a solid rating in spite of some likely mediocre defensive ratings.
Utah Jazz center Hassan Whiteside2K rating: 78
Whiteside is the first member of the Utah Jazz that we might venture to speculate is overrated in NBA 2K22. His per 36 minute averages of 19.3 points, 14.2 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game are right in-line with his career averages. The issue is, we’ve reached the point in Whiteside’s career where his per 36 minutes numbers require significant extrapolation. Whiteside doesn’t see the floor time that he used to because frankly, he’s not a consistently reliable on-court decision maker. He’s still an ultra-effective rebounder and shot-blocker, which likely earns him this 78 overall rating.


hilarious that any of them are ahead of O'Neale. Arguably the 3rd most important player on the Jazz


Utah Jazz guard Mike Conley Jr.2K rating: 83
Mike Conley Jr.’s 2K rating is pretty reflective of his real-life standing in the National Basketball Association: possibly underrated (https://thejnotes.com/2021/08/09/utah-jazz-mike-conley-best-value-signing/), but highly rated enough that it’s not outrageous either. As a 33-year old, it’s possible that Conley is a victim of some presumed regression in terms of his overall 2K rating. Father time, as they say, is undefeated, but Conley Jr. and the Utah Jazz will be hoping he can hold off his advances for one more season by playing at closer to the 85-87 level he’s reached at times throughout his career.
Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert2K rating: 88
That Gobert manages to earn a rating commensurate to an All-NBA caliber player in spite of his absolute 0 three-point shooting speaks volumes about the value of his defensive presence. Frankly though, that shouldn’t be a surprise. Gobert is, after all, a four-time All-NBA Team member. He’ll protect the rim and collect rebounds more effectively than just about anybody in NBA 2K22, and rightfully so.
Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell2K rating: 88
Finally, Donovan Mitchell receives the same rating as his longtime running mate Gobert. Arguably, Mitchell has more room to upgrade this rating as the season passes. He’s considerably younger, and it feels more likely that he’ll make strides on defense than it does that Gobert will develop a reliable shooting touch. Regardless, 88 is a significantly high rating, and Mitchell earns it as the hub of this Utah Jazz offense. His 26.4 points per game from the 2020-21 season make him one of the most effective scoring guards in the National Basketball Association.


Mitchell ahead of Conley and up with Gobert! :lol
Mitchelll will improve his D? :facepalm

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/09/13/utah-jazz-donovan-mitchell-steph-curry/

rather see him play D and pass the ball

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/09/13/ranking-utah-jazz-player-25/


5. Utah Jazz forward Elijah Hughes



ahead of Oni! :roll:


With averages of 16.0 points and 3.1 assists per game, Butler was the most important player on national title winning Baylor. He’ll undoubtably be hoping to win big prizes at the NBA level as well. With a potential vacancy in Quin Snyder’s guard rotation (https://thejnotes.com/2021/08/10/utah-jazz-free-agency-3-guards-rotation/), Butler may have the opportunity to pursue those goals as a rotation player sooner rather than later.




what vacancy?


Azubuike is a rare athletic force in need of polish. Hopefully, he’ll learn from recently acquired Utah Jazz veteran Hassan Whiteside (https://thejnotes.com/2021/08/04/utah-jazz-free-agency-hassan-whiteside/) this season, who was once a raw, athletic big man himself.




Hassan isn't the guy you want him emulating!

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/09/13/utah-jazz-one-goal-every-player-starting/4/


Utah Jazz forward Royce O’Neale2021-22 Goal: develop shot creation


needs to keep doing what he's doing and play on the wing and shoot more when he's open


Sometimes, defensive negligence arises out of the need to preserve energy, and that may hold true in Mitchell’s case, as he scored a team-leading 26.4 points per game for the Utah Jazz last season. Ultimately, it’s that kind of offensive creation that elevates Mitchell to the position of being the most important player on his team.




better hope Gobert doesn't get hurt. You'll see who's most important if you aren't smart enough to know now :facepalm

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/468058/36-jazz-wing-elijah-hughes/

looks like you shouldn't have went with 50 if you need this scrub to fill space


In Utah, however, Hughes has been asked to adopt a different role, primarily focusing on his shooting and defense, neither of which were his leading strengths at Syracuse.



yeah once again he made little sense. A two year guaranteed deal even less


Hughes did see a significant improvement in his efficiency during summer league with the Jazz when he shot a much more promising 41 percent from the floor and 36 percent from the three-point line. The former Syracuse star also averaged (https://www.nba.com/summer-league/2021/vegas/player-stats) 14 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists over the summer (https://kslsports.com/466207/what-we-did-and-didnt-learn-from-jazz-summer-league/).




very unimpressive still


With an impressive 6-foot-5 frame and a 6-foot-7 wingspan, Hughes has the size to be a 3-and-D contributor for the Jazz. Whether or not gets there comes in at number 36 in the KSL Sports 50 story countdown to opening night.



average wingspan. Not a great shooter. :cry:

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/468041/salt-lake-city-stars-unveil-schedule-g-league-tournament/

The Stars finished with the second-worst record in Orlando winning just four of their 15 games.
part was Udoka was hurt in first game and Hughes was hurt and sucked. No Forrest, Morgan, Oni etc.


The 30 teams have been split up into four regional divisions where each team will play 12 games. Teams will face off in back-to-back matchups to limit travel requirements, and the teams with the best winning percentage in each region will get automatic bids to compete for the Showcase Cup.




time for every NBA team to have an affiliate and a true minor league

[Xiao Yao You]

Tim MacMahon: Sources: Rockets and PG Dante Exum are close to agreeing to creatively structured deal that would be three years, nonguaranteed and heavy on incentives that fall under “likely bonuses” definition. Deal would be worth up to about $15M, roughly half of which would be incentives (https://*********.com/social/).
– via Twitter espn_macmahon (https://twitter.com/espn_macmahon)





how does he keep getting paid? :facepalm

[Xiao Yao You]

Tim MacMahon: Because the incentives would officially be considered likely bonuses, they would be included in outgoing salary if Dante Exum were to be traded. Per sources, incentives discussed are based on Exum’s average minutes and plus-minus in games played (https://*********.com/social/).
– via Twitter espn_macmahon (https://twitter.com/espn_macmahon)




he might owe them money with those incentives! :lol

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/468088/35-three-jazz-players-after-the-olympics/


Additionally, how does the satisfaction of winning a bronze medal for Australia change Ingles outlook on his future as a professional basketball player heading into the final season of his contract? And, is Gobert motivated by falling just short of Olympic gold?




Gobert is always motivated

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/468078/jazz-practice-facility-gets-black-and-white-makeover/

black jerseys!

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/9/15/22656377/2021-utah-jazz-player-profile-eric-paschall-draymond-green-nba-steph-curry-donovan-mitchell


In Utah, Paschall might finally get opportunity to play the ‘Draymond Role’




but Draymond plays d


He is not, however, all that comparable to 6x All-Defensive team and former DPOY Draymond Green, who is a generational defensive talent. That’s not a knock on Paschall, who is a more than capable utility defender who should be a significant upgrade to the Jazz defense over Juwan Morgan or Georges Niang.




a guy that was benched for not playing D is better than guys taht have actually shown they can play D?


With the Jazz, Paschall will likely always share the floor with at least one of Donovan Mitchell, Mike Conley, Joe Ingles, or Jordan Clarkson. The combination of gravity created by Utah’s elite-shooting guards, and the lob threats posed by Rudy Gobert and Hassan Whiteside will create the perfect eco-system for Paschall to feast on defenses the way Draymond does.




elite?


But we know Paschall’s a capable defender and passer. He’s comfortable in the pick & roll as both the ball-handler and screener. He’s not a great shooter, but should get plenty of opportunity to develop his shot in Quin Snyder’s “shoot the ****ing ball” offense. And unless Rudy Gay at 35, is still good enough to command the bulk of the backup power forward minutes, Paschall should get the opportunity to play alongside a heliocentric guard and a traditional lob-threat big.




he was benched because of D. How do we know he's capable exactly?

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/9/15/22673305/opportunity-abounds-for-the-utah-jazz-in-scoring-volume


On one hand, why shouldn’t they be. They returned all of their core pieces and added several around the edges to fill versatility and defensive needs.




because of COTY and Clarkson?

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/09/15/utah-jazz-snags-promising-young-prospect/


Seeing that insiders seem to believe Derrick Alston Jr.’s deal is just of the Exhibit 10 variety, there’s no telling if he’ll be on the Jazz roster when opening day arrives. In other words, all he has at this juncture is a training camp invite.




almost guaranteed he won't unless he gets the 2nd two way which looks like it may be up for grabs in camp for the first time. Hello Stars!

