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

[url]https://www.ksl.com/article/50541902/it-wasnt-very-good-jazz-explain-clunker-in-milwaukee-following-rout-by-bucks[/url]

[QUOTE]For Hardy, there was three things that stood out: screen setting, driving the ball (or the lack thereof) and rebounding. All three could be explained away by a lack of physicality.

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who could have made a difference there? Funny it seems like all their weaknesses are the things Gobert brought for years. It's really too bad they didn't keep him and trade Mitchell, Clarkson and Bojan. Could have had something special with Hardy

[QUOTE]Milwaukee beat Utah on the boards 54-29 and grabbed 15 offensive rebounds. The Jazz gave a team who shot 47% from 3-point range that many extra opportunities, and it wasn't a good time. Utah had just six free-throw attempts in the entire game, which is just more evidence of a lack of force from the Jazz against the shorthanded Bucks.

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that's inexcusable when you are playing bigger than anyone in the league

[url]https://kslsports.com/496720/jazz-outhustled-by-shorthanded-bucks/[/url]

[QUOTE]Sexton averages 4.4 free throw attempts per game which is tied with Lauri Markkanen to lead the Jazz.

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yet another thing that the statue brought

[QUOTE]The game marks the Jazz’s first meeting with Donovan Mitchell since the superstar guard was traded in September.

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the superstar that wasn't even the best player on his team? No one called Gobert one yet...

[url]https://www.slcdunk.com/2022/12/17/23514726/jazz-fail-to-take-advantage-of-giannis-absence-fall-to-bucks[/url]

[QUOTE]There were some positive performances from the Jazz. Malik Beasley is continuing his run of form with 18 points tonight including 6-of-10 shooting from three. Nickeil Alexander-Walker also had another productive night with 14 points and five assists. These performances were nice to have, but without lots of production from the starters it isn’t able to have as much positive effect (especially when the defense gives up 123 points).

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one of those guys should be starting. That's part of the problem

Noah Levick: Danuel House Jr. on Sixers’ chemistry, team growing closer on and off the court: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]“It’s like a gumbo pot. The longer you let the seasoning sit, the better the gumbo hit.”[/URL]
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/NoahLevick"]Twitter NoahLevick[/URL]

Speaking of Monday, [URL="https://theathletic.com/4012758/2022/12/18/bucks-joe-ingles-experience-when-did-you-figure-out-he-never-shuts-up/"]what are you thinking as you get back on the floor for the first time since you tore your ACL on Jan. 30? Joe Ingles: Obviously, a lot of different things. I’ll be excited. It will be fun to get back out there and nervous because, like I said, playing with new guys, guys I’ve never played with, in a real game.[/URL] New Orleans is not going to give a f— that it’s my first game. That part of it is the nerves and stuff, but also, once I get out there, I think I’ll be fine. It’s that natural, it’s like riding a bike once I’m back out there. I’ll be fine, but there will be nerves.
– via [URL="https://theathletic.com/4012758/2022/12/18/bucks-joe-ingles-experience-when-did-you-figure-out-he-never-shuts-up/"]Eric Nehm @ The Athletic[/URL]




While some may find such a personality grating, especially coming from the new guy in town, the Bucks have loved having Ingles around and believe he has been incredibly helpful for team camaraderie. [URL="https://theathletic.com/4012758/2022/12/18/bucks-joe-ingles-experience-when-did-you-figure-out-he-never-shuts-up/"]“In the NBA, whether it’s the beginning of the season or the middle, you need guys who can get on guys, talk to the other team a little bit, talk to the coaches a little bit,” Budenholzer said.[/URL] “His voice and his energy, and him integrating into the locker room and developing friendships and relationships before he’s even hit the court … I don’t know that I’ve seen a guy do it the way he has without playing. Usually, this league, you’ve got to get on the court and play.”
– via [URL="https://theathletic.com/4012758/2022/12/18/bucks-joe-ingles-experience-when-did-you-figure-out-he-never-shuts-up/"]Eric Nehm @ The Athletic[/URL]

Ryan Miller: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Collin Sexton will miss his homecoming game in Cleveland due to the right hamstring strain. Kelly Olynyk is questionable with a left ankle sprain he suffered in Milwaukee[/URL].
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/millerjryan"]Twitter millerjryan[/URL]

KC Johnson: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Rudy Gobert is out and D’Angelo Russell is gametime decision for Timberwolves,[/URL] per Chris Finch.
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/KCJHoop"]Twitter KCJHoop[/URL]

Former [URL="https://*********.com/lists/international-transactions-log-where-are-former-nba-players-going/"]Jazz player JJ O’Brien signed with Montenegrin team KK Buducnost for the remainder of the 2022-23 season[/URL].
– via [URL="https://*********.com/lists/international-transactions-log-where-are-former-nba-players-going/"]Alberto De Roa @ *********[/URL]

[url]https://saltcityhoops.com/sc7-dec192022-revisiting-more/[/url]

[QUOTE]This writer has very little interest in a full-blow [I]post mortem[/I] of the Mitchell era, so let’s leave it at this: I believed right up until the very end (and still do) that the previous Jazz core had the talent and complementary skills to do special things. But they were too broken. Folks may remember that I actually started the offseason by [URL="https://saltcityhoops.com/new-version-mitchell-gobert/"]daring to imagine[/URL] how the Jazz could keep their 2022 All-Stars and redesign their supporting cast on the fly. But the more connected people I heard from, the more obvious it was that it just wasn’t happening. The group had mentally moved on from one another. It sucks, but it happens.

