2022-23 regular season. The Tank begins...

[QUOTE] Gilgeous-Alexander also grades out as a considerably better defensive player than Booker and Mitchell, and he currently leads the Western Conference in steals per game. [URL="https://ftw.usatoday.com/2022/11/shai-gilgeous-alexander-nba-mvp-all-star-thunder-stats"]He has turned many of those possessions into scoring opportunities, and Gilgeous-Alexander leads the league in transition scoring. In fact, if that continues by the end of the season, it would be the first time someone other than Giannis Antetokounmpo was able to wear that crown since 2017-18[/URL].

– via [URL="https://ftw.usatoday.com/2022/11/shai-gilgeous-alexander-nba-mvp-all-star-thunder-stats"]Bryan Kalbrosky @ For The Win[/URL]

[/QUOTE]

I said it months ago. He's the guy the Knicks should have been after

Andy Larsen: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Jazz announce Rudy Gay is out for at least two more weeks due to a finger sprain.[/URL] pic.twitter.com/1CPCx6dQ2o
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/andyblarsen"]Twitter andyblarsen[/URL]

[QUOTE][QUOTE] “Hayward (currently out with a shoulder injury) is a gamble because it’s been five years since he was actually healthy,” one Eastern Conference GM told Heavy Sports. “But he’s only got one year after this one (at $31.5 million) and there are teams that probably need to take a gamble if they’re going to win a title—Dallas is one, and Miami. He’d be a good fit in Milwaukee or Phoenix, too, even New York. He has some versatility to his game. But again, can he stay on the floor? Is he worth the risk?
– via Sean Deveney @ Heavy.com[/QUOTE][/QUOTE]

fits anywhere

[QUOTE][QUOTE] The [URL="https://heavy.com/sports/golden-state-warriors/james-wiseman-demoted-g-league/"]Warriors also could look to move Wiseman for general depth, which is a need for a team that ranks last in the NBA in bench net rating (minus-7.2). The likes of Toronto’s Gary Trent Jr., Utah’s Malik Beasley or Memphis’ Dillon Brooks would be ideal,[/URL] though the Warriors might have to give up too much (some combination of Donte DiVincenzo, Jonathan Kuminga and/or Moses Moody) to make salaries match for a deal to work. Knowing what a good fit Gary Payton II was before leaving for a payday in Portland this summer, the Warriors even could look to swap Wiseman to the Blazers to bring him back.

– via [URL="https://heavy.com/sports/golden-state-warriors/james-wiseman-demoted-g-league/"]Sean Deveney @ Heavy.com[/URL]


[/QUOTE][/QUOTE]

has he even as good as Udoka?

When asked what the Heat were doing to answer their needs at power forward an Eastern Conference executive told Heavy Sports’ Sean Deveney that the [URL="https://heavy.com/sports/miami-heat/heat-expected-to-target-96-million-point-guard-ahead-of-trade-deadline/"]Heat have more depth problems than in their front court. “They’ve been quiet on that lately. They looked at Jae Crowder, they hoped to get Utah to give up Jarred Vanderbilt—they want defense at that spot. They are not desperate, though.[/URL] They want to see what they have with guys like Caleb Martin, see how he handles that spot. They have other needs, too. Everybody assumes they’re worried about the power forward spot but they’re worried about the depth overall, too. It is something that they can address later in the year if they decide they don’t like what they have,” the executive told Heavy Sports.
– via [URL="https://heavy.com/sports/miami-heat/heat-expected-to-target-96-million-point-guard-ahead-of-trade-deadline/"]Thomas Darro @ Heavy.com[/URL]

The Athletic: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Royce O’Neale with the bucket for the win[/URL] Nets get a big W over Portland. @Brooklyn Nets pic.twitter.com/Bkbv4pZalL

[HR][/HR] [INDENT] Royce O’Neale with the bucket for the win

Nets get a big W over Portland.
[URL="https://twitter.com/BrooklynNets?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"]@BrooklynNets[/URL] [URL="https://t.co/Bkbv4pZalL"]pic.twitter.com/Bkbv4pZalL[/URL]

— The Athletic NBA (@TheAthleticNBA) [URL="https://twitter.com/TheAthleticNBA/status/1593482246928859136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"]November 18, 2022[/URL][/INDENT]