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/09/15/utah-jazz-best-trade-denver-nuggets/


Ironically, the Nuggets also drafted Donovan Mitchell and traded him to the Jazz (https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2707115-donovan-mitchell-picked-no-13-in-nba-draft-nuggets-to-trade-him-to-jazz) on draft night. Utah Jazz (http://www.thejnotes.com/) fans owe the Denver Nuggets a debt of gratitude for almost single-handedly building the foundation of this current iteration of their team. However, the Jazz did part with Trey Lyles and Tyler Lydon in that exchange: a small price to pay, to be sure, but Lyles has had a considerably more successful NBA career than Erick Green.





more importantly Gobert has carried the franchise for almost 7 years while the best player in franchise history hasn't

[Xiao Yao You]

https://sircharlesincharge.com/2021/09/14/utah-jazz-mitchell-narrative-change/


In a recent interview with The Athletic (subscription required) (https://theathletic.com/2822106/2021/09/13/this-is-our-time-right-here-donovan-mitchell-on-jazz-bouncing-back-the-bright-side-of-injury-education-and-more/?source=rss), Mitchell talked about his journey with his ankle injury and how difficult it became to play like his normal self in the postseason. He noted how he was healthy now and ready to make a run to the NBA Finals – one that he believed the team should’ve made last season before injuries took their toll on the team in the postseason.




Mitchell team healthy or Jazz doctors and trainers healthy?

[Xiao Yao You]

Andy Larsen: The Jazz waived Jarrell Brantley, which will cost them about $84K after he picked up the qualifying offer this summer (https://*********.com/social/).
– via Twitter andyblarsen (https://twitter.com/andyblarsen)




should have just done this earlier so he could catch on with someone else. Good luck to him. He could have helped them sadly

[Xiao Yao You]

Tony Jones: The Utah Jazz and Jarrell Brantley worked together in what was an amicable parting of ways, league sources tell The Athletic. According to sources, Brantley has a euroleague job lined up in the seven figure guaranteed range. Gives him security and the chance to play (https://*********.com/social/).
– via Twitter Tjonesonthenba (https://twitter.com/Tjonesonthenba)





good for him. He very well might end up being one of the best players over there. He's got game

[Xiao Yao You]

Orazio Cauchi: Forward Jarrell Brantley, who was waived by the Utah Jazz, is close to signing a deal with Euroleague side UNICS Kazan, (https://*********.com/social/) according to a source. Brantley was the 50th pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. More on @BasketNews_com
– via Twitter paxer89 (https://twitter.com/paxer89)





Euroleague! :applause:

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/468179/jazz-waive-jarrell-brantley/


During the offseason, the Jazz signed Rudy Gay and traded for forward Eric Paschall which created a numbers crunch behind Bojan Bogdanovic and Royce O’Neale.







Lost Niang, Ersan, Morgan so not really

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/468148/34-jazz-living-in-the-luxury-tax/


For example, if a team is $0-5 million over the tax, the luxury tax is a $1.50 penalty for each dollar. That climbs to $1.75 between $5-10 million, and so on. Additionally, there’s a tax for teams that repeatedly find themselves above the tax.




which right now it appears the Jazz will likely pay at some point. They should have got under the tax last year for that reason. Were too close not to


Jordan Clarkson – $12.4 million = $30.1 million in savings

and a much better team besides!


While each player has proven to be a critical piece of the team’s success, if the Jazz find themselves dramatically underperforming expectations or if any one of Eric Paschall, Rudy Gay, Trent Forrest, or Jared Butler find themselves deserving of increased rotation minutes off the bench, the Jazz could move one of Bogdanovic, Ingles, Clarkson, or O’Neale resulting in significant savings.




what is underperforming if COTY loves you though?

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/468146/shaq-jazz-biggest-threat-to-lakers-in-west/


SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Shaquille O’Neal turned some heads during his appearance on ESPN’s First Take with Stephen A. Smith. Shaq told Smith that the Utah Jazz were the biggest threat to the Los Angeles Lakers championship hopes in the West this upcoming season.




Should be Suns and Jazz. I see Portland as the darkhorse. Lakers time has come and gone


“That’s it,” Mitchell said. “I’ve been hearing that since my rookie year. You know, I’m just gonna get better and do what I do.”




wish you'd do things you don't do like play d and pass the ball

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/2021/9/17/22666215/utah-jazz-insiders-newsletter-offseason-coaching-additions-erdem-can-irv-roland


Throughout his career, which also includes individual training, Roland’s calling card has been his one-on-one development with players like Kevin Durant, Trae Young and James Harden. ESPN once called Roland Harden’s secret weapon (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-64CYEK1q54).




sounds like they got a good one maybe?

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/latest-utah-jazz-news-recent/2021/9/16/22678420/utah-jazz-waive-jarrell-brantley-nba-roster


Brantley is an interesting prospect because he brings great physical tools and athleticism at the 4-spot. Brantley has a good handle that he combines with great strength and athleticism that he showed off in the G-League. That talent hasn’t really translated to NBA games and the Jazz appear ready to cut their losses and move on to different prospects.




actually it has translated in the few chances he got. Too bad about COTY


It’s a good reminder that making it in the league is hard and time is short. Wherever Brantley goes, hopefully he gets a chance to play and show what he can do. The things he’ll have to do is cut down on the turnovers and become more consistent with his shooting. If he can do those things I can definitely see him find a place in the league.





a better reminder that the NBA isn't the only place willing to pay


https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-IW7SZdqgTRs4bSfQubNn-IlMqA=/512x512/cdn.vox-cdn.com/profile_images/5819036/IMG-1611__1_..jpg



I like what the Jazz have done with restocking their young prospects. Two years ago, the young talent on the team (Outside of Mitchell) was:



Brantley, Oni, Wright-Foreman, Bradley, Tucker, Morgan.



Today, the young talent is:



Butler, Azubuike, Paschall, Oni, Hughes, Forrest.




all those mentioned first are better than Hughes. Remains to be seen how good any of those other guys are. Forrest looks the best but he needs to be able to hit open shots at at least a decent rate. Bradley better than Udoka until proven otherwise. Morgan and Brantley better than Paschall until proven otherwise. Brantley better than Oni. Tucker probably was too. Butler might suck


https://www.sbnation.com/images/sbn/placeholders/profile/large.png



reply In reply to Calvin Chappell
I'm way happy for him getting that kind of money and a chance to play. He's a hard worker and I hope they give him a SL invite in a year or 2 to see if/how he's improved.




if he's smart he's done with Utah


Dante close to signing a 3 year $15 million non guaranteed deal with Houston. Good for him. Sounds reasonable. He looked great in the Olympics. Hope he can stay healthy but .....

looked like the same crappy Dante to me when I saw him. Hard to believe he is getting paid again


Cool. That's a great place for him. He can at least get some playing time.

he can? Couldn't last year


I still remember the breakout game he had in OKC where he finally got 22 minutes playing time. 4/5 FG and 2/3 from 3. He was so happy and refreshing in his post game interview.



But DWade arrived and Donny got hurt next game and he got a DNP Coach's Decision.. Like seriously WTH? Then super short handed against the Lakers and he gets like 6 minutes. Like double WTH.



Guy busts his butt for 2 years. Waits patiently for an opportunity. Plays great when finally gets a game when he gets real minutes. I know OKC but still. And then gets a DNP. And 6 minutes with no Mike or Donny. I thought was horrendous player management by Q at the time and still do.



Seeing how the team wore down down by the end of the year and injuries killed our backcourt it was a stretch where he could easily have played 20 to 25 minutes a game and really seen what he could do. And saved a lot of wear and tear on Joe and JC.



He might have bombed but we will never know. He could have turned into another Dort or Royce too. I hope he gets a real shot somewhere else.


someone gets it. Shut down Derozan in the bubble too. Guy has game


https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/bx3kvDmALTJ8hgAnjR-LDMPBJLA=/512x512/cdn.vox-cdn.com/profile_images/6602991/Jerry-Sloan..jpg



Making room for someone else?




another exhibit 10 maybe

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/09/17/utah-jazz-ranking-challengers-west/2/


Luka Doncic is a special talent, and the best player between the Utah Jazz and the Dallas Mavericks. His team simply does not have the firepower to pose a true threat to the Jazzmen.



wasn't impressed last year and they downgraded their coach


Meanwhile, the Jazz face no such uncertainty. They enter the 2021-22 season with a deep, talented roster of seemingly satisfied players. Furthermore, as much as the Blazers made incremental improvements this offseason, it feels unlikely that they did enough to overcome the 10-win advantage the Utah Jazz enjoyed over them last season.




new coach and Nance. Watch out!


We’ve already made the argument that the Utah Jazz may be specifically designed (https://thejnotes.com/2021/08/06/3-reasons-utah-jazz-counter-lakers/) to counter the ultra-talented, veteran-heavy Los Angeles Lakers. Having said that: good god, are these Los Angeles Lakers talented.




talented or old?


The addition of human triple-double Russell Westbrook to a squad already featuring GOAT candidate LeBron James and elite big man Anthony Davis feels like an occurrence you might deem unrealistic in NBA 2K22. One wonders whether this offseason development finally confirms that yes, we do live in a simulation. Regardless, it happened, and it’s terrifying.




terrifying?


