2015 training camp!

[URL="http://weareutahjazz.com/lockedonjazz/2015/10/10/emptying-the-noggin-jazz-fall-in-turnover-laden-performance-in-phoenix/"]http://weareutahjazz.com/lockedonjazz/2015/10/10/emptying-the-noggin-jazz-fall-in-turnover-laden-performance-in-phoenix/[/URL]

[quote]It caused a 10 turnover third quarter and the Jazz never recovered.[/quote]
same ol Jazz
[quote]• The Jazz opened the night terrifically. They hit 9 straight shots at one point. Scored on 14 of their first 18 possessions and were rolling. The execution was great. We saw numerous things that they have worked on in practice come to fruition.



• However, the Jazz lost their offensive flow and never re-gained it.


• Neto got the start and played well in the first quarter and defended Brandon Knight really well throughout the night. Too bad he didn’t get to match up on the physical presence of Eric Bledsoe, who didn’t play tonight for the Suns.


• Bryce Cotton got his first action of the year and it was not a great night for Bryce. Tough circumstance, back home, trying to make an impression. He didn’t shoot it great and he didn’t make plays with passing. He can score and he can shoot. That will happen the more he plays.
[/quote] So maybe he just played because he was home? His stat line looked pretty good until the garbage time at the end. I don't think they necessarily need him to make plays for others. If he can hit open shots he could be fit.


[quote]• Trey Burke and Joe Ingles got the night off. [/quote]

:banana:

[quote]• Chris Johnson got his first action of the year and hit a nice corner 3.


• Jazz understandably were fatigued. 4 am wake up in Hawaii on Thursday and then got to Phoenix around 9 last night. A little funky trying to get sleep with a 3 hour time change. It showed as the game wore on.
[/quote] That's where their severe lack of depth will kill them. What is the front office thinking again?


[quote]• Rudy Gobert has not been impactful yet in the pre-season. He had an exhausting off-season with Eurobasket. He just needs to be ready in late October.[/quote]

He won the first game for them. I'm not worried about their big 3, Alec, Hood and Booker. the rest of the team worries me very much.



[quote]• Jazz played Derrick at the 5 when Rudy was off the floor. This lineup is going to be a significant part of the Jazz this season. It is going to be vital for the Jazz to be able to defend when the Favors/Booker or Favors/Lyles line-up is on the floor. This gets a little tricky. If Gobert plays 34 minutes a night then how do you cover the other 14. If Favors plays those 14 then he only has another 18 on the floor to be with Rudy and the Jazz have 12 of Rudy’s minutes without Favors. The Jazz are going to have to steal some minutes from Withey or Pleiss at the center and Booker or Lyles at the 4 in order to maximize the minutes of Rudy and Derrick together [/quote]

Looks like their deepest area and a huge upgrade on last year post Enes. Also can go small at the 4.



[quote]• Jazz continue to try small line-ups. Tonight Hayward played some 4. The Jazz have yet to have any success with the small line-up[/quote]

They will. Rudy and anyone can succeed.



[quote]• The Triple Wing of Hayward, Burks, Hood with Favors and Gobert closed the first half on a 11-4 run.


• Three sections of the game had the Jazz normal line-ups. The start of the 1st and 3rd quarters and the close to the first half. The Jazz played well in 2 of the 3.


• Jazz point guards played 40 minutes and had 2 assists and were 6 of 18 shooting.
[/quote] Way to go front office! :wtf:


[quote]• Jazz played the triple wing for 8 minutes tonight. Wonder how many minutes that becomes? Could it be as many as 12 minutes a night. Then the Jazz are only playing 36 minutes a night of true point guard play.[/quote] Should be a lot. Those are your best players. they need to be on the floor. PG is your weakest position.



[quote]• Tibor Pleiss struggled with Alex Len, who might be very good and is the former 5th pick of the draft. Phoenix may have made a mistake blocking Len’s development with Chandler. Len was really really good tonight. [/quote]

They should be able to play together.



[quote]• Favors was +10 tonight and Jazz were also positive with Gobert and Burks on the floor.



