[QUOTE] the young-but-maturing Jazz were playing their sixth road game in nine nights on a 6,000-mile cross-country trip and didn
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[QUOTE] the young-but-maturing Jazz were playing their sixth road game in nine nights on a 6,000-mile cross-country trip and didn
[QUOTE]Head coach Quin Snyder offset forward Trevor Booker
Hard to decide who I like paired up better with Gobert. I like Favors better than Kanter, and while a Favors/Gobert combo provides better rim protection, it's not great offensively and kills the floor spacing, which having Kanter paired with Gobert relieves a bit more, but Kanter can be more of a liability on D.
Favors still has to prove he can defend on the perimeter against stretch 4's or against the high pick and roll. Haven't really seen it. Rudy can do it but than that leaves Favors at the rim and he's not as good as advertised there either. Kanter continues to make progress defensively and as a stretch big. He has more upside so he'd be my choice though I think there's enough minutes for all of them. Rather there is enough money or rather they take another big early in the lottery remain to be seen. I'd guess the decision will be made in the off-season after the draft though. What to do with Booker in the meantime? His energy is needed but you got to see what the young guys can do. He's certainly tradable but you might want him around next year.
[QUOTE]While there has always been praise about how well Gobert is able to utilize his frame on both ends of the court, there was also concern about how a team would be able to make use of somebody that isn
[QUOTE]Four of the teams Utah played on the trip are in playoff position. The Grizzlies are one of the best teams in the NBA, while the Washington Wizards
[QUOTE]Necessity forced a jump in Rudy Gobert’s playing time.
Keeping his minutes up might be the necessity now.[/QUOTE]
Might? They need to start building around him. He's obviously the most important piece they have right now.
[QUOTE]The Jazz are 4-4 over their past eight games, and Gobert’s emergence has played no small part in that success.[/QUOTE]
Probably 0-8 without him. They are competitive with him in the game. Without him they have sucked.
[QUOTE]But Gobert’s recent opportunities have been due to absences. First, there was an ankle injury that kept starting center Derrick Favors out of the lineup for two contests. Then there was a minor medical procedure that caused backup big man Trevor Booker to miss Monday’s game in Memphis. With both players back healthy, Jazz head coach Quin Snyder has decisions to make.[/QUOTE]
The franchise has decisions to make I imagine. Playing Rudy isn't helping their tanking efforts but at the same time they have to decide about Enes' future in the next few months.
[QUOTE]Does he continue to play Gobert, the defensive dynamo, at the expense of more offense?[/QUOTE]
Seems like a no brainer to me. He does positive things on the offensive end and that will just get better.
[QUOTE] Does he play Enes Kaner, a polished scorer, sacrificing defense in exchange for low-post footwork and a sweet midrange jumper? Or does he cut back playing time for Booker, one of his spark plugs off the bench?[/QUOTE]
Booker has to sit and maybe be dealt. Favors or Kanter need to go to the bench. Funny how there's no mention of Favors there though.
[QUOTE]It seems the answer, for now, is that it will just depend.
"It worked well for us, particularly against this team," Snyder said after the Jazz went big with Gobert and Favors and topped the Memphis Grizzles on Monday. "The NBA is all about matchups, and we needed to match up to their size."[/QUOTE]
Thing is even with small ball Rudy needs to play. He can cover smaller players too.
[QUOTE]The Jazz matched the Grizzlies with 32 points in the paint and outrebounded Memphis by a margin of 49-34.
"It’s one thing to be big, and another to be big and go after the ball," Snyder said. "We’re big, and those guys are all good rebounders. That helps a lot when guys are playing hard."
That certainly applies to Gobert’s play of late; he had 16 rebounds in the game.
Going back to the Jazz’s home win over the San Antonio Spurs on Dec. 9, he has averaged about 25 minutes a night, up from his season average of 18.[/QUOTE]
and needs to play 10 or 15 more a night
[QUOTE]In that stretch, he’s putting up 6.6 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game. And with the 7-foot-1 Frenchman on the court, the defensively challenged Jazz are defending like a top-10 team.[/QUOTE]
and there even needs to be a discussion about this? They are one of the worst defensive teams in the league without him.
[QUOTE]"I think with him," Snyder said, "getting more and more experience is going to help."[/QUOTE]
boy all those degrees have really payed off! :rolleyes:
[QUOTE]At this point in his career, however, Gobert represents a trade-off. Look at all the pairings of the Jazz’s four rotation big men, and Gobert is part of the best defensive combinations. He’s also part of the three worst offensive combos.[/QUOTE]
But offense isn't their problem. They need to figure out what the best line-up is around him starting with Enes and Favors. Might be able to trade Booker and others that don't fit with Rudy for some help too. But again winning isn't something they want to do too much of so there is the dilemma.