His cuts to the basket can be devastatingly effective, but that feels like a part-time answer. Ultimately, modern NBA teams tend to run, at a minimum, four-out spacing. That would necessitate a full-time switch to the 5 for Anthony Davis, a move he’s allegedly willing to make (https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2021/7/30/22601457/anthony-davis-told-russell-westbrook-hed-play-center-more-make-trade-work-lebron-james-lakers): however, with Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan both on the roster, it remains difficult to picture these pieces fitting together.




Davis needs to play the 5 but he's always hurt and Lebron has been for the past 3 years and Westbrook doesn't fit. Good luck!

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/09/17/utah-jazz-waive-promising-young-forward/


Brantley had accepted a qualifying offer of $1.6m in early August, meaning that the Jazz will only take a cap hit of $84,414, per Bobby Mark of ESPN (https://twitter.com/BobbyMarks42/status/1438616105791152136).





plus tax


Over the 37 games in which Jarrell Brantley appeared with the Utah Jazz, he flashed potential. He was simply in need of too much developmental attention for a contending team to provide. Hopefully, he’ll find an opportunity in the NBA with a team in a better position to roster him.







all he needed was a coach with a clue

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/09/16/utah-jazz-best-trade-timberwolves/

:roll:

I'd call it one of the worst trades they ever made. 3 firsts for a black hole! :facepalm

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/09/16/utah-jazz-star-bold-claim/


Here’s hoping for a clean slate of health for Donovan Mitchell and the Utah Jazz in 2021-22. It could give him an opportunity to make-good on this bold claim.







let's hope he listens to the doctors, plays D and passes the ball

[Xiao Yao You]

“You want to make opponents make adjustments. Him at the five shooting three is going to pull Gobert out and they’re going to have to put somebody small on him and he can take advantage of that. I think he needs to look at what position best suits the team and what position best suits how they wanna play before he just says ‘Ahh, one or the other.’” (https://www.talkbasket.net/133109-james-worthy-on-anthony-davis-moving-to-center-position-for-lakers?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+talkbasket%2Frss+%28TalkBaske t.net%29)
– via TalkBasket (https://www.talkbasket.net/133109-james-worthy-on-anthony-davis-moving-to-center-position-for-lakers?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+talkbasket%2Frss+%28TalkBaske t.net%29)





good luck

[Xiao Yao You]

Brian Windhorst on candidates to coach Team USA: I would say Steve Kerr, who’s been an assistant the last few years, Erik Spoelstra, who did some work with the team earlier this summer with coaching, selecting, and I think Monty Williams will present himself as a strong candidate as well, (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdDmOqdUwL4) if he wants the job going forward. Also, there is an advantage of having a college coach, because he’s sort of a neutral party. And they if they took that route, you might see Jay Wright.
– via YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdDmOqdUwL4)





no COTY? He's supposedly one of the best and has Euro experience

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/468208/32-jazz-ridiculous-three-point-shooting/


Jazz Ridiculous Three-Point Shooting



ridiculous that their worst shooter took the most 3's


Throughout last season, Jazz coach Quin Snyder discussed the revelation he had during the 2020 NBA playoffs in the Orlando bubble when without Bojan Bogdanovic, the team’s best shooter, the Jazz had to be willing to have a quicker trigger from the three-point line to make up star shooters absence.






star?


Royce O’Neale, Donovan Mitchell, and Bojan Bogdanovic each shot between 38-39 percent, while Mike Conley, Georges Niang, and Joe Ingles shooting better than 40 percent.




goodbye Gerorges!


Furthermore, Gay shoots the three less than half as often as Niang has during his career. While Niang had his deficiencies on the floor, his three-point shooting wasn’t one of them.



Gay will shoot more of them this year


Ingles saw the most dramatic leap climbing from just under 40 percent two seasons ago to 45 percent last year. Mitchell’s shooting increased by two percent, while Conley’s increased by four points.




was at 44 + two years in a row


Newcomer Eric Paschall saw his three-point shooting jump to 33 percent last season in Golden State, a number the Jazz would like to see continue to grow. Meanwhile, rookie Jared Butler was one of the best shooters in the draft knocking down 41 percent of his three-point attempts at Baylor last season on a healthy 6.2 attempts.




will they play?


Though Jordan Clarkson has earned the nickname “Flamethrower” due to his ability to scorch the nets, the guard shot just 34 percent from three last year, a dip from his previous two seasons, and another area where the Jazz could see improvement.




more likely to drop. You forget he started the season over 40%. He was horrendous in the final months

[Xiao Yao You]

Virtus Bologna’s win over LBA newcomer Tortona in SuperCup Quarterfinal game yesterday night was overshadowed by a serious injury occurred to Nigerian center Ekpe Udoh, who appears to have injured his patellar tendon in a no-contact situation. (https://sportando.basketball/en/ekpe-udoh-suffers-possible-patellar-tendon-injury-in-virtus-bologna-supercup-game-vs-tortona/) Former Fenerbahce center was taken out of the court in a stretcher and after the game coach Sergio Scariolo confirmed the seriousness of the injury, adding that the team will look for a replacement in the market: “He’s our cornerstone, both on attack and on defense. It’s dramatic, I hope that it serves to understand that you need to respect the players. Here there are stickers on the court everywhere, in the NBA it’s not the case. We will look for a replacement”.
– via Sportando
(https://sportando.basketball/en/ekpe-udoh-suffers-possible-patellar-tendon-injury-in-virtus-bologna-supercup-game-vs-tortona/)




“We are in shock and worried,” Scariolo said after the game on Udoh’s injury. (https://www.eurohoops.net/en/legabasket/1247913/scariolo-speaks-against-court-stickers-after-udohs-injury/) The Italian coach spoke against the use of slippery stickers on basketball floors which have often caused players to hurt themselves.
– via EuroHoops.net (https://www.eurohoops.net/en/legabasket/1247913/scariolo-speaks-against-court-stickers-after-udohs-injury/)

[Xiao Yao You]

However, if you ask former Suns forward Matt Barnes, the Suns aren’t favored to make it back to the Finals. In an episode of “The Jump”, Barnes had this to say. (via Fadeaway World, NBA on ESPN YouTube): “Love CP! Love Book! Experience is the best teacher and they have that now. But if the West is healthy, it’s going to be loaded, and it’s going to be tough [for the Suns] to get out. I wouldn’t bet on them, with all due respect. (https://clutchpoints.com/suns-news-devin-booker-chris-paul-phoenix-wont-repeat-finals-run-claims-one-time-suns-vet/) Like I said, great young team, one of the best floor generals we’ve ever seen in the history of this game. But again, a lot of things lined up perfect for them to do what they did last year.”
– via Gerard Samillano @ Clutch Points (https://clutchpoints.com/suns-news-devin-booker-chris-paul-phoenix-wont-repeat-finals-run-claims-one-time-suns-vet/)





I'd agree everything went right for them but them and the Jazz were way ahead of everyone so they have to be the favorite still

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/09/19/utah-jazz-best-trade-philadelphia-76ers/


At the time, this exchange felt like a solid return for both teams. Jeff Malone may be one of history’s forgotten players, but he was no scrub. He earns the unique distinction of being the second-best Malone in Utah Jazz history. (https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/malonje01.html)




it looked like a steal at the time. i'd have been happy if they'd cut Malone and they got Horny for him! :roll:

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/09/18/utah-jazz-best-trade-brooklyn-nets/


Meanwhile, the Utah Jazz acquired franchise mainstay Derrick Favors in the exchange. He’s spent the vast majority of his 11-year career in Salt Lake City. His best individual season came in 2015-16, with averages of 16.4 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. As a conventional big, his ability to impact the game has lessened in the wake of the three-point revolution, but he was a serviceable rotation player up until he was traded this very offseason.




sad that he's the best they got for one of their best players ever. Even sadder that he played 11 years and two stints with the Jazz while letting Millsap and Bradley go!


Devin Harris may not have been as splashy a name as Williams, but he was a reasonable replacement for him during his stay in Utah. Furthermore, the Jazz used the two first round picks they acquired in the deal on Enes Kanter and Gorgui Dieng. The former was a starting center for the Utah Jazz until he was eventually usurped by Rudy Gobert and his vastly superior interior defense.





Harris was horrible and to get rid of him they had to take on Marvin Williams! :facepalm


This trade may have been far from the best deal the Utah Jazz have made in their franchise history, but given their apparent urgency to move Williams (https://www.businessinsider.com/why-did-the-jazz-trade-deron-williams-2011-2), they did receive a solid return for the soon-to-regress point guard. That makes it the best deal the franchise has made in their history with the Nets.







so much urgency that no one but the Nets knew he was available and they took the 2nd offer! :cry:

[Xiao Yao You]

https://sircharlesincharge.com/2021/09/18/nba-ranking-best-trios-lakers/2/


10. Zach LaVine, Lonzo Ball, DeMar DeRozan (or Nikola Vucevic)Bulls from lottery to 10th is a big leap. Lavine has yet to show he can win games. Couldn't do it last year with Vuc. Derozan and Ball puts them over the top? Vuc is the all star not Ball or Demar :facepalm


9. Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, Bojan Bogdanovic



from 1st to 9th and Bojan and Mitchell ahead of Conley, O'Neale and Ingles!


5. Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr.



When will Murray be back and will they play any D?


4. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green



when will Klay back and how good will he be


AD is arguably a top 3 player when he’s healthy and LeBron is still LeBron. Old man LeBron is still better than 99 percent of the league. Perhaps the only two players unanimously better than him at this point are Giannis and Kevin Durant.




injuries and Westbrook aren't getting you anywhere

[Xiao Yao You]

Keith Smith: Jarrell Brantley, who played for the Utah Jazz for the last two season, has signed with BC UNICS in Kazan, Russia (https://*********.com/social/). BC UNICS also signed former NBAer O.J. Mayo. Mayo last played in the NBA in in 2015-16 with the Milwaukee Bucks.
– via Twitter KeithSmithNBA (https://twitter.com/KeithSmithNBA)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/468407/jazz-moving-training-camp-to-las-vegas/

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/468187/31-utah-jazz-two-way-guard-trent-forrest/


The former Seminole followed it up with an even more impressive performance during summer league with the Jazz.




I'd say doin g it in the regular season is more impressive


Forrest led the Jazz in scoring at 15.8 points while also dishing out 6.8 assists, and grabbing 6.0 rebounds per game playing in both Salt Lake City (https://kslsports.com/466207/what-we-did-and-didnt-learn-from-jazz-summer-league/) and Las Vegas. Most importantly, he showed an improved feel for the offense and a dramatically improved jump shot.




had a good feel last year. Just couldn't shoot


Last season, Forrest shot just 19 percent from three, not nearly good enough to be considered a threat on the perimeter. But in seven appearances during summer league, the guard knocked down 7-18 deep balls for a very healthy 38 percent.




still looked ugly

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/09/20/utah-jazz-best-trade-lakers/


Adrian Dantley is one of the finest midrange shooters in NBA history and an undisputed Utah Jazz icon. At the cost of a rapidly aging Spencer Haywood (https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/haywosp01.html), that’s a pretty good return.







he could certainly it it from 20 feet in but he was known for his work near the hoop not the mid range :facepalm

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/09/20/utah-jazz-regrading-clarkson-trade/


On first blush, that seems like a fair price for Clarkson’s services. Dante Exum entered the National Basketball Association with a lot of promise, as he was selected 5th overall in the 2014 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz. Unfortunately, injuries have derailed the young Aussie’s career. By 2021, Exum is 26-year-old. He missed his entire sophomore season with a knee injury, played 66 games the following year, and hasn’t managed even 45 games in a season since.




would have rather kept Exum in retrospect as horrible as he was


As for those two second-round picks, it’s possible that in hindsight, the Cavaliers will be glad to have landed them. We’ve seen productive players slip to the second-round with increasing frequency in the NBA, with Nikola Jokic and Draymond Green serving as two prominent examples of second-round steals. With that said, contending teams like the Utah Jazz will always have to take that risk in efforts to upgrade their immediate roster: the odds of a second-round selection yielding a player of Jordan Clarkson’s (ironically, a second-round pick himself) value simply remain too low.




any player that's not Clarkson would be great


As for Clarkson, we referred to the imperfections in his game already, and they do exist. He is, like many undersized scoring guards, prone to bouts of inefficiency. Last season, he was shooting a solid 58% effective field goal percentage (eFG%) heading into the All-Star Break. He shot a grizzly 49 eFG% afterwards, and that trend continued into the playoffs with an eFG% of 50.9.






and COTY loved every minute of that shit show! :facepalm


That kind of slippage in offensive efficiency holds the Utah Jazz (http://www.thejnotes.com/) back from receiving a perfect grade for the Jordan Clarkson deal, but nonetheless, his services remain impressive value for the cost of a point guard who can’t stay healthy and two second-round picks




the 3 years and big bucks left on his contract gives it an F

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/09/19/utah-jazz-nba-legend-playoff-dagger/

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/468429/30-jazz-opening-night/


Favors helped oversee a total Jazz rebuild after the departure of Deron Williams before being traded to the New Orleans Pelicans to clear room for Mike Conley and Bojan Bogdanovic in 2019. Then, after resigning with the Jazz in 2020, he was traded (https://kslsports.com/464778/report-jazz-trade-derrick-favors-to-thunder-for-future-second-round-pick/) to the Thunder to trim the team’s luxury tax bill in July.




I'd say they'd be happy to pay the luxury bill if he hadn't sucked but than again Clarkson and COTY suck too


Gay will step into the role left absent by forward Georges Niang, while Whiteside will be tasked with filling Favors shoes. Paschall and Butler will compete for a spot in the rotation throughout the year.




what spot exactly?


Opening night will also mark a rematch of Donovan Mitchell and Lu Dort, one of the most exciting head-to-head matchups in the NBA last season.




it was? Shai/Conley should be good

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/9/21/22654278/2021-utah-jazz-player-profile-udoka-azubuike-dok


The big man looked dominant in the summer league. How could he fare in the big league?




how bout we see how he fares in the Gleague first?


WhenWhen Udoka Azubuike was drafted 27th overall by the Utah Jazz (https://www.slcdunk.com/) in the 2020 NBA Draft (https://www.sbnation.com/nba-draft), many Jazz fans were unhappy. Utah was expected to sign Derrick Favors as their backup center in the coming days. Why draft a center?

because they had 6 rookies and non of them was a big center. Gobert and Bradley were free agents. They had young guys to develop everywhere else. The draft isn't for immediate help ideally. As good as Butler might be where will he get minutes?


This was where the big man dominated. In summer league, you can almost always pinpoint who the NBA-level players are by watching a single quarter of basketball. NBA talent just stands high above college talent. Udoka Azubuike was one of those guys. He was physically dominant. There were other guys with NBA size there, but they couldn’t handle him. As a reminder, Azubuike is 6’10”, 280 lbs. He tries to dunk the ball every time he has a chance to, and when you’ve got that kind of size combined with aggression, it’s almost impossible to stop.



We'll see. Forrest made it easy for him


Dok is still young and raw. He will likely not be in the regular rotation, as Hassan Whiteside was brought in to be Rudy Gobert’s backup. However, if either Gobert or Whiteside misses any time, expect Azubuike to fill in.




We'll see. Morgan was ahead of him last year and later Ersan


The best-case scenario for Azubuike is that he performs so well in practices, G-League, and his spot NBA minutes, that he begins challenging Whiteside for the primary backup role. I don’t see this as likely, but I also don’t think it’s outside of the realm of possibility.




I don't expect much of Whiteside so this is the ideal situation. Trade Whiteside at the deadline


Right now, it’s hard to imagine watching Azubuike playing 15 minutes in an important NBA game and feeling comfortable with his defense. He has the physical tools to be an even bigger Rudy Gobert. He has such a tantalizing combination of size, length, athleticism, and pure power.






outside of a few guys on the team who do you feel comfortable with on D?


The other big thing Azubuike needs to improve on is his free-throw shooting. In college, Dok shot 41% from the line. So far in his NBA career, we haven’t seen much improvement in the small amount of time he’s played. While he’s 8-10 from the line in the NBA, he went 12-29 between the two summer leagues. If he’s unable to get his free throw percentage up over 60%, “hack-a-Dok” would be a viable strategy for any opponents. When you’re fighting for NBA minutes, having an exploitable weakness of that magnitude can be a major roadblock.






60 is still hack a Dok as we've seen with Gobert. Ideally high 60's at least


All that said, Dok will have a positive impact every time he steps on the court. His potential is through the roof. If he can make significant improvements to the weak areas of his game, it will be nearly impossible to keep him off the court.




how can you say a guy that has done absolutely nothing in an NBA game will make a positive impact?


https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/c1u1qn6GwkHkDgCSlpZWh5C8Glc=/512x512/cdn.vox-cdn.com/profile_images/6100265/may-02-2010-los-angeles-california-us-utah-jazzs-deron-williams-8-DJR159..jpg



DOK looked great to me and in my book, those stats indicate we have a diamond

13.7 points, 10.7 rebounds, 2.7 blocks per game in the Salt Lake City Summer League



I get the conservative assessment that he is not ready now, but I think he should get serious non-garbage mins to make sure he develops. Even if it means taking some mins away from Gobert and Whiteside today.




the Gleague is there for a reason as is practice. Many ways to develop. Needs to earn his minutes


His offense is easy to see translating to the NBA. He doesn't try to do too much (except sometimes he tries to dunk from ten feet away). He just takes the easy shots. We wouldn't need anything more from him.



We'd need everything from him on defense. The Jazz scheme is built entirely on the center being superhuman. He needs to be the last line of defense for every singles teammate, and I'm not at all confident he can be that right now. In a few years, yeah probably. Now? No way.