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What's sad is that their weaknesses now are what Rudy would have brought. The things they are doing now sharing the ball and playing hard at both ends are things that Mitchell and Bojan weren't good at(Clarkson either). They could truly be a contender now with Gobert, Hardy and company and still had a bunch of draft capital and future assets and Ainge could have still been having fun

[QUOTE]Contrary to summer chatter, the Jazz never really cared about out-hauling the Rudy Gobert trade return on a Mitchell deal. But the fact that they ultimately got Markkanen — whom they viewed as worth assets — PLUS Sexton, three picks, two swaps and recent lotto pick Ochai Agbaji makes it a very similar macro-value return.

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Agbaji not looking too good

[QUOTE]The headliner of Jazz-Cavs was a player who will receive some immediate All-Star consideration in his first Jazz season, and yet the Jazz also scored the same number of unprotected picks. And that’s before we even get to Sexton.

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the next pick anyway looks better coming from Minnesota if they don't figure it out

[QUOTE]The Jazz were also excited about Sexton’s resume, while also acknowledging that he’d need some refining over time. As [URL="https://theathletic.com/3921987/2022/11/22/utah-jazz-collin-sexton/"]Tony Jones has spelled out[/URL], they are trying to chisel the 23-year-old into a different type of NBA guard, and that will take some time. But already there are things to like about the early returns: he has been one of Utah’s best on-ball creators, his 49% on non-rim twos is elite for a guard, and he plays with a fire in his belly. Like Markkanen, they acquired Sexton with the intent of giving him a chance to grow into a bigger role. Those two have as high a chance of being part of the next great Jazz team as anybody else on the roster.

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I like him better than Mitchell. He's already looking like a pg something Mitchell will never be, he's faster, he's a better shooter from everywhere, plays hard at both ends...

[QUOTE]To continue the dialogue from above, we should also acknowledge that the Jazz will visit Bojan Bogdanovic after they drop in on Mitchell. They didn’t get quite the same asset haul from the Bogey deal as some anticipated, and yet Kelly Olynyk has been really important to how the Jazz are playing. He’s the only big man in the league shooting above 42% from three AND averaging 3+ assists per game.

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probably more fouls flops, and less rebounds than any of them

[QUOTE]As I detailed after the deal, the Jazz [URL="https://saltcityhoops.com/jazz-roster-remodel-continues-with-bogey-olynyk-swap/"]could have gotten a first[/URL] for Bogey in several different deal versions, but those constructs all required them to take (or include) other stuff they weren’t wild about taking (or including). With Olynyk they gave themselves a chance to balance the roster and make the [URL="https://twitter.com/danclayt0n/status/1602471349758271489?s=20&t=lbhGqlR7LgTwm-xf6AU5Dg"]basketball ecosystem[/URL] a little more cohesive to everyone else’s development because of the Canadian’s savvy. I still wrote that I thought they probably should’ve gotten [I]some [/I]type of asset in dealing the better (on the macro) player, and a good sign that I’m right is that ESPN’s Zach Lowe still thinks they did. He continues to remember the deal as the Jazz getting “Olynyks and some seconds or something,” a good indicator that the rough value calculation here is that the Jazz gave up the better player on the whole.

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they did get a young player in Lee who may end up being someone. They just had too many guaranteed deals

[url]https://www.slcdunk.com/2022/12/18/23515966/new-look-utah-jazz-face-former-teammate-donovan-mitchell-cleveland-cavaliers[/url]

[QUOTE]The Utah Jazz and Cleveland Cavaliers enter this game better than they were before, who would have thought?

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Jazz currently a play-in team. Not better than they were

Michael Scotto: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Nuggets center Nikola Jokić and Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell have been named the NBA Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week[/URL].

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




Former Warriors player [URL="https://*********.com/lists/international-transactions-log-where-are-former-nba-players-going/"]Ian Clark signed with Australian team Adelaide 36ers for the remainder of the 2022-23 season[/URL].
– via [URL="https://*********.com/lists/international-transactions-log-where-are-former-nba-players-going/"]Alberto De Roa @ *********[/URL]






Denver: [URL="https://*********.com/lists/nba-injuries-tracker/"]Jamal Murray (left knee injury management), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (left lower leg contusion) and Jeff Green (low back pain) have been downgraded to questionable for Tuesday’s game[/URL] against Memphis. Nikola Jokic (right knee contusion) has been downgraded to probable and Michael Porter Jr (left heel strain) has been upgraded to doubtful.
– via [URL="https://*********.com/lists/nba-injuries-tracker/"]Alberto De Roa @ *********[/URL]