[QUOTE]If there were concerns last year about Kanter and Favors being able to play together on the offensive end of the floor (something they’ve certainly availed themselves of this season), Gobert and Favors truly provide some spacing issues on the court.[/QUOTE]
Wow! It's not Enes being thrown under the bus for a change. :eek:
[QUOTE]Their offensive rating, an estimated 95.3 points scored per 100 possessions, is the worst of the Jazz’s big-man duos.[/QUOTE]
That pretty much tells me the whole story right there. Either Favors is dealt in the off-season or they pay Enes and go with a 3 man rotation for the next couple of years until Rudy gets paid.
[QUOTE]But Gobert is showing himself to be an elite rim protector and a game-changer on the other end of the floor.
The sample size is small (just 37 minutes playing tighter over eight games), but Gobert and Favors look to have the potential to be an impressive defensive duo. In their admittedly limited time on the floor together, their defensive rating, an estimated 96.2 points allowed per 100 possessions, is roughly 20 points better than the pairing of Kanter and Favors.[/QUOTE]
And how does it compare with Enes and Rudy at both ends? The idea that Favors is part of any equation is ridiculous.
[QUOTE]So for now, matchups will most heavily influence Snyder’s rotation.
But Gobert is starting to make a case for himself.
[email]afalk@sltrib.com[/email]
Twitter: @tribjazz[/QUOTE]
Rudy belongs in there no matter the match-up. He is the man. Not Maxi G, not Favors, and certainly not Burke(Big 3, leader, :roll: ). Play him Enes and Favors. Plenty of minutes. Go with the hot guys and se what happens.
[QUOTE]"I've been on him hard. It's not OK for him to be passive, just to be out there and be in a backup role as a 19-year-old," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said last week in Miami. "He doesn
[QUOTE]Marc Stein: Rockets are making the rounds on Christmas Eve, offering up anyone in the bottom third of their roster via trade to make room for Josh Smith. Joey Dorsey, Tarik Black, Isaiah Canaan, Nick Johnson, Clint Capela ... Rockets seeking taker on any of the above to make room for Josh Smith. Twitter @ESPNSteinLine
Marc Stein: Rockets were confident they'd find palatable deal soon to open roster spot for Smith. HOU preference is one more trade over waiving someone Twitter @ESPNSteinLine
[/QUOTE]
[url]http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=m3qcpa4[/url]
Canaan looks better than Burke right now. He can shoot. His assists aren't as high but I'd guess he's just spotting up which he could do with Maxi G, Burks, Hood, Exum, Trey, etc. Steals are pretty good too. Turnovers a bit high. Seems to be a great fit for them offensively. Can't be any worse than Burke defensively. I'd guess the Jazz are familiar with him. He had to be on their radar coming out of the draft as one of the pg's in the draft. Makes them deeper. Jazz probably don't do it for the same reasons Neto isn't here.
Capela is young with upside. Blocks shots and rebounds. Need to put on weight. Send to D-league. Could be depth if Kanter or Favors go. Dorsey is a vet. He has a 2 year deal. I'm guessing next year is not guaranteed though. Jazz have too many big guys with this deal but Booker is starting to look expendable with some value for someone. Novak certainly is if they can find a taker.
For Houston they get a great end of the bench energy guy in Evans with an expiring deal. A young guy in Clark with some potential as a spot up shooter like Canaan but maybe better defensively and an expiring deal. Murry is non-guaranteed. They also save some money off their luxury tax bill.
Throw in picks, cash, Tomic, etc. to make it work.
:cheers:
Merry xmas!
[QUOTE]Most Valuable Player: With all due respect to Derrick Favors, who has been tremendous throughout the early season1, the nod here goes to Gordon Hayward. No Jazz player garnered more offseason attention than the swingman. Off the heels of a 16/5/5 season that saw him assume the primary option role with mixed results (41 percent shooting), Utah
[QUOTE]But for the Jazz franchise, now in its first season of a hybrid affiliation with the D-League
[QUOTE]the Jazz really have been experiencing a tough schedule so far this season.
According to NBA.com, the Jazz have possessed the second toughest schedule in the NBA so far this year
[QUOTE]As the NBA assists king, Utah Jazz legend John Stockton has seen it all, and so has his
[QUOTE]If not for Brett Brown, Joe Ingles might not be in the NBA.