Need him to set screens and crash the offensive glass. Again he hasn't proven anything in an NBA game. Summer league was encouraging. See soon what he looks like in pre season and than probably in the Gleague. One step at a time


https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-IW7SZdqgTRs4bSfQubNn-IlMqA=/512x512/cdn.vox-cdn.com/profile_images/5819036/IMG-1611__1_..jpg



reply In reply to Kira Argonova
I agree. I think he could be special. Maybe he can be the starter when Rudy declines.




tank!

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/09/21/utah-jazz-battles-training-camp/


The Jazz boast one of the strongest backcourt rotations in the entire National Basketball Association. Donovan Mitchell is a star, Mike Conley Jr. just submitted the first All-Star season of his 14-year career, and as mentioned, Jordan Clarkson was deemed the best reserve in the league last year. After those three, however, the rotation thins out somewhat quickly (https://thejnotes.com/2021/08/10/utah-jazz-free-agency-3-guards-rotation/), and it’s unclear who will be the fourth guard in Quin Snyder’s rotation.




Ingles?


Jared Butler seems like the obvious first choice. Selected with the 40th pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, many observers feel (https://edge.twinspires.com/nba/jared-butler-is-the-steal-of-the-2021-nba-draft-july-31st/) that Butler has a chance to be a steal (https://www.nba.com/jazz/news/roundball-roundup-jared-butler-steal-draft). He could make an immediate contribution with his solid, low-usage, high-IQ brand of basketball.




No reason to think anyone will make an immediate contribution under COTY especially if they didn't attend Duke. See what he does with the Stars first


Miye Oni and MaCio Teague (https://thejnotes.com/2021/08/17/utah-jazz-jazz-sign-macio-teague/) round out the guards on this Utah Jazz roster. They both project as unlikely to feature as regular members of Quin Snyder’s rotation, but they’ll both be looking towards training camp as an opportunity to demonstrate their abilities and earn a spot as the fourth guard in the rotation for the Jazzmen.




Oni should be ahead of the others until proven otherwise


The Jazz acquired two very similar players this offseason in Rudy Gay (https://thejnotes.com/2021/08/03/utah-jazz-rudy-gay-agreed-deal-jazz/) and Eric Paschall (https://thejnotes.com/2021/08/05/utah-jazz-grading-eric-paschall-trade/). Both men at this respective stage in their careers project as a quality backup 4 / small-ball 5. A look at their statistical profiles from last season provides little clarity regarding which is likely to earn more minutes in Snyder’s rotation.




they aren't similar and there should be no battle unless Mitchell demands it


Indeed, it would seem likely that each of these players was acquired primarily to beef up Utah’s defensive versatility, after watching Rudy Gobert struggle against the Los Angeles Clippers’ small-ball attack in last season’s Western Conference semi-finals. With that in mind, the veteran Gay must have the advantage over the younger, less developed Paschall.






changing the coach would have made more sense

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/09/21/utah-jazz-best-trade-phoenix-suns/


Ultimately, however, this didn’t look like a blockbuster trade on first glance. Gugliotta would finish the season with the Utah Jazz after this midseason exchange, and depart for the Boston Celtics the year after. That season would be his last in the Association, as he was well past his prime.




I liked Gugliotta that year

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/09/20/utah-jazz-rudy-gobert-shows-off-physique/


Plus, due to added bulk this offseason in addition to some refined post moves while helping Team France capture a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics, chances are Gobert will display considerable improvements on the offensive end as well.




his moves weren't refined. Only difference was actually passing him the ball

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/468475/29-tracking-former-jazz-fan-favorites/


While that may seem like a steep price to pay to unload a contract, it’s a more than reasonable move considering Favors deal would have cost the Jazz more than $35 million in luxury tax penalties on top of his existing contract, a staggering price for reserve center.






no matter how much you say it they got rid of him because he sucked. They'd pay him if he didn't


Dante Exum had one of the more unique stretches in Utah, but still has one of the most dedicated followings among former Jazz players.




he does?


After proving unable to stay on the floor due to a series of serious injuries, the Jazz moved on from Exum in a trade for guard Jordan Clarkson. While the trade has proven to be one of the best in team history, Jazz fans still are vocal in their support of the former lottery pick.



again I'd say they moved on from him because he sucks as does Clarkson


Whether it was his consistency on the floor or his boyish good looks off the court, Raul Neto endeared himself to Jazz fans in four seasons with the team between 2015-2019.




he did? Rudy and I liked him. The coach certainly didn't


While several former Jazz fan favorites have gone on to find promising roles in the league after their tenure in Utah, Ricky Rubio has had one of the tougher runs in recent years.




because he sucks? Poor guy has it rough at 17 mill a year though


The last of the Jazz’s recent fan favorite, Jae Crowder has been terrifically successful since leaving Utah.




Burks?


While the Jazz needed to clear his roster spot to make room for Bojan Bogdanovic on the team, Crowder has gone on to make consecutive Finals appearances for the Miami Heat and the Suns.




traded for Conley. Do your homework at least!

[Xiao Yao You]

Ira Winderman: Heat broadcaster John Crotty assisting with sale of Surfside collapse site. sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-h… “It’s absolutely more personal. (https://*********.com/social/) Just from being in this area and really making this my home with my family, this was such a tragic, shocking thing that you would never expect.”
– via Twitter IraHeatBeat (https://twitter.com/IraHeatBeat)

[Xiao Yao You]

Michael Scotto: The Utah Jazz have agreed to a two-way deal with Justin James, (https://*********.com/social/) agents Austin Walton and Adam Papas of @nxtsportsagency told *********.
– via Twitter MikeAScotto (https://twitter.com/MikeAScotto)



Ben Anderson: Justin James is entering his third NBA season after two years in Sacramento (https://*********.com/social/). He was the 40th pick of the 2019 NBA draft out of @wyo_mbb and has career averages of 3.2 points, 0.9 rebounds, and 0.6 assists. At 6’7, 190 lbs, he shoots 44% from the floor and 34% from three.
– via Twitter BensHoops (https://twitter.com/BensHoops)





He's got some potential. Would have liked to see that spot left open for camp for a change though

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/468554/28-the-75th-anniversary-of-the-nba/


Malone, Stockton, and Maravich are all likely to make the list once again, but any additional Jazzmen will be a longshot. Though Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert could eventually carve their places out as some of the best players to ever step on the basketball floor, they aren’t there yet.




but Mitchell is the best player in franchise history!

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/2021/9/22/22684016/utah-jazz-have-nine-questions-to-answer-by-end-of-nba-training-camp-in-las-vegas-nevada


When Conley re-signed with the Jazz this summer he mentioned feeling healthy and ready to go. Mitchell has been working out in Miami with teammates Royce O’Neale and Eric Paschall and looks to be in tip-top shape. So, there’s no reason to believe that either player is still rehabbing from their late-season and playoff injuries (Mitchell’s sprained ankle and Conley’s hamstring), but those are assumptions.




let's let the doctors and trainers do their job and decide eh?


With Conley suffering multiple hamstring injuries the past couple of years, there is likely to be a more focused plan for keeping Conley healthy throughout the regular season and into the playoffs. What is that going to look like?



what else can they do? He was resting on back to backs


Is Jared Butler going to be ready to be part of the Jazz rotation?


based on the fact that no one has under COTY I'd say no so why even ask?


The Jazz have not been a team that usually throws rookies in the deep end, save a few exceptions over the years. It’s usually pretty clear by the start of training camp which players at the end of the roster will stay there through the season and only receive minutes in garbage time or under other special circumstances.




the past two years anyway it's been pretty clear. Maybe now that he got rid of the Wizard he might try something different?


This time though, we don’t really know what to expect from Butler. He hasn’t been able to play competitively since Baylor’s NCAA title run and didn’t play for the Jazz in Summer League. He might surprise in training camp or he might have an underwhelming week. It’s definitely something worth keeping an eye on and could dictate how he is developed and utilized this season.




who would he play ahead of?


It’s been largely assumed that newly acquired Rudy Gay (https://www.deseret.com/2021/8/3/22608459/what-does-the-rudy-gay-signing-mean-for-the-utah-jazz-analysis-san-antonio-spurs) will probably be taking over the minutes that Georges Niang had as well as playing some small-ball five in situations that call for it. Is that how Snyder sees things playing out?




why assume anything with COTY. He had small ball centers last year. Refused to even try them


The Jazz could be looking to integrate Forrest a little more and priming him to be the next reserve point guard for the Jazz. The Jazz could be looking elsewhere for someone to fill that spot with the open roster spot they have available. Butler is also an option depending on how quickly he acclimates to the NBA. Are they Jazz looking to make a change with the point guard rotation or are we going to be seeing more of the same?




