2020-21 Regular season- The tax team

[url]https://saltcityhoops.com/how-the-jazz-can-improve-their-roster/[/url]

[QUOTE][h=1][URL="https://saltcityhoops.com/how-the-jazz-can-improve-their-roster/"]How the Jazz Can Improve Their Roster[/URL][/h][/QUOTE]

get a starting PF!

[QUOTE]The biggest separation between the Jazz and the consensus title-favorite Lakers team is a bonafide superstar. We’ve debated whether Utah’s collective contribution can overcome players of LeBron James’ or Anthony Davis’ calibre. We’ve talked about how Donovan Mitchell has shown a superstar level in the playoffs already. The Jazz will have to prove it this post-season, because there aren’t any available moves to add a superstar to this team.


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The bubble! Biggest difference is their size

[QUOTE]Lastly, the Jazz still have the option to reduce their tax bill. They can replace Shaq Harrison and another player to save money, in a [URL="https://saltcityhoops.com/reader-qa-keeping-conley-tax-man-cometh-trade-ideas-more/"]maneuver our Dan Clayton has described[/URL] where they’d trade two inexpensive players and then replace them on partial season deals. It seems unlikely they salary dump Miye Oni, Juwan Morgan, or Elijah Hughes, but they can do so if they want to forego a luxury tax bill this season.


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the love of Hughes is still amazing to me. Maybe he'll show me tomorrow with the Stars?

[QUOTE]Impressively, the Jazz are undefeated in all those games. Ingles has shifted into a starting role in games missed by his peers, and Oni and Morgan have filled in the bench minutes freed up by Joe’s promotion to the starting five. We have yet to see a starting big man miss games, so it’s unclear how Snyder will handle those scenarios. If O’Neale is injured, for example, a low usage defensive player like Oni or Morgan might be better with the starters. So far, Oni has been the clear 10th man, and Morgan the 11th.


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O'Neale isn't a big!

[QUOTE]Another intriguing name is Rudy Gay. He’s playing 22 minutes per game for the Spurs, who if you haven’t noticed, are 8th in the league. It seems unlikely that San Antonio would buy him out at this point, but if they trail off and Rudy wants to play for a contender, they may grant his wish. At 6-foot-8 and shooting 37% from three, he could be an excellent fit for the Jazz.


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trade Bojan for him!

[QUOTE]Maybe a small move for a player like Raul Neto or the aforementioned Temple happens. Perhaps a bigger wing like Danuel House or Dorian Finney-Smith becomes available. But a trade feels pretty hard to pull off at this point.


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leave Neto alone. Coach doesn't like him

[QUOTE]If we’re talking about hard to pull off, we might as dive into the deep end for a moment. Let’s look at Utah’s current situation: they’re the number one seed in the league. Anthony Davis is out for several weeks with a calf injury. Without Davis, the Lakers are vulnerable (although I would never write off LeBron, even without AD). Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are banged up. Nagging injuries or COVID protocols could hinder either LA team during the playoffs. The Jazz may look at this year and deem it their best opportunity to win a championship.


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they certainly may never have another shot. They should certainly be all in but it's the Jazz so...

[QUOTE]The Jazz would be paying a high price for a half-season rental. All of those players are seeking big deals next season, and Utah couldn’t keep them without an insane tax payment or trading away a bigger salary. Perhaps Bojan could be included in a deal, or the Jazz could engineer a sign-and-trade next season. In any scenario, it’s a risky move.

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Bojan is the guy they should be looking to move

[QUOTE]The Jazz can’t offer a very big role. Lauri and John have started their whole career and play 30+ minutes per game. Even Hart is playing 28 minutes off the bench. The Jazz could move Bojan or Royce to bench (hard to swallow) or give up Niang’s plus part of Favors’ or Ingles’ minutes … again, this is really hard to pull off.

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all of those make sense except for O'Neale to bench

[url]https://www.ksl.com/article/50109635/rudy-gobert-was-so-dominant-in-utahs-win-over-the-clippers-that-even-the-box-score-showed-it[/url]

[QUOTE]During the Jazz's historic stretch, they have gone 2-0 without Mitchell and are now 6-0 without Mike Conley after he missed Wednesday's game due to right hamstring tightness. Mitchell is a lock to be an All-Star and Conley will garner plenty of interest, too — the Jazz have still won (and won easily) without them. It's hard to imagine Utah continuing the same level of dominance without Gobert in the lineup; he's too important.


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but they don't lose anything with Favors!

[QUOTE]Sure, the Clippers were without Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Nicolas Batum, but this was far from a one-game occurrence. Gobert is playing at a higher level than he ever has — he's even getting some fringe MVP buzz due to this simple reasoning. He's the reason the Jazz are the best team in basketball, and doesn't that mean he's the most valuable?


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someone getting it?

[QUOTE]The real good news for the Jazz: He only appears to be getting better. Mitchell, who had 24 points, seven assists and seven rebounds (in what would be considered an uneven performance — just another example how good the Jazz have been as of late), said he believes Gobert is currently playing the best basketball of his career.


