2023 off-season

[url]https://saltcityhoops.com/what-to-watch-for-in-summer-league/[/url]

[QUOTE][INDENT]My major early summer league overreaction is that I would permanently put Luka Samanic in my rotation as Lauri Markkanen's primary small forward backup….I truly think he can play

— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) [URL="https://twitter.com/Tjonesonthenba/status/1676039268400234497?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"]July 4, 2023[/URL][/INDENT][/QUOTE]

more 7 footers playing out of position should help their awful D! :facepalm

[QUOTE]The Jazz have a lot of bigs and a lot of guards, but they are missing the in-between. I know Markkanen is capable of playing SF, but let’s be honest, it’s not his natural position. Which means we are left with Simone Fontecchio as being the only true SF on the roster. I’m not sure who I prefer more as our backup SF, but the 6’8″ Fontecchio will turn 28 early this next season, while the 6’10” Samanic will turn 24.

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I'd say in today's game Simone is more of a small ball 4 at least on any other team but the Jazz

[QUOTE]If he can, then he and Fontecchio are going to have a fun pre-season battle to see who can lock up those backup small forward minutes for the Jazz next regular season.

[/QUOTE]

you're forgetting the rookies. I doubt Simone is in the rotation. He was out of it last year until the trade deadline. Samanic looks like a rotation player but again how many bigs should you actually be playing?

[QUOTE]The question is can he be more than just a cutter and spot-up three-point shooter on offense? Early on as a rookie, I wouldn’t expect much more from him because it’s just not going to be asked from him. Especially with the other talented players on the Jazz roster. In the Summer League though? Prime opportunity to show the team if he is capable of doing more offensively with a higher usage. I want to see if he can create shot opportunities for himself off the dribble. He is an elite athlete, who should be able to to take advantage of other bigs trying to defend him on the wing. I think Hendricks has the ability to play small forward, power forward and center. Depending on the position he is asked to play, I’d love to see how he adapts his game to take advantage of his versatility. We haven’t been able to see him yet as he is recovering from a right hamstring strain, but he has been practicing and is only listed as day-to-day, which makes me believe he will at least be able to play in the Vegas Summer League.

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might be playing the 2 since that is where they have the least amount of depth currently and that they apparently think it's the 80's again

[url]https://www.slcdunk.com/research-statistics-analytics/2023/7/20/23802596/when-will-keyonte-george-start-at-point-guard-for-the-utah-jazz-nba-offseason-2023[/url]

[QUOTE]The question for the [URL="https://www.slcdunk.com"]Utah Jazz[/URL] is, when will Keyonte George get on the floor? We’ve been told that Will Hardy hates to have players get on the floor solely because they’re highly touted rookies, he wants them to earn it. This is absolutely the right attitude and will set players up to play without entitlement to a starting position. It’s a core part of building a winning culture.

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you mean no more playing time for guys just because they coach went to the same school?

[QUOTE]This might be the biggest test for Hardy and the coaching staff this season. Last season, the Jazz traded away veteran players that paved the way for younger, more unproven prospects, a chance to get minutes. It proved to be highly successful as we saw the rise of Walker Kessler and Ochai Agbaji. But what happens when those players aren’t traded away? How will that go? This season the Jazz have a lot more options at guard, and they want to win. If Keyonte George is going to play, he’s going to have to prove himself to be the best option to start.

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more options than last year when they got multiple guys that are in the league now? :facepalm

[QUOTE][B]Collin Sexton:[/B] Like Clarkson, Sexton also improved as the season went on as a passer, and Sexton continued his efficiency scoring the ball. The deficiencies for Sexton come with his size, which hurts his defense, and the occasional blinders on offense. Sexton is willing to make the pass but sometimes his size, and mentality, seem to keep him from making all the right reads. George already has a size advantage as well as passing prowess over Sexton. The most likely starting unit for the Jazz is Sexton and Clarkson starting because of their experience, Hardy will know what he’s getting. But it’s going to be hard to keep Geroge off the floor with his passing and shooting. Because George has better size and length, he can also be a better defender. If the defense comes along quickly for George, it’s going to be an obvious decision for Hardy to start George at point guard.

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I'd be shocked if Sexton isn't starting if he's on the team. Not many have put up 24 a game for any stretch

[QUOTE][B]Kris Dunn:[/B] Dunn was a big surprise for Utah last season and earned a well-deserved contract. Dunn has a chance to be an important part of the team, but there are limits to his offensive game. To his credit, he’s shown an ability to knock down shots, but he isn’t a high-level shooter. His defense is undoubtedly better than George right now, but George might just be so special that it doesn’t matter.