If they were looking to integrate Forrest more he wouldn't be on a two way. Why would you expect change with COTY? He's has his chances the past two years and refused

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/2021/9/22/22688665/utah-jazz-sign-former-wyoming-standout-justin-james-to-two-way-deal-news


Though James played in a limited capacity with the Kings, owning career averages of 3.2 points on 44.6% from the field, when he was given more minutes he often took advantage of the opportunity. His per-36 numbers likely tell a story that’s closer to James’ real potential — 15.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists.




it tells you nothing. How much of that was garbage time and how much was real time?


James scored a career-high 31 points in the Kings’ third to last game of the season last year, on 12-of-17 shooting included going 4-of-5 from 3-point range.




now that's potential

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/9/22/22688879/utah-jazz-sign-justin-james-to-two-way-contract-nba-kings-2021


He has good measureables at 6'7" with a 7'1" wingspan. He grew up on Florida, and then played for University of Wyoming in college. His senior year of college he played point guard for the Cowboys, so he has some point-forward skills. Let's see what he can do. At least he's not a smallish player for his position who has no skill other than shooting--so that if his shot is off he is a net negative as a player.

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more of a more with that length


Please be better than last year's Shaq Harrison who we all got excited about but was terrible at basketball things like shooting, passing, dribbling, defense, etc. Until he went to Denver and at least had a few decent performances.

we never really got to see what he could do

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/9/22/22644513/2021-utah-jazz-player-profile-bojan-bogdanovic-nba


Bojan Bogdanovic was arguably the Jazz’s biggest free agent signing ever. Can he recapture some of his previous mojo?


sad


One recurring theme us Utah Jazz (https://www.slcdunk.com/) fans have experienced over the years has been the disrespect towards the organization and the state. From Dominique Wilkins refusing to play for the team, Rony Seikaly’s refusal to be traded, and Derek Harper’s “You go live in Utah”, to needing to overpay on second year players Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur, Derek Fisher lying to get out of his contract to play for the Lakers (https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/), and Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert being picked last in last year’s All Star Game, it always feels like Utah’s being overlooked and disrespected.




Don't think Dominique refused to play here. Sold him to keep the franchise in SLC. Fisher's daughter needed care. Bad contract. Thank you! I think Utah fans are just too sensitive. Who cares!


It looked like the Jazz had started to figure things out in playoffs, with Bojan averaging 18p/4.3r/3.2 3pt alongside Donovan’s 32.3p/4.2r/5.5a and Mike’s 15.3p/3.5r/7.7a. He even played lockdown defense on Kawhi Leonard for the first few games of the Clippers series, a callback to the excellent stint (https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/23270138/bojan-bogdanovic-indiana-pacers-draws-raves-defense-lebron-james) he had on Lebron back in 2018.





how about playing some D in the regular season too?


I suspect with Mike’s injury/planned rest and Joe’s slowing down, Bojan will again step into the role of second option and wing release valve, especially in one-of-Don-and-Mike minutes. Bojan’s best minutes came last year with Joe Ingles, Royce, and Rudy, and almost never with Jordan Clarkson, per Basketball Reference (https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/bogdabo02/lineups/2021). (Clarkson was best paired (https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/clarkjo01/lineups/2021) with Georges Niang and Mike Conley.) With his wrist fully repaired and the Jazz figuring out the kinks in the offense and rotation, I hope Bojan can capture what made that 2019-20 season so excellent for him at near 20 points per game in a slightly reduced role at around 28 minutes per game. While he likely will never average more than about 4 rebounds or 2 assists per game, Bogey’s elite gravity and ability to create his own shot in mismatches is something the Jazz will rely on throughout the season.





Bojan needs a smaller role. 6th man

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50246474/2-reasons-why-this-coming-season-feels-a-bit-urgent-for-the-jazz


Frankly, in the offseason Jazz fans saw the type of financial commitment that typically only fans in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York enjoy. For perspective, Utah's tax bill is currently about $6 million more than the Lakers'. It really is a new era in Jazz basketball.



seems the same to me. A coach that can't be fired no matter what he does or doesn't do. Crappy players getting paid a ton of money. Other players being hyped before they actually do anything


And with the Jazz choosing to waive Jarrell Brantley last week, they'll have an open roster spot to presumably use in the buyout market — adding further salary to the team's book.



they had that either way. He was likely gone before the season started


Utah was shrewd with their money, though, opting to trade away Derrick Favors and then use his $9.7 million salary to bring in Rudy Gay, Eric Paschall and Hassan Whiteside to try and bolster the squad.



Eric brought in because he's the bff. Whiteside brought in because he's cheap


If this year's squad disappoints, how eager will Smith be to take on those big tax bills?



more importantly how long of a leash does COTY have after refusing to make changes the past two playoffs?


The Jazz saw that first hand with Joe Johnson. One year he was hitting game winners in the playoffs and shouldering some heavy offensive responsibility, the next season he proved to be unplayable. He was 36 when that happened.



and how long do the Jazz hold on to those players after they should be gone? That's always bneen an issue

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/468603/jazz-pre-training-camp-mailbag/


I am sure this is possible, though it must be understood that if any member of the public has considered the potential fallout of bringing in a player like Eric Paschall because of his friendship with Donovan Mitchell, and then not playing him, the Jazz have certainly run through every contingency plan to make sure that everyone is taken care of.



Doubt it. We saw Mitchell get his way in the playoffs over the team doctors and it cost them.. We saw them bring in Rubio for Hayward. Never ends well when players dictate team moves especially when it's not your best player


If we have a slow start, do you think Ryan smith makes a landmark trade like other new owners tend to do?

— Glen Andersen (@glendersen) September 23, 2021 (https://twitter.com/glendersen/status/1441103796793319424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)



does he make a coaching change?


The only way I see the Jazz perimeter defense improving, especially in the postseason when it was most clearly a problem, is for Mitchell and Conley to be healthier at season’s end, and for either Jared Butler or Trent Forrest to prove they have defensive chops and can work their way into the rotation.



the D is better without Mitchell


I contend that while most people expressed significant concern about injuries last season due to the quick turnaround, this year has also had a shorter-than-usual offseason, and stealing days off will be at a premium throughout the season.



same COTY no reason to think he will change other than he got the Wizard canned


The difficulty is that he’s so good around the rim, there’s no reason for him to ever step too far away from the basket unless it’s a late clock situation.



when he does the dribble hand off and no defender is around I'd like to see him shoot more. He can hit it. He also is capable of scoring over smaller players in the post if they get him the ball as we saw in the olympics


Jordan Clarkson – $12.4 million = $30.1 million in savings

that's the one that would make you a lot better team

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/09/24/utah-jazz-players-espn-top-100-2/2/


Utah Jazz guard Mike Conley Jr. ESPN top 100 ranking: 48

he was one of the top players in the league last year. Way too low


LaMelo Ball ranks 47 on ESPN’s list. The knees of Utah Jazz fans are jerking in such widespread unison that it’s audible in Charlotte. However, fairness dictates that we apply the same statistical analysis in a comparison of the two talented point guards.



:roll:


The player ranked one spot ahead of Gobert is essentially his antithesis in Karl-Anthony Towns. A former number-one overall pick, Towns epitomizes the modern big: in fact, he’s arguably the best shooting center in NBA history (https://dunkingwithwolves.com/2019/12/01/minnesota-timberwolves-all-star-karl-anthony-towns-is-on-a-historic-3-point-pace/). In 2019-20, Towns hit 41.2% of his 7.9 three-point attempts per game. Those are marks any guard in the league not named Curry would be satisfied to hit.



how about he wins some games first?


On the other hand, Zion Williamson’s 23rd ranking feels like an open-and-shut case. His 27.1 PER and 3.8 VORP exceed both Gobert and Towns’ marks in each metric, and at 21, improvement is the assumed outcome heading into the 2021-22 season.



When Zion plays some D and carries teams like GObert has for almost 7 years let me know


Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell ESPN top 100 ranking: 18

all I can say is they better hope Gobert stays healthy because they will be one of the worst teams in the league again without him. Without Micthell and Conley they kept winning. Says it all


Meanwhile, both players are the focal points of their team’s offenses, but Young’s ability to make plays for his teammates (9.4 assists per game last season) separates him from Mitchell, given that Young is also an elite bucket-getter. ESPN will get no debate for their placement of Young ahead of Mitchell.



the offense actually revolves around Gobert though


Veteran Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler ranked two spots ahead of Mitchell at 16th. It’s even more difficult to debate that decision. His 26.5 PER and 4.2 VORP from 2020-21 are both several paces ahead of either Mitchell or Young, and in contrast to the two young guards, he’s an elite defender to boot.



and he's carried teams and doesn't wait until December or January to show up

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/09/23/nuggets-handed-utah-jazz-core/


It’s a baffling, compounding series of events. It begs for a deeper dive. How could the Nuggets allow this to happen? What circumstances led them to believe these decisions would benefit their team? In simple terms: How? Why? How?



they were selling their pick to save money because they were a playoff team not looking for a prospect when Jazz lucked out with Gobert. Already had Murray. Didn't need Mitchell. Not really hard to figure. Jazz got lucky with Gobert. If not for him Jazz would still suck and as we see Denver doesn't despite those trades


Maybe the Nuggets should have stuck with Gobert.



no one knows who the Nuggets would have taken if they had kept the pick. They drafted Gobert for the Jazz. How many times we have to go over this shit? How about the rest of the teams that passed on Rudy including the Wizard to get Burke?


