2017 Playoff bound!!!

[url]http://www.slcdunk.com/2017/4/15/14246564/nba-playoffs-2017-boston-celtics-utah-jazz-free-agency-gordon-hayward-rudy-gobert[/url]

[QUOTE]But Hayward is the face of this franchise. He

[url]http://www.slcdunk.com/2017/4/14/14812006/nba-playoffs-2017-los-angeles-clippers-utah-jazz-roster-breakdown-chris-paul-rudy-gobert[/url]

[QUOTE]After all at the combine he was measured at 7

[url]http://purpleandblues.com/2017/04/15/raul-neto-out-for-game-one-everyone-else-is-available/[/url]

[QUOTE]Neto suffered a sprained ankle against Portland earlier this month. Although he had been playing well, even if he was healthy, he may not have been in the rotation regardless. Quin Snyder has decided to roll with Shelvin Mack for the most part as backup point guard.[/QUOTE]

Mack only got a shot because Neto got hurt. Neto should've and I think would've been the guy as much as it hurts the Dante lovers and front office and coach. Will be interesting to see who else doesn't dress if Neto returns. I'd think Lyles but who knows

[QUOTE]George Hill, Rodney Hood and Derrick Favors, all guys who recently returned from injury, will likely see a bump in minutes now that we

[url]http://purpleandblues.com/2017/04/14/utah-jazz-keys-to-a-first-round-victory-over-the-la-clippers/[/url]

[QUOTE]Considering the Clippers trio of proven All-Stars and their stark advantage in postseason experience, it

Fun game one, finished watching it in a JCW's. That blows about Gobert though, I'm going to assume that he's out for the rest of the series and maybe more. No too surprised that Hayward shot 7/18, I think we should expect more of that for the series. Favors looked good, but clearly isn't in his last-season form and probably won't be until next year. Clippers are definitely favored without Gobert

Clippers were already favored.

If Favors can play like that maybe they can still give them a series. Glad Exum didn't play but with Mack struggling(not to mention Hood) why not Alec?

[url]http://www.ksl.com/?sid=43889089&nid=304&title=the-triple-team-3-thoughts-on-jazzs-game-1-win-after-joe-johnson-buzzer-beater[/url]

[QUOTE]Jamal Crawford is one of the 10 worst defenders in the NBA. Second, Joe Ingles recognized this, and wanted to get a switch so that Crawford was the one guarding Johnson, the ball-handler and Utah's best scorer Saturday night.

I asked Ingles what he was thinking on that play.

"Obviously, with Blake on him, it's not as easy to back down, or get to the spot he wants to get to. I knew Jamal was on me, and thought if I can, I'd try to make them switch," Ingles said. "They'd been switching a lot one through four, and so I set a half-decent screen. They switched it, and we got him with eight seconds to go with an iso."

Think about how smart this is! The Jazz didn't really have a play call here that they were planning on. It was just the players involved, especially Ingles, noting the situation in three seconds and sprinting over to set a screen to give Johnson enough time to take advantage. It's incredible.

Again, credit should also go to Snyder for believing in his players to get a good shot. Timeouts generally hurt the offensive team there, not help them. Snyder's actually one of the best coaches in the league at drawing plays after a timeout, he was fourth last year at 0.95 points per possession.

That's certainly well short of the value of a no-timeout, semi-transition possession that the Jazz got. Even after a made basket with no timeout this year, the Jazz are at 1.05 points per possession.

"Getting the ball in at that point is difficult," Ingles said, when I asked him about going with no timeout. "There's holding, it's for the game. We feel like we've got smart enough players to get a good shot off without calling one. On that one, coach trusted us to get a good shot off, and we got a layup."[/QUOTE]

Ingles is their coach on the floor! :bowdown:

[url]http://purpleandblues.com/2017/04/16/wake-rudy-goberts-injury-utah-jazz-now-need-derrick-favors-ever/[/url]

[QUOTE]Before Favors had to deal with nagging knee injuries this season, he was a beast. He was once considered an elite interior defender, able to protect the rim at a high level and hold his own when switching onto smaller guards on the pick and roll. He was also once a big-time finisher when rolling to the rim, and would often times out-muscle opponents in the low post for devastating dunks.

I know this has been said all season long, but if the Jazz can get that version of Derrick Favors back for the playoffs, it could be the missing link in the Jazz morphing from a good NBA team to a great one that can contend for a title.[/QUOTE]

They're not getting that guy though. If they can get the guy from yesterday they ought to ecstatic!

