2016- Yet another long off-season

The Stifle Tower isn

[URL="http://www.vigilantsports.com/2016/07/09/george-hill-discusses-being-traded-his-relationship-with-hayward-lyles-and-death-to-the-blonde-faze/"]After a workout, Hill first learned he was traded when he listened to a voicemail from Pacers President Larry Bird saying

[url]http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865657802/Morning-links-Jazz-No-4-in-NBA-power-rankings-Jimmer-has-huge-night-in-Vegas.html[/url]

[QUOTE]"When healthy last year

[URL="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2646247-nba-power-rankings-2016-17-how-draft-and-free-agency-have-shaken-up-the-league/page/28"]http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2646247-nba-power-rankings-2016-17-how-draft-and-free-agency-have-shaken-up-the-league/page/28[/URL]

[quote]this year's Jazz squad should be able to get that group onto the court much more often[/quote]
My guess is less. I see Hill and Mack getting the most minutes after the big 3. Then the bench guys which to me should include Hood.

Jody Genessy: [URL="http://*********.com/social/"]

Chris Haynes: [URL="http://*********.com/social/"]Utah Jazz and Rudy Gobert

[url]http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865657860/Damian-Lillard-has-wise-words-of-advice-for-Weber-State-pal-Joel-Bolomboy.html[/url]

[QUOTE]

[url]http://purpleandblues.com/2016/07/11/utah-jazz-rookies-finding-their-groove-at-las-vegas-summer-league/[/url]

[QUOTE]Bolomboy in particular was a driving force in securing the 79-72 win over the Pels.[/QUOTE]

Are people watching the same games as me?

[QUOTE]all three are likely destined to spend the majority of the 2016-17 campaign with the D-League

[url]http://basketball.realgm.com/analysis/242820/Blazers-Jazz-Pelicans-And-The-Merits-Of-Middle-Class-Improvement[/url]

[QUOTE]they can allow Dante Exum to get in wherever he fits as he returns from a nasty knee injury[/QUOTE]

this guy gets it

[QUOTE]Former Utah Jazz assistant coach [URL="http://www.nba.com/2016/news/07/12/utah-jazz-phil-johnson-coaching-award/"]Phil Johnson, one of the most impactful and successful assistant coaches in NBA history, is the recipient of the inaugural Tex Winter Assistant Coach Lifetime Impact Award,[/URL] the National Basketball Coaches Association announced today. Johnson was presented with the award during the Jazz game vs. Portland today at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. [/QUOTE]

Jerry got all the credit but I'm sure Phil had as mcuh to do with things as anyone.

[QUOTE]Jeff Zillgitt: France selects 12 players for men

[url]http://www.sltrib.com/blogs/jazznotes/4106907-155/jazz-gobert-table-extension-talks-until[/url]

[QUOTE]The Jazz would certainly keep him, but if Gobert went and signed an offer sheet on the market, he could get a contract favorable in years. Indeed, Hayward's offer sheet that he signed with the Charlotte Hornets featured the early out that will make him an unrestricted free agent following this season.[/QUOTE]

Can't let that happen. He has to be signed to the 5 year max with no outs. He is the guy you should be building around. He is the number 1 priority even more than their so called 2 best players.

[url]http://www.sltrib.com/sports/4111133-155/utah-jazz-rudy-gobert-wants-a[/url]

[QUOTE]Is there the chance that Gobert could be fatigued heading into training camp? Yes. But Gobert

[url]http://www.sltrib.com/blogs/jazznotes/4111171-155/shelvin-mack-talks-staying-with-the[/url]

[QUOTE]He doesn't have to go shopping for a team this summer, since the Jazz guaranteed the final year of his contract, something that was in question heading into free agency.[/QUOTE]

There was never a question. He was too good and his contract too small. No brainer.

[QUOTE]with the Jazz trading for George Hill and Dante Exum closing in on his return from knee surgery, there were questions about whether Mack would be back in the fold on opening night.[/QUOTE]

a combo guard who plays a different game than Shelvin and a prospect who has proven little. Again there was no question.

[QUOTE]That leaves Mack looking at the the possibility of dropping from starter to the third point guard.[/QUOTE]

Just can't see it. He was too good for them last year. No one can run the team better other than maybe Neto if he gets the chance.

[QUOTE]The fact that he can play both backcourt positions is a plus, as well.[/QUOTE]

I doubt he'll be playing the 2. They played him with Neto and Burke last year but they have too many guys to put him at the 2 I'd guess.

