2020/2021? off season

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.sltrib.com/sports/jazz/2...-with-nuggets/

Analysis: With Nuggets’ conquest of Clippers, are the Utah Jazz closer to next level than we thought?

Who knows? A starting PF and some vets instead of rookies the coach won't play might have made all the difference in the world. A new coach and front office might as well. You've got one of the few guys in the league that has been able to single handedly carry a team the past 5 plus years

After all, the Jazz held a 3-1 lead over the Nuggets and a 15-point advantage in the second half of Game 5, they were a Mike Conley 3-pointer at the buzzer of Game 7 away from salvaging the surrendered advantage. And they did it all without their second-best offensive player, as Bojan Bogdanovic missed the entire seven games due to wrist surgery.

2nd leading scorer not 2nd best offensive player though he might be after Rudy

Meanwhile, with the Clippers employing the traditional paint-bound Ivica Zubac and the rim-running Montrezl Harrell as their two primary bigs, Rudy Gobert would theoretically have had more of a defensive impact, given his increased ability to patrol the lane, rather than chase another 5-out center around the 3-point line.

and less impact on the offensive end with those guys defending him instead of Jokic?

Certainly, it’s no stretch to say that the Lakers would have been an exceedingly difficult matchup for Utah. Los Angeles' length and sized proved problematic for the Jazz in both regular-season games and the one restart seeding matchup they faced off in — all of which were won by the Lakers.

Maybe small ball could have hurt the Lakers too?

That’s not a terribly compelling résumé for being legit contenders. Also, let’s not forget that this roster has certifiable deficiencies in terms of perimeter defense, a consistent backup for Gobert and a dearth of depth — factors that played a significant role late against Denver.

Again no mention of a starting PF. Quit blaming their problems on the youngest guy on the team who lead the league in offensive rebound % and is improving rapidly. They need defenders. They Need size. They need depth

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/sports/2020/...ll-rudy-gobert

The queries have come as the Jazz have made the leap from bad to good under Snyder and Lindsey, improving from a 38-44 record in the 2014-15 season — Snyder’s first — to 51-31 two seasons later. In addition to more wins, Utah made the second round of the playoffs in 2017 and 2018.

Trying helps. After that first season where they were the 6th best team in the league after Kanter was traded and it officially became Rudy's team though that started in December they added Neto and Pleiss. Not the veteran pg they desperately needed though rookie Neto was better than Burke as we knew from the first time he stepped on the court in summer league and Exum. Finally added 3rd stringer Mack who made a huge difference but it was too little too late! With Hayward becoming a free agent they finally add some help for Rudy and thanks to Favors injury and Hood sucking we finally got a glimpse of what they could be with 4 guys spacing the floor around Rudy. So what do they do? Trash that and replace Hill with Rubio and put Favors and Hood back in the starting lineup! After two years of that they finally fix the offense with guess what 4 shooters around Rudy! Unfortunately they did it with no PF, little D, depth, vets and the same coach!

So, first and foremost, the Jazz’s most likely path to greatness is that Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert take more steps forward after being named All-Stars this season. Mitchell needs to be among the NBA’s elite scorers and Gobert needs to remain among the top defenders in the league.

Mitchell needs to be one of the best players in the league like Rudy which means becoming more efficient and playing at least some D

“The one thing we were missing was Bojan’s ability to score over the top of the defense in a simple and very efficient way,” Lindsey said.

offense wasn't the problem. How are these guys in charge?

Some questions will have to be answered during the offseason about the back half of the rotation, but those aren’t generally factors that vault a team from good to great. A big X-factor that can, though, is luck. Whether fortunate or unfortunate, a lot of things have to break right for a team to be great once it has good enough players in place to be successful.

giving the money to Ed instead of a starting pf and carrying 6 rookies instead of vets who Snyder wouldn't play because they didn't go to Duke has nothing to do with luck!