• Markieff Morris was a beast tonight as a 4 who was hitting threes and driving to the basket and Alex Len looked great. If Morris plays this well with Bledsoe and Knight the Suns could have a good year.
[/quote] Suns having a good year could be bad for the Jazz

[url]http://www.sltrib.com/blogs/jazznotes/3048924-155/jazz-analysis-of-utahs-loss-to[/url]


[QUOTE]Well needed: The Jazz plan on taking Saturday off. It's much needed, because for the first time this season, this is a tired team.[/QUOTE]
They just took a day off in Hawaii. Sounds like they need to get into shape to me.


[QUOTE]"We still have to come in and lift a little bit and get our bodies right," Hayward said. "That's what I've learned in this league, you still have to keep your body right."




His first start: Neto was in the lineup for the first time. He played exceptionally well in the first quarter. Then he struggled against Price. It was a learning experience for the rookie from Brazil. Still he had some highlights, mainly a behind-the-back pass to Derrick Favors on the break for a dunk.




What's next: The Jazz face the Portland Trailblazers on Monday night at EnergySolutions Arena



Tony Jones
[/QUOTE]
Get to beat up on another crappy team. Lilliard against the Jazz pgs could get ugly though.

[url]http://www.sltrib.com/sports/3048792-155/utah-jazz-rodney-hoods-adjustment-to[/url]

[QUOTE]Rodney Hood finished last season as arguably one of the best three scorers on the Utah Jazz. [/QUOTE]

There's no argument on this one. Trey? :facepalm

[QUOTE]Most within the organization agree he's improved his game significantly over the offseason, and he certainly proved that with a dominant performance in summer league.[/QUOTE]

He was actually disappointing after what he did last year but than Cotton and Johnson were great in Summer League too. :wtf:
[QUOTE]Yet, Hood's adjustment to the NBA continues.


On many levels, this is completely understandable. The 6-foot-8 shooting guard is still only 23 years old. He's only entering his second year. And as a recent verbal jostling from none other than Kobe Bryant proves, he's still gaining experience nightly.


Through three preseason games, Hood's been solid for the most part. He's missed shots, but has still shown explosive scoring ability. He's been a floating piece in Quin Snyder's rotation, playing differing positions. In Utah's 101-85 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Friday night, Hood scored eight points and grabbed four rebounds in 24 minutes. For Hood, as well as his teammates, the new season is still an adjustment.






"I know with the second unit, I have to be aggressive," Hood said. "I have to get used to that."


And there lies the key to Rodney Hood's season: Expectations. The former Duke University star was a pleasant surprise at the end of last year.
[/QUOTE]

Not sure how much of a surprise it was. Could see he could play in Summer League. Was just a matter of time. If he'd been down in the D-league it might have happened sooner.

[QUOTE] He was a regular double-digit scorer, once he found his health. He was consistent with his shooting, and he took pressure off Gordon Hayward down the stretch.

But now, he's going to be counted on to do this every night. He knows it, his teammates know it, his coaches know it.


And his opponents know it as well.


"I think he's thrived in any situation over the course of the last six months," Snyder said. "I didn't think he played badly in the first game, he just missed some shots. He and Alec (Burks) are going to handle the ball a lot. I think we're still getting to know each other on the wings."


Snyder's made a concerted effort to put Hood in different situations over the last week. He's been the leader of the second unit. He's played all three perimeter positions on both ends.


Hood

[url]http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865638753/Weary-Utah-Jazz-fall-to-the-Suns-101-85.html[/url]

[QUOTE]On the other hand, it might be easy for some to bite off their fingernails worrying about a performance like Friday

[url]https://jazzfanatical.wordpress.com/2015/10/11/bits-from-dennis-lindsey-interview-109/[/url]


[QUOTE]And I do think being away from the game [when he was injured], being with the coaches, sitting with the coaches during practice, behind the bench, it allows you to have a perspective that you wouldn

[url]http://www.sltrib.com/sports/3048207-155/utah-jazz-favors-gobert-looking-to[/url]

[QUOTE]"If there were one of them on the floor and we were playing with four smalls, the precision is less impactful.[/QUOTE]

Something we need to see

[QUOTE] So timing, spacing, passing, in addition to shooting, those are the things that will impact their effectiveness as much as anything. And it's subtle."