[url]http://basketball.realgm.com/analysis/245633/Tactical-Quandaries-Clippers-Vs-Jazz-Series-Preview[/url]

[QUOTE]The Jazz could also get creative and try to force switches by having their wings screen for each other either on or off the ball, and then dump the ball in the post if Crawford winds up on Joe Johnson or Gordon Hayward.[/QUOTE]

they called it! :applause:

[QUOTE]Aaron Falk: Joe Johnson: we can’t be overconfident. Game 2 is going to be a lot tougher than Game 1 – via Twitter tribjazz

Jody Genessy: Joe Johnson: “It’s great to see Rudy walking around. He looks normal. Hopefully we’ll get him back.” – via Twitter DJJazzyJody[/QUOTE]

They stole one. Next one should be a lot tougher.

The question is how effective can Rudy be even if he does return. No need to rush him back if he can't help them. Looking for Bolomboy to maybe get a shot while he's out though!

[QUOTE]Doc Rivers unloads on reporter asking about late-game strategy:

[QUOTE]David Locke: Doc Rivers

[QUOTE]ESPN Stats & Info‏: Joe Johnson has now made an NBA-best 8 game-winning buzzer-beaters (reg season and playoffs) in the last 10 seasons.

[QUOTE=Xiao Yao You]Clippers were already favored.

If Favors can play like that maybe they can still give them a series. Glad Exum didn't play but with Mack struggling(not to mention Hood) why not Alec?[/QUOTE]
True. And they aren't going to give Alec (or Trey Lyles) a run because they have been beyond horrible for the better part of two months. Alec in particular cannot hit a layup to save his life, or make a three point shot. He's less than average at mid range and so it's better to have an injured Hood out there. At least George Hill looked pretty good in Game 1

[QUOTE=Xiao Yao You][url]http://purpleandblues.com/2017/04/16/wake-rudy-goberts-injury-utah-jazz-now-need-derrick-favors-ever/[/url]



They're not getting that guy though. If they can get the guy from yesterday they ought to ecstatic![/QUOTE]
The writers are fools for even considering a healthy Derrick Favors. What we saw yesterday was a blessing and we'll be lucky to get it again. If anything we should be hoping Withey can do a good job in the time he's going to be getting

[QUOTE=Xiao Yao You][url]http://basketball.realgm.com/analysis/245633/Tactical-Quandaries-Clippers-Vs-Jazz-Series-Preview[/url]



they called it! :applause:[/QUOTE]
It would have to be Johnson. Something the Clippers (and most teams in general do for some reason) is double Hayward whenever he's in the post even though he's far from the Jazz's greatest post threat. They let Johnson do what he wants though

[QUOTE=WayOfWad3]True. And they aren't going to give Alec (or Trey Lyles) a run because they have been beyond horrible for the better part of two months. Alec in particular cannot hit a layup to save his life, or make a three point shot. He's less than average at mid range and so it's better to have an injured Hood out there. At least George Hill looked pretty good in Game 1[/QUOTE]

Burks couldn't get a call. I think he can help them still if they let him play his game like they do with Hood and Joe Johnson. They've got him thinking too much. He was scoring and rebounding when they played him.

[url]http://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat/...rt-joe-johnson[/url]


[QUOTE]Yeah, the Boston Celtics didn

[url]http://www.slcdunk.com/2017/4/16/136...aw-george-hill[/url]


Rudy doesn't appear to be walking with a limp to me! Might play tomorrow?


[QUOTE]Rodney Hood shot only 2/7 in this game. But he

[url]http://www.sltrib.com/sports/5183881...atus-uncertain[/url]


[QUOTE]Can Utah push on and win without Gobert long-term? That is now the dominant question as the series moves on to Tuesday night's Game 2.[/QUOTE]

Can't see it unless Hayward and Hood step up and they are firing on all cylinders and even then I'm not sure they have enough especially if the Clippers are getting Rivers back for game 3. I wonder how much Favors will even have left after the last one.


[QUOTE]Assuming Gobert is out on Tuesday, a lot of responsibility will fall on Favors, who played one of his best games in months Saturday night.[/QUOTE]

Might have been his best game all season. He was done by the end of it though so it will be interesting to see how he responds on 3 days rest


[QUOTE]I didn't have any pain in my knee, no discomfort. I was just a little fatigued."[/QUOTE]

great news if true.


