2015 training camp!

[url]http://www.sltrib.com/sports/3086454-155/utah-jazz-okc-coach-billy-donovan[/url]

[QUOTE]Our rotation could be something that we see evolve like it did last year."

Still, Snyder rolled out some of his tightest rotations of the exhibition season against the Thunder.


Elijah Millsap and Chris Johnson each logged a minute of game time. Rookies Tibor Pleiss and Trey Lyles never got into the game. Is that a sign of things to come and how tight minutes will be for guys at the end of the Utah bench? We'll see.


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[EMAIL="afalk@sltrib.com"]
[/EMAIL]
Twitter: [URL="http://twitter.com/tribjazz"]@tribjazz[/URL]
[/QUOTE]
I'd play the top 7 guys as much as you need to and mix and match after that. Hopefully Trey will be gone at some point.

[url]http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865639609/Jazz-hoping-to-bounce-back-in-final-preseason-game-Thursday-night.html[/url]

[url]http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865639569/Utah-Jazz-sign-former-Oregon-sharpshooter-EJ-Singler.html[/url]

Sounds like a d-league move.

[url]http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865639539/Morning-links-Utes-earning-recognition-in-midseason-reviews-Utah-Jazz-ranked-examined.html[/url]

[QUOTE]Many are expecting good things from the Utah Jazz this season. Just don't expect Quin Snyder's club to be all that exciting.[/QUOTE]


Rudy was certainly exciting! :bowdown:



[QUOTE]Such is the opinion of Grantland NBA writer Zach Lowe, who released Tuesday his annual "League Pass rankings," where he examines each team's relevance in the league's conversation, individual player appeal, how watchable teams are from an entertainment standpoint and the "unintentional comedy" they provide.


Lowe ranks the Jazz 22nd of the league's 30 teams, in a tie with the Orlando Magic.


"Trevor Booker plays every minute on the edge, flying to the offensive glass and talking trash. Alec Burks is back, Rodney Hood is interesting, Joe Ingles is funny, Snyder makes serial-killer faces and that musical note logo at center court is perfect," Lowe writes. "Just avoid the temptation to drink every time Matt Harpring yelps 'Jazz Nation!'"


On a more serious note, NBA.com released Tuesday its annual GM survey, compiled by John Schuhmann, which asks the league's 30 general managers various questions about individual players and teams.


Whether it comes as a surprise or not is up for debate, but the Jazz aren't exactly high on the radar around the league.


The Utah-related highlights are limited, but Rudy Gobert was named the fourth-best interior defender and received votes as a potential breakout and top defensive player overall. The squad got votes as a potentially improved team and is seen as having the third-best home-court advantage in the league.
[/QUOTE]

[url]https://jazzfanatical.wordpress.com/2015/10/22/bits-from-randy-rigby-interview-1021/[/url]

[QUOTE]And I really feel that our players have it in it, have it in them, to do better, to work together, and that

[quote][URL="http://www.nba.com/jazz/news/jazz-waive-forward-e.j.-singler"]The Utah Jazz announced today that the team has waived forward E.J. Singler.[/URL] Following the moves, Utah’s roster now stands at 15 players.
– via [URL="http://www.nba.com/jazz/news/jazz-waive-forward-e.j.-singler"]NBA.com[/URL]



Ryan McDonald: As expected, the Jazz have waived E.J. Singler. [URL="http://*********.com/social/"]We should see him on the Idaho Stampede roster this season[/URL]
– via [URL="http://twitter.com/ryanwmcdonald"]Twitter ryanwmcdonald[/URL]

[/quote]
So I guess he got a practice and game in anyway?

Looks like they played good and Gobert and Neto seem ready to go anyway. Maybe Neto will start?

[url]http://weareutahjazz.com/lockedonjazz/2015/10/22/emptying-the-noggin-jazz-close-pre-season-on-a-winning-note/[/url]

[QUOTE]Big story of the night was the Jazz starting Raul Neto and Rodney Hood. The Nuggets didn

[url]http://saltcityhoops.com/solid-ground-analysis-and-notes-from-a-strong-jazz-preseason-finale/[/url]
[QUOTE]
I was going to have to change certain habits that I had in the past and I had to change.