"The biggest thing," he added, "is the two of them are embracing it."
Favors started last year paired with forward Enes Kanter, whose mid-range game left the paint relatively open for Favors to roam. Kanter's trade ushered in a new defensive era under Gobert, but also new problems in the post: those same big bodies that are so good at clogging up the paint on defense can do the same thing on offense.


So Favors has spent the past two seasons working on adding to his offensive arsenal.


"I'm just trying to expand my game," Favors said. "I know Rudy's going to be down low a lot. The way the NBA's going, everybody wants that stretch-four type of guy."


Whether Favors develops a consistent 3-point shot or not may not matter much to Snyder.


Favors shot 35 percent from beyond 8 feet last season. So far this preseason, Favors has taken half of his attempts from inside of 8 feet, going 8 for 16 in the process. He's a respectable 5 of 11 (45 percent) from beyond that.


"I like the idea of him being able to be a better playmaking-four, where his ball skills are better, his passing, his handling," the coach said. "That means he's going to be more aggressive out there on the floor."


Snyder pointed to forwards David West and LaMarcus Aldridge, both free agent signings by the San Antonio Spurs over the summer, as examples of forwards who don't need to hit the long ball to create space.
[/QUOTE]

always comes back to the Spurs
[QUOTE]"I'm not concerned about Fav being a three-point guy, a stretch-four," he said. "I want him to be consistent and aggressive when he's in his range."
That should help open up room for Gobert inside. The French 7-footer wowed as a defender last season, but still left something to be desired as a legitimate post presence.


Gobert had planned to spend part of the summer working in Germany with Dirk Nowitzki's shooting coach, until scheduling conflicts got in the way. Nevertheless, Gobert said he feels confident in the progress he's made and how that can translate to a better pairing with Favors going forward.


"I'm improving my jump shot, working on a go-to move," he said. "

Tony Jones: Also, [URL="http://*********.com/social/"]saw Dante Exum at practice. No brace, no crtuches, and can walk slowly without a limp. Took a few playful shots as well[/URL]

[url]http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865638778/Kobe-Bryant-let-Jazz-guard-Rodney-Hood-know-about-his-impressive-resume-during-preseason-game.html[/url]

[QUOTE]While not at that level, Hood looked impressive against Bryant in Tuesday

[url]http://www.sltrib.com/sports/3052461-155/utah-jazz-notes-jazz-look-to?fullpage=1[/url]

[QUOTE]Despite the NBA's attempts to limit back-to-back games for its teams, everyone is going to face fatigue at multiple points during the season.
That's just a fact. There are 82 games. There will still be games on consecutive nights and the tail ends of long road trips are bound to yield tired legs.
[/QUOTE]
Especially when you are as thin as the Jazz are. Front office? :confusedshrug:


[QUOTE]The Utah Jazz received their first taste of this in Friday night's 101-85 preseason loss to the Phoenix Suns. They looked great in the first quarter, bouncing around, getting out in transition and scoring 30 points in the period. But then they collapsed in the final three periods, struggling to score, struggling to defend or generally do much positive on either end of the floor.



"We were stuck in mud," small forward Gordon Hayward said.






So this is what the Jazz are faced with: How to play through the fatigue and still play winning basketball. The tired legs weren't alarming on Friday night. Indeed, it was bound to happen with the Jazz being away from home for a week by that point.


But the lack of good basketball had to be a little concerning. The Jazz didn't make good decisions offensively. They didn't play well defensively. The Suns beat them to loose balls, and outhustled the Jazz on both ends.
That's why coach Quin Snyder acknowledged that his team was tired

[url]https://jazzfanatical.wordpress.com/2015/10/12/and-heres-your-weekly-utah-jazz-wrapup/[/url]

[COLOR=#000099][QUOTE][COLOR=#000099]Five.[/COLOR] Trey Burke on his defensive effort in the first game: I could

[QUOTE]Gery Woelfel: You knew this was inevitable: [URL="http://*********.com/social/"]A source tells me a Western Conference team has had internal talks about possibly signing Larry Sanders[/URL].

