2014-2015 regular season!

[QUOTE]"Usually you’re complaining about something and the game is going on at the same time," Snyder replied. "We’re not a team … we don’t walk on the court and expect the respect that teams that are perennially contending for titles [get]. We need to earn what we get, particularly guys that are in their first year. You haven’t been in the NBA and you’re going to argue with a referee? You’ve got to be smarter than that. It’s the wrong approach philosophically. You’re going to [complain] about a call instead of doing what you need to do better? It’s pretty simple to me."[/QUOTE]

So what did you think of Favors walking up the court pouting while his guy was dunking at the other end earlier this year? I thought it was bullshit that our supposed leader was doing that and he should have been benched. Why wasn't he?

[QUOTE]Minute matters

After a flu bug kept him out of action against the Warriors, Jazz forward Trevor Booker was back at practice Thursday. With Booker’s return, the Jazz will be at full strength at the 4- and 5-spots, leaving Snyder with some decisions to make about his rotations.

And it will all come down to matchups and production.

"We’re going to play the guys that are playing good," Snyder said. "… There’s no magic where I sit down and divvy up the minutes before the game."[/QUOTE]
It's hard to lke this guy. He's got to see that with Rudy they are a different team. Unless they've decided on Kanter and Favors future Booker needs to be traded.

[QUOTE]Injury update

Rookie Rodney Hood was a partial participant in practice Thursday. After missing seven games with a left foot injury, Hood was "getting his timing back, but he’s not there yet," Snyder said. The rookie is officially listed as out against the Lakers, though his status could be reassessed Friday.

[email]afalk@sltrib.com[/email]

Twitter: @tribjazz[/QUOTE]

D-league for rehab assignment with Millsap here now?

[QUOTE]The Jazz coach needs to decide what

[QUOTE]Do you remember the days when the Utah Jazz were a horrible defensive team? It wasn't that long ago.[/QUOTE]

No it was their last game actually.

[QUOTE]Take the first 10 games of the season: The Jazz surrendered 100 or more points in six of them.

Now, fast-forward three months, and it's becoming clear that Utah is a different team defensively. The Jazz started to turn the corner in December on the pre-Christmas trip. That's when Gordon Hayward remembers the team beginning to grasp Snyder's concepts. The intricate schemes began to make sense. The effort elevated a notch.[/QUOTE]

It was Snyder's concepts not Rudy? :coleman: Let me guess Jerry made John and Jerry two of the all-time greats too?

[QUOTE]And the results started to come: a win over Miami, a win over Memphis, surrendering an average of 89 points in the two victories.

Finally, the light turned on.

"That's when we started to figure it all out a little bit," Hayward said. "We figured out how to play on the road a little bit. And Rudy [Gobert] started to get a few more minutes around that time. I think we just started to get better."

So, what are the technical factors in the turnaround?

A lot of the scheme is personnel-driven. There are games when Snyder has his guards go under screens, in order to better stay in front of quick and penetrating point guards. On Tuesday against the Warriors, the Jazz went over every screen, because Golden State features one of the best shooting teams in the league.

Meanwhile, when Gobert is on the floor, Utah funnels much of the traffic his way, confident that he can erase many shots close to the rim. And another key factor in the team's defensive development has been rebounding. On Tuesday, three Jazz players recorded double figures in that category.

"It's basically a feel from game to game," Burke said. "A lot of it just depends on who we're playing more than anything. We've tried to guard different teams in different ways."

The past 10 games have told the story of a team with considerable defensive potential.[/QUOTE]

Or at least a player.

[QUOTE]Excluding the 116 points it surrendered to Golden State, Utah is giving up 92.4 points a game over the past two weeks

[QUOTE]

[QUOTE]Is he best using his quickness and athleticism against the game's behemoths?

Or is he best suited to outmuscle smaller forwards?

Ask the man himself and he shrugs it off.

"It doesn't matter," Favors said. "Whatever they want me to play, I'll play."[/QUOTE]
3rd Big? He better hope it's not center because there is a new center in town.

