2019-20 season - Been waiting two decades for this one!

[Xiao Yao You]

“He’s had a great year, for sure, but not sure everyone fully trusts it yet,” a league source told The Athletic. “It’s been the most consistent he’s shown his whole career. I think, maybe, $5 (million) to $7 million per year (is what he’ll get).” Then there’s this evaluation … “I would expect him to get a mid-level value, something like $9.7 (million) annually,” an NBA agent said.
– via James L. Edwards III @ The Athletic


Wood has impressed all year, as a bench man and even as a starter. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent this summer after playing this season on a vet-minimum deal. At the trade deadline, the Rockets and Celtics, two championship-contending teams, made multiple offers to Detroit for Wood, per a source. The 2020 free agency class is considered blah, so don’t be surprised if Wood garners interest from teams with available cap space.
– via James L. Edwards III @ The Athletic

Jazz have the mid level supposedly. He should certainly be on their list. Kind of sad when they could have had him for nothing. I thought he was the best player in the Gleague by far a couple years ago

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat...novan-mitchell

With Donovan Mitchell, I believe the story is a bit different. I think Donovan Mitchell has his best basketball yet to be played this season. It’s been a bit of an up-and-down year for Mitchell, although the ride as a overall unit has been pretty awesome, hence the All-Star appearance. He’s coming off kindof a weird stretch of games lately where he played some of the worst basketball of the season prior to the All-Star break. You could tell from watching him play that they just wanted to make it to the break, which is a pretty common thing among NBA players the week of the ASB. With that all behind him, I think Spida explodes in the remaining games for the Jazz this season.

Doesn't sound like an all-star

I said about two months ago that I truly believed Donovan Mitchell contained the keys to unlocking the true potential of the Utah Jazz, and I stand by that. If he can play the best basketball of his career in the next few months, the Jazz will contend for a championship. It seems strange to still be relying on a 23-year-old to lead you to glory, especially when you consider the fact that Rudy Gobert is playing on an MVP level and Bojan Bogdanovic has been one of the best supporting role players in the NBA this season. But even with that, Donovan Mitchell will decide the fate of the Utah Jazz this season, and beyond.

Bojan is arguably more of an all-star. He doesn't do much more than score but he's more consistent at what he does

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/20/uta...good-g-league/

Jarrell Brantley, a Two-Way player for the Utah Jazz, looks dominate as ever with the Salt Lake City Stars in the G-League. When does he get his NBA shot?

When he hits the 3 and turns it over less? . If they played him at center his shooting wouldn't matter but does he deserve to play over Bradley or Morgan? He can only be with the Jazz for so many days which plays a part as well

Unfortunately, the Jazz didn’t have a spot on the main roster for him, so they decided to give him a Two-Way contract. This contract allows players to spend up to 45 days with their NBA team while spending the rest in the time playing in the G-League on assignment.

They did have a spot. They decided on Oni, Green, Davis etc. instead though

He’s looking more and more like a legitimate NBA player after each game. In 28 games, Brantley owns averages of 19.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.4 steals while shooting 52 percent from the floor and 31 percent from the three-point line.

His 3 % has went up recently. Be tough not to play him if he becomes reliable with that

We don’t know what his future is going to look like, but you can’t help but feel pumped for this young man. He’s balling right now and has caught the attention of many fans.

Many fans? Those same fans that thought Bradley sucked because he'd only played quality minutes with the Jazz once before this year?

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/20/wes...it-contenders/

Adding another piece to the puzzle could have went a long way, but it also could have costed more than they are willing to part with. The Jazz made their big addition (Jordan Clarkson) earlier this season, and the buyout market has looked underwhelming.

Has more to do with no roster spots and the Jazz being the Jazz

Robert Covington, DeMarre Carroll and Jeff Green all fit perfectly in Houston’s small-ball strategy. They will make the Rockets even tougher to play against. I still, however, believe that the Jazz are on par with them as well.

tougher than Capela? That remains to be seen

They still have some problems to address, such as rotations, consistency on the defensive end and taking care of the ball, but I’m satisfied with where this team is at. They’re going to be a dangerous team come playoff time.

no mention of their lack of size outside their 2 centers. No starting PF.