[url]http://www.sltrib.com/blogs/jazznotes/3054907-155/jazzs-burke-ingles-bring-return-to[/url]


[QUOTE]And it should be a return to a bit of normalcy for the Jazz as well.



Trey Burke and Joe Ingles - who sat out of Friday's loss to the Phoenix Suns - will be available tonight. That means Burke will in all likelihood rejoin the starting lineup, and Ingles will be thrust back into the second unit.
[/QUOTE]
Lame! :rant


[QUOTE]For head coach Quin Snyder - and the Jazz - that's a welcome thing. This is still a young team, still a team that needs to gel together, still a starting five that needs to forge chemistry as the preseason wears on.







"We're a young team, so we need to play," Snyder said.


Snyder said he will continue to tinker with lineups and continue to experiment with his rotation. But his main core being sharp by the regular season is a must, which means the four remaining preseason games, plus a full week of practice upcoming for the Jazz is important to take advantage of.



The Jazz went through shootaround on Monday morning, and like their three and a half hour marathon practice on Sunday, Monday's session also went a little long. Snyder wants to see more energy tonight than he saw on Friday in Phoenix. He wants to see his team take better care of the basketball, and he wants to see a little more execution on both ends.



Burke's been a mixed bag of sorts so far. He's scored well in the preseason - very well at times. Still, his decision making hasn't always been the best, and that's something he needs to clean up for the Jazz as a team to reach their full ceiling. If he does that, Utah becomes much more dangerous.


Tony Jones
[/QUOTE]
What makes anyone think he will? He's had one good quarter and even in that quarter he showed signs of the player he is. Inconsistent, non-athletic, inefficient. How does he fit again? :confusedshrug:

[url]http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/239479/Stan-Van-Gundy-Balancing-Length-Quickness-On-Defense-With-Shooting-Is-Difficult[/url]

[QUOTE]"To get that combination of length and quickness defensively and keep enough shooting on the floor

[URL="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865638687/Analysis-Who-will-make-the-Utah-Jazzs-final-three-roster-spots.html"]http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865638687/Analysis-Who-will-make-the-Utah-Jazzs-final-three-roster-spots.html[/URL]

[quote]the Jazz look poised to be one of the up-and-coming teams. [/quote] Huge question marks still. Neto and the bigs look worthy but the end of the bench and another pg and depth behind them doesn't look great right now.

[quote]The roster is mostly set with 12 guaranteed contracts on the books. That leaves only three spots left for the eight training camp invitees who have only partially guaranteed contracts.[/quote]
We'll see. They have lots of flexibility still. Got to hope they're going to make some moves still.

[quote] These players mostly will not see a lot of action but add depth to the team in case of injury.[/quote]
These guys could be in the rotation or even starting.


[quote]There is debate among fans and the front office as to who will make the final three roster spots. Will the Jazz carry four point guards with Bryce Cotton making the team after the loss of Dante Exum?[/quote]

I still can't believe they'd cut Cotton but the fact that Burke is starting is scary! I'm hoping they're showcasing him for a trade.



[quote]Or will they elect to play some time without a true point guard and add an extra wing and big man? Here is a breakdown of who’s hoping for a chances to be a member of the Jazz.[/quote]

Looks like they'll certainly be playing without a true pg at times. How much remains to be seen. Neto is the only guy that has looked like he belongs out there. I think Cotton maybe but we just haven't seen enough of him.


[quote]Elijah Millsap is first on the list and the most likely to make the team. He was in last season’s rotation due to players’ injuries. Millsap was the only one not asked to play in summer league and was able to spend his time working on his game as opposed to previous seasons, where he was just trying to make a team. Millsap is the only one of the non-guaranteed players who has an elite skill: his defense. He was ranked as the second best defender at his position by ESPN’s [URL="http://espn.go.com/nba/statistics/rpm/_/sort/DRPM/position/2"]DRPM[/URL], only trailing Tony Allen. If Millsap can become more efficient on offense, he will be a lock to make the team.[/quote]
2nd in the league! Got to think of starting him. He could guard at least 3 positions. Haven't seen him shoot much is the big question with him still but Allen doesn't shoot either and Memphis has been pretty good.

