2016 stretch run- Playoffs or bust!

[url]http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765684591/Jazz-need-to-clean-up-their-act-with-Spurs-in-town.html[/url]

[QUOTE]Utah won both games against the Spurs at Vivint Arena last season. The Jazz also have a seven-game winning streak at home. For another, the Jazz will have the services of center Rudy Gobert against Tim Duncan & Co. this time. The Stifle Tower was out with a knee injury in the two games at San Antonio this season. You can bet Gobert is eager to bounce back from one of his worst NBA games ever after totaling only two points, three rebounds and zero blocks in the Houston win.

The Jazz also have the benefit of being off at home while the Spurs played a late game at Sacramento on Wednesday night.
[/QUOTE]

I'm thinking it will at least be competitive because of this.

[QUOTE]This game was originally scheduled as the late TNT-televised contest, but it was replaced by the Rockets-Blazers duel. The NBA did not change the tipoff time, though, so the game will still be a late 8:40 p.m. start.[/QUOTE]

[url]http://saltcityhoops.com/sc7-threes-a-crowd/[/url]

[QUOTE]The starting lineup with Neto has been one of Utah

[url]http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/240994/Ty-Lawson-Rockets-Negotiating-Buyout[/url]

On Thursday at Vivint Arena, he began with the softer side of Pop. [URL="http://rockmonster.blogs.deseretnews.com/2016/02/26/the-new-mellower-coach-pop-or-not/"]Asked about Quin Snyder

[url]http://www.sltrib.com/sports/3587010-155/utah-jazz-chris-johnson-carves-out[/url]

With Alec Burks still a few weeks away from returning

[QUOTE]Even though he's guaranteed for the remainder of this season, he still doesn't have a contract for next year.[/QUOTE]

I believe he does. Non guaranteed.

[QUOTE]When Burks returns in a few weeks, there's a possibility that Johnson falls out of the rotation. [/QUOTE]

I imagine he will. When healthy they were playing him, Ingles or Millsap. Now they have the 3 pg's which could play into that as well.

[url]http://www.sltrib.com/sports/3586912-155/utah-jazz-notes-rudy-gobert-looking[/url]

[QUOTE]Snyder called upon rookie Raul Neto as his first point guard off the bench and Neto responded with some solid defensive plays on the ball. In the third quarter, Snyder looked to Burke to provide some scoring.[/QUOTE]

I thought he should have went back to Neto after the way he played in the first.

[url]http://www.sltrib.com/sports/3583078-155/utah-jazz-playing-time-no-longer[/url]

[QUOTE]For the first time in his career, the shine of his lottery pick status has worn off.[/QUOTE]

I'd say that happened last year.

Quite fittingly, the Utah [URL="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865648833/Jazz-notes-Utah-Jazz-honored-for-their-charity-work.html?pg=all"]Jazz received an award for their coverage of one good deed while the organization engaged in another gesture of goodwill[/URL]. Earlier this week, the Jazz marketing department and digital team were recognized at the National Sports Forum with a

Bad loss. They don't deserve to make the playoffs if they can't take care of business before a tough road trip.

[QUOTE=Xiao Yao You]Bad loss. They don't deserve to make the playoffs if they can't take care of business before a tough road trip.[/QUOTE]
Definitely, I was at both the Spurs and the Nets games and Jazz simply let teams make little runs to the point where they almost can't catch up. Looking ahead they so have a manageable schedule, but 2 things need to happen. 1. They cannot drop BS games like last night against inferior opponents. 2. Some other Western team is going to have to collapse down the stretch. The Jazz are now the odd an out, and so are at the mercy of whether or not the other teams do good.
I did sit 7th row though, so that was nice

Not sure they are the odd one out. Portland is going on the road for a long stretch. Sounds like Alec could be back shortly.

[QUOTE=Xiao Yao You]Not sure they are the odd one out. Portland is going on the road for a long stretch. Sounds like Alec could be back shortly.[/QUOTE]
While that's true, the Blazers are 4 games above .500, so they have a bit of a buffer whereas the Jazz are 2 games below .500. Either way, it's going to be an exciting finish to the season

[url]http://www.sltrib.com/sports/3591855-155/utah-jazz-point-guard-play-lacking-in[/url]

Neto was doing fine. Should have stuck with him and not went with Mack based on one game.

[url]http://www.slcdunk.com/utah-jazz-game-coverage/2016/2/29/11136146/utah-jazz-boston-celtics-trevor-booker-to-miss-game-against-boston-celtics[/url]

Withey! :applause:

[QUOTE]Jody Genessy: [URL="http://*********.com/social/"]Rudy Gobert on Amir Johnson

[url]http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/241033/GMs-Scouts-Believe-Ben-Simmons-Remains-Consensus-No-1-Pick[/url]

I see the Jazz going big. Best chance for rotation minutes and they don't like the D-league. Booker is a free agent. Withey is non guaranteed and not a favorite of the coach and Pleiss with one more guaranteed year.