[url]http://saltcityhoops.com/most-likely-to-success-2015-16-and-beyond/[/url]

[quote]Honorable Mentions: Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert also have a shot at being the next Jazz All-Stars.
[/quote] It's ridiculous if anyone other than Rudy makes it first.
[quote][B]Most likely to make All-Defensive teams or compete for DPOY at some point: Rudy Gobert[/B]

This one seems like such a foregone conclusion now. It wasn

[URL="http://www.sltrib.com/sports/3092309-155/jazz-gobert-leads-rout-of-denver"]http://www.sltrib.com/sports/3092309-155/jazz-gobert-leads-rout-of-denver[/URL]

[quote]Quin Snyder saw it as early as Thursday morning.


There was an extra hop to Rudy Gobert's step. He was more focused during shootaround. His work pregame was more pronounced, more purposeful.



And when Thursday night rolled around, Gobert was ready for the Denver Nuggets.


In one final preseason tune-up, Gobert was Rudy Gobert again in front of 17,083 at EnergySolutions Arena. As the Utah Jazz defeated the Nuggets 98-78, Gobert put up 14 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots in just under 30 minutes of action.


It was by far his best performance of the preseason.






"I just wanted to show my teammates that I was ready for the regular season," Gobert said. "I was excited to play tonight, and I wanted to come out and play well. I tried to set the tone defensively right from the beginning and make sure I helped my teammates and make sure we played physical."


He played well statistically, and his impact stretched beyond the box score. For the first time in the preseason, Gobert left an indelible stamp on a game, shutting down the lane defensively, and scoring off activity on the offensive end.


With Gobert in the paint, the Nuggets struggled to find good shots. Time and again, he either erased or altered forays into the lane, which led to offense on the other end for the Jazz.


This was a welcome sight for Snyder, who has been fielding what's-wrong-with-Rudy-Gobert questions for the better part of two weeks. Gobert's been dealing with fatigue since playing internationally all summer with his native country France.



He's been rested in some games. In other's he's looked disinterested and disengaged. This all came to a head in Tuesday night's loss to Oklahoma City, when the Jazz were beaten and Gobert was outplayed by Steven Adams on both ends.


So for Utah's franchise center to turn it around two nights later has to be looked upon as a good thing.


"I think we talked about Rudy trying to get his energy and his focus back after a long summer," Snyder said. "It's a credit to him, you could tell in the locker room before the game. The way he was looking at me when we were giving the pre-game discussion and the film. He invested in a way today, from the moment he woke up, to the game. When you invest like that, the odds are you are going to play well."
[/quote]
Too bad they need him so badly with the roster they've put together.

[QUOTE]As a unit, the Jazz bounced back nicely from a poor showing against the Thunder. Point guard Trey Burke continued his good play in the preseason, leading the way with 17 points. Gordon Hayward had 11 points, while Derrick Favors and Raul Neto scored 10 points each.


Thursday's game was significant because of changes in the starting lineup. Burke and Alec Burks came off the bench. Neto started, along with Rodney Hood.


The Jazz — plagued by bad first quarter starts all season — scored the first 11 points of the night. They never trailed, and generally had few issues with the Nuggets, who were led by Danilo Gallinari's game-high 19 points.



[EMAIL="tjones@sltrib.com"]tjones@sltrib.com[/EMAIL]
[EMAIL="tjones@sltrib.com"]
[/EMAIL]
on twitter: [URL="http://twitter.com/tjonessltrib"]@tjonessltrib[/URL][/QUOTE][URL="http://twitter.com/tjonessltrib"][/URL]

[url]http://www.sltrib.com/sports/3092592-155/jazz-notes-snyder-tweaks-starting-backcourt?fullpage=1[/url]

[QUOTE]Quin Snyder wanted to take his team's final preseason tuneup seriously.
"We're going to treat this, as much as we can, like our first regular season game," the Utah Jazz coach said at his team's shootaround Thursday morning.


So an eyebrow or two might have been raised later that night when rookie point guard Raul Neto and second-year shooting guard Rodney Hood were announced as Utah's starting backcourt against the Denver Nuggets, with the more veteran guards Trey Burke and Alec Burks left to come off the bench.