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an all too typical performance from their superstar

[url]https://kslsports.com/453502/gobert-helps-jazz-conquer-shorthanded-clippers/[/url]

[QUOTE]Ivica Zubac is one of the better true seven-footers in the NBA, and though he had a strong eight point, 10 rebound performance in a little over 20 minutes against the Jazz, the Clippers were -16 in the limited minutes he was on the floor.


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He's good but one of the better ones?

[QUOTE]If Snyder would be willing to rest a few Jazz players, most notably Mitchel and Gobert, he could buy them up to 96 hours without playing in a competitive game in a season where rest is at an absolute premium.


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Hard to sit Rudy. Got to get 1st seed. Snyder could go to his deep bench more but as we saw tonite that's hard for him even when the other team waves the white flag. Rudy's numbers aren't heavy this year anyway

[url]https://www.deseret.com/sports/2021/2/17/22286402/instant-analysis-utah-jazz-beat-los-angeles-clippers-improve-to-24-5-on-the-season-nba-rudy-gobert[/url]

[QUOTE]I have to give a lot of credit to Mitchell and Clarkson because even on low-efficient nights they were shooting through their difficulties. That doesn’t always make for very nice looking basketball, but it’s important for offensively powerful players to be confident in playing through a slump, whether that’s over the court of multiple games or in the course of a single game. The put up a combined 45 shot attempts and scored a combined 42 points. Like I said, not always the prettiest, but the Jazz needed what they brought in the second half.

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what was great was COTM sitting Bojan when sucking for a change!

[url]https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/2/17/22288746/rudy-gobert-and-the-utah-jazz-stifle-depleted-la-clippers-donovan-mitchell-jordan-clarkson[/url]

[QUOTE]These are the things that Mitchell is doing that are making him an MVP candidate. He had a rough first half then comes out in the second and takes over. It’s also a credit to Quin Snyder who comes out after halftime with a game plan that wins the game.


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:facepalm

[QUOTE]Rudy Gobert was easily the best player on the court tonight. During a sloppy first three quarters, Gobert held it down in the paint. And, as good as Favors is, there was clearly a drop off defensively when Gobert rested on the bench.


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as there almost always is

[QUOTE]Ben Anderson: Joe Ingles on Quin Snyder: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]“He’s the best coach I’ve ever had.”[/URL]
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/BensHoops"]Twitter BensHoops[/URL]



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sorry to hear that Joe

Ben Anderson: [URL="https://*********.com/social/"]Donovan Mitchell received the fourth most votes among fans and media to start for the Western Conference playoff team. He was fifth among the media[/URL].
– via [URL="https://twitter.com/BensHoops"]Twitter BensHoops[/URL]

[url]https://twitter.com/AndrewGreif/status/1362558027304374272/photo/1[/url]

Looks like the media ought to do the voting. Players voting for Zion and Ingram over Rudy. The same players that run from him on the floor! :roll:

[url]https://www.ksl.com/article/50110398/charles-barkley-says-its-unfortunate-donovan-mitchell-wont-be-starting-the-all-star-game[/url]

[QUOTE]"When you have the best record in basketball that says a lot. … Donovan Mitchell should be rewarded in my opinion," Barkley said.


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When Gobert and Mitchell are better?

[QUOTE]"He's been the best bench player in the NBA this season," Barkley said. "They have the best record in the NBA. Most people don't know that he has been fantastic this year. That's why I got him on my list."


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ahead of Conley and Gobert?

[url]https://www.ksl.com/article/50110083/from-the-comments-the-jazz-have-been-so-good-that-end-of-games-have-been-quite-boring[/url]

[QUOTE]Utah is also currently the only team in the league that has a top five offensive and defensive rating — a staple of those Warriors squads (and frankly, many title teams). But before you get too far ahead of yourself: There were two teams that finished in the top five in both categories last season — Boston and the LA Clippers. Neither made it to the Finals.


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The bubble! :lol

[url]https://kslsports.com/453538/jazz-buyout-candidates-and-mailbag-answers/[/url]

[QUOTE][B]Anderson:[/B] I do think the Jazz should explore the buyout market as it comes closer to reality, and it’s likely their best option to improve. As of now, I wouldn’t trade any of the team’s top nine rotations pieces (Conley, Mitchell, Bogdanovic, O’Neale, Gobert, Clarkson, Ingles, Favors, Niang) and I am not sure anyone behind them (Oni, Morgan, Harrison, Hughes, Azubuike) has more value around the league than they do to the Jazz.


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I'd trade anyone if it made sense especially if they got a starting PF

[QUOTE]Unless the Jazz have seen something in Bogdanovic this year that makes them think there’s going to be a significant drop in his play and now is time to get away from the remaining two years and $38 million left on his deal, (it would make re-signing Conley easier) then I don’t see where the Jazz would want to make a trade.


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Bojan can play at the tp of his game and they need to look to move him.

[QUOTE]He could provide emergency depth if the team has an injury on the guard line, but he might not leap Oni on the depth chart.