[url]http://weareutahjazz.com/lockedonjazz/2016/02/29/emptying-the-noggin-big-picture-then-a-deep-dive/[/url]

[QUOTE]This team was built with the primary goal of development over all other issues. [/QUOTE]

Hard to understand after the way they finished last year.

[QUOTE]Lyles was drafted and that eliminated adding a veteran stretch 4 to the roster.[/QUOTE]

And Booker was supposed to be that guy before his shot became bad.

[QUOTE]Then Exum gets hurt and the Jazz are suddenly crazy thin at point guard and there aren

[URL="http://www.sltrib.com/sports/3600647-155/utah-jazz-trey-burke-benched-versus"]http://www.sltrib.com/sports/3600647-155/utah-jazz-trey-burke-benched-versus[/URL]

[quote]The decision ultimately comes down to this: Are the Jazz better off with the offensive-minded Burke or the defensive-minded rookie Raul Neto as their primary backup behind Mack?[/quote]
I'd say it comes down to Mack and Neto being the better all around players. Trey is mostly just a streaky scorer and with Burks coming back they won't miss his points as much. I'd argue Neto is a better offense player than Trey anyway with his passing and 3 point shooting.

[url]http://www.sltrib.com/sports/3602913-155/jazz-notes-shelvin-mack-and-co[/url]

[QUOTE]According to the NBA's officiating review of the game's final two minutes, Johnson did grab Gobert

[url]http://saltcityhoops.com/mack-attack-shelvins-new-opportunity-in-utah/[/url]

[QUOTE]Mack has gone from Atlanta

[QUOTE]Raul Barrigon: [URL="http://*********.com/social/"]Former @Utah Jazz guard Raul Lopez will retire at the end of the season.[/URL] #jazz youtube.com/watch?v=qTwLoA

[QUOTE]Aaron Falk: [URL="http://*********.com/social/"]Rodney Hood is out for the rest of the game. The Jazz are calling it a

[url]http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865649162/Jazz-notes-Bookers-rough-travel-day-Burks-gets-closer-to-returning.html[/url]

Couldn't have sent their chartered plane to Detroit to get him?

[QUOTE=Xiao Yao You][url]http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865649162/Jazz-notes-Bookers-rough-travel-day-Burks-gets-closer-to-returning.html[/url]

Couldn't have sent their chartered plane to Detroit to get him?[/QUOTE]
Guess not, at least it's good to read that Burks will be back soon. We need him, this slide could not come at a worse time. Seriously, the Jazz were just over .500 and now find themselves 4 games under, gotta pick it up

He was really missed once Hood went down. They may have won that with Alec stepping in.

[url]http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865649274/Jazz-get-Rodney-Hood-back-for-Memphis.html[/url]

going to need him

[url]http://saltcityhoops.com/salt-city-seven-road-reliance-depth-options-and-more/[/url]

[QUOTE]But if they want to bolster their chances, they

[url]http://www.sltrib.com/sports/3613074-155/utah-jazz-alec-burks-getting-closer[/url]

[QUOTE]Burks fractured his leg on a hard foul during a game on Dec. 26 and soon after opted for a surgery to hopefully expedite his return. He was expected to be out 8-10 weeks.[/QUOTE]

Somewhere in between that but wasn't that the prognosis without surgery?

[QUOTE=Xiao Yao You]
What makes you think that anyone but the players care if they make the playoffs? Front office will be ecstatic if they are in the lottery again. I can't see them making any other moves. They like the guys they have other than Withey. Could make sense to cut him since they don't seem to care for him but I gotta think he has some value and could have traded him or can in the off-season.
[/QUOTE]
This seems about right. I'm really puzzled as to why they don't like Withey, dude played his heart out (and played admirably) with Gobert out. He definitely deserves at least 10 minutes but Snyder just buries him on the bench.
Honestly if the Jazz don't make the playoffs this year, that will be really deflating for me as a fan. I know we're better than the Blazers, but they've got a chip on their shoulder that the Jazz currently don't have.
As for the rest of the post, the Front Office has no reason to really pursue anybody, the only some-what reasonable name I saw was Dorell Wright, but only for his 3-point shooting which I'm not even that sure is that good.

I think they should gave been fighting for 4th place despite injuries.

[url]http://www.slcdunk.com/2016/3/4/11162516/nba-injuries-the-utah-jazz-have-had-a-remarkable-season-so-far[/url]

[QUOTE]Playoffs were one of our goals, even if the front office didn't state it openly[/QUOTE]


Wasn't their goal obviously. They aren't under the cap because the playoffs were a goal.