[URL="https://www.cleveland.com/cavs/2022/12/lauri-markkanen-has-no-hard-feelings-after-shocking-offseason-trade-from-cavaliers.html"]Days before the start of training camp, Lauri Markkanen finalized the paperwork on a new house and moved in,[/URL] choosing the city of Westlake — about a 25-minute drive from both Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse and the team’s Independence practice facility. A place with a well-regarded school system — critical for the family-oriented Markkanen who has two kids. In mid-April, following Cleveland’s play-in losses to Brooklyn and Atlanta, Markkanen had the finishing touches put on a spacious, state-of-the-art weightroom and gym inside his home. That was supposed to be his training ground — before, during and after the season. But he never got much chance to use it.
– via [URL="https://www.cleveland.com/cavs/2022/12/lauri-markkanen-has-no-hard-feelings-after-shocking-offseason-trade-from-cavaliers.html"]Chris Fedor @ Cleveland Plain Dealer[/URL]





Markkanen and his family were uprooted because of this summer’s stunning blockbuster trade that brought three-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell to Cleveland and sent Markkanen to Utah. [URL="https://www.cleveland.com/cavs/2022/12/lauri-markkanen-has-no-hard-feelings-after-shocking-offseason-trade-from-cavaliers.html"]The deal, which has rocketed the Cavs into contention and sent Markkanen down an unexpected path, was completed less than a year after moving into that Westlake mansion.[/URL] “You never know what’s going to happen in the NBA, but we expected to be here a while,” Markkanen told cleveland.com near the end of Monday morning’s shootaround at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. “It was kind of a shock.”
– via [URL="https://www.cleveland.com/cavs/2022/12/lauri-markkanen-has-no-hard-feelings-after-shocking-offseason-trade-from-cavaliers.html"]Chris Fedor @ Cleveland Plain Dealer[/URL]







Markkanen had just been traded to Utah, along with 2022 No. 14 pick Ochai Agbaji, Collin Sexton, three first-rounders and a pair of future pick swaps for Mitchell — a deal that never would’ve crossed the finish line without Markkanen’s inclusion. Utah wanted him. He was viewed as its trade centerpiece. “I had no idea. But is what it is,” Markkanen said when reflecting on the blockbuster. [URL="https://www.cleveland.com/cavs/2022/12/lauri-markkanen-has-no-hard-feelings-after-shocking-offseason-trade-from-cavaliers.html"]“It was tough at first because we really enjoyed our time here. Had a really fun year last season so it was tough at first. But then settled in and see the opportunity with Utah. Understanding the business, I know there’s always a chance. It’s not like I had any anger.”[/URL]
– via [URL="https://www.cleveland.com/cavs/2022/12/lauri-markkanen-has-no-hard-feelings-after-shocking-offseason-trade-from-cavaliers.html"]Chris Fedor @ Cleveland Plain Dealer[/URL]

[url]https://www.ksl.com/article/50542714/donovan-mitchell-calls-trade-a-win-win-as-he-reflects-on-his-time-in-utah[/url]

[QUOTE]Mitchell's final year in Utah was grating. His relationship with Gobert was constantly under a microscope and he felt less and less accepted from the fan base. Add on to the Jazz failing to live up to expectations on the court and change didn't just appear imminent, it felt needed by all.

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the fan base loved him no matter what he did. What the **** is he talking about? It was all Gobert's fault damn it! :facepalm

[QUOTE]He's averaging a career-high 29.5 points per game on career-best efficiency numbers, and has helped the Cavs out to a 20-11 start. What's more is he's played a solid part of Cleveland being the No.1 defense in the league. His play has even generated some MVP buzz.

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the fan base might have loved you if you'd put in effort on D here

[url]https://www.slcdunk.com/2022/12/19/23515774/revisiting-the-lauri-markkanen-gordon-hayward-comparison[/url]

[QUOTE]Hayward, on the other hand, was a pure wing, comfortable scoring and getting to the foul line just as he was facilitating.

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he should have been at the 4

[url]https://www.ksl.com/article/50542926/jazz-no-match-for-donovan-mitchell-and-cavs-[/url]

[QUOTE]The Jazz don't have a player that can break down a defense by themselves and set everything up. In short, they no longer have Mitchell. The spacing was bad for much of the night — missing Kelly Olynyk, who was out with a sprained ankle — also led to that, and the shooting was worse. That's not a good combo for success.

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Sexton

[QUOTE]"I think that these last two games have shown us that when teams do have a significant size advantage on us, we really have to be more cognizant of the little things to help each other create good shots," Hardy said.

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a size advantage over a team starting 3 bigs? The guard line is small but the Cavs is smaller

[QUOTE]"I mean, they got where they wanted to go," he continued. "They made a lot of tough shots, but they also had, you know, 10 or 11 dunks."

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wonder who could have helped them here?

[QUOTE]"I dunno," Clarkson said, almost sarcastically, as he searched Mitchell's name. "He played good, 8-for-12, 4-for-5. He didn't play much in the fourth quarter; they were up by 20. So he played pretty good."

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he scored and fouled. Didn't fill the box score