[Xiao Yao You]

https://bustingbrackets.com/2020/09/...-franchise/15/

Biggest needs: Point guard/shooting guard and power forward

got one of them right anyway. starting PF PF PF PF PF!!!!!!

Considering that Conley had his struggles fitting in this past season, it won’t be surprising if Utah goes for another ball-handler. That was a major problem in the Denver series, with the Jazz not having many players who can create their own offense.

how can anyone watch and think they need more offense?

Upgrading the frontcourt could also help but when your star guard averaged 37 ppg and your team still loses, giving Mitchell help should be of huge priority for Utah. Maybe Utah can find another gem to propel themselves to the western conference finals, and eventually, get their revenge on Denver.

and Conley over 20, Rudy at 17 and whatever Clarkson put up. D fense D fense D fense!!!

[Xiao Yao You]

This is Utah’s main use of finding a guy who can slide into its rotation. Obviously, there is significant Derrick Favors speculation here. Here’s the deal. There is mutual interest. Favors would not mind a return to Utah, even if it means coming off the bench as Gobert’s primary backup. But, at this point, that’s all it is … interest. The Jazz have to decide whether Favors would be the right place to spend their most significant chunk of offseason money, especially considering finding a 3-and-D wing is of greater priority. Favors will have multiple suitors on the market, including his incumbent team, the New Orleans Pelicans. So, there’s a lot that can happen between now and the opening of free agency.
– via Tony Jones @ The Athletic

starting PF or STFU!!!!!!!!

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/sports/2020/...offseason-2020

SALT LAKE CITY — Entering the 2019-2020 season, one of the narratives surrounding the Utah Jazz was the notion that they would have good depth after signing players such as Jeff Green and Ed Davis in free agency.

that's the narrative every year and it's rarely true. This year they especially looked thin and that was before Green and Davis didn't work out and they ended up with 6 rookies not playing

That proved to not be the case, as Green and Davis were an utter failure. Additionally, a third offseason signee, Emmanuel Mudiay, had a few good moments but nothing great and returnee Dante Exum was traded at Christmastime after once again not being impactful because of injury.

Exum sucks. could e stop with the narative it was because of injury! Mudiay was fine for a minumum wage end of the rotation guy. Needed more of them not 6 rookies not from Duke

The good news for the Jazz was that the unit of Donovan Mitchell, Joe Ingles, Royce O’Neale, Bojan Bogdanovic and Rudy Gobert was arguably the best 5-man unit in the entire league with a net rating of 13.7 in 570 minutes, and the one replacing Ingles with Mike Conley wasn’t too far behind, with a net rating of 9.7 in 381 minutes.

I bet the rating wasn't that good against the best competition. They beat up on crappy teams again

Yes, Bogdanovic, Conley, Ingles, Mitchell, Gobert and O’Neale will all be back next season barring a wholly unexpected shakeup, but the Jazz could still stand to improve their second unit this offseason. The good news for them is that they have a couple of avenues to do so.

starting PF!

While not an improvement per se, the most important step for the bench surely is bringing back Clarkson, who is an unrestricted free agent. The marriage between he and Utah was a good one for both sides after the trade, and the Jazz will be able to offer him more money than any other team (they hold what is known as his Bird rights).

2nd step is letting him go!

While the hope of Utah’s front office surely would be that they can add a few quality free agents using the exceptions, there are also a bevy of players who could provide internal improvement. Tony Bradley came out of nowhere this season to be a relatively productive backup center, but can he continue to get even better?

youngest guy on the team who got better all year. Why wouldn't he?

Additionally, there are a whole bunch of guys who played mostly with the Salt Lake City Stars who could theoretically improve to the point of becoming a rotation regular next season. Morgan is certainly the most likely candidate after filling in well enough for Bogdanovic in the playoffs, but could players such as Jarrell Brantley and Miye Oni take steps forward?

Brantley seems most likely and Tucker should be in the mix as well. Could improve their D!