[QUOTE]This season, Favors is playing at a higher level than before. He's averaging career highs in points, minutes and field goal percentage. Favors has nine games of at least 20 points and 10 rebounds this season; in his previous four seasons combined, he had 10. He's one of eight players

[QUOTE]The task of sussing out which of the current 15 Jazz players will be vital pieces to a hypothetical future title run is a central theme in this stage of Dennis Lindsey and Quin Snyder

[QUOTE]The most Exum had played before in a basketball year was in the 25-30 range, he said. Considering he

Marc J. Spears: Jazz still hasn't decided whether to give Elliot Williams a 2nd 10-day. If no, Williams could play for @DLeagueWarriors Saturday at Showcase Twitter

[QUOTE]Jody Genessy: Alec Burks said he hasn't had a fully healthy shoulder since he was in his teens. He first hurt it in college at Colorado. Twitter @DJJazzyJody

Jody Genessy: Alec Burks: "I had a really bad shoulder and they fixed it. This will repair everything. I

[QUOTE]The Utah Jazz are expected to offer Elliot Williams a second 10-day contract, a source told Sea Dubs Central Friday night. In three games with the Jazz, Williams is averaging 2.7 points and 0.7 rebounds in 8.7 minutes per contest. seadubscentral.com [/QUOTE]

I'd guess he's gone after the 2nd one if they don't see something more from him and with Hood back he might not get a chance in a game. Got to have some flexibility.

[QUOTE] The Lakers have been a better team without Kobe all year and they put up a solid fight.[/QUOTE]

Better without a 37% shooter taking most of the shots? :facepalm

[QUOTE] Coach Phil Johnson had a great point during the 4thquarter of the broadcast. Don

[QUOTE]Enes Kanter is a restricted free agent who is playing the last year of his rookie deal with the team that drafted him, the Utah Jazz. He looks to get a raise this off-season because he is a) a talented player, b) 22 years old, and c) GMs always overpay for bigs. The #3 draft pick hasn't dominated regularly, and is looking to become more of an Inside / Outside offensive player, with rebounding coming second, and defense not even finishing the race. [/QUOTE]

Not sure rebounding comes in 2nd with him. He hasn't been as dominating on the boards as it appeared he might be as a rookie but punding the offensive glass is certainly a big part of his offensive game. Kind of depends on who you're playing with. Gobert and Favors also rebound as well so he might not have to concentrate on it as much as he might next year on a different team. Defense is improving.

[QUOTE]At times his ability to finish plays on offense, and penchant for turning up with contested rebounds reminds me of Karl Malone. Other times he reminds me of the worst of the worst of one-way bigmen. Tonight the Jazz face off against the Los Angeles Lakers -- a team that claimed Carlos Boozer off of waivers, as the Chicago Bulls felt the need to amnesty him. This was the obvious consequence of Boozer's pay raise, regardless, free agency. Booz was a screen door on defense who rebounded, and developed a nice jumper to compliment his inside scoring.

So, clearly you see where I'm going with this. Are there similarities between the two, and who would you rather have today?

Vital Information:

Worldly: Boozer was born in Germany, as a Military brat. He grew up in the D.C. area as a kid before his family moved to Alaska where he went to high school. He then went to college at Duke. Kanter was born in Switzerland, his parents were academics, and then grew up in Turkey. Enes would then go to high school in California, spend a year in Kentucky, and then enter the draft.
NBA Draft Combine Info: Carlos measured 6'7.75" without shoes. Enes was 6'9.75" by comparison. Kanter's wingspan is 7'1.50", while Boozer is a superior 7'2.25". Their standing reaches were 9'0.50" and 9'1.50" in favor of the Turk. Boozer's bench reps were 13, while Kanter's was 14. Both players have gotten stronger as the years went on. Kanter jumps better, but that's not saying much, but it is nice to see a 6'11 guy (in shoes) get up for 32.50". [/QUOTE]

That's pretty good isn't it? Hadn't thought of him as much of a jumper. I'd take Kanter any day. Jefferson is a better comp and I'd still take Kanter. The question that needs to be addressed that hasn't is Favors or Kanter.

[QUOTE]Kanter is faster North/South (has a better sprint), while Boozer (back then, when he was in pre-draft form) was quick East/West (lane agility).[/QUOTE]
Not sure I've seen Kanter sprint. His agility offensively is impressive always though.

[QUOTE]Draft: Boozer played three seasons a Duke, and was picked in the second round #34 back in 2002. Kanter was ineligible to play for Kentucky, but spent a year there. He was picked #3 in the 2011 Draft.