– via [URL="https://twitter.com/TheAthleticNBA"]Twitter TheAthleticNBA[/URL]

Kevin Pelton: Per @Stathead, Royce [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]O’Neale joined Elvin Hayes, Mark Jackson, Larry Bird and Goran Dragic as the fifth player in their database to record a triple-double of precisely 11 points, rebounds and assists:[/URL] stathead.com/tiny/OWg9R
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/kpelton"]Twitter kpelton[/URL]




Alex Schiffer: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Royce O’Neale’s first triple-double comes in clutch fashion[/URL] as the tip-in clinched the Nets’ win over Portland. Kyrie is set to return on Sunday.
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/Alex__Schiffer"]Twitter Alex__Schiffer[/URL]

[URL="https://*********.com/team/portland-trail-blazers/"]rs[/URL]




Rudy Gobert: [URL="https://*********.com/social/tweets/"]I see youuuuu @Royce O’Neale[/URL]

– via [URL="https://twitter.com/rudygobert27"]Twitter rudygobert27[/URL]

[QUOTE] [URL="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/can-the-jazz-keep-this-up-nba-scout-weighs-in-on-utahs-hot-start"]“They’re off to such a hot start, and they’ve got a lot of guys who are really confident,” the anonymous NBA scout told BasketballNews.com. “I’m a big Jordan Clarkson guy and he has really emerged.[/URL] He’s always been a scorer, but I think he knows that he has to be good night in and night out and he has to lead the charge for this team. Lauri Markkanen is killing it, and I’m really happy for him. This is what we thought Lauri Markkanen would be when the Bulls took him [No. 7 overall]. It took some time, but this is the guy we thought he might become.”

– via [URL="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/can-the-jazz-keep-this-up-nba-scout-weighs-in-on-utahs-hot-start"]Alex Kennedy @ basketballnews.com[/URL]





Anonymous NBA scout: [URL="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/can-the-jazz-keep-this-up-nba-scout-weighs-in-on-utahs-hot-start"]“I think Kelly Olynyk is a great veteran, and so is Mike Conley. They have a solid bench with Collin Sexton. I’m a Walker Kessler guy; I think he’s actually going to be a really good big.[/URL] And then they’ve got Talen Horton-Tucker… When they acquired Ochai Agbaji and Leandro Bolmaro, I thought those guys would get an opportunity to play, but they really haven’t gotten opportunities because there’s so much depth! They have a lot of veterans who have been very productive.”

– via [URL="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/can-the-jazz-keep-this-up-nba-scout-weighs-in-on-utahs-hot-start"]Alex Kennedy @ basketballnews.com[/URL]


[/QUOTE]

Clarkson will never be good every night. He's not a good shooter for starters

Rod Boone: Per league sources, [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Gordon Hayward, originally listed as doubtful for tonight’s game in Cleveland, is being upgraded to questionable[/URL].
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/rodboone"]Twitter rodboone[/URL]

[QUOTE] The [URL="https://theathletic.com/3910489/2022/11/18/hawks-suns-john-collins-jae-crowder-trade-talk-shams-inside-pass/"]Knicks have shown a willingness to discuss Derrick Rose and Immanuel Quickley in trade talks,[/URL] league sources say, as a way to sort out the team’s glut at the guard position over the course of the season.

– via [URL="https://theathletic.com/3910489/2022/11/18/hawks-suns-john-collins-jae-crowder-trade-talk-shams-inside-pass/"]Shams Charania @ The Athletic[/URL]


[/QUOTE]

could have had Mitchell if you'd wanted to trade these guys a few months ago

[url]https://kslsports.com/495513/rudy-gay-injury-update/[/url]

[QUOTE]Gay has a $6.4 million player option to remain with the Jazz next season.

[/QUOTE]

ouch!

[url]https://saltcityhoops.com/simone-fontecchio-has-the-juice/[/url]

[QUOTE]It took just two games for me to reach an unshakeable conclusion: Simone Fontecchio needs a permanent spot in the forward rotation for the Utah Jazz.

[/QUOTE]

with Gay out he will get his chances

[QUOTE]And so we all kind of thought Fontecchio would find more minutes immediately. Surely there was room in the rotation for instant super-spacing, quick decision-making and “give-a-shit” defense, right? Talen Horton-Tucker was still playing unremarkably, Kelly Olynyk didn’t really *need* to play 34 minutes a night, and there was little benefit to Rudy Gay’s presence on the floor.