If this team ever reaches 100 percent health and plays to their 100 percent potential, they are one of the few teams that can realistically win a championship this season, in my opinion. Unfortunately, most of those teams reside in the Western Conference — go figure.

They are 100% Healthy.

The Jazz have the best defensive player in the sport, shooters that they haven’t had in previous seasons, guards who can create for themselves and a brilliant coach to lead the way. They are built for a deep run.

brilliant coach?

[Xiao Yao You]

https://hoopshabit.com/2020/02/19/ut...t-best-player/

There’s no doubt that the future of the Utah Jazz rests largely on the shoulders of Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell. However, in spite of Mitchell’s high-octane style of play, one thing is certain — Rudy Gobert is the better basketball player.

Which has been the case for over 5 years now

What’s starting to severely widen the gap between the two, however, is that — as of this year, at least — Gobert’s become an offensive force for the Utah Jazz, as well:

Always was one

More so than in seasons past, this year, #TakeNote Nation has grown increasingly loud with her claim that Rudy Gobert is a top-10 talent in the NBA. I’ve kept the Kool-Aid from my lips as long as possible, but the deeper the analytical dive I willingly take, the more enticing it becomes.

statistically he's been better. Last year for sure

[Xiao Yao You]

“Once things slow down, after the Olympics, I have a decision to make,” he said. “It’s just being smart and that’s why the decision about going back to the NBA will be part of it. I want to be healthy for Tokyo.” Bogut made his return to the court after three games off with the Kings, resting his back ahead of the finals. The Kings, who led the table for the entire season, are the favourites to take out the league.
– via Sarah Keoghan @ Sydney Morning Herald

[Xiao Yao You]

Paul Garcia: Keldon Johnson and Chimezie Metu will be active for tonight’s Spurs game in Utah. That gives SA 13 players on the active roster tonight.
– via Twitter PaulGarciaNBA

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.slcdunk.com/the-downbeat...akers-clippers

And he’s had mine for a while. From the first time I saw him in Summer League, I’ve been impressed. He’s just so talented. The refinement of skills will come with time, but he’s a bench player today in the NBA. The reason he may actually still be in the G-League right now is Utah may seem him as much more than a bench player in the NBA. Soon the G-League season will come to an end. He’ll be back with the Utah Jazz. Utah will have to make a decision at some point as to who they want to keep on their roster, but there will be no doubt that Brantley will be on it.

There's plenty of doubt. He's got a lot to prove since he's played exactly 0 minutes of quality time with the Jazz. Morgan has at least showed something and even Rajon has

In the G-League, playing as the Stars’ center, he’s averaging 19.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.4 steals in 33 minutes a game. He’s shooting 33% from three over the season, but that percentage has climbed up every month as he’s improved. He could be a late addition to games in the final stretch (not in the playoffs, though). He will be a big part of the Utah Jazz’s rotation next season. Start watching him in the G-League now, so you can say you remember when he was just starting out as a two-way player. He’s probably the most athletically gifted and talented player Utah has put through their G-League process. He has the potential to be Utah’s best development case study ever surpassing Joe Ingles.

I like the guy but who's rotation spot is he taking? Maybe Bradley who is younger and bigger. Maybe Niang if he can improve his shot. Maybe Mudiay/Clarkson if they are gone. He's got the least upside of any of their 6 rookies because of his age actually

From what I have seen, I think Brantley would be a better NBA player than Niang.

But clearly Quin doesn’t think so. He’s not afraid to use G Leagers in his lineup (Royce, Joe, etc). Maybe Quin just feels like Niangs 3 point shooting is more valuable than Brantley’s athleticism and playmaking.
But I’ll say this. I would be shocked if Brantley isn’t getting minutes next year.

Posted by cchappell18 on Feb 21, 2020 | 2:33 PM

Niang was 1st team all G-league. The Jazz would be back to their old problems with spacing that they had before Niang and others were playing instead of guys that couldn't shoot

[Xiao Yao You]

https://hoopshabit.com/2020/02/21/ut...hell-pressure/

Rudy Gobert might be the anchor of the Utah Jazz’s defense, but in a league known for its star players, Donovan Mitchell is the face of the franchise.