[/QUOTE]

he can finish as well.

strange how everyone thinks this is a question. I think there's little question if Sexton is on the team. By the trade deadline it may be George. We'll see...

[url]https://www.slcdunk.com/latest-utah-jazz-news-recent/2023/7/17/23798428/injury-update-for-utah-jazz-rookies-keyonte-george-taylor-hendricks-and-brice-sensabaugh-nba[/url]

[QUOTE]Not super likely for him to start at the beginning of the year (but it’s not impossible) but it’s very likely that Keyonte George is in the rotation to start the year and the Jazz are big on his potential and future.

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pretty obvious

[QUOTE]It may be difficult for Taylor Hendricks to find time to play with how deep the Jazz frontcourt is. The combination of defense, size and shooting for Hendricks is unique and should eventually get him time on the floor.

[/QUOTE]

energy guy. Be hard to keep him off the floor I'd think especially since they don't care how big they play

[url]https://www.slcdunk.com/2023/7/14/23775644/who-should-the-utah-jazz-start-at-point-guard-next-season-heres-an-in-depth-look-nba-2023-2024[/url]

[QUOTE]At the moment, Sexton stands as the best shooter out of the potential guard core. Having not been [I]that [/I]far off of a 50/40/90 season (he only shot 81% on free throws), he would add spacing to Utah’s starting lineup. This, combined with his ability to attack the basket, could help bend defenses and provide opportunities for him to create for others. Defenses have to respect him, and Sexton showed some ability with passes like this:

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yeah 80 is pretty much 90 :lol

[QUOTE]Frankly, Sexton doesn’t have a great history of playing as a facilitator. He’s never averaged more than 3.3 assists per game in his career and can get caught in tunnel vision. He’ll get out of control and try to make something out of nothing. Sometimes that leads to forced passes like this (apologies for the poor quality on this one):

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he looked like a pg to me last year. Conley schooled him well

[QUOTE]For Horton-Tucker, the most obvious pros are related to his physical size and athleticism. He’s 6’4” with a 7 foot wingspan and can play above the rim, something the other potential point guards on this roster can’t do. This gives him an advantage when operating in the pick and roll, since he’s more able to look over the defense, pressure the rim, and make difficult passes.

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George and maybe Dunn too are as tall :facepalm

[QUOTE]But with the turnovers aside, if it were up to me, I would probably try starting Horton-Tucker at the point guard due to his size and athleticism. A lineup of THT-Clarkson-Markkanen-Collins-Kessler has strong switch-ability on defense and would be one of the most athletic first-fives in the league.

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He was behind Conley and Sexton last year and probably behind Butler if he didn't have guaranteed money. Now he should be starting because he has length he doesn't use well defensively? :facepalm

[QUOTE]At this point in his career in his career, Dunn won’t get significantly better as a basketball player. He is nearly 30 years old, has bounced around the league the last few seasons, and still has a questionable jumpshot. I just don’t buy that he’s become a deadeye shooter over the last year, although I’d love to be proven wrong.

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doesn't have to be a dead eye. Just has to hit open shots when the defense leaves him open. If they guard him he can finish at the rim or create for someone else. He's the guy Rubio was supposed to be!

[QUOTE]On top of that, there is an argument that playing Dunn could cost you the opportunity to develop Collin Sexton, Talen Horton-Tucker, or Keyonte George. Do the Jazz really want to invest these minutes into a player who doesn’t fit within their long-term plans?

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if your trying to win games which they were last year and with the addition of Collins I assume this year as well

[url]https://thejnotes.com/2023/07/19/3-best-utah-jazz-players-2023-summer-league/6/[/url]

Not George :oldlol:

[url]https://thejnotes.com/2023/07/17/pros-cons-utah-jazz-making-bold-move-tyler-herro/3/[/url]

[QUOTE]Another potential con that the Jazz could run into is the fact that, in the eyes of some, Herro could essentially be viewed as a duplicate of Jordan Clarkson. They are similar players in that they are offensive talents but you can probably argue that Herro’s ceiling is a bit higher than Clarkson’s ever was.

