2016 stretch run- Playoffs or bust!

[url]http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865649655/Morning-links-BYU-in-NIT-bracketology-picture-Zach-Lowe-has-mixed-thoughts-on-the-Utah-Jazz.html[/url]

[QUOTE]Hayward has seized the mantle of Most Underappreciated NBA Player," Lowe wrote.[/QUOTE]

In Utah it has to be Gobert. Almost everything written he is just an afterthought. :rolleyes:
[QUOTE]Later in the same piece, in a list of "10 things I like and don't like," Lowe praised Jazz forward Derrick Favors' speed and balance.


"There aren't many behemoths who can shut down a drive on the pick-and-roll, recover out to a popping big man in time to snuff an open jumper, change directions on a dime and track that big man's foray to the basket," Lowe observed.
[/QUOTE]

Gobert is one of them.

[url]http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865649648/Jazz-notebook-Favors-feels-like-he-has-something-to-prove-on-court-every-night.html?pg=2[/url]

[QUOTE]Snyder likened the situation to what rookie forward Trey Lyles has had to deal with, as he saw plenty of playing time in Favors' injury absence but has played far less since Favors returned to the lineup after overcoming bad-back issues.[/QUOTE]

Except Lyles should have never been playing when they were healthy.

[QUOTE]Scott Agness: [URL="http://*********.com/social/"]Several teams had interest in Ty Lawson, including Milwaukee and Utah.

[url]http://weareutahjazz.com/lockedonjazz/2016/03/09/emptying-the-noggin-brilliance-of-the-warriors/[/url]

[QUOTE]Trey Burke played the back up shooting guard and hit some shots. This might be what his role in this league is going to be a off the bench scorer who is not in charge iof creating for his teammates. [/QUOTE]

That has been his role but he'll have a hard time staying in the league if he can't hit the 3. Scoring isn't enough. Teams want 3's and lay-ups not mid range jumpers.

[URL="http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/basketball-washington-wizards/talk/guess-whos-back-bradley-beal-beal-will-rejoin-wizards-back-back"]Bradley Beal, who wasn

The Jazz absolutely need this game now, with Beal probably out and being in Salt Lake, there is no reason the Jazz should lose this one.
Overall all those articles are pretty cool, although I agree with your assessment about Gobert being more under appreciated than Hayward. Hayward is VERY under appreciated, but Gobert is more. I just think that the media in Utah likes Hayward more because he scores more points, he's been on the team longer, he's white (can't lie), and because he's the face of the team, regardless of whether he's the best or not.

That article I posted said Beal is playing.

Yeah I think it's mostly about scoring. They certainly need Hayward, Favors and Hood but it all starts with Rudy. He's been playing maybe his best ball the past half dozen or so games since he had the off games

[url]http://basketball.realgm.com/analysis/241166/The-Maximum-Available-2016-Cap-Space-For-All-30-NBA-Teams-Version-20[/url]

Jazz 3rd in starting cap space. In the middle for max. I'm guessing they don't spend it anyway unless it's front loaded contracts. That would seem the way to go with Hayward and Gobert free agents next summer.

[url]http://www.sltrib.com/blogs/jazznotes/3648927-155/utah-jazz-vice-sports-compares-trey[/url]

I'd say more like Detlef than anyone else mentioned He has a chance to be special with his skill set. Sounds like he puts in the work too.

[url]http://www.slcdunk.com/2016/3/11/11178210/utah-jazz-trey-lyles-rookie-week-derrick-favors-trevor-booker-carlos-boozer-donyell-marshall[/url]

[QUOTE]how else do you explain drafting a power forward when you already had (at the time) Derrick Favors, Trevor Booker, [B][URL="http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/cooleja01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.basketball-reference.com"]Jack Cooley[/URL][/B], and [B][URL="http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/jerregr01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.basketball-reference.com"]Grant Jerrett[/URL][/B] on the team already?[/QUOTE]

seriously? :coleman:

My guess is they'll take another big with their top pick next year.

[QUOTE]getting DNP-CDs (because Trevor Booker is somehow as valuable to the team right now or more than the rookie is)[/QUOTE]

Not much doubt Booker and Withey are more valuable. It's cost them many games this year playing Lyles.

[url]http://weareutahjazz.com/lockedonjazz/2016/03/11/emptying-the-noggin-shelvin-returns-the-favors/[/url]

[QUOTE]The Jazz line-ups with the starters and Lyles at the 4 with Gobert or Favors have both been very successful[/QUOTE]

Lyles and Booker hasn't been good though. Withey is good with any of them.