Snyder has said since the beginning of training camp that he might tweak with his team's starting five. And this latest tweak may not be permanent either.
[/QUOTE]
Why would an eyebrow raise? :rolleyes:





[QUOTE]"We're still trying to figure out how to best utilize our guys," Snyder said after shootaround. "That's been a process."


If Burke and Burks do end up primarily coming off the bench during the regular season, the decision won't have been a demotion based on their preseason play. Burks has averaged 12.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Burke, meanwhile, has led the Jazz in scoring while shooting 48.2 percent from the field.


"I just think Trey's playing good," Snyder said. "He's been one of our better players throughout the preseason. He's been focused, he's defended."


The Jazz have one of the NBA's youngest rosters and Snyder has said he might look to hide some of that youth in the starting lineup, where more veteran players might help cover up some mistakes.
The move also inserts Hood, who Snyder said "may be playing as well as anybody on our team," into the starting lineup, where his outside shooting could help provide more space for Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert inside.
[/QUOTE]
Burks has played too good to bench. Hood deserves it too but I'm not sure the bench can do much without him leading it.



[QUOTE]Coach on a couch


Mike Malone had a little extra free time last spring.


"At that time I had a lot of time to watch games because I was fired," said the new Denver Nuggets coach, who was bounced from Sacramento last season. And Malone found himself enjoying watching the Utah Jazz.


"I thought they played harder than a lot of people," he said. "People talk about passing and ball handling. Playing hard is a skill. I think this team has taken on Quin's personality of hard work, demanding toughness. I wasn't really surprised, and it was great to see."



One Singler day


E.J. Singler, we never knew ye. A day after the Jazz signed the the 6-foot-6 Oregon product, the Jazz waived him. Singler's deal was procedural to give the Jazz his D-League rights. Singler, the younger brother of Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kyle Singler, spent last season playing in Estonia, where he averaged 6.9 points and 3.9 rebounds per game.



[EMAIL="afalk@sltrib.com"]afalk@sltrib.com[/EMAIL]
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Twitter: [URL="http://twitter.com/tribjazz"]@tribjazz[/URL]
[/QUOTE]

[url]http://www.sltrib.com/sports/3090657-155/monson-snyder-has-it-right-jazz?fullpage=1[/url]

[QUOTE]He's going to slap them hard with the message and they're going to buy in

[url]http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865639673/Utah-Jazz-Snyder-Favors-and-the-fellas-ready-to-get-regular-season-rolling.html[/url]

[QUOTE]The start of the NBA's 2015-16 regular season is less than a week away. And following training camp and seven preseason games, nobody's more eager or anxious to get things going

[url]http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865639709/Utah-Jazz-easily-defeat-Denver-Nuggets-in-preseason-finale.html[/url]

[QUOTE]If the regular season plays out like this one did, Jazz fans should be excited for the next six-plus months.[/QUOTE]


Excited that they beat up on one of the worst teams in the league? :facepalm



[QUOTE]After scoring the first 14 points, the Jazz finished the exhibition season with a lopsided 98-78 victory over an undermanned Denver Nuggets team at EnergySolutions Arena.

If it was up to me Burks and Ingles start. I'd look to pull Ingles or Favors early and go with Hood. Their top 5 guys need to play together as much as possible. Ideally they'll start together eventually but I'm not sure the bench could stay in games without him right now.

Booker would be next off the bench. After that I'd probably look to go back to Ingles or Favors. Their 7 semi-proven guys need to play as much as possible.

Withey is the next big off the bench. Might be able to get away with not playing him every game especially when you pull Favors early. Pleiss or Lyles could get the call for certain match-ups.

Neto probably should be in the mix as long as he keeps hitting shots. Might be a good starter eventually. I wouldn't put too much on him yet. Johnson is probably my next guy. He's solid.

Millsap when you need a stopper or energy.

Burke if no one else is hitting anything.

I'd feel ok about that. Trey starting or in the rotation pisses me off though! :confusedshrug:

[url]http://www.sltrib.com/sports/3095143-155/utah-jazz-as-regular-season-nears[/url]


[QUOTE]That means the Jazz are sneaking up on absolutely nobody, something that's been apparent during the preseason.[/QUOTE]


Don't think the pre-season has shown much other than it's not the regular season and the Jazz have a lot to prove still.