The last item in reshaping the bench is figuring out what needs are left after the seeming likelihood that Mudiay will depart in free agency and that the Jazz could look to trade Davis for a bit of salary relief, even if all they get in return is something like a second-round draft pick.

They aren't getting anything for Davis. they are giving something to get rid of him!

[Xiao Yao You]

The Jazz certainly signed those end-of-bench rookies with the hope that at least of them would turn into a rotation player over time, but I’d probably suggest more patience here. Going from a 15th-man type role to being in the rotation is a big jump. If they felt like any of those guys was close to helping a contender, then at least one of them would have hit 200 minutes at some point. None did, even with extra minutes as Utah began resting rotation players down the stretch. (In Brantley’s case, he didn’t even reach 100 season minutes.)

they can help

Brantley will become a RFA if the Jazz first offer him a second two-way contract with $50,000 guaranteed salary. Then, he can either accept that contract offer and return on a two-way, or enter free agency and see if he can get an offer from someone for a standard NBA deal that the Jazz could decide whether to match. Oni and Tucker are both under contract for next season, but without full guarantees. Oni is reportedly fully non-guaranteed, while $340,000 of Tucker’s salary is already locked in.

1st team all gleague. He's done what he can there. Needs a shot at a rotation somwhere

If you could teleport one previous non All-Star Jazz man from before 2010 onto this team, who would it be and why? @jarommoore

Millsap

I love Harrison (as stated above), but I think of him more as a wing. If we’re talking about the third string, cheap backup point guard options are relatively easy to come by. D.J. Agustin, E’Twaun Moore, Yogi Ferrell, Shabazz Napier, or frankly even Raul Neto. Or yeah, to your point, they could use the 11th through 15th man spots on some young guys who have potential, so that if one of them hits they might get a future rotation player out of it. That’s how Utah has been using its deep bench roles recently.

Neto wasn't appreciated first time around

The Jazz had a miss-matched roster last year with three starting non-shooters but panicked and swung way too far in the other direction. Now they have too many ball-dominant guards and not enough defense. Had we simply signed Bogdanovic and let Rubio go then made the Clarkson trade we would have had great balance and complementary skills.

They didn't panic. They waited 2 years to do what was obvious. Did a horrible jobe filling in the rest of the roster

[Xiao Yao You]

https://saltcityhoops.com/offseason-...xtension-more/

That said, forking over the supermax (a contract starting at 35% of the team salary cap) for someone who’s not a perennial MVP candidate can be pretty limiting. So what does Utah do with all of that? I have no clue. I wouldn’t fault them for erring on the side of rewarding their player. I also wouldn’t fault them if they were able to give him a little less without making him feel unappreciated. It doesn’t sound as though Gobert himself is obsessed with the supermax as a validation of his worth.

Pay him more than other teams can offer and hope it's enough. If he's smart he leaves and goes where they will put a team around him

So to answer your broader question here: I quite like Utah’s core. They are entering a period where they’ll be capped out for the foreseeable future and their only way to get better will be smart upgrades on the margins. That’s difficult, but every team deals with that as they rise to contender status, because great players get paid. They’re in good shape, but nailing those complementary roster moves is going to become increasingly important. Hopefully the Jazz can become a destination for useful veterans, the way other small markets like Milwaukee and San Antonio did once they became elite.

they never have been able to fill the margins. Doesn't sound like this off season will be any different either

I hear you. I am pro-Favors, too, and the possibility of him returning is real. That said, if Gobert gets anything close to the supermax and Favors gets the full MLE, then you’re spending $45 million on the center position. So I get why it’s worth thinking about how that move fits in the broader prioritization of things. Really what it comes down to is this: the Jazz have a couple different needs to address and a finite number of tools they can use to address them. Favors at the full MLE might wind up being the right answer, but it depends on how the market plays out relative to their other needs. Which leads right into the next couple of questions…

Bradley and a cheap vet behind him. **** Favors!