[url]http://saltcityhoops.com/magic-macks-27-gives-jazz-w-in-must-win-game-vs-wizards/[/url]

[QUOTE]Tonight, Mack nabbed a career-high 27 points [URL="http://saltcityhoops.com/magic-macks-27-gives-jazz-w-in-must-win-game-vs-wizards/#note-4"]4[/URL] and seemed to be making the shots he

[url]http://www.sltrib.com/sports/3650074-155/utah-jazz-beat-washington-wizards-114-93[/url]

[QUOTE]And on this night, Mack ran the Utah Jazz offense with aplomb, avoiding needless turnovers, scoring at will and shocking most of the sellout crowd at Vivint Smart Home Arena with the best game a Jazz point guard has had since seemingly the peak Deron Williams days.[/QUOTE]

Debatable. Pretty sure Mo, Devin Harris and even Trey had some pretty good games not to mention Exum shutting guys down when they played their best ball since Deron.

[url]http://www.sltrib.com/sports/3651045-155/utah-jazz-notes-team-feels-urgency[/url]

[QUOTE]And every player has seen the plight of the New Orleans Pelicans, a young team led by superstar forward Anthony Davis that made the playoffs last season. Thought to be a franchise that could be a postseason fixture, the Pelicans have been hit by more crucial injuries this season than anyone this side of the Jazz. [/QUOTE]

We saw it with the Suns too. You strike when the iron is hot. This idea that you can wait is stupid. They probably wont be able to keep these guys together. Just because they're young doesn't necessarily meant the team will keep getting better as we've seen this year. Eventually everyone needs to get paid. Injuries happen. Egos get too big. Whatever. You'd think they would have learned this after they let the John and Karl years go to waste while waiting for the next year that never came.

[QUOTE]"It's very important for us," Jazz shooting guard Rodney Hood said. "We know we have a small window and we have to put some wins together. We just need a win, for team morale more than anything. We haven't been playing horrible. But we need to win, and maybe we can get this thing rolling. We understand the opportunity that's in front of us."[/QUOTE]


You have been playing horrible Rodney.

[url]http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865649925/Holy-Mackerel-Shelvin-Mack-goes-off-for-career-night-in-Jazz-win.html[/url]

[QUOTE]Snyder pointed out that some might

[url]http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865649901/Utah-Jazz-notebook-Making-the-playoffs-still-a-big-deal-to-the-Jazz.html[/url]

[QUOTE]"I mean, part of development is competing, and that's something we're aware of.[/QUOTE]


You're so aware of it that players are given playing time they haven't earned and the front office and coach still act like winning games isn't part of the equation.


[QUOTE]But at the same time, is the year gonna be a failure if we don't make the playoffs? Of course not. I mean, don't tell me when we played the Clippers on the 26th of December without Rudy (Gobert), (Derrick Favors) and Alec (Burks) got hurt and we don't have Dante' Exum. You're gonna have a hard time seeing a team without four of its top six players at a certain point succeed on a high level.[/QUOTE]


Not when you don't spend money on depth and you call Dante one of your top 6 guys despite having one of the worst offensive seasons ever. Injuries are an excuse. They finished last year as the 6th best team in the league. This year has been very disappointing injuries or not. I like the roster for the most part but Withey not playing is hard for me to get past. They are easily a playoff team with him playing instead of Lyles.



[QUOTE]"In that sense, I feel like the season has been a great success as far as what we've been able to accomplish as a group and in terms of growth and guys maturing as players," he said. "And through that, we find ourselves in a position where we're in a playoff race, although we're not currently there, we're a few games back. And what the heck, let's play the way we played last year and just compete with something else at stake."[/QUOTE]


You haven't played like last year and I think putting all that on injuries and Exum is a cop out. We've seen some growth but arguably even more regression. Favors has improved in areas but his mid range shot has gotten worse while we thought he might extend his range. Same with Booker. Rudy as well I thought would expand on what we seen from him offensively at the end of the year and he has regressed in areas. Ingles hasn't been the same player. Defensively they have regressed. Is that all Exum? Burke got better but his days on the team appear to be about over.



[QUOTE]I think we've got to just go out and play, play like we know how to play, like we're capable of playing. And I think that starts with not turning the ball over."[/QUOTE]

We haven't seen you play without turning the ball over so how would we know you can play like that? :rolleyes:

[QUOTE]Peter Edmiston: [URL="http://*********.com/social/"]Mike Conley out for at least 3-4 weeks with Achilles tendinitis in that left foot. Will be reevaluated then but no guarantee he

Yeah, Snyder is very interesting with his rotation decisions, Withey is a good player and deserves minutes but just doesn't get them for who knows why. And I would really love to know what Snyder's actual plan with Mack was/is; I've said before that while he's maybe better offensively than Neto or Burke, his arrival also messed with the chemistry. These losses weren't really his fault as much as they were Snyder giving him too many early minutes and making it harder for other players to adjust.
Bottom line, this team is good enough to make the playoffs, Mack seems to be integrated really fine at this point, they just can't drop games like they did against the Hawks

[url]https://jazzfanatical.wordpress.com/2016/03/13/and-heres-your-weekly-utah-jazz-wrapup-20/[/url]

[QUOTE][B]Quin Snyder, asked whether he