[QUOTE]As the opener approaches on Wednesday night in Detroit, the Jazz know they have to deal with this. Teams are coming into games more prepared. They are scouting the Jazz better and they are adjusting to what Utah normally likes to do on both ends.[/QUOTE]


The scouting report is out. Guard the few guys that can hurt you and let the others shoot all night long.







[QUOTE]Because of this, the onus is on the Jazz to play well consistently to start the season. Wins in November won't be as forthcoming as they were in March and April.


"We've learned that stuff isn't going to come easy for us this year," Jazz power forward Derrick Favors said. "Last year we were able to creep up on people and surprise come people. Now, I think people are going to be ready for us and they are going to know what to expect. So we have to be prepared for that, and we have to be focused at every step."


So how did the preseason go for Utah?


Up and down is probably the most accurate description. At their best , the Jazz have been impressive on both ends of the floor. Against the Portland Trail Blazers last Sunday, they showed hints of how explosive the offense can be with spacing and ball movement.


Defensively, the Jazz haven't yet sustained the pace they exhibited late last season, but a significant portion of that can be attributed to coach Quin Snyder experimenting with different lineups. Still, there have been spurts where the defense has created issues for the opposition, forced turnovers and converted those turnovers into easy buckets on the other end.


The Jazz know they have to be precise in order to reach their ultimate goal of making the postseason. They know that the Western Conference is quite unforgiving, which means they don't have the luxury of taking a night off.
"Obviously, we want to get into the playoffs," point guard Trey Burke said. "But we know that takes sacrifice, a lot of work and concentration. We know that we can't do some of the things that we did last year, like go on a nine game losing streak. A lot of that began with how we started games and we can't let that happen this year."
[/QUOTE]
Most of it was because of you. :banghead:
[QUOTE]Slow starts are still a concern for the Jazz. Offensive spacing, too. Take Tuesday night's loss to to Oklahoma City, for example. Utah came out slow on both ends, failed to adequately defend Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant and soon the Jazz were looking at the business end of a 20 point deficit. Utah came back and made a game of it in the fourth quarter, but by that time it was too late. The hill to climb was too steep.


This happened too often last seaspm, especially in November and December.
[/QUOTE]
Different team than what they have now though.
[QUOTE] And it can't happen, if the Jazz want to make the postseason. Preseason concerns also include struggles from Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert, as well as times where the offense grinds to a halt.

But a solid win over the Denver Nuggets in Thursday's preseason finale should east some of that angst. Gobert

[url]http://www.sltrib.com/sports/3094616-155/utah-jazz-notes-new-starting-five?fullpage=1[/url]

[QUOTE]I think it could go either way and we'll be pretty good." [/QUOTE]

Pretty good shouldn't be enough after last season's finish.
[QUOTE]Point Gobert


Gobert added to his highlight reel on Thursday by finishing a couple of alley-oops. But the 7-footer's best moment of the night might have come when he stole the ball at mid court and drove to the basket, finishing off the play with a Eurostep and layup.


"That was impressive," Neto said. "A guy with his size just doing that, that play

[url]http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865639723/Morning-links-Utes-to-be-upset-Cougars-playing-a-cupcake-FiveThirtyEight-examines-Jazz.html[/url]

[url]http://www.slcdunk.com/research-statistics-analytics/2015/10/23/9604034/utah-jazz-trey-burke-alec-burks-rodney-hood-trevor-booker-jeff-withey-bench-mob[/url]

[quote] We're going to assume that Dante Exum, Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors, and Rudy Gobert would be four of the five starters. The other one would end up being one of: Trey Burke (moving Dante to 2 guard), [/quote] Trey would be the 2.
[quote] Dante would have averaged AT LEAST 26 MPG this year. (He averaged 22.2 mpg last season in 82 games of action.)
[/quote] Neto may have changed things. Like Dante he defends. Unlike Dante he has an offensive game too.

[quote] So Raul and Trey will eat up at least 45 minutes at point guard each game[/quote]
Let's hope not. They haven't in the pre-season.

[quote] (Smarter people have convinced me that Hood's shooting ability and passivity is better served as a 3rd / 4th / 5th option with the starting unit.)[/quote]
Burks should start. Hood off the bench.