[URL="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865657939/Jazz-fall-despite-odd-sudden-death-OT-forcing-play-by-Butterfield-Lyles.html"]http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865657939/Jazz-fall-despite-odd-sudden-death-OT-forcing-play-by-Butterfield-Lyles.html[/URL]

[quote]Butterfield played in Lithuania last season but doesn’t have any firm plans for the upcoming season.
“We’re just kind of seeing how this summer league goes,” he said, referring to his agent. “We’ll gather all the information and see what we’re going to do after that.”
[/quote]
He'd make sense for the D-league team as a local. Not sure he has an NBA game.

[url]http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865657837/Utah-Jazzs-Rudy-Gobert-says-hell-play-for-the-French-national-team-in-Rio-Olympics.html[/url]

[QUOTE]Gobert listed several reasons for skipping that tournament in the Philippines, which ended Sunday when France beat Canada to qualify.
For one thing, he wanted to allow his injured right ankle to heal after tweaking it late in the 2015-16 NBA season. He wanted to spend time working on his strength at the P3 facility in Santa Barbara, California. The 23-year-old didn't want to repeat what happened last year, either, when he spent so much time with Team France that he didn't allow himself enough time to rest and recuperate before training camp started last fall.
[/QUOTE]

Sounds like he learned from last year! :cheers:

[url]http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865657866/Morning-links-Are-the-Jazz-the-next-Oklahoma-City-Thunder-Delon-Wright-remembers-Duncan.html[/url]

[QUOTE]"All of the pieces are in place, and the Jazz should only get better from here," said Tjarks[/QUOTE]

Yeah but now is the hard part. Paying everyone. That's why they should have been trying to win last year not this year. They were the 6th best team to end 2015. You build on that not remain the same. You don't know how the team will look after next year for sure. Hayward could leave next year. Strike while the iron is hot. A lesson they should have learned from the Stockton and Malone era when next year eventually didn't come.

[url]https://theringer.com/utah-jazz-next-thunder-gordon-hayward-52b0879ed3b2#.4p2grg78k[/url]

[QUOTE]It

[url]http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865657930/Longtime-Jazz-assistant-Phil-Johnson-receives-prestigious-coaching-award.html[/url]

[QUOTE]Johnson was selected from an impressive group that included Ron Adams, Jim Boylan, Hank Egan, Jim Eyen, Tim Grgurich, Frank Hamblen, Dick Helm, Brian Hill, Jim Lynam, Bob McAdoo, Ron Rothstein, Brendan Suhr and Bob Weiss.[/QUOTE]

You'd think he'd have to have been a unanimous choice.
[QUOTE]
The voting committee for the award that carries the name of Winter, an iconic Hall of Fame assistant coach, includes Rick Adelman, Hubie Brown, Doug Collins, Wayne Embry, Danny Ferry, Mike Fratello, George Karl, Doc Rivers, Rod Thorn and Lenny Wilkens.[/QUOTE]

A lot of heavyweights picking him. :applause:

[url]http://saltcityhoops.com/who-is-boris-diaw/[/url]

[QUOTE]I

[QUOTE]Will he assume that role with the bench, or will he have to play second or third fiddle in primacy with [B][URL="http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/burksal01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.basketball-reference.com"]Alec Burks[/URL][/B], [B][URL="http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/johnsjo02.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.basketball-reference.com"]Joe Johnson[/URL][/B] (or [B][URL="http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/hoodro01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.basketball-reference.com"]Rodney Hood[/URL][/B]), and [B][URL="http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/d/diawbo01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.basketball-reference.com"]Boris Diaw[/URL][/B] all likely to also not start?[/QUOTE]

I see that as their bench so Lyles won't have the ball in hands that much.

[url]http://purpleandblues.com/2016/07/13/former-utah-jazz-asst-coach-phil-johnson-honored/[/url]

[QUOTE]Johnson served as an assistant coach for the Jazz under Frank Layden from 1982 to 1984, then returned to the team in 1988.[/QUOTE]

Might have been him in the HOF and Jerry getting awards for assistants if he hadn't left. :confusedshrug:

[url]http://purpleandblues.com/2016/07/13/utah-jazz-enter-tournament-play-after-ot-loss-to-blazers/[/url]

[QUOTE]nothing to get emotionally invested in and not much to learn by watching the handful of actual NBA players involved beat up on guys who will be playing in Estonia or working at Home Depot once the regular season rolls around.[/QUOTE]

Disagree. I enjoy watching their picks who could be part of the team someday and I've learned a lot about them and others as I'm sure the front office and staff have as well.

As expected Lindsey just said that they will be very cautious with Dante. His fans may want to temper their expectations. The off-season moves and common sense already hinted at this though.

Bolomboy just mentioned European scouts watching. Sounds like hopefully he's prepared to be stashed.