[quote]The next most likely player is center Jeff Withey, a third-year player who has spent the last two seasons with the New Orleans Pelicans. Withey played college ball at Kansas and is the all-time leader at Kansas and the Big 12 in blocked shots. He also was the 2013 NABC co-defensive player of the year. He brings defense to an already solid defensive team. With the Pelicans, Withey didn’t get a lot of playing time mainly because of the depth the Pelicans had at center position. Much like the Pelicans, the Jazz have a similar problem at center with Rudy Gobert, Tibor Pleiss and Derrick Favors able to play the position.[/quote]
And Lyles. They even have had Booker in there.

[quote] But with Pleiss coming over from Europe and having to adjust to the NBA game, Withey would be insurance if Pleiss struggles.[/quote]
He appears to be ahead of Pleiss. If they think he's a better fit Pleiss can be traded now I think. Withey will have trade value in December anyway if they end up going with Pleiss.

[quote]Bryce Cotton was almost at the bottom of this list with the addition of Raul Neto. But with the injury to Exum, the Jazz may want more depth at the point guard position. Trey Burke struggled in his first two seasons, and Neto has yet to play an NBA game, so keeping Cotton makes sense. Cotton closed out last season playing well for the Jazz and was one of their best players during summer league.[/quote]
As he should have been as on of their guys under contract.

[quote] The main worry about Cotton is his lack of height and wing span.[/quote]
But Trey is starting? :rolleyes:

[quote]But what he lacks in height he makes up for with his speed and athleticism. At P3, a sports science facility the Jazz sends their players to, Cotton recorded a 45-inch vertical, tying a record for P3.
[/quote] Pretty sure he didn't tie Trey.

[quote]Chris Johnson is up next. While he’s a player who is good at a lot of things, he’s not great at any one thing, the opposite of Millsap. Johnson was arguably the Jazz’s best player during summer league[/quote]

He was solid. No way he was their best!


[quote]and showed that he is an NBA player.[/quote]

Must be the same guy who wrote the other article! He's a fringe NBAer at best right now. He's got a lot to prove.


But with the depth on the roster, he faces an uphill battle. He either needs to beat out Millsap for the fifth wing or hope the Jazz only carry three point guards and play more without a traditional lineup.

[quote]Grant Jerrett worked hard during the offseason but in the first game of summer league injured his shoulder and hasn’t been able to play hoops since, bad timing for a player who needed an offseason to improve and show that he can contribute to an NBA team. The one thing Jerrett has going for him is he has the most guaranteed money coming to him whether he makes the team or not. If no one else sticks out, the Jazz could give Jerrett a chance.[/quote]
It's too bad he got hurt but I think regardless they have to let him go based on what I've seen from their other bigs. He's behind Cooley I'd think too right now though he is younger than any of them other than Lyles and can shoot.

[quote]Jack Cooley faces a tough challenge in making the Jazz. Having an already loaded frontcourt and not having great height or length puts him at a disadvantage. Cooley plays hard and gives every possession his all. While playing in the D-League, Cooley was a beast, averaging 12.4 rebounds and 16.8 points per game. While playing for the Idaho Stampede, Cooley set a D-League record for rebounds in one game with 29.[/quote]
Withey will have to get hurt or Pleiss traded for him to make it I'd think. He might be able to play for the right team.
[quote]The last two players, J.J. O’Brien (pictured) out of San Diego State and Treveon Graham from VCU, will be given a chance to make the team but are considered long shots. Both will probably play for the Jazz D-League team, the Stampede. Each season NBA teams can send five “affiliate players” to their D-League associate. Dennis Lindsey and his staff saw something they liked in both of these players to want to keep them close to home.
Trimming down a roster might be the hardest thing for a coach and general manager to do. Watching someone work so hard to make the team and then have to cut him seems cruel. No matter who makes the team, watching the players progress will make for an interesting season.
Kincade Upstill[/quote]
I could see them making it over Johnson or possibly Cotton especially Graham. Looking at other teams it looks like almost everyone has roster and rotation battles that could help the Jazz roster like Ingles did last year. Here's hoping! :cheers:

Bench looked better. Ingles and millsap.was blazers though