[QUOTE]The Jazz have survived a major injury this season to most of their main players not named Gordon Hayward.[/QUOTE]

Hayward's was major it just happened in pre-season luckily so he didn't miss many games

[url]http://www.sltrib.com/sports/5184043...moutes-defense[/url]

Believe Mbah a Moute is a free agent too. I imagine he'll be on the Jazz list if they have some money available

[url]http://www.sltrib.com/sports/5184039...doesnt-want-to[/url]


[QUOTE]Jazz coach Quin Snyder, with Rudy Gobert likely out for Game 2, said the Jazz will have to embrace a pack mentality in rebounding the ball. Gobert usually gobbles up most of the defensive rebounds. Without Gobert, everyone will have to help, like Gordon Hayward did by grabbing 10 in Game 1.

"We lost one of the best rebounders in the NBA," Snyder said. "So we're going to have to change our approach."[/QUOTE]

Burks taking minutes from Mack and Hood if they are struggling again? He pounds the glass.

[url]http://www.deseretnews.com/article/8...ts-injury.html[/url]


[QUOTE]It took an All-Star performance of 19 points, 10 rebounds and three assists from Gordon Hayward,[/QUOTE]

Come on already! He did some things but I wouldn't call it an all-star performance when you aren't hitting shots


[QUOTE]Gobert even said on Twitter that he was trying to crawl back on defense after the injury happened.[/QUOTE]

that was something to see. What a competitor!

Rudy Gobert: All my condolences to @Isaiah_Thomas

I just finished watching the game. Favors was done by the end of it. Hopefully 3 days off is enough for him. 32 minutes was too much obviously. Bolomboy may be able to help them next game.

Need Hood to step up or give Burks a shot. Overall that might be the best they've played as a team yet though. Not sure if it will be enough without Rudy.

[url]http://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/nba-playoffs-2017-10-players-who-have-the-most-to-prove-this-postseason/[/url]

[QUOTE]Here are the players with the most to prove this postseason.
Rudy Gobert C / Utah
The Stifle Tower added offense to his game without suffering on the defensive end -- in fact, his defense got even better. Gobert led the league in defensive win shares and blocks while raising his scoring average nearly five points to 14.0 per game. He's becoming one of the best all-around centers in the league, but he needs to prove that he can do it in the playoffs before we can put his name alongside the game's best centers.[/QUOTE]

Confident he will if he gets healthy

[QUOTE]many still don't think he can be the best (or even second-best) player on a championship team. A strong performance in his first trip to the playoffs against an experienced Clippers team would do wonders to shake that label -- and help shape his free-agency decision this summer. He'll likely get a max contract anyway, but if Hayward can prove he can be "the guy," he might be more willing to stay in Utah as the primary scorer rather than heading to, say, Boston to share the ball with a ball-dominant guard like Isaiah Thomas. And the better he performs in the playoffs, the more teams that will bid for his services.[/QUOTE]

Yep. I don't think he's a number 1 option. Boston makes lots of sense for him. Do the Jazz want to give him 30-35% of the cap?

[url]https://www.si.com/nba/2017/04/16/nba-playoffs-clippers-problems-blake-griffin-jazz-joe-johnson[/url]

[QUOTE]Gobert

[url]http://www.slcdunk.com/2017/4/16/13609432/nba-playoffs-2017-utah-jazz-rudy-gobert-injury-update-los-angeles-clippers-lakers-larry-nance-favors[/url]

[QUOTE]That

[url]http://purpleandblues.com/2017/04/16/wake-rudy-goberts-injury-utah-jazz-now-need-derrick-favors-ever/[/url]

[QUOTE] the one individual who is most capable of filling Gobert

Gobert is still getting his reps in
[url]https://mobile.twitter.com/utahjazz/status/854062379398606848/video/1[/url]

Cool he looks good there. Got some bounce in him. He'll be back at some point in the series. Hopefully game 3!