The Denver Nuggets made an egregious error in this draft day deal with the Utah Jazz. That’s forgivable. Every front office in the NBA makes mistakes. Four years later, the Nuggets would make an at least equally large one.



it wasn't because the Jazz likely still suck if not for Gobert


Fans of the Utah Jazz will not complain. Yes, the pair is flanked by solid veterans like Mike Conley Jr., Bojan Bogdanovic, Joe Ingles and Jordan Clarkson, but Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert are clearly the two most important cogs in an extremely well-oiled Jazz machine.



Conley was more important last year and arguably others that play both ends

[Xiao Yao You]

https://fansided.com/2021/09/22/ben-simmons-trade-ideas-deep-cuts/2/

Simmons makes no sense unless it's for Rudy and that makes no sense for the Sixers

[Xiao Yao You]

Brandon Rahbar: Sam Presti on Derrick Favors: “He brings defense and physicality. I’m excited to see how he fits. We’ll have to see how the season unfolds. But I think he can help the team absolutely. (https://*********.com/social/) We’re excited about having him.”
– via Twitter BrandonRahbar (https://twitter.com/BrandonRahbar)

[Xiao Yao You]

Ben Anderson: Holly Rowe, aka @sportsiren returning to Utah to be an analyst with the @UtahJazz this season (https://*********.com/social/).
– via Twitter BensHoops (https://twitter.com/BensHoops)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://sports.yahoo.com/utah-reporter-interviews-jordan-clarkson-about-jazz-and-doesnt-realize-it-222121388.html

I wish he wasn't on the team

[Xiao Yao You]

Holly Rowe joins the Utah Jazz as an analyst, but will keep working for ESPN and ABC as well (https://awfulannouncing.com/nba/holly-rowe-joins-the-utah-jazz-as-an-analyst.html)
– via Awful Announcing (https://awfulannouncing.com/nba/holly-rowe-joins-the-utah-jazz-as-an-analyst.html)

[Xiao Yao You]

Jordan Clarkson is a good sport, on and off the basketball court. Coming off a career-best year for the Utah Jazz, which earned him the Sixth Man of the Year award earlier in the spring, Clarkson is a pretty big name in the Salt Lake City area. Unfortunately, KUTV reporter Hayley Crombleholme didn’t realize she was talking to Clarkson on the street when doing a feature on the Jazz on Friday. What resulted is a hilarious and almost surreal scene as Clarkson is interviewed like a regular person on the street. Only after the interview had transpired is when Crombleholme realized her mistake, and owned up to it too on Twitter! (https://ftw.usatoday.com/2021/09/jazz-jordan-clarkson-hilarious-tv-interview)
– via Mary Clarke @ For The Win (https://ftw.usatoday.com/2021/09/jazz-jordan-clarkson-hilarious-tv-interview)

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50248948/espns-holly-rowe-returns-home-to-join-utah-jazz-broadcast-team


Harpring, who has been on the Jazz broadcast team since he retired in 2010, was not announced as part of the this season's broadcast crew. The Jazz also chose not to bring back sideline reporter Kristen Kenney.



sweet!


Craig Bolerjack will return as the team's TV play-by-play man with Thurl Bailey and Rowe serving as analysts. David Locke and Ron Boone will continue their longtime partnership on the radio.



not so sweet. No sideline reporter?

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50248688/6-storylines-to-watch-as-the-jazz-start-training-camp


As for Mitchell, there's no reason to think the sprained ankle he re-aggravated during the playoffs will cause him any trouble after an offseason — albeit a short one — to rest.



there should be. Once you've had a bad sprain they're never the same


Jazz head coach Quin Snyder hasn't been afraid to throw rookies into the mix early if they prove worthy, with Donovan Mitchell being the most obvious example. Butler won't be Mitchell, but that doesn't mean he still can't earn time.



has been the past couple years. Hopefully better than Mitchell and plays D and passes the ball


Ingles wore down toward the end of the season, and Conley and Mitchell both had injuries. The best thing for the Jazz is for Mitchell and Conley to run things, but it might prove beneficial to give them more breaks to help keep them fresh for games that really matter in the postseason. Utah looks to have more options to do that this season.



best thing is for Conley and Ingles too and then Forrest


Rudy Gay has made a career of adjusting his game to fit in with whatever team he's on. He was once a high-scoring shooting guard; and years later, he will likely be asked to play some small-ball five.



sf. Doubt he ever played much guard


Gay gives Snyder a player he rarely has: a true stretch big that could open up the offense even more. Rudy Gobert also showed during France's Olympic run that he can seal smaller defenders in the post in order to score down low. That's something the Jazz have rarely experimented with in the past. Will that change this season?



hopefully the coach changes


James joins Forrest as the two-way players. Honestly, if you are looking for a player to earn a spot on the standard roster, it may be Forrest. Under his current deal, he'll only be allowed to appear in 50 games this season.



and yet we keep talking about him being a factor :facepalm

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50248711/vivint-arena-to-require-proof-of-vaccination-or-negative-covid-19-test-for-jazz-games-events

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/2021/9/24/22692340/espn-abc-veteran-holly-rowe-joining-utah-jazz-broadcast-team-utah-native-bolerjack-bailey

Mike Smith is in the photo as well and he wasn't mentioned.

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/2021/9/24/22690116/utah-jazz-insiders-newsletter-does-miye-oni-have-place-on-this-team


Does Miye Oni have a place on this Jazz team?


He should. Got potential and COTY likes him. Good end of the bench energy guy minimum


If the Jazz are looking for a 10th man, they could turn to rookie Jared Butler or two-way player Trent Forrest, or Elijah Hughes, who continues to develop, and of course it could be Oni.



Hughes is the guy that needs to go :facepalm

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat-latest-jazz-news/2021/9/24/22692069/this-season-is-make-or-break-for-multiple-jazz-players-miye-oni-utah-jazz-elijah-hughes-donovan-rudy


Time is a luxury in the NBA. Some Jazz players are running out of it.



we'll see. Jazz are known for their patience. COTY still has a job. Clarkson is still on the team.


Like we recently saw with Jarrell Brantley, teams are willing to cut their losses with a player sooner than later. He was a player with some gifted physical tools who couldn’t figure out a way to harness his wild play and turnovers. After a few seasons, they saw enough. For a couple of Jazz players, this season will likely be their last opportunity to prove if they have real NBA chops or not. Here’s a look into that:



not true. He looked good the few times he played quality minutes


I think it goes without saying that, due to a lot of factors out of his control, Hughes has hasn’t had a plethora of opportunity to grow as a player. This is obviously unfortunate and disappointing, especially since he has some very solid offensive tools that could translate well into a real NBA game. The issue is, Hughes is already 23 years old and hasn’t necessarily proved that his extra years of collegiate experience are doing him any significant favors in the NBA. He’s still a pretty subpar defender (albeit he did show some improvement in that department over the summer) and not the most efficient scorer with the ball in his hands.



a two year guaranteed contract is two more years of chances than he deserved


I was really hoping to see him blossom during summer league. He had moments where he showed that his ability to create off the dribble, shoot from three, and playmake is real. He just didn’t show it very consistently. For players like Hughes, guys who need the ball in their hands to show off their effectiveness, carving out an end-of-rotation role is really difficult. Most teams don’t feel entirely comfortable allowing a second round pick to come into a game and dominate the ball. It’s a large reason why I worry for him. To lay some foundation for his future with the Jazz, I think Hughes really needs to focus on becoming an average defender and an above average three point shooter. I know that’s almost a universal “how to make it to the NBA” blueprint, but exists for a reason. Players who can come into a game, hit a few shots, and stay in front of their guy tend to stick in this league. Hughes’ ability to create out of a pick and roll will only elevate his game in the future, he just needs to find his way on the court right now. If he can’t find a way to do that this season, I’m not sure how much longer he’ll stay around.



more worried about the Jazz if he's not cut before the season starts. Wasn't a 3 point shooted or defender when they drafted him. Asking a lot


However, as mentioned in some previous SLC Dunk articles, that’s just about all Oni has going for him at the moment. Honestly, it is a little disappointing that in the two years Oni has been with the Jazz, his offensive game hasn’t grown. Similar to Hughes, a lot of this can be blamed on factors out of his control. Nonetheless, while watching him during summer league, it was clear that he just wasn’t very comfortable on that side of the ball. Even in some catch and shoot situations, Oni would be caught with his legs straight, feet not set, and generally not ready to shoot the ball. That just won't fly when he’s playing real NBA minutes.



showed plenty with the Stars


I think both Hughes and Oni have real NBA potential. They’ve both had moments where they’ve shown that they could make a serious impact on this roster. But to put it simply, if they don’t find a way to put things together this season, I’m not sure how safe their future with the Jazz is.