[QUOTE]The only other really notable thing is what's been up with [B][URL="http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/witheje01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.basketball-reference.com"]Jeff Withey[/URL][/B] and [B][URL="http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/p/pleisti01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.basketball-reference.com"]Tibor Pleiss[/URL][/B]. Both have racked up a bunch of DNP-CDs, which is odd when you factor in that Favors and Gobert have missed 1/3rd of the season each. Or, perhaps, they just would have gotten MORE DNP-CDs if everyone was healthy?[/QUOTE]


Don't think there's much doubt. Only time Withey really played was when Rudy and Favors were out at the same time and they had little choice




I think it's been a disappointing season injuries or not

[url]http://weareutahjazz.com/lockedonjazz/2016/03/04/emptying-the-noggin-makes-sense-just-not-easy-to-handle/[/url]

[QUOTE]When the Jazz have their 4 man guys on the floor they are terrific. They were +11 with Hayward, Hood, Favors and Gobert on the floor. Then when they have just 3 of them on the floor they were -4 and when they only have 2 of them on the floor they are -13. This is the exact same as the Boston game. [/QUOTE]

Alec would certainly make a difference but so would Neto. He was part of their best line-ups before Snyder fell in love with Mack.

[QUOTE]

[url]http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765684762/Favors-scored-28-paces-Jazz-past-Pelicans-106-94.html[/url]

love how all the credit goes to Favors and Hayward. Rudy has been a monster the past two games. Locke gave them the credit too. :facepalm

[url]http://www.sltrib.com/sports/3627497-155/kragthorpe-innocent-climb-is-over-jazz[/url]

[QUOTE]That description applied to the Jazz in Snyder's first year, when they produced a 19-10 finish as Rudy Gobert became a force and an overall defensive effort carried the team. The record was deceiving, for multiple reasons, yet it created an expectation that the Jazz could do something similar this season. It hasn't happened, partly because the Jazz know everybody is keeping score now.[/QUOTE]

It hasn't happened because winning isn't their number one goal. If it was Withey would have been playing and the Jazz would have won more.

[url]http://saltcityhoops.com/utah-needs-a-hero/[/url]

[QUOTE]And the man who puts the 3 in the Jazz

[url]http://www.slcdunk.com/2016/3/8/11178300/nba-injury-update-utah-jazz-alec-burks-still-weeks-away[/url]

[QUOTE]Alec is under-dipped. After one season he had about 50% of the minutes he should have gotten. After his third season he had worked his way up to 72% of where he should be, but was still behind. Right now, thanks to two straight injured abbreviated seasons, he is back down to 59% of where I idealize young players of his potential should be.[/QUOTE]

This idea that guys should be given something and not have to earn it especially when the team is trying to win is whacked. As a rookie Alec put his head down ala Devin Harris and went to rim 1 on 5. He had no concept of team. I wasn't sure he ever would. There are many ways to develop and playing minutes when you don't deserve them isn't necessarily the best route.

Jorge Castillo: [URL="http://*********.com/social/"]The Wizards remain hopeful that Bradley Beal can join the team later on this trip and play against the Jazz and/or Nuggets[/URL].

[url]http://saltcityhoops.com/grading-quin-snyder-part-2/[/url]

[QUOTE]I can

[URL="http://saltcityhoops.com/hawks-defense-stifles-jazz-in-slc/"]http://saltcityhoops.com/hawks-defense-stifles-jazz-in-slc/[/URL]

[quote] When asked about whether or not he thought about inserting Trey into the game for scoring, Quin had some interesting things to say.


“This is kind of a tough situation when it’s hard to play three-point guards,” he said. “I made a decision tonight, you know, obviously, that Shelvin is our starter. Shelvin didn’t play well tonight. Raul has been coming off the bench because he’s, you know, a good defender.”


When neither Shelvin or Raul were cutting it, Coach Q went without a traditional point guard down the stretch, using Point-Jingles in place of his starter/backup/3rd string PG.


On Mack’s struggles, Snyder said that what he saw was “a different type of struggling,” namely that he was getting looks that he’s “watched him make for years.”


“He didn’t … shoot well,” Quin said. “But he was getting great looks, and at some point, you have to show confidence in a player.”
[/quote] I thought maybe he should have went to Trey when no one could score. Mack wasn't hitting the floater like he has been but he did some other things as good players should with 7 boards and 4 assists. That's the problem with Trey. He's one dimensional. If he's not hitting shots he's not good for much else.

[url]http://www.sltrib.com/sports/3636879-155/utah-jazz-shelvin-mack-struggles-in[/url]

[QUOTE]At Vivint Arena, however, Teague clearly won their latest battle. The former all-star point guard mixed speed and touch, racing to the bucket for lay-ins and stepping back beyond the arc for a trio of 3-pointers, en route to a game-high 24 points. The Jazz tried to slow Teague with Mack, backup Raul Neto and a lineup without a true point guard, hoping bigger wing players might get the job done.


"We were having a hard time on him," Jazz coach Quin Snyder conceded.
[/QUOTE]

I thought he should have went to Johnson earlier. He did score on Johnson but he at least didn't blow by him like he had everyone else.