Age: Carlos is 33, and Enes is 22 -- Kanter is 11 years younger, which is almost three presidential terms, or alternatively, about as long as it takes to read one of my posts

Experience: Boozer is playing in his 13th season in the league, and has amassed over 26,000+ minutes over 800+ games. If you add his playoff sojourns, that's another 3,000 minutes and 80+ games. He has played all the way up to the Conference Finals, but hasn't really seen a lot of success. With the Jazz he got bounced by the Lakers three years in a row, and now joins that team. Kanter was mothballed for years and has played 5000+ minutes over four seasons, and 250+ games.[/QUOTE]

He wasn't mothballed. He was their 4th big on a deep roster. All this shit about guys having to play is bull. Would he have been better off playing huge minutes or being mentored by Big Al?

[QUOTE]Kanter has remained mostly healthy over his career, unlike Boozer. But there is no comparison to their NBA experience. It's almost as if Boozer was playing for those 11 years he has on Kanter, or something . . . [/QUOTE]

He's had two pretty sinificant i njures that hurt him more in the off-season than the regular season.

[QUOTE]Awards: Boozer was a McDonald's All-American (1999), and NCAA AP All-American 3rd team (2001-02) member. In the NBA he was on the All-Rookie 2nd team (2002-03), and was selected as an All-Star twice (2007, 2008). In addition to that he was once an All-NBA 3rd team (2007-08) member. He was Rookie of the month once, Player of the Week six times, and Player of the Month twice. Enes Kanter, despite being a Muslim, had gained entrance to various clubs and the playboy mansion before the age of 21, somehow.[/QUOTE]

:cheers:

[QUOTE]Contract: In addition to his amnesty money, $13.55 million, Booz is making $3.25 million from the Lakers right now.[/QUOTE]

Doesn't that $3.25 come off of what Chicago has to pay?

[QUOTE]Enes is being paid $5.69 million from the Jazz due to this being the 4th year of his #3 draft pick contract. Both players are free agents at the end of this season. Carlos will be unrestricted (UFA), while Enes will be restricted (RFA).
Enes is two inches (at least) taller than Booz, while both are not gifted with outstanding length there is no question to who is bigger. [/QUOTE]

Boozer has outstanding length for an undersized 4 doesn't he? Probably why he used to get steals.

[QUOTE]Kanter uses his body almost as well as Booz, and both are stellar rebounders when healthy.[/QUOTE]

Now he's a stellar rebounder! :facepalm

[QUOTE]Boozer is post-"physical peak" and on his way down. His game didn't rely on athletic ability but on craftiness. So that is nice for him, but he is not quite what he used to be. Kanter is still on his way up to his best years in the league. He also doesn't rely on physical ability that much. Both guys can't jump. Both guys rarely need to, because their beefy bodies create space for them.

2014-2015 Stats:

Carlos Boozer vs. Enes Kanter | FindTheBest
Of course, that's not where the story ends for these two players. Boozer, now relegated to the bench, is averaging 25.2 mpg, Kanter (still a starter) playing 26.8 mpg. That is close enough for me not to have to fiddle with Per 36 stats, or any other rates. Furthermore, neither of them are the primary option when they are on the floor. Boozer is a more willing and capable passer, averaging 1.3 apg, with a 1.14 to 1.00 assist to turn over ratio. Kanter, on the other hand averages 0.6 apg, and is a dreadful 0.32 to 1.00 on his A:TO. Yikes. But it's not all in Boozer's favor beyond points and rebounds. Kanter blocks more shots (duh, it's 4x as many), and has three point range. Boozer doesn't take threes, but Kanter is shooting 34.4% from downtown this year. For a point of reference, that's better than how Trey Burke, Dante Exum, Joe Ingles, and Rodney Hood are shooting from outside this year.[/QUOTE]

And getting better all the time. Unlike those guys he's always shown he can shoot. Just a matter of confidence now and that seems to be growing. Going to make him a lot of money and make the Jazz decision as to keep him or not a lot tougher.

[QUOTE]Shot Charts:

N.B. If you are viewing this in Chrome these charts are DYNAMIC, so move your mouse around. Sorry people in other browsers.