[QUOTE]Ingles will be a restricted free agent this summer and figures to get a hefty pay raise from the $4.3 million he

Aaron Falk: Hayward said the Jazz have gone through a lot of adversity this year and that they are stronger for it

[url]http://www.ksl.com/?sid=43912552&nid=294&title=ben-anderson-5-things-we-learned-from-the-jazzs-first-playoff-victory[/url]

[QUOTE]Winning on the road, against a star-studded frontcourt featuring Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, without Gobert proves the Jazz frontcourt can compete with anyone in the league.[/QUOTE]

for one game anyway. that's 8-15 without him the past two years though

[url]http://www.ksl.com/?sid=43912552&nid=294&title=ben-anderson-5-things-we-learned-from-the-jazzs-first-playoff-victory[/url]

[QUOTE]He

[url]http://www.ksl.com/?sid=43906002&nid=304&title=jazz-practice-rudy-gobert-walks-derrick-favors-fighting-fatigue[/url]

[QUOTE]Raul Neto has been upgraded to questionable for Game 2, still recovering from a left ankle sprain. He was moving well during the portions of practice we observed. I am curious, though, if he'll make the 13-man active roster. The Jazz had been sitting Joel Bolomboy in that spot, but now will probably like to have him available with Gobert's injury. On the other hand, the team has four healthy point guards now.

I asked Snyder how Neto can contribute during this series.

"The same way Jeff Withey and Fav did," he started. "Hopefully not. Just his presence on the bench. The same way he did against Portland, when Lillard got going, and we used him to come in. The same way he has when he started. You don't know how you're going to contribute, you just have to contribute in any way you can. Including being Chris Paul in practice."

That doesn't sound like Neto will be the primary backup option, even when healthy. I'd expect the Jazz to continue using Shelvin Mack, unless he gets burned too badly defensively.[/QUOTE]

Mack didn't play well. Neto is the better call here

[QUOTE]The team was a little bit worried that the soreness would linger for Favors. That's happened after he's played major minutes in some games this season: the worst part was the day after a game, when his knee really started to hurt. But Snyder reported that that wasn't the case after Saturday's big minute game, a very good sign.[/QUOTE]

:applause:

[QUOTE]It's going to be difficult. I expect the Clippers to attack the glass, and to be more variable in choosing their plays than they were in Game 2. But the Jazz can play better too: none of Gordon Hayward, Rodney Hood, or Joe Ingles shot the ball well. The game could well be determined by which team's guard improves their shooting the most in Game 2.[/QUOTE]

I expected that from Hayward and who knows what you're going to get from Hood game to game.

[url]http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865678045/Jazz-notes-Rudy-Gobert-officially-out-for-Game-2-Favors-good-to-go.html[/url]

[QUOTE]"His spirits are high," said Jazz big man Derrick Favors, who'll start in Gobert's absence Tuesday. "Hopefully, we'll get him back in a week or two."[/QUOTE]

2 will likely be too late

[url]http://www.sltrib.com/sports/5186408-155/utah-jazz-notes-rudy-gobert-out[/url]

[QUOTE]Raul Neto, who has missed more than a week with a sprained ankle, is listed as questionable on Utah's official injury list. But the point guard told The Tribune that he plans to play in Tuesday's Game 2.[/QUOTE]

:cheers:

[url]http://www.sltrib.com/sports/5183881-155/utah-jazz-rudy-goberts-status-forces?page=2[/url]

[QUOTE]The Jazz have survived a major injury this season to most of their main players not named Gordon Hayward. Even Gobert

[url]http://www.clipsnation.com/2017/4/15/15311400/los-angeles-clippers-utah-jazz-2017-nba-playoffs-chris-paul-blake-griffin-rudy-gobert-gordon-hayward[/url]

[QUOTE]JJ Redick is the weakest defensive player in the Clippers starting lineup, but I don't believe the Jazz have anyone who can consistently punish him. Rodney Hood and Joe Ingles are good players, but if the Jazz go to them frequently to attack Redick, that's a win for the Clippers, as it takes the ball out of better player's hands.[/QUOTE]

As I said before the series started the Jazz win that match-up. Now everyone knows Ingles is for real!

[QUOTE]ISO Joe is actually a bad matchup for the Clippers, but it's kind of hard to imagine him turning the series.[/QUOTE]

lol!

[QUOTE]I've admired the Jazz's method of rebuilding without tanking, and it's finally producing results. [/QUOTE]

If letting your best player go along with Demarre while playing youngsters that should be in the D-league isn't tanking what is? Only thing that wasn't tanking was Rudy's emergence

[QUOTE]Wesley Matthews who became a starter left after one year. [/QUOTE]

they let him leave you mean