Do I need to ever read any furthur?

Even more impressive, Mitchell’s first and second years in the league resulted in 48- and 50-win seasons for a Jazz team that failed to make the postseason in four of the five years before his arrival in Utah.

They missed because of tanking though.

If it was Gobert that left and not Hayward they would be one of the worst teams in the league and tanking right now. Snyder and Lindsey wouldn't have jobs

[Xiao Yao You]

Jonathan Feigen: Eric Gordon to return for Rockets vs. Jazz tonight. Will come off the bench.
– via Twitter Jonathan_Feigen

[Xiao Yao You]

https://saltcityhoops.com/home-blowo...-ugly-jerseys/

It’s a harsh critique of Bradley—who has improved this season—because the Jazz clearly still need to find a solution for non-Gobert minutes. Against a relatively small opponent frontcourt, this could have been an opportunity to see Bogdanovic play some minutes as the largest Jazzman and/or give Juwan Morgan some experience. In the playoffs, non-Gobert minutes will be far fewer, but they will still substantively exist. And no, Trevor Booker, Ekpe Udoh, or Jarrell Brantley are not solving this issue.

Udoh would certainly help defensively

That said, as a self-proclaimed sports uniform aficionado and critic, I completely agree that these jerseys are the worst Utah has ever had (and there have been some other… interesting decisions). Yellow is a mere accent to the Jazz’s color scheme, and this specific hue of yellow was used solely to best complement the dominant navy color. On top of other design flaws—green should be completely extricated from the uniform if you’re even going to attempt this, for example—it also completely clashes with the Jazz’s home court that includes a colorless paint area and a brighter shade of hardwood.

green is just an accent too and the gradiant ones aren't a part at all!

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.sltrib.com/sports/jazz/2...s-analysis-by/

I don’t know what I would do. I would definitely pull a Nuggets-from-2019 and tank if necessary in order to avoid the Rockets, though. Another 4-5 matchup against them seems like the hardest possible first-round option.

Might not need to tank the way they are playing. Only 2.5 out of 7th seed as it is

Tonight, they played 14 possessions of zone. And it worked! On six of those possessions, the Rockets scored, on eight of them, they didn’t. That’s not too bad. Here’s what Snyder said, when asked about how it worked and whether he’d do it again:

Desperation I guess if Snyder is actually trying something new than the same crap that isn't working

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/sports/2020/...tchup-for-utah

I went back and looked through the Jazz post-trade deadline transactions over the last 20 years and the overwhelming sense is that they are not very active. Really the biggest move they’ve made (again, post-trade deadline) was picking up DeMarre Carroll in 2012.

Don't think that was a buyout was it? Carroll was about out of the league when he started to impress here. That was before Snyder who supposedly is the sole reason that guys have developed here. Jazz should have never let him go to tank!

[Xiao Yao You]

https://hoopshabit.com/2020/02/22/ut...ingles-thrive/

Joe Ingles needs to thrive as a starter for the Utah Jazz

He needs to come off the bench. His minutes are being staggered to play with the bench anyway

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2020/02/23/uta...ng-weaknesses/

If no NBA team has picked them up by now, not even a contending team like the Lakers or Clippers, then that probably means it is the end of the road for these guys in the NBA. Just look at what happened to Joe Johnson in the past year.

Noah hardly looked done a year ago. Faried looked good in his role with Houston as well. Kind of surprised they wouldn't go get him now instead of Demarre. Booker would still be a great end of the bench energy guy

One thing that’s been a struggle all season long for the Jazz is committing too many turnovers.

it's a problem under Snyder. Maybe a new coach is the answer?

No mention of them not having a NBA caliber starting PF? It's their biggest need obviously as it appeared obvious when they spent their mid level money on Davis instead of answering that. Should have spent the minimum salary on competition for Bradley who I thought deserved a shot

Having 6 rookies taking up roster space on a team that talks like they are playing for championships is unheard of as well.