Carlos:

Carlos Boozer 2014-15 Shot Chart | FindTheBest
Enes:

Enes Kanter 2014-15 Shot Chart | FindTheBest
It's kind of clear that Booz is really good from the spots Jerry Sloan wanted shots from. It's also clear that Kanter is working on being good enough to Quin Snyder's offense. This is the difference between a mid-2000s PF and a mid-2010s PF in this ever evolving game of NBA Basketball.

Enes shots a better percentage from at the rim than Carlos, and shoots a greater percentage of his shots from there. Boozer is a much more proficient midrange jump shooter (esp from that 90 degree angle range (+45 degrees, 0, -45 degrees) facing the basket. This is the shot for Derrick Favors (and maybe Rudy Gobert) within the offense. Kanter needs to get better from all over, but I think going forward he's going to have to spend more time on the 4.6% of the shots he is taking from the baseline corner three range instead. That will help open up the floor for dribble penetration / pick and rolls for Gordon Hayward (and the rest of the gang: Trey Burke, Alec Burks, and Dante Exum).[/QUOTE]

Need to work on pick and pops with him more.

[QUOTE]Right now for this Jazz team Boozer would be a great offensive addition, but he's really great at only a few things. Snyder is looking for people who show a more varied skill set with the shots they can take (and make).[/QUOTE]
They need a 5th big? :coleman:

[QUOTE]Defense:

Carlos Boozer is horrible on defense, despite showing what he could be back as a member of the Cavaliers. In Utah he was the first option on offense and was entirely useless in pick and roll defense. His major contribution was finishing a defensive play by hogging up all the defensive rebounds. Boozer's poor defense was hidden in Chicago when he was paired up with better defenders like Joakim Noah. With the Lakers he is entirely exposed because their skeleton crew has no clue what they are doing. Now that he is 33 I think it's clear that whatever defensive potential or possibility for Boozer has been extinguished. He figured out that scoring bigs get paid, and he did both of those things over the last decade. He scored. And he got paid.

Enes Kanter may have learned a little too much for Big Al, because he has a ton of moves on offense, but is not an effective defender. He can block shots, and at least be somewhere between Mehmet Okur and Greg Ostertag upon that continuum.[/QUOTE]

I'd take him ove Okur too. He's got a better overall game.

[QUOTE]For his career he averages 0.8 blocks per 36 minutes. Kanter gets rebounds too. And at times he looks okay as a team defender. But, c'mon. He's only 22 years old. To suggest that he is as good as he can be on defense at this point would be a little premature.

Of course, this was precisely what people said about Boozer when he was 22 and heading into free agency as a Cavs player. Hopefully Kanter doesn't go to a team that wants him to be the #1 offensive option, and makes it okay for him to stop trying on defense.

History and the Future:

Boozer avoiding being a restricted free agent years ago by having some sort of 'deal' with the Cleveland Cavaliers. After two years with the Cavs he became a UFA, and signed with the Jazz. He had his best seasons professionally in Utah, where he played for six seasons. He then went to find a pay raise, regardless. He was to sign with the Bulls, but Boozer managed to turn that into a sign and trade where he got paid more and the Jazz received a trade exception back. The Jazz would then use that to help get Al Jefferson in a Jazz uniform in a trade they would later make with the Minnesota Timberwolves.[/QUOTE]

Don't remind me. :cry:

[QUOTE]Carlos is a UFA this off-season and past his prime. He has a few more seasons left of being a rotation player before he moves into "Kenyon Martin -- is he still in the league?" mode. His utility to teams will come as a bench scorer who is polished but not capable of being a 1st option anymore.

Kanter, now the same age as Boozer was when he was a Cavs player, has played four years with the Jazz. He was an absolute afterthought with his former coach [/QUOTE]

No he wasn't! There were times I thought he should have gooten the call over Favors when he was playing better but other than that I dont see that. I didn't expect anything from him as a rookie. He was a nice surprise.

[QUOTE]-- and faced the slings and arrows of the Jazz' own media personalities saying bad things about him. Having had his social media presence muted after being on the verge of being a viral star I just don't know how much fun he's had. Under a strict father basketball was the only fun he would have, and he was even coerced to stop playing because he wasn't serious enough about school. If the game becomes less fun then he may (as a kid) wish to go to a place that will make it fun again. I don't know.[/QUOTE]

Not just the media. It's the fanbase as a whole who seem to follow along with what the media is pushing.