[quote] Fewer if Gordon or Joe steal some "running four" minutes when teams go small.[/quote]

It certainly looks as if they will go small. Only a few minutes a night for Withey.



[quote]Booker is in a contract year and for his career has always hovered around 20 mpg. That means there's 16 left for Lyles, Withey, Pleiss (and Hayward / Ingles).


It doesn't appear like there is just enough mob time, even if our roster looks like they have the talent to support one.

[B]Spurs-ian influence:[/B]

Of course, there will be if the starters have their minutes reduced. That, coupled with the Spurs penchant for staggering the play of their best players for minimum overlap, could make a mob happen. Previous eras of Jazz basketball were cursed with a huge talent disparity from the starters to the bench. When the starters were in they were unstoppable, when the bench was in you were constantly worried.
[/quote] Sounds like this year! After the first 7 I'm worried! :cry:

[quote] Of course, everything was upside down in the Tyrone Corbin era where the team was usually behind after one quarter because the starters were outclassed by the opponent, only for the C4 bench guys to claw the team back into the game.[/quote]
They had depth. Something they are lacking now.
[quote]If Snyder wants to limit strain on his guys, and throw away the player's individual aspirations for big minutes and big numbers, then he'll manage the minutes wisely. After all, last season 13 different players averaged at least 10.0 mpg, and 9 played at least 20 mpg (Booker was at 19.8 mpg, and Millsap at 19.7 mpg). It would be silly to expect Snyder to somehow become miserly with the minutes when his offense relies on using the talented players GM Dennis Lindsey has given him to use.


Still, it's impossible to go 14 deep (max active is 13). And I think Snyder is going to recognize his best players need to play more than Gregg Popovich does. I don't think you will see six wing players play in the same game on the regular.
[/quote] Probably not but you could if the pg play sucks.

[quote] Nor will you see all the bigmen get a chance every night. If a mob is going to happen it will have to be an effective group in a short stint.
[B]Is last year an indication?[/B]

Going back to the data from Seth's original post, the Jazz played at least three starters about 65% of the time last season. That means that the bench-as-a-majority units were only on the floor 35% of the time. Over a game that's still 16.92 mpg. And over a season that's 1,387 minutes. I don't think that the Jazz will have so many trial-and-error players this year, if everyone remains largely healthy. But I do think we'll see some fluidity to the starting lineup as the PG and SG spots are far from set in stone.


I do not put a lot of stock into who played last year, as an indication of who will play this year -- save for Hayward, Favors, and Gobert.
But with this increased fluidity you will get a better chance to mix and match units that work. Eventually you will find something that DOES work when the unit construction is "player+player+player+starter+starter". But is that a mob?

[B]S.W.A.R.M.[/B]

Back in the day of hockey subs we had S.W.A.R.M. And S.W.A.R.M. was awesome. The S.W.A.R.M. units were a collection of misfits like [B][URL="http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/watsoea01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.basketball-reference.com"]Earl Watson[/URL][/B] and [B][URL="http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/p/pricero01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.basketball-reference.com"]Ronnie Price[/URL][/B] at the same time, while backing them up with very fundamentally simple bigmen. The one we all seemed to gravitate to was [U][B][URL="http://www.82games.com/1011/1011UTA2.HTM"]the #15 most used unit from the 2010-2011 Jazz season[/URL][/B][/U]. That bench mob was Earl, Ronnie, along with [B][URL="http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/milescj01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.basketball-reference.com"]C.J. Miles[/URL][/B], [B][URL="http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/e/elsonfr01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.basketball-reference.com"]Francisco Elson[/URL][/B], and [B][URL="http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/f/fesenky01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.basketball-reference.com"]Kyrylo Fesenko[/URL][/B]. And that unit was an overall +20 in +/- over the season, and absolutely did it with defense.
[/quote] Looks like shit on paper! :roll:
[quote]The thing about S.W.A.R.M. besides being a unit of no starters was that they had an identity. They also had a unified purpose. They came in for short stints, they played very hard, and they really disrupted the other team. And by doing what they did, they also captured our hearts.
National observers didn't give a damn because that team wasn't flashy and was pitiful on offense. Bench mobs, as we know them, comprise a bunch of guys who can come off the bench, hustle a little bit, but also score. In that regard a bench mob of Burke, Burks, Ingles, Booker, and Withey may actually be what most people consider a bench mob. But I do not know if they will have the unity of purpose, or cohesion, of the S.W.A.R.M.
N.B. The S.W.A.R.M. bench units were not that singular one listed, but sometimes included [B][URL="http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/k/kirilan01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.basketball-reference.com"]Andrei Kirilenko[/URL][/B] off the bench, and that's kind of unfair as he is one of the five most talented all-around players in franchise history.

