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Typical night from Trey not to mention what Gordon and Tyreke did against him at the other end. Everything starts and ends with Rudy. They might be able to get away with Novak as long as Rudy is on the floor. Might want to try to get Booker some more minutes at the 3 too.
[QUOTE]They likely will have to face Utah on Wednesday without Tyson Chandler. They also could be short Monta Ellis. And they already know Rajon Rondo is out. That
[QUOTE] Rudy was the clear fourth big in Utah for much of the first two months, cracking 20 minutes in just three games before December.[/QUOTE]
Him and Booker.
[QUOTE]Midway through 2014
[QUOTE]Lots have people have jumped to the conclusion that Kanter might be on his way out this trade deadline, so the Jazz can capitalize on him as an asset and clear the way for Gobert in the process. But would they be giving up on Kanter too soon? Here's a solid piece from 1320 KFAN's Ben Anderson weighing the pros and cons of that decision:
Jazz General Manager Dennis Lindsey allowed Paul Millsap to leave in free agency to the Atlanta Hawks, hoping to clear up cap room for future roster additions, only to see the power forward qualify for two straight All-Star games, leading the Hawks to the Eastern Conference's best record this season. Lindsey won't want to mar his reputation by allowing another home-grown Jazz prospect to flourish in another franchise's hands.[/QUOTE]
Wasn't just any homegrown player. Millsap is the type of player any franchise should want to keep around. It's a joke that they let him go really. Same with Demarre. Kanter or Favors it's easier for me to see letting go.
[QUOTE]And what of Gobert's future? To this point in his career, Gobert has appeared in fewer than 100 games, having started fewer than 10. Can the Jazz afford to move Kanter in order to clear room for such an unproven prospect? [/QUOTE]
He's proven! :rolleyes:
[QUOTE]Seven-footers are unique, and when they click with a team, they are potential franchise changers, but injuries are always a concern, and there is a reason successful big men of Gobert's build are few and far between. If the Jazz were to bet the future on Gobert, only to see it derailed by obstacles outside of their control, Kanter could be a franchise saving spare piece, or the one who got away.
It's an enviable conundrum for an NBA team -- oh, three starting-caliber big men? WHAT A PREDICAMENT -- but it's one I don't have an answer to yet. On one hand, Gobert's ceiling is definitely higher than Kanter's. [/QUOTE]
Defensively anyway. Kanter has more upside at the other end for sure.
[QUOTE]On the other...well, I'm tired of seeing former Jazzmen flourish on other teams, like Millsap and Kyle Korver (both now All-Stars in Atlanta this season). I'd hate to see the same thing happen with Kanter. At the very least, it'll be an interesting story to watch as the trade deadline nears.[/QUOTE]
But I'll bet you were on the start Favors bench/trade Millsap bandwagon with everyone else right?
[QUOTE] We've had a tumultuous relationship with rookie rankings so far this season. With three first-year prospects in solid rotation, almost every column devoted to rookie analysis has mentioned a Jazz player. But now a fourth rookie has gotten some love from CBS Sports' Sean Vecenie: the newly-contracted Elijah Millsap:
Finally, Elijah Millsap earned himself a full-season contract with team options for two more due to his hot shooting and defensive acumen in Utah. It's nice to see the Millsap tradition live on in the state after the Jazz were responsible for kickstarting his brother Paul's career prior to him flourishing with Atlanta over the last two seasons.[/QUOTE]
Flourished with the Jazz too. It's not like it should be surprising what he's done in Atlanta.
[QUOTE]Truthfully, Millsap The Younger probably wouldn't be sniffing the Jazz lineup if not for injuries to fellow rookies Rodney Hood and Joe Ingles, not to mention Alec Burks. (Geez, we've had way too many SG/SF injuries, haven't we?) But he's been doing the most with his role, and it's nice to see him get some recognition.[/QUOTE]
He should be playing ahead of Hood and certainly competing with Ingles.
How about revisiting the AK trade idea? Have enough cap space to get him for nothing. He can't shoot like the rest of team but his D, passing and vet presence would certainly be welcome.
Guess we can say bye-bye to Kanter. Hopefully they use it as a chance to bring in a really solid piece and aren't afraid to include someone like Burkes in the deal if it brings back a really good talent.
[QUOTE]Meanwhile, until now, the Jazz front office had felt that his potential was worth more than the limited interest they had received in Kanter from other teams. [/QUOTE]
Sounds like he might be here til the end of the year. Suns look like a possibility on paper. Might be time to look in the mirror and ask if other teams aren't that interested maybe you ought to just keep working where you're at?