[QUOTE]Sadly, we still do not have a better idea of how good Kanter is going to be.[/QUOTE]

We do now that he's starting to hit 3's. Love is the only guy I can think of at the moment with a similar skill set. Inside/outside/rebounding. That makes him a rare commodity. Not one to easily let go because of the Favors love.

[QUOTE]He came to the Jazz with the potential to be one of the best players on that roster, and in a few months he may be leaving. I find it absurd that the Jazz didn't think of going into development mode sooner, you know, they had back to back #3 draft picks on their roster and kept them both on the bench for years. What other team in the universe would do that?[/QUOTE]

A team that is trying to compete and not lose. This shit gets old! There was a time when you had to earn your way. Favors and Kanter have had to. That's a good thing. There is a D-league that can be used as well. Millsap is a star. The idea that Favors and Kanter should have been playing ahead of him because of where they were drafted is ridiculous. Guys can develop in many ways. Burke having no competetion hasn't helped him at all. This season is a great indicator of that.

[QUOTE]Some team will sign Boozer, and he can now afford to take some paycuts.[/QUOTE]

Yeah the NBA minimum is hard to live on. :rolleyes:

[QUOTE]For his career he has made more than $130 million. Kanter may never get another contract worth as much as he can get right now. I feel like he has a bunch of handlers and hangers-on. They are all working to get Enes the most he can get right now, and I wouldn't expect him to take a pay cut to stay in Utah. Not unless Quin Snyder can really get into his head and make him feel like it's in his best interest.[/QUOTE]

I can see it. The qualifying offer might be is best move in the long run.

[QUOTE]Other Stuff:

Boozer is really good at yelling. So, this has to factor somewhere into this analysis.

My Take:

All things being equal, I feel like Kanter will be a better return on whatever investment you give him over his next contract.[/QUOTE]

Hard to say. Not sure I'd want to pay him max either and I wouldn' be surprised if he got it.

[QUOTE]Boozer is more polished right now, but is injury prone, filthy rich, and may not care about anything anymore. Kanter appears to be a team player who is REALLY happy when he's on a team that's winning. Again, basketball was his only outlet for 'fun'. He's happy when his team mates are successful. Though, I think his first coach really rubbed him the wrong way and took fun away from him. (Remember all the excessive blinking?) [/QUOTE]

No I don't. The Ty hate gets really old too.

[QUOTE]Kanter has skills and probably knows that teams out there would love to feature him. How Kanter 'grows up' in his personality (be the kid who loves the game and wants to have fun vs. the guy who wants to be a star and get the shine) will really determine how the rest of his career progresses.[/QUOTE]

He works. He'll reach his potential whatever that happens to be.

[QUOTE]Boozer had way better stats with the Jazz, and really helped our team win a lot of games. But that guy doesn't exist anymore. I'd rather have Kanter on my team going forward. Both players will probably start asking for eight digits per year on their next contract. I wouldn't want to overpay for either of them, but I could make myself like it more if the Jazz overpaid for Enes.[/QUOTE]
I never liked Boozer.

[QUOTE]Both Enes Kanter and Jingles had career-highs in steals with 3 a piece, which gave the Jazz some easy baskets on the other end as well. But beyond that, I saw a lot of poor Laker execution that the Jazz stopped relatively easily.[/QUOTE]
Ingles does a surprising job getting after people defensively. He appears to have nice length.

[QUOTE]2. Gordon Hayward is such a difference maker for the Jazz.

That being said, Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors both put up excellent games, and, quite frankly, they

[QUOTE]The line is thin for Trey Burke.

On one hand, Utah's point guard has to keep his teammates happy. He's charged with the task of running the Jazz offense, getting the ball to Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors. Simply put, he's been given the keys to the ignition.[/QUOTE]

He has? I'd say Hayward is their main playmaker. Ingles, Hood, Exum, Burks and even recently Millsap also take some of the load.

On the other, Burke is a scorer, has been his entire career. It's his instinct, and he's always believed that he can break down a defense and squeeze off a good shot.

[QUOTE]On Friday night, the Utah Jazz defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, 94-85, at EnergySolutions Arena. Gordon Hayward served as the headliner