[/QUOTE]

they've been good with Gay on the court. Talen has been playing well lately and is 21. Agree on Olynyk

[QUOTE]I’m bludgeoning you over the head with the theme here, but the energy and effort is constant with Fontecchio. This doesn’t matter much on its own, but it is always paired with immediate, correct decision making and scoring that creates the real edge on the court. Fontecchio finished a -19 against the Knicks, but that negative mark was almost entirely caused by his bench teammates missing shots or throwing the ball away, coupled with New York having a nice stretch of shot making.

[/QUOTE]

which is why plus/minus shouldn't be the main stat used as it seems to be anymore. Very noisy

[QUOTE]But, keeping the better-performing player on the bench also can mess up the vibes of a team, especially if that player is effectuating all the stuff the coach purportedly cares about. Danny Ainge and Justin Zanik may need to force the issue by removing that club from Hardy’s bag, if you will, by finding a departure path out of Salt Lake City for Gay.

[/QUOTE]

more on the owner when you're talking about cash

do they want to win is the question?

The Rally: “The Utah [URL="http://twitter.com/TheRally/status/1593742170724642817"]Jazz are another team, I’m told, that has made an inquiry and has shown interest in recent weeks and months.”[/URL] NBA Insider @ShamsCharania reports on trade talks surrounding Hawks big man John Collins.
[HR][/HR] [INDENT] "The Utah Jazz are another team, I'm told, that has made an inquiry and has shown interest in recent weeks and months."
NBA Insider [URL="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"]@ShamsCharania[/URL] reports on trade talks surrounding Hawks big man John Collins. [URL="https://t.co/6L2PeTTXBX"]pic.twitter.com/6L2PeTTXBX[/URL]
— The Rally (@TheRally) [URL="https://twitter.com/TheRally/status/1593742170724642817?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"]November 18, 2022[/URL][/INDENT]

– via [URL="http://twitter.com/TheRally/status/1593742170724642817"]Twitter[/URL]

Ben Anderson: Lauri [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Markkanen is the third player in @Utah Jazz history to score at least 38 points while shooting 80 percent from the field or better[/URL]. He joins Adrian Dantley and Karl Malone who last did it on January 8, 1998. #takenote | @kslsports pic.twitter.com/bo7CpOVrYY
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/BensHoops"]Twitter BensHoops[/URL]





Jarred Vanderbilt didn’t mince words and didn’t try to beat around the bush. “Lauri Markkanen is an All-Star,” he wrote on Twitter. “That’s it.” [URL="https://www.deseret.com/2022/11/19/23460366/lauri-markkanens-career-night-vs-suns-utah-jazz"]Currently, Markkanen is ranked 7th in points per game (22.2) among frontcourt players in the Western Conference and is second in that group in field goal percentage (54.4%).[/URL] The only player in the NBA with as many points per game and a higher effective field goal percentage than Markkanen (61.1%) is Stephen Curry (65.2%) The Jazz needed every bit of fight from Mike Conley on Friday night, they needed all of Malik Beasley’s 27 points off the bench, they needed every ounce of defense from Vanderbilt to eek out the 134-133 victory over Phoenix, and still, the team knew that Markkanen was the star of the show.
– via [URL="https://www.deseret.com/2022/11/19/23460366/lauri-markkanens-career-night-vs-suns-utah-jazz"]Sarah Todd @ deseret.com[/URL]

For a few games Rudy Gay had been favoring his left hand, shaking it out after plays and holding it in some sort of clear pain. He then missed Tuesday’s game against the New York Knicks and later the Utah Jazz announced that he would miss at least two weeks. “Gay was examined Wednesday by the Utah Jazz medical staff and underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) testing,” a statement from the team read. [URL="https://www.deseret.com/2022/11/18/23467460/rudy-gay-sidelined-with-hand-sprain-simone-fontecchio-utah-jazz"]“The MRI revealed a third finger MCP joint sprain in his left hand. He will be reevaluated in two weeks.”[/URL]
– via [URL="https://www.deseret.com/2022/11/18/23467460/rudy-gay-sidelined-with-hand-sprain-simone-fontecchio-utah-jazz"]Sarah Todd @ deseret.com[/URL]