[QUOTE]Before the 2013-14 season, they wanted to see what he could bring in more than a 4th big role. In Ty Corbin
[QUOTE]The Phoenix Suns have a glut of guards in the backcourt and Ryan McDonough admitted the team's balance is slightly off.
"I think our roster balance is a little off, and that's my fault," McDonough said Wedneday on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM. "We are a little too backcourt heavy, especially in terms of guys who, you know, I think you'd define primarily as scorers in the backcourt.
"So I think at some point we'll need to balance that out, try to get a little more size, a little more frontcourt scoring and rebounding."
The Suns are in the playoff picture but have lost seven of their last 10 games.
"At the same time it's a challenge because we do have talented players, they've all had success individually and team success in the NBA," McDonough said, "so those are some of the decisions we'll kind of mull over the next week or so and we'll see where we are on the 19th next week."[/QUOTE]
Not sure I'd want Dragic. Be a great fit offensively but he's a free agent to be. Isaiah Thomas or Bledsoe might work. Ennis I would take.
[QUOTE]Aaron Falk: Kanter's agent, Max Ergul, on 1280 says Enes' frustrations center on an a "lack of investment in his development" by the Utah Jazz. Twitter @tribjazz -[/QUOTE]
Can't say I agree. A big part of the problem is the way the league is set up. All these guys think they should come right in the league and be given everthing and some like Burke, Exum, and Hood are. Young guys need to earn their way in the D-league or end of rotaion or whatever.
Kanter got a chance to contribute to a playoff team as a rookie when he was still pretty raw. Biggest problem I've had is at times he's outplayed guys ahead of him and hasn't been given the opportunity at those times. I certainly dont see Favors as head and shoulders above him. They've both got strengths and weaknesses.
Ideally right now he should be getting more time. Made sense to start Marvin last year but he could have been given more time
Jody Genessy: Trey Burke on Enes Kanter saying he hopes to get traded from the Utah Jazz: "It
[QUOTE]Austin Horton: "He's one of the most dominant players of his generation. If he wasn't, Kevin O'Connor wouldn't have selected him with number 3 pick" - agent Max Ergul. Twitter[/QUOTE]
I think the problem starts with his agent obviously. Enes has a lot of upside but he's still got a lot to learn. If he can't pass out of a double team it's going to be tough for him to dominate on a nightly basis.
[QUOTE]Center Rudy Gobert hadn
[QUOTE]Jazz coach Quin Snyder reiterated Thursday that he
[QUOTE]Meanwhile, free-agent acquisition Trevor Booker has been a consistent momentum-changer, earning more minutes than anticipated.[/QUOTE]
He has? He's one of their highest paid players. He's probably playing less than expected since Rudy started getting more time.
[QUOTE]So coach Quin Snyder has tried to utilize both Gobert and Kanter effectively, and done a nice job. [/QUOTE]
No he hasn't. Gobert is the man. Need to figure out how Favors and Kanter fit around him. He hasn't done that.
[QUOTE]Some nights Gobert is simply undeniable. He blocked seven shots against Oklahoma City in January. Also, he has vastly improved his modest offensive game (shooting 63 percent).
But it’s the defensive side that has haunted Kanter, and the place where the coaching staff continues to focus. This leaves him frustrated and confused. [/QUOTE]
I think his passing or lack thereof is a much bigger weakness right now.
[QUOTE]He hinted occasionally this year that he wanted more playing time, but finally on Wednesday it became a declaration more than a hint: play me or trade me.
Kanter isn’t a malcontent whining about time he didn’t deserve. Rather, he’s sunny and optimistic, having worked diligently to improve since the Jazz drafted him No. 3 in 2011. That’s why his mood on Wednesday was jarring but understandable.
Still, this isn’t an Armageddon moment for the Jazz. It’s a good thing.
It means they’re getting better.
If the Jazz are talented enough to keep Kanter on the bench, somebody must be filling in.
Kanter is agile and teachable and could do nicely if he goes elsewhere.[/QUOTE]
Could? I don't think there's much doubt. Could be another Jazz move that looks bad after the fact. It makes their decision on him a lot easier but getting rid of Favors might be the better move in the long run.
[QUOTE]Whether the Jazz move him before Thursday’s trade deadline is another matter. As a restricted free agent, it could hinder talks. Some teams would rather wait for summer and get him without giving anything in return.