[B]So... bench mob?[/B]

I think the Jazz have the quality of players who can be effective at digging a team out of a jam. Elijah could be a bench mob HOFer with his defensive grit, ability to drive and get to the line, and occasional three point ability. Joe is a classic bench mob guy, like a likable [B][URL="http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/barryjo01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.basketball-reference.com"]Jon Barry[/URL][/B] who plays defense. Alec has spent his entire career getting Corb'd for both minutes and role with the team, I'm not keen on him coming off the bench. But if [B][URL="http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/ginobma01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.basketball-reference.com"]Manu Ginobili[/URL][/B] can do it for most of his career, and this is a Spurs-like system, then it is easier to swallow. Those three guys in some wing rotation are a strong foundation.
[/quote] Millsap sucks at one end. Ideally he's on the bench unless you really need him.
[quote]Booker, Withey, Lyles, and Pleiss are goofy enough to carry the Francisco/Fesenko torch. Also, they appear to be able to also play basketball. So that's a plus.


But the most visible engine for any bench mob is their point guard. If it's going to be Trey Burke trying to earn the right to start, it'll be tough. If it's Trey Burke being the best back-up point guard in the league, it'll work out.
[/quote] Which do you think you'll see? :rolleyes:

[quote]If it's Raul Neto doing his thing, setting guys up, making other players better, that's also awesome. I'm not biased about this. Both guys could be great or awful off the bench. We've seen them both succeed and fail this preseason.[/quote]
Can't see Neto being awful. He can play. Trey can take shots. Big difference.


[quote]But for all the chemistry issues, and court production, the bottom line is that a mob has to have an attitude. I don't know if our team as a whole has one. But the bench guys should, at the very least. They could just be a handful of disjointed almost-starters, or they can work together to become something the other team has to worry about.


In that egalitarian Spurs system we've seen egos take a back seat to butt kicking. A huge part of that has been their trust and use of their bench players. This is a new Jazz era with an evolving system and the potential to have a strong bench.
[/quote] It's looked pretty bad. If they do things like I envision they might be able to get by with it. Strong I just don't see right now.
[quote]While the trend is to move away from full-on bench units, you know it will be fun in game threads to "[B]Release the B.L.I.M.P.[/B]!" (Burks / Lyles / Ingles / Millsap / Pleiss)

Okay, we can work on the name of the potential mob as the season progresses. But man, this is just going to be another fun thing to watch for over the next 82 games.

[/quote] Burke isn't fun! :no:

[url]http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865639807/Rudy-Gobert-the-Stifle-Tower-rises-to-the-occasion-in-preseason-finale.html[/url]

[QUOTE]Shams Charania: [URL="http://*********.com/social/"]The Utah Jazz have claimed Portland free agent guard Phil Pressey off waivers,[/URL] league source tells Yahoo Sports.

[url]https://jazzfanatical.wordpress.com/2015/10/25/bits-from-dennis-lindsey-interviews-1019-and-1023/[/url]
[B][/B]
[QUOTE]Tom Thibodeau had a great quote for all of our coaches and players last week when he was in:

[url]http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865639830/Well-traveled-mighty-Quin-Snyder-forming-bond-of-trust-with-Utah-Jazz-player.html[/url]

[QUOTE] Utah went from the worst defensive team in the league to the best in a Snyder-led transformation that pushed the franchise

[url]http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865639827/Rudy-Gobert-guard-tandems-and-role-players-could-hold-key-to-success.html[/url]

[QUOTE]Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors are the undisputed leaders of this Utah Jazz team.[/QUOTE]

Sure looked like Rudy to me.
[QUOTE]Both entering their sixth NBA seasons, the 6-foot-8 Hayward is generally regarded as Utah's best all-around player with his ability to fill up the stat sheet with points, rebounds and assists, while the 6-10 Favors is arguably Utah's most consistent performer with his steady scoring, rebounding and defensive prowess. Both of these guys definitely know how to play, and play well, on both ends of the court.