[url]http://www.sltrib.com/sports/4114492-155/utah-jazz-handle-blazers-in-tournament[/url]

[QUOTE]Once again, he was very good in extended minutes.[/QUOTE]

When was the other time? He needs to be stashed. Needs to get stronger. I got a feeling they might keep him because he's local and he can shoot with some range which obviously the love from their bigs. They have too much money to not replace Pleiss and Withey. They love that Pleiss can shoot though.

[url]http://www.sltrib.com/sports/4115039-155/utah-jazz-for-one-summer-league[/url]

[QUOTE]Lyles was counted on to contribute out of need[/QUOTE]

They didn't need him to begin the season. He should have been in the D-league. It cost them games.

[url]http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865658003/Morning-links-Jazz-should-win-50-SI-wonders-if-Jimmer-Fredette-has-done-enough.html[/url]

[QUOTE]predicting 50 wins for the Jazz is not bold. They are that good."[/QUOTE]

Should have been there a year ago.

[url]http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/16992129/rating-won-lost-nba-free-agency-period[/url]

[QUOTE]They could extend Favors as of October, but he has little incentive to redo his deal now unless he is petrified of a new collective bargaining deal. After this season, he will become eligible for a larger max contract reserved for players with at least seven years in the league. He could play the year out, renegotiate next July up to that higher max, and lock in more years.[/QUOTE]

Can the Jazz give 3 max contracts in a year even with the cap going up again? Not to mention Hill and Mack and Diaw.

[QUOTE]the Jazz are looking at a $125 million payroll (at least) before second contracts even kick in for Hood, Exum and Lyles. That might prove untenable. (The Blazers are facing a similar dilemma, but we'll have more on them in the near future.)[/QUOTE]

Difference is the Blazers have an owner with deep pockets. :banghead:

[QUOTE]The former Weber State standout had another strong game filling in as a starter, finishing with 14 points and nine rebounds.
Bolomboy, who averaged 4.7 points and 4.8 rebounds in his previous six games, had 13 points and 11 boards as a starter in Utah

[url]http://saltcityhoops.com/jazz-in-rio-tracking-utah-players-olympic-summers/[/url]

[QUOTE]I have more of less stopped tracking Jazz draftee Ante Tomic ever since he signed a new multi-year deal with Barcelona. The skilled big guy

[url]http://www.sltrib.com/sports/4118915-155/utah-jazz-have-the-talent-now[/url]

[QUOTE]. His roster is going from too little depth to almost too much depth.[/QUOTE]

Almost? It looks like at least two of their young guys who a year ago they didn't want to block will be blocked.

[QUOTE]The good thing is, the players are committed to winning."[/QUOTE]

Are you though? You playing Lyles over Withey cost you the playoffs. Stop making excuses.

[QUOTE]Next year, there's a good chance Mack will be the third point guard and Neto may spend a good chunk of the year in the D-League with the D-League Stars.[/QUOTE]

A good chance? No one has showed they can run the team better than Mack. Until they do chances are he's a starter. Hard to imagine Neto in the D-league after being a solid starter and role player. That's why this all should have started a year ago when sending Neto to the D-league would have made sense. Now you have to block young guys that have shown they can play and I don't necessarily think you can just trade them now. Might need them next year. :confusedshrug:

[QUOTE]Alec Burks was the primary sixth man before he got hurt in December. Now, he's probably the fourth wing.[/QUOTE]

I'd put him behind Maxi G and Hill. Certainly arguable after that. He's a proven 6th man unlike anyone else on the roster.
[QUOTE]
Now, their 11th and 12th men could very well be Mack and Joe Ingles, guys who have both proved to be rotational talents in the NBA.[/QUOTE]

Ingles has looked like a rotation player at the end of the past two seasons but unless he can do it all year he's just a nice guy to have on the bench. Exum is behind everyone until he proves otherwise as far as I'm concerned.

[QUOTE]"I prefer not to look at it as younger versus older," Snyder said. "We look at it as a more typical roster than we've had in the past. We have some veterans, we still have a lot of youth. We're going to benefit from having veteran guys and young guys. We're going to look at it as a good thing."[/QUOTE]

Vets are a good thing now? :facepalm

[QUOTE]Ingles simply said "All I want to do is win." Star small forward Gordon Hayward has intimated the same thing in past conversations and interviews.[/QUOTE]

If it wasn't for Hayward being a free agent none of this would be happening. They would have kept their lottery pick and continued their tanking ways. :banghead:

[QUOTE]But outside of the Warriors and the San Antonio Spurs, how many teams in the West do the Jazz reasonably take a back seat to? On paper at least, the answer would appear to be not many.[/QUOTE]

Which after finishing 6th to end the 2015 season should have been what they were thinking going into last off-season. :rant

[QUOTE]The Jazz are deeper than a typical NBA team.[/QUOTE]

Not sure about that. Deeper than the teams tanking anyway.