On his journey to becoming a 27-year-old rookie with the Utah Jazz, the time Ingles spent with Brown, who coached the Australian national team for four years leading to the 2012 Olympics, was instrumental.
"He was huge for me," Ingles said. "He was probably the first coach up to that point that really kind of got the best out of me.
[QUOTE]"When you
[QUOTE]Guard Tony Wroten, the team
[QUOTE]Under Snyder, the Jazz have featured a new offense, a different defensive focus[/QUOTE]
Really? Could have fooled me. Without Rudy the defense has sucked as much as ever.
[QUOTE] and have seen contributions from several international players. The team is currently 9-20, but has showed signs of improvement. A 3-3 record on the recent Christmas road trip is an encouraging sign of where the team is going.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]It appears the Jazz are hoping to build a core of Hayward, forward Derrick Favors, guard Alec Burks and rookie guard Dante Exum, and then trying to find pieces to complement them. However, re-signing Hayward helped keep a significant part of the puzzle in Salt Lake for the foreseeable future.[/QUOTE]
No Trey? I thought he was part of their big 3? A leader?
Rudy should have them re thinking things. He's the guy to build around obviously. Favors has to prove he can play effectively with Rudy as does everyone else.
[QUOTE]The Sixers rank 11th in the NBA in defensive efficiency and in their last two games, wins over Orlando and Miami, they held the Magic to 88 points and Heat to 87.
A strong defense is something first-year Jazz coach Quin Snyder has been trying to instill in his team, and he
[QUOTE]Jody Genessy: Jazz SG Alec Burks did not participate in shootaround because of ongoing issues with his left shoulder. He is doubtful tonight vs. Philly. Twitter [/QUOTE]
not someone they can afford to lose with their lack of depth
[QUOTE]The Jazz couldn
[QUOTE]1. Was this a poorly-played offensive game, or a well-played defensive game?
I asked Quin Snyder, Derrick Favors, and Gordon Hayward this question after the game, all of them said some version of
[QUOTE]Booker missed the last game of Utah
[QUOTE]Patrick Christopher, a D-League signing who has been with the team for less than a month, passed up an open look.
That would have upset his coach on any night
[QUOTE]Tony Jones: Alec burks will travel with the jazz to Los Angeles but is OUT for tomorrow night against the clippers Twitter @Tjonessltrib [/QUOTE]
That one will be ugly unless they get a clue and play Rudy.
[QUOTE]When they play the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday, they will do so with four wins in their last five games. And the offense is playing a major role in their success.[/QUOTE]
It's all about Rudy no matter how else you want to spin it. Offense hasn't been their biggest problem. They can't stop anyone without Rudy on the floor. The offense will be fine someday when they get players that can shoot and spread the floor.
[QUOTE]"We
[QUOTE]
[QUOTE]When he entered the game Saturday night against the Philadelphia 76ers, Christopher was surprised by his lack of nerves. "I ran to the table as fast as I could," he said. "There
[QUOTE]Jazz have played two elite Western Conference teams on the road and played both of them down to the wire. Winning in Memphis and falling short in LA tonight. That is big time progress.[/QUOTE]
No progress would keeping your best player on the floor and winning the game. It's ridiculous really. Either they are stupid or they don;'t want to win. Either way it's a joke!
[QUOTE]This was the first time the Jazz have d
[QUOTE]Gordon Hayward has been among Utah
[QUOTE]Gordon Hayward wasn’t having it.
"There are no moral victories in my book," the Jazz’s young captain said.
Derrick Favors wasn’t buying it either.
"A win’s a win and a loss is a loss," he said.
OK. OK. Fair enough.[/QUOTE]
Agreed. If your best player was on the court I could live with it but when it appears that you are purposely throwing games away or your coach is too stupid to realize who the best player on the team is it's hard to live with.
[QUOTE]But the Clippers are the Clippers. [/QUOTE]
and the Jazz are the Jazz. Thanks Ty!
[QUOTE]So while the Jazz’s 101-97 road loss to one of the West’s best, a hard-fought game that saw 10 lead changes and 15 ties, isn’t cause for celebration, it still showcased the one thing that really matters in a season with no chance of making the postseason: progress.[/QUOTE]
No chance because they gave themselves no chance. What we've been seeing is without a D-league dominated roster around Rudy and Maxi G is that they could have been in the mix for the last playoff spot at least. They gave themselves no chance with the roster and continued personnel moves. The question is will the tanking continue next year? Or is Neto another high draft pick going to be enough to try and compete next year?
[QUOTE]Hayward once again led his team, scoring 22 points while dishing out seven assists and grabbing four rebounds. Rookie Rodney Hood, playing place of injured starter Alec Burks, had his best all-around game to date. And center Rudy Gobert continued to impress with 11 points and 13 boards.