And yet, while some folks figure that the Jazz will only go as far as Hayward and Favors carry them, it's their supporting cast that may very well determine just how successful this youthful franchise will be in the 2015-16 season and future seasons to come.


That cast includes 7-1 center Rudy Gobert, 6-1 point guards Trey Burke and Raul Neto, shooting guards Alec Burks and Rodney Hood, swingman Elijah Millsap, and role players like forwards Trevor Booker, Joe Ingles and Trey Lyles, and backup centers Jeff Withey and Tibor Pleiss.


Those are the guys who, when they're on the court, must each raise the level of their game if the Jazz hope to gain ground on the rest of the teams in the deep Western Conference and emerge as a playoff contender.
Gobert, a dominating defensive specialist, has looked somewhat sluggish during the preseason, adversely affected by his time spent with the French National Team. But in Thursday night's preseason finale, a 20-point victory over the Denver Nuggets, the big fella finally busted out with a 14-point, 10-rebound performance that bodes well for the Jazz moving forward.


"I tried to set the tone defensively right from the beginning and make sure I help my teammates and make sure we play physical," Gobert said. "... No matter who plays, we have to have the same intensity and communication, and we had it tonight. Now we have to have it for the next 82 games.

[url]http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865639829/Gordon-Hayward-Derrick-Favors-are-now-the-veterans-ready-to-lead-young-Jazz-team.html[/url]

[QUOTE]They still seem like youngsters and they are both still fairly young by NBA standards. Gordon Hayward is 25 years old and Derrick Favors is 24 in a league where the average age has fluctuated between 26.1 and 27.5 since the start of the league in 1946.

However, though it

[url]http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865639828/Quin-Snyder-was-right-to-call-it-like-it-is.html[/url]

[QUOTE]Dante Exum is years away.[/QUOTE]

He could already defend. We really have no idea how far away he is. The fact that he was supposed to start would make me think he's already arrived. :confusedshrug:
[QUOTE]But as of last Tuesday, I

[url]http://www.sltrib.com/sports/3089163-155/utah-jazz-jazz-looking-for-health[/url]

[QUOTE]His foot issues seem to be in the past.[/QUOTE]


It's early! :rolleyes:


[QUOTE]His offensive game has been on display for most of the preseason. And his value to the Utah Jazz is apparent.


Last year at this time, Rodney Hood was more known as the Jazz's second first-round pick in the draft, or as Jabari Parker's sidekick at Duke.


Now, people wonder how he lasted until the No. 23 selection and speculate on how high his ceiling is as a player. Hood's ability to score will be welcome in this Jazz offense, especially since scoring looks like it could be a challenge. And his ability to handle the ball will be essential because the Jazz intend to use the three-wing offense of Hood, Gordon Hayward and Alec Burks for significant stretches.







But can Hood stay healthy? That's the question attached to his name. He missed much of his rookie season with foot issues, coming back for the last two months. And with his elevation to a key role this year, the Jazz can't afford to have him out for long periods.


"I feel good, and I hope the injuries are in the past," Hood said. "I had a little knee tendonitis earlier in training camp, but that's about it. Other than that, I feel great and I'm ready to get started."


Hood, a 6-foot-8 shooting guard, will begin the season as the sixth man. But that he's coming off the bench is window dressing. Expect Hood to play starter minutes and to be on the floor at the end of games. Along with Hayward, Burks and Derrick Favors, expect Hood to take some of the most important shots that will determine the outcome of Utah's season.
Offensively, Hood may actually be the most complete player on the Jazz. He doesn't have Hayward's raw strength or all-around ability. He doesn't have Burks' athleticism. But he is proficient from 3-point range, he can score from 15 feet and he can finish around the rim.


Those attributes make him important to this team. He'll be counted on to space the floor, handle the ball and even manage the offense. For a second-year player, that's a lot of responsibility.


Oh. And the Jazz need him healthy, too.


"He's played well so far," Favors said. "He's shot the ball well, and he's aggressive going to the basket. We're going to need that."