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younger. Get him and move Clarkson

[url]https://thejnotes.com/2023/07/10/utah-jazz-trades-clear-big-man-logjam/[/url]

I like the Herro one

[QUOTE] After spending the past eight seasons in the NBA, free agent guard Raul Neto could be headed to an opportunity overseas. [URL="https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2023/07/international-notes-neto-edwards-bone-brazdeikis-cornelie.html"]Turkish club Fenerbahce is reportedly working on a deal with the 31-year-old point guard, who averaged 3.3 points and 1.6 assists in 48 games with the Cavaliers last season,[/URL] tweets Shot Vetakis of LiveSport and SDNA.

– via [URL="https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2023/07/international-notes-neto-edwards-bone-brazdeikis-cornelie.html"]Hoops Rumors[/URL]

[/QUOTE]

it's been a pleasure

[url]https://thejnotes.com/2023/07/21/the-utah-jazz-are-surprisingly-predicted-to-be-a-playoff-contender/[/url]

[QUOTE]The Jazz should be better in 2023-2024 and Chiesa is right that the team was snakebitten by injuries. Yet, there is some stuff in flux, like who’s going to start, who’s going to be the sixth man, and whether or not Jordan Clarkson or Kelly Olynyk will even be on the team by the trade deadline.

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let's hope Clarkson is gone. Sky is the limit once The Bum is off the team

[url]https://thejnotes.com/2023/07/23/kris-dunn-may-not-be-around-long-term-with-the-utah-jazz/[/url]

[QUOTE][URL="https://thejnotes.com/2023/07/22/bleacher-report-names-6-most-improved-teams-but-are-the-utah-jazz-one-of-them/"]The Utah Jazz have[/URL] a log jam at point guard. They have at least four players, maybe even five, who are trying to win the starting position. You have Collin Sexton, Talen Horton-Tucker, Keyonte George, and Kris Dunn. Then you have Jordan Clarkson, who is also in the running, but also has the shooting guard spot locked down in the event the Jazz don’t want to go down that route.

[/QUOTE]

The Bum at the 1! :roll:

[QUOTE]The Jazz are at 15 players on their main roster heading into the regular season, with three players on two-way contracts. That’s not to mention any last-second interest in a player like John Wall or Christian Wood. If there is, that would mean the Jazz would likely part ways with either Luka Samanic or Dunn, as both have partially guaranteed contracts only.

[/QUOTE]

Yuretsan or Samanic is more likely

[QUOTE]What may save him, however, is the team deciding to go defense first. Utah Jazz head coach Will Hardy has been on record in the past talking about the defense, specifically the many-to-man defense. [URL="https://www.si.com/nba/jazz/news/utah-jazz-kris-dunn-claim-salt-lake"]Hardy was quoted as saying it was “horrendous”,[/URL] and that’s not going to get any better with Sexton or Clarkson running point.

[/QUOTE]

he's the vet. He stays. Talen and Sexton are basically the same age and making a lot of money. One of them ideally goes. Talen makes most sense as the roster stands

[QUOTE]So while it makes sense to hand the reigns to one so they can run the offense, it could be a situation that Dunn makes the most sense to start for the team. Then again, Dunn may not get the chance if a trade happens, or if the Jazz end up being rumored to be interested in one of the more prominent free agents that are left.

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a rumor will cost him his job? :oldlol:

[url]https://thejnotes.com/2023/07/23/should-the-utah-jazz-bring-gordon-hayward-this-season/[/url]

[QUOTE]The Utah Jazz have a very interesting roster at the moment. Right now they’re swarmed with point guards, power forwards, and big men as a whole. The team truthfully only has one true small forward, Italy’s Simone Fontecchio. He’s currently listed on EPSN.com as a backup to Lauri Markkanen, a more natural power forward. Also backing up Markkanen is Talen Horton-Tucker, who’s barely 6’2. There’s also Brice Sensabaugh, a true but slow small forward who continues to rehab from off-season knee surgery.

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they played 3 guards last year but Talen can pretty much only play at the 1. Ochai?

[QUOTE]Knee injuries are not the career enders they used to be but they do still take a while to fully heal. Perfect example, look at Ricky Rubio’s return this past season. He never looked right when he came back for the Cleveland Cavaliers, so it’s possible that Sensabaugh may not be nearly ready to go this season.[/QUOTE]

DTD :facepalm

[QUOTE]Hence why the idea of Gordon Hayward coming in isn’t a bad one. Hayward’s arrival would likely mean the end of the tenures of Horton-Tucker and backup big Kelly Olynyk, but that may not be the worst thing. With John Collins and now Omer Yurtseven on the roster, they no longer need Olynyk, so a trade makes sense.