This isn’t the first time a Jazz player has wanted to be moved. Heaven knows, Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams weren’t the most content souls. Even Karl Malone had an occasional spat with management and would talk about leaving.[/QUOTE]
Occasional? Everytime he signed a new contract he'd be whining about getting more soon after.
[QUOTE]This, though, seems serious. The Jazz could use a shooting guard, with Alec Burks out for the season.[/QUOTE]
They need a pg more than anything but wing help too. Going to need a back-up center if they trade him. Evans isn't that.
[QUOTE]Kanter is averaging more points, rebounds and minutes than any time in his career. At the same time, Gobert has gone from a 15-minute-a-night player to sometimes more than 30.
If Kanter is traded before the deadline, or even if he leaves later as a free agent, he would be missed. The Turkish big man has skills. But the good news for the Jazz is that they’ve improved enough to even consider parting ways.[/QUOTE]
They have? I'd still rather have Millsap and Demarre personally.
[QUOTE]In sports, unhappy people are sometimes a sign you’re doing something right.
Email: [email]rock@desnews.com[/email]; Twitter: @therockmonster; Blog: Rockmonster Unplugged[/QUOTE]
but not in this case.
[QUOTE]In an on-air interview with 1280 The Zone on Thursday, agent Max Ergul said Kanter's frustrations with the Jazz date to his rookie season under former coach Tyrone Corbin.[/QUOTE]
The only problem I have with his rookie year is there were times when he was playing well and they'd pull him just because he was the 4th big in the rotation even if the 3rd big wasn't playing as well.
[QUOTE]"I don't think it's a one-game, one-postgame-interview outburst," said Ergul, whose client did not play in the fourth quarter of Wednesday's loss in Dallas. "I think there's a sensitivity to Enes related to his first couple years and how little he's been used.
[QUOTE]"I like Tyson Chandler," Gobert said. "He inspires me defensively and the way he plays the game. But I'm myself. I'm not going to be the same player he is. I'm just myself, and you'll see that I'm going to be in a few years."[/QUOTE]
Already better than Chandler too! :cheers: Gives you an idea what Chandler could have done for the Jazz if they'd traded for him instead of Al though.
[QUOTE]Gobert, who will play for the World Team in Friday's game at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, will be joined by teammates Dante Exum, who also is on the World Team roster, and Trey Burke, who will suit up for the U.S. Team.
Recent events might speed up the discovery process for Gobert.
The 22-year-old center has taken a leap this year, and his minutes have cut into Kanter's. For Kanter, years of frustration over his role in Utah boiled over Wednesday, as he let reporters know he hoped to be moved in the coming week.
What will happen remains to be seen. Jazz general manager Dennis Lindsey had no comment when reached this week regarding Kanter's situation.
Kanter will be a restricted free agent this summer, which could also complicate a potential deal should Utah decide to shop him. And Utah officials like the 22-year-old Kanter's potential, so they may stand pat with the trade deadline a week away.
Gobert, meanwhile, remains a work in progress himself, despite the gains he's made this season. In recent weeks, the Jazz's defense has actually been better with Gobert off the floor than with him on it, according to some metrics.
For Gobert, it's a case of stats not telling the whole story.
"A lot of people say that my numbers are not the same, but if they shoot 3-pointers, what can I do?" he said before the loss to the Mavs. "You know what I'm saying? I feel like they don't come to the paint as much as they used to because they know. When I'm on the floor, they're going to space and shoot 3s. But I do my job. I protect the paint. I can't protect the 3-point line."
Gobert's take evoked a chuckle from his coach later that night.
"I love him," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. "But let's let him play defense and not let him analyze the numbers."[/QUOTE]
Rudy is right. Even early in the year when his stats looked pedestrian he was a factor. Stats don't begin to tell the story with him. He's probably their best perimter defender too. Too bad Favors isn't the rim protector his been advertised as.
[QUOTE]On the whole, Snyder said he believes Utah's defense is improving and Gobert "has been a catalyst for a lot of that."[/QUOTE]
all of it. They are ne of the worst teams in the league when he's not on the court. Look like a a team that can compete with anyone with him on the court.
[QUOTE]This weekend in New York City, Gobert will have a chance to show off his skill set against some of the league's other top talent.
"I'm pretty excited," he said Wednesday when asked about the upcoming activities. "I think its going to be fun. I have time to get some rest after."
It just may be less time than he expected.
[email]afalk@sltrib.com[/email]
Twitter: @tribjazz[/QUOTE]