Oni does. Hughes has shown nothing other than he thinks he's the next Clarkson. :facepalm

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/09/25/nba-analyst-reasonable-goal-utah-jazz/


That means, for give-or-take 26 NBA teams, the Larry O’Brien trophy is the target heading into the 2021-22 season. In all likelihood, the Utah Jazz have better odds of reaching that target than 23-or-so of those teams, but the point stands: only one team per season wins the NBA championship.



26 teams don't think they are playing for a championship. Many tanking. Some hoping for the playoffs. A few with championship hopes


Indeed, the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers (https://thejnotes.com/2021/08/06/3-reasons-utah-jazz-counter-lakers/) should be the only groups standing between the Utah Jazz and a trip to the NBA’s ultimate showdown.



Suns period. Blazers a dark horse


Meanwhile, the Eastern Conference appears uncharacteristically stacked. The Brooklyn Nets stand to redefine super-team, the Milwaukee Bucks will be hoping to repeat their NBA championship performance, the Miami Heat’s addition of Kyle Lowry stands to disrupt an otherwise-clear hierarchy.



believe it when I see it

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/09/24/utah-jazz-3-towns-trades-team-involved/2/


Some Jazz fans may balk at this trade on the basis of the preexistence of Jordan Clarkson. Superficially, that’s fair. Clarkson is a 7-year NBA vet in the thick of his prime. Surely, the NBA’s reigning Sixth Man of the Year is more equipped to pilot the second unit than a soon-to-be sophomore.



Clarkson isn't equipped to do anything but take a lot of horrible shots while his teammates watch helplessly


Nobody here is denying that, but the Utah Jazz should be in the market for a fourth guard (https://thejnotes.com/2021/08/10/utah-jazz-free-agency-3-guards-rotation/) to complete their rotation. Quickly showed enough in his rookie campaign to qualify as a significant upgrade over Quin Snyder’s current options in Jared Butler (https://thejnotes.com/2021/08/26/utah-jazz-3-comparisons-jared-butler/), Trent Forrest, Miye Oni or MaCio Teague (https://thejnotes.com/2021/08/17/utah-jazz-jazz-sign-macio-teague/).



is he? Butler is considered a lottery talent. Forrest was really good when he got a chance as well


Meanwhile, the Timberwolves may not net a single asset in this exchange that rivals the one they’re giving up in Towns, but it does fast track the rebuild they’ll be required to undertake should their franchise player request a trade. RJ Barrett made significant strides between his rookie and sophomore campaign, increasing his points per game from 14.3 to 17.6 and his three-point accuracy from 32.0 to 40.1%.



rather have Barrett than Towns


There is a risk factor involved in this deal for the Utah Jazz: we think Rozier is better than Clarkson, but it isn’t glaringly obvious either. According to points per 36 minutes, the Jazz would be better off staying put, as Clarkson’s impressive 24.8 per game outweighs Rozier’s 21.3. However, context is significant in this case: Clarkson’s number is inflated by his role. He piloted second units where he was nearly singularly expected to generate baskets.



any trade that gets rid of Clarkson and Hughes is a winner in my book. Can we throw in COTY too?


As for the Utah Jazz, they’re parting with little to gain a little more in this exchange, and their involvement is mostly a consequence of salary matching necessity. Still, their return is solid here. While we’ve recently taken issue with the notion (https://thejnotes.com/2021/09/03/analyst-utah-jazz-one-wing-short/) that the Jazz are “one wing short”, the addition of Juan Toscano-Anderson ought to minimize those concerns. He’s a sound, multi-positional defender who also just shot 40.7% from three-point range.



wouldn't call Oni little but at least Hughes would be gone

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2021/09/24/3-things-need-happen-utah-jazz-win-title/


3 things that need to happen for the Utah Jazz to win an NBA title

new coach, new 6th man and Mitchell actually lives up to the hype and plays D and passes the ball to his wide open teammates


If there’s anything that last season showed Utah Jazz fans, it’s that the team is going to have to be more versatile. While the narrative that Rudy Gobert was “played off the court (https://www.ksl.com/article/50171498/when-you-win-what-more-can-they-say-rudy-gobert-has-a-chance-to-prove-some-narratives-false-this-playoffs)” versus the Clippers has been overblown, there is some truth to it. Gobert averaged 12.5 points and 11.7 rebounds in the six games against the Clippers. While these are solid stats, All-NBA level players are typically expected to produce at a higher rate.



Gobert wasn't the problem


Going into the 2021-22 season, we know Gobert will do everything he can to improve. We can already tell by the results from his summer training (https://thejnotes.com/2021/09/20/utah-jazz-rudy-gobert-shows-off-physique/) that he will be in top shape. However, there is only so much that he can do. When the Jazz face teams like the Warriors and Clippers that like to run “small ball” lineups, it would be ideal for Utah to be able to counter with a small ball lineup of its own.



be ideal to get Gobert the ball and for his teammates to help him on D. We saw the results for France


This simply wasn’t possible last season.



it was with a different coach


The Jazz didn’t have players with the size or skill set to be able to display much versatility. But now with the additions of Rudy Gay and Eric Paschall, that looks a lot more plausible. For Utah to reach and then win the NBA Finals, these two players will have to show just how versatile of a skill set they each possess. They’ll need to be efficient playing from the wing as well as holding down the middle when need be.



they did. COTY chose not to even try them despite Ersan being one of their best players when he did play


Mitchell’s last two trips to the postseason have been particularly special as he averaged 36.3 and 32.3 points, respectively. For the Utah Jazz to win the NBA Finals this season, he must stay on this historic pace. He’s already established himself as one of the game’s best young players. But for Utah to reach the next level, he’ll have to prove he is the best shooting guard in the league.



could start by being the best guard or one of the top two players on his own team


As long as Mitchell is healthy and performing at this level, the Jazz will be contenders. And if everything else can come together, they’ll be champions.



if Gobert gets hurt they are a lottery team. You realize this right?

[Xiao Yao You]

Utah Jazz star Rudy Gobert says the NBA can come knocking on his door any time it wants … telling TMZ Sports he ain’t scared of the league’s “random” drug tests!! (https://www.tmz.com/2021/09/25/rudy-gobert-nba-random-drug-testing-all-natural/) Of course, it’s become quite the trend in the Association — you post a jacked pic on Instagram, you get “randomly” hit up for a test.
– via TMZ Staff @ TMZ.com (https://www.tmz.com/2021/09/25/rudy-gobert-nba-random-drug-testing-all-natural/)

[Xiao Yao You]

Ben Anderson: Donovan Mitchell on the idea of potentially resting games at times during the season. “I’m all for ways for us to stay healthy.” (https://*********.com/social/) Said he might not have felt that way before last season. @KSLSports | #TakeNote

– via Twitter BensHoops (https://twitter.com/BensHoops)



so that mean you'll listen to the team or your posse?




Tony Jones: Donovan Mitchell: I think there’s another level I can get to as a player. Be more efficient, be better defensively, be a vocal leader on the floor (https://*********.com/social/)

– via Twitter Tjonesonthenba (https://twitter.com/Tjonesonthenba)







pass the ball!




Ben Anderson: Donovan Mitchell on Mike Conley coming back. “I kind of knew Mike was going to re-sign.” (https://*********.com/social/) Said they had talked on the plane and felt like the team needed to run it back. #Takenote | @kslsports

– via Twitter BensHoops (https://twitter.com/BensHoops)

[Xiao Yao You]

Sarah Todd: Donovan Mitchell said his rehab took a while but he’s 100% and ready to go. Ankle is good (https://*********.com/social/).
– via Twitter NBASarah (https://twitter.com/NBASarah)





(https://*********.com/storyline/donovan-mitchell-injury/) Tony Jones: Donovan Mitchell: we’ve addressed a few things. Bringing in Eric, Rudy Gay, Hassan Whiteside, for us we think we are better. But we have to go out and do it (https://*********.com/social/)
– via Twitter Tjonesonthenba (https://twitter.com/Tjonesonthenba)

[Xiao Yao You]

Tony Jones: Donovan Mitchell: this is a big year for us. We aren’t going to sneak up on everyone. For us we have to do what we do, but come out with a fire and hunger and with an edge (https://*********.com/social/)
– via Twitter Tjonesonthenba (https://twitter.com/Tjonesonthenba)

[Xiao Yao You]

Tony Jones: Joe Ingles: after last year, falling short, it was disappointing obviously. We think we are deeper this year. The regular season is great, but you don’t get anything from winning the regular season (https://*********.com/social/)
– via Twitter Tjonesonthenba (https://twitter.com/Tjonesonthenba)




Tony Jones: Joe Ingles: after last year, we have a little bit to prove (https://*********.com/social/)
– via Twitter Tjonesonthenba (https://twitter.com/Tjonesonthenba)