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Hendricks and Samanic

[QUOTE]Hayward can then move Markkanen back to the four, Collins comes off the bench as the sixth man gets 28-30 minutes a game, and the Jazz gets a reliable shooter. Not only that, however, but Hayward’s arrival would also fortify the offense.

[/QUOTE]

Hayward more likely off the bench at this stage

[QUOTE]The Jazz right now don’t have a lot of great passers, which is something Hayward can be for the team. Now, the move only makes sense if you’re sure the Jazz are a team in contention to push for the playoffs. You’re really not giving up much in a trade, likely just Horton-Tucker, Olynyk, and Fontecchio.

Plus you can likely get back J.T. Thor and a second from the Hornets. So it makes sense to do the move. After all, at 33, Hawyard is still a guy who can still put up per-game stats of 15 points, four rebounds and four assists a night. And that was on a bad Hornets team.

[/QUOTE]

Imagine knowing what both front offices would do! :roll:

I like it. A versatile vet. Great fit. Funny for the idiots still booing him!

[url]https://thejnotes.com/2023/07/23/3-young-players-utah-jazz-develop-3-players-may-need-give/2/[/url]

[QUOTE]The shooting of Johnny Juzang deserves some serious attention. He was lights out in Summer League and while it’s unfair to assume he’d transfer that game to the NBA level, it’s still worth noting that guys do develop after they enter the league. Someone like Juzang could be a rotational piece for the Jazz this year, or even a spot starter if given a shot.

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:lol

[QUOTE][URL="https://thejnotes.com/2023/07/22/utah-jazz-rank-athletics-power-rankings/"]The team gave[/URL] Micah Potter another two-way contract this season, but after watching him struggle to shoot threes in the Utah Jazz’s last Summer League game, it’s fair to question whether Potter is able to give the Jazz what they need. He’s a solid rebounder but if he can’t score and stretch the court then he lacks the skills needed to warrant minutes ahead of other, better, bigs.

[/QUOTE]

RFA

[QUOTE]ESPN lists Talen Horton-Tucker as the Utah Jazz’s backup point guard and backup small forward. He’s got the handles to be a point guard, but he’s about six or seven inches too short for a small forward. The height isn’t why the Jazz should ship him away in a trade, however, it’s the fact he’s not a good scorer. He shot just 42% from the floor, which on its own isn’t bad until you realize he shot 29% from three. You want a 40% shooter from the line, but you’ll take a 35% shooter. Anything under that is just someone who eats up valuable minutes. Horton-Tucker should be a part of some trade package for a better player.

[/QUOTE]

He's got the length for the 3 just not the game. He can score :facepalm

[url]https://thejnotes.com/2023/07/23/the-utah-jazz-should-be-looking-at-john-wall-as-a-potential-starter/[/url]

[QUOTE]Sure, he’s not the scorer that Sexton is, and he’s not as good of a defender as Kris Dunn is currently, but he’s good enough at producing on offense to at least give him a shot in camp. Bringing him would give the Jazz a good passer and defender while hurting their shooting, but the team has enough shooting to make that sacrifice.

[/QUOTE]

their shooting sucks :lol

Rather have Dunn at this stage. He is a similar player. Younger and was hitting open 3s

[url]https://thejnotes.com/2023/07/23/6-free-agent-point-guards-the-utah-jazz-need-to-consider-signing/4/[/url]

rather have Dunn than all of them. Unless it's a starter I'd probably stick with Dunn. He was great!

[url]https://thejnotes.com/2023/07/25/did-the-utah-jazz-draft-the-right-players-considering-their-current-question-marks/[/url]

[QUOTE]The Jazz need a starting point guard to facilitate the offense. Maybe that can be Collin Sexton, but he’s never had that job before. Maybe it can be Kris Dunn, George, or even Talen Horton-Tucker. The fact it’s hard to say is exactly the issue. Remember, if you have multiple options, you really don’t have any. No one is wondering if Steph Curry will start for Golden State.

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Sexton had the jpb last year and with the Cavs. He's the only choice

[QUOTE]Then there’s Hendricks, who may be the best of the three, and somehow, the least likely to make an impact this year. Hendricks is now behind John Collins on the depth chart of power forwards. He’s also gotta face stiff competition from Kelly Olynyk, Walker Kessler, Lauri Markkanen, and even his rookie classmate, Sensabaugh.

[/QUOTE]

I can certainly see him in the rotation right away in the Vanderbilt role. By the trade deadline certainly guys will be moved and the young guys will get a look