[EMAIL="tjones@sltrib.com"]tjones@sltrib.com[/EMAIL]
[EMAIL="tjones@sltrib.com"]
[/EMAIL]
twitter: [URL="http://twitter.com/tjonessltrib"]@tjonessltrib[/URL]
[/QUOTE]

[url]http://www.sltrib.com/sports/3080710-155/utah-jazz-new-coaching-staff-additions[/url]

[url]http://www.sltrib.com/sports/3087022-155/utah-jazz-season-preview-as-second[/url]

[url]http://www.sltrib.com/sports/3080148-155/utah-jazz-rookie-trey-lyles-can[/url]

[QUOTE]He figures to be a regular for the Jazz on the court this season, but his minutes will be limited in a crowded frontcourt rotation that already features Booker, Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert. [/QUOTE]

How will be a regular as the 5th or 6th big? :confusedshrug:
[QUOTE]"I'm just expecting to contribute to the team," Lyles said, "by doing everything I'm capable of doing to help the team win."


While that kind of role won't help his chances of winning Rookie of the Year or All-Rookie team honors, it should provide a chance to develop his game.
Already, he's impressed his teammates with his skillset

[url]http://www.sltrib.com/sports/3091270-155/utah-jazz-point-guards-could-be[/url]

[QUOTE]I have to focus on what I can control." [/QUOTE]

And you do by taking shot after shot! :cry:

[QUOTE]Burke has performed well during the preseason. He hung 22 points on Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers a week ago. He came back with 20 points, four assists and three rebounds against Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday. He's shooting the ball better than he has previously in his career. And he's said the game is slowing down for him in his third season out of Michigan.[/QUOTE]


He's looked as streaky as ever. :wtf:



[QUOTE]But Burke knows he's going to have to play at a high level on a consistent basis for the Jazz to be a contending team this season. In cutting Cotton, the Jazz showed confidence in Burke and Neto to get the job done. Neto has had his moments in the preseason, showing off adroit passing skills and the ability to be a pest defensively.


At the same time, Utah's point guard position remains under the watchful eye of the front office. Lindsey has said he wouldn't hesitate to bring in veteran help if he thinks the position needs it. And as a team with playoff aspirations, the Jazz have the assets

[url]http://www.sltrib.com/sports/3091012-155/monson-big-men-rule-the-jazzs[/url]

[url]http://www.sltrib.com/sports/3090673-155/utah-jazz-rudy-gobert-leader-of?fullpage[/url]

[url]http://www.sltrib.com/sports/3087040-155/kragthorpe-utah-jazzs-next-step-is[/url]

[QUOTE][URL="http://www.nba.com/jazz/news/jazz-sign-eric-atkins-claim-phil-pressey-waivers"]The Utah Jazz announced today that the team has signed free agent guard Eric Atkins and has claimed second-year guard Phil Pressey off waivers.[/URL] Per team policy, financial terms were not released

Jody Genessy: Like E.J. Singler, [URL="http://*********.com/social/"]the Phil Pressey signing is a move to secure his D-League rights.[/URL] The Jazz are filling out their D-League affiliate

[QUOTE]Jody Genessy: [URL="http://*********.com/social/"]The Utah Jazz will announce on Monday what their arena will be named in the post-EnergySolutions Arena era[/URL].

[url]https://jazzfanatical.wordpress.com/2015/10/26/and-heres-your-weekly-utah-jazz-wrapup-3/[/url]

[QUOTE] my reads are getting better

[url]http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865639899/Jazz-backup-center-Jeff-Withey-has-been-a-pleasant-surprise-so-far.html[/url]

[QUOTE]Not many people paid much attention when the Utah Jazz signed Jeff Withey to a non-guaranteed contract back in August. As far as the average fan knew, Withey was just another big body for the Jazz to use against Rudy Gobert during training camp.[/QUOTE]

Anyone paying attention though would know he's actually done something at this level unlike many of his teammates and they gave him 200,000 grand guaranteed so I doubt he's been much of a surprise to the team. :facepalm
[QUOTE]But Withey has turned out to be a solid player who may see a lot of minutes at the center position for the Jazz this season, which begins Wednesday at Detroit.


The 7-foot, 222-pounder played the past two seasons for the New Orleans Pelicans, but he didn

[url]http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865639924/EnergySolutions-Arena-to-be-renamed.html[/url]