[url]http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865658177/Rodney-Hood-embraces-opportunity-to-put-USA-on-his-chest.html[/url]

[QUOTE]An injury forced Hood to withdraw from the squad[/QUOTE]

Still think he may have more injury problems ahead of him. I'm afraid last year was a fluke

[QUOTE]

[url]http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865658178/Buckle-up-Jazz-picked-as-NBAs-4th-best-team-by-Bleacher-Report.html[/url]

[QUOTE]Let's hear it for your 2016-17 NBA Northwest Division champions, the Utah Jazz![/QUOTE]

Yay! Now that winning the division really means nothing. :rolleyes:

[QUOTE]In fact, going into next season, Hughes has Utah ranked as the fourth-best team in the entire NBA. No, not just the fourth-best team in the Western Conference

[url]http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865658183/Trey-Lyles-grows-thanks-to-summer-growth-opportunity.html[/url]

[QUOTE]There is an SLC Stars roster to fill, so it helped to get a look at potential D-League players.[/QUOTE]

I think that's mostly what they'll get from this year. Have 3 spots to fill for camp. Probably be looking at guys that will play for the Stars. I'd say they need 1 to 2 big men out of that to replace Pleiss and Withey. Make Johnson and Ingles earn their roster spots.

[url]http://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat/2016/7/15/12200580/nba-summer-league-2016-las-vegas-utah-jazz-trey-lyles-tibor-pleiss-downbeat-1954[/url]

[QUOTE]Where did the offense go? Will they ever at least equal where the defense is today? [/QUOTE]

If they want to get to 4th in the NBA that's probably what has to happen.

[QUOTE]We also get a look at the [URL="http://www.sbnation.com/nba-summer-league"]Vegas Summer League[/URL], an recap of the last game, and what's did we learn so far? Beyond "[B][URL="http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/l/lylestr01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.basketball-reference.com"]Trey Lyles[/URL][/B] is an NBA player," not a lot else.[/QUOTE]

I got a lot more than that out of it. If their draft picks improve as much as Hanlan did overseas they could have some decent players on cheap rookie contracts in the next couple years which they are going to need if they have 3 max guys.

[QUOTE][B][URL="http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/craftaa01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.basketball-reference.com"]Aaron Craft[/URL][/B] and Spencer Butterfield looked nice, but I don't think they are NBA level defenders just yet. [/QUOTE]

Craft is known for his D.

[QUOTE]Clearly ready to take the next step from a bench player to a rotation player.[/QUOTE]

When wasn't he a rotation player? :wtf:

[QUOTE]Hopefully this year the addition of an [URL="http://www.sbnation.com/nba-playoffs"]NBA Playoffs[/URL] starting level caliber point guard ([B][URL="http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/hillge01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.basketball-reference.com"]George Hill[/URL][/B])[/QUOTE]

or sg

[url]https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fancy-stats/wp/2016/07/15/man-the-2013-nba-draft-was-truly-awful-actually-it-was-the-worst-ever/[/url]

[QUOTE]9. Jeff Withey (No. 39)[/QUOTE]

And he hasn't even played! :confusedshrug:

Rudy is the man! :bowdown:

[url]http://purpleandblues.com/2016/07/16/utah-jazz-in-lyles-absence-joel-bolomboy-finds-his-groove/[/url]

[QUOTE]with an expanded opportunity in Lyles

[url]http://purpleandblues.com/2016/07/15/utah-jazz-sit-nba-power-rankings-free-agency/3/[/url]

[QUOTE]Utah will put up defensive numbers nobody has seen in decades with Exum coming back and the best rim protector in the NBA, [B][URL="http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/goberru01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-purpleandblues.com"]Rudy Gobert[/URL][/B], patrolling the paint. [/QUOTE]

We'll see. The starting line-up should be tough. The bench might struggle on that end some with or without Exum in the mix. Hopefully they can out score their opponents with all the firepower the bench will bring though.

[url]http://www.sltrib.com/sports/4123545-155/utah-jazz-young-players-show-improvement[/url]

[QUOTE]With that, the Jazz wanted to focus on Trey Lyles, the rising second-year power forward, second-year center Tibor Pleiss and the play of their three second-round picks, Joel Bolomboy, Marcus Paige and Tyrone Wallace.[/QUOTE]

and Ford who is actually signed unlike their picks

[QUOTE]Because the regular roster had limited spots, how were the free agents going to react? For the most part, the answer was very well.[/QUOTE]

Those guys they will at to help fill their D-league roster.