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likely he would. Already played for Snyder

[QUOTE]If he got waived, he’d have to clear waivers first before the Jazz could talk to him, and he’d have plenty of suitors for playoff teams wanting a floor-spacing veteran. And to that point, he may not clear waivers.


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they could claim him on waivers. Don't need a shooter

[QUOTE]He’s not better than Royce O’Neale at this point in his career, and he’s not as prolific of a shooter as Bogdanovic, but he’s better defensively. The Jazz could certainly use Ariza, even if it’s only for spot minutes in the postseason.


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starting 4!

[QUOTE]Porter is a name I’d keep a close eye on, and as a 40 percent three-point shooter on more than four attempts per game, he could really help.


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starting 4!

[QUOTE]The idea of Mike Muscala has probably always been better than the reality, but a backup four that shoots 38 percent from the three-point line and has played in more than 400 career games is nothing to shake a stick at.


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4?

[QUOTE]They already waived Alex Len this season, so they may not want to do that again while lacking depth in the frontcourt, but the Baynes experiment has been a failure and they likely have no interest in picking up his player option next season.


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He'd be nice at the end of the bench

[QUOTE]Mike D’Antoni teams couldn’t ever overcome this problem in Phoenix or Houston, but the Warriors won three titles in five years. Last season the Milwaukee Bucks were incredibly difficult to plan for with one day of preparation but were pretty easily eliminated in the playoffs.


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the bubble!

[QUOTE]It starts with committing to slowing the pick and roll with only two players, and not bringing help defenders. Then, those other three defenders have to nearly faceguard the other Jazz shooters on the floor to make sure the team’s perimeter shooting never gets going.


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Go big and create mismatches with the Jazz small lineup and hope they put Favors at the 4 and lose their spacing
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[QUOTE][URL="https://theathletic.com/2398815/2021/02/19/nba-jimmy-butler-all-star-case-john-hollinger-reserves/?source=rss"]Mitchell’s pure statistical case might be the weakest of any West candidate actually. Despite the highlight reel, his percentages have never been that high for a leading man on a good offense because he relies on so many tough 2s.[/URL] His true-shooting percentage of 55.9 this year is right at his career level but pales next to most other West hopefuls; Booker and Conley are above 59 and DeRozan is at 60.3, for instance, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is at 61.2. On the other hand, Mitchell is the highest-usage payer on the league’s best non-garbage-time offense, and there is nothing even remotely outlier-ish about what he’s done this year. That’s important in the still relatively small sample of this season; we can still be a little more suspicious of players like DeRozan and Gilgeous-Alexander keeping this up for another 40-plus games.
– via [URL="https://theathletic.com/2398815/2021/02/19/nba-jimmy-butler-all-star-case-john-hollinger-reserves/?source=rss"]John Hollinger @ The Athletic[/URL]



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someone gets it

[URL="https://www.abc4.com/news/politics/life-and-legacy-of-jerry-sloan-honored-in-proposed-utah-concurrent-resolution/"]A proposed concurrent resoultion aims to honor the life and achievements of former Utah Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan. S.C.R. 7, sponsored by Senator Lincoln Fillmore (R-Salt Lake), “honors the life and legacy of Jerry Sloan,[/URL] basketball player and coach, for his achievements and the positive impact he had on the state of Utah.”
– via [URL="https://www.abc4.com/news/politics/life-and-legacy-of-jerry-sloan-honored-in-proposed-utah-concurrent-resolution/"]Addy Bink @ ABC4[/URL]



[URL="https://www.abc4.com/news/politics/life-and-legacy-of-jerry-sloan-honored-in-proposed-utah-concurrent-resolution/"]Sen. Fillmore’s resolution highlights not only Sloan’s achieve on the court, but his legacy beyond, drawing attention to the Bobbye and Jerry Sloan Hand-in-Hand Foundation,[/URL] which helps “individuals and organizations reach their full potential, demonstrating not only his generosity but also his efforts to support his community.”
– via [URL="https://www.abc4.com/news/politics/life-and-legacy-of-jerry-sloan-honored-in-proposed-utah-concurrent-resolution/"]Addy Bink @ ABC4[/URL]

[url]https://www.deseret.com/sports/2020/12/7/22158571/quin-snyder-nba-utah-jazz-jordan-clarkson-derrick-favors-donovan-mitchell[/url]

[QUOTE]The Utah Jazz made two big offseason moves: re-signing Jordan Clarkson and bringing back Derrick Favors. Both players could have made more money playing elsewhere, could have signed-short term contracts and they had options.


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confirmed? It sounded like the Jazz were bidding against themsleves to me

[QUOTE]There are a lot of reasons that Clarkson and Favors decided to stick with the Jazz on long-term deals, but one of the biggest reasons is the team’s head coach.


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I think the money and the years was the main reason

[url]https://www.deseret.com/sports/2021/2/19/22291285/is-jordan-clarkson-an-all-star-why-charles-barkley-believes-in-the-utah-jazz-guard-sixth-man[/url]


[QUOTE][h=1]Why Charles Barkley thinks Utah Jazz sixth man Jordan Clarkson should be an All-Star[/h]


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he's an idiot?