"I like this young team," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said after the game. "They are going to be a really good team."
On Monday night at Staples Center, however, they weren’t good enough.
The Jazz trailed 99-96 with under a minute left. But Utah forward Derrick Favors missed a pair of free throws that could have cut the lead to one and the Jazz fell to 10-21 on the year. Free throws were an issue for Favors all night. The forward scored 15 points and had nine rebounds. But he hit just three of his nine attempts for the game.
"Gotta make them, man," Favors said. "I don’t know. Didn’t want to hit them tonight. They was just coming off wrong."[/QUOTE]
He probably feels Rudy and Enes breathing down his neck. Got him thinking too much.
[QUOTE]The Jazz as a team went 13 of 22 from the stripe, costing themselves crucial points down the stretch.
"We missed a lot of free throws there in the fourth," Hayward said. "All of us. Those are freebies you gotta hit."
Jazz big man Enes Kanter scored 16 points and had five rebound. Point guard Trey Burke had 11 points and six assists.
Clippers all-star Blake Griffin led all scorers with 24 points to go along with seven assists and six rebounds. L.A. got 20 points and eight assists from point guard Chris Paul and 17 points apiece from guard J.J. Redick and Jamal Crawford.
The game was tied at 77 heading into the final frame, but the Clippers clamped down defensively to close out the game. In the fourth quarter, L.A. recorded five of its 12 blocks. The Jazz, meanwhile, hit on just 7 of 26 attempts in the fourth and Hayward was held scoreless on just two attempts.
"We got stops when we needed to," Paul said. "I think Matt Barnes did an unbelievable job on Gordon Hayward. We know how he can score the ball, but when he was making all of those moves, Matt was right there and he never gave up on plays."
With the loss, the Jazz dropped to 10-21 on the season. The team returns home for a quick turnaround and a game Tuesday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
"That’s the best part of the NBA," Hayward said. "You have a loss and you get to the play the next day and get that loss out of your mind."
[email]afalk@sltrib.com[/email]
Twitter: @tribjazz[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE] it all came down to free throws as the Clippers made 17 of 22 free throws, while the Jazz made 13 of 22. That
[QUOTE]
[QUOTE]The following is a medical update on Utah Jazz guard Alec Burks, who has missed the last two games with a left shoulder injury: After examination by the Utah Jazz medical staff it has been decided that Alec Burks will undergo a surgical repair on his injured left shoulder. The procedure will be performed by Jazz head orthopaedic team physician, Dr. Travis Maak, on Wednesday, Dec. 31 at the University of Utah. NBA.com
As a result, Burks will miss the remainder of the 2014-15 season. He is expected to be ready for the start of 2015 Jazz training camp. NBA.com
[QUOTE]D-League team Idaho Stampede announced that Kevin Murphy has left the team and will continue to play the season overseas. Murphy was selected with the 47th pick in 2012 draft. The player is represented by agent Zach Kurtin. Sportando [/QUOTE]
Might have been a spot of him actually.
Tony Jones: Quin Snyder on Alec burks: "We're losing a big piece of what we do. It's not easy but best thing for him to get healthy. He's been getting better but it's in his longterm best interest to get it fixed right away" Twitter @Tjonessltrib
Tony Jones: Quin Snyder: "We've added Patrick Christopher, the roster is constantly being evaluated. We like the group we have" Twitter @Tjonessltrib
Tony Jones: Quin Snyder on Rodney Hood: "We have five millennials now in the starting lineup. Rodney is going to get a lot of experience" Twitter @Tjonessltrib
[QUOTE]Tony Jones: So I was told the entire Jazz bench had words for Shabazz Muhammad after he blatantly taunted them with the three goggles Twitter @Tjonessltrib
Tony Jones: On the record, Gordon Hayward had this to say: I don't think anyone was happy about it Twitter @Tjonessltrib[/QUOTE]
Play some d. Another player lit you up for a career high. One of the two guys yu traded for Trey! :facepalm
Chris Vivlamore: Hawks update on Al Horford: He is listed as probable for Friday's game against the Jazz. #ATLHawks Twitter @CVivlamoreAJC
[QUOTE]Any win is a good win. [/QUOTE]
The front office might think differently.
[QUOTE]Wins are going to be hard to come by.[/QUOTE]
Which should please the front office.
[QUOTE]Alec Burks is out for the season. This is going to be a gaping hole for the Jazz. Rodney Hood is a nice player but you don
[QUOTE]Quin called a quick timeout, clearly incensed at his team