They’d probably need to buy Favors 3-4 minutes per half alongside Gobert, just to get his minute total to a range where he’d be satisfied. But it certainly wouldn’t need to be during the opening minutes of halves. A few nightly minutes at power forward would bring Favors’ average to 20-22 (more if Gobert misses any time), and that’s probably appropriate.

no thanks!

As for Davis, he just didn’t work out, and I don’t think he has a future role with the Jazz. If they can’t move him, they’ll just eat his remaining $5 million and either let him hang at the end of the bench or let him walk. They’ll try to move off that $5 million, but if they’re able to move him, it will probably be for someone else’s distressed asset. For example, Toronto isn’t really using Stanley Johnson, a big wing who hasn’t lived up to his defensive reputation and who doesn’t shoot well. If Johnson opts into his $3.8 million next season (which he almost surely will), the Raptors might want to move him. And who knows, maybe they’d prefer a deep bench center at $5M over a deep bench wing at nearly $4M. It’s hard to say. But that’s the best case scenario in a Davis trade: swapping Utah’s non-rotation veteran for somebody else’s non-rotation veteran.

or throwing in assets for someone to take him or eating his contrat which is unlikely

[Xiao Yao You]

https://basketball.realgm.com/wireta...Favors-Reunion

Yay more 2nd rounders that won't play and probably won't even have a gleague to play in!

Hopefully someone wants to pay Favors more

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/sports/2020/...ver-nba-bubble

If the Jazz use part of the MLE on a guy like Baynes, who by the way would give the Jazz a frontcourt perimeter threat, or are able to free up enough cap money to use on him, they could use the rest or all of the MLE and the biannual exception to find versatile defending wings that they desperately need to fill out the roster.

They are in desperate need of a starting 4! Did anyone watch the team this year at all? After that you can talk about whatever and whoever but that's where it needs to start

That being said, I can’t say what the Jazz would do. But, I can say what I would do. I wouldn’t make the deal. I’d be looking forward to the possibility of getting away from Mike Conley’s $34 million contract and freeing up some space for younger players and I wouldn’t want to break up chemistry and continuity for George, who was kind of a dud in the postseason and has not lived up to expectations, all the while being tied to him through the 2021-22 season for $37 million.

Starting 4. Superstar. D. Pass!

[Xiao Yao You]

Sam Amick: “You’ve got the Buddy Hield situation. He does not see himself as a sixth man. He’s not happy as a sixth man. That problem is not going away, and you gave him starter money. Do you test the market on Buddy? Can you get anything back?”
– via Michael Scotto @ *********

Hield for Bojan? Conley for Tobias? Ed Davis flller? Goodbye Clarkson?

[Xiao Yao You]

JaMychal Green is a valuable 3-and-D big who would fit as a low-end starter or third big for most NBA teams. He could command as much as the non-taxpayer midlevel exception, league sources tell The Athletic. The Clippers have his Early Bird Rights and can offer upwards of $9.5 million annually starting next season.
– via Jovan Buha @ The Athletic

2nd big on the Jazz but they weren't interested in him before so I doubt that has changed

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/sports/2020/...ordan-clarkson

Donovan Mitchell: A

Didn't bring his A game until December or January and that was on one side of the ball. If he's an A how does he get better?

Rudy Gobert: A-

Mithell A and Rudy A -

When all is said and done, Gobert is the defensive anchor of the Jazz and the team’s second best player who overcame a huge amount of adversity this season and came out on the other side a more mature and thoughtful player and teammate.

their 2nd best player?

When Mitchell plays both sides of the ball and can carry the team get back to me

One of the Jazz’s biggest offseason needs is finding a switchable, lengthy, athletic defender who can guard some of the league’s premier perimeter threats. Part of the reason the Jazz need a player like that is because Ingles is not as reliable in those situations as he once was.

get a starting PF and than worry about other stuff!

Bojan Bogdanovic: A

another one dimensional player ahead of Rudy!

Under contract through the 2022-23 season, Bogdanovic will make just over $56 million over the next three years, and for what he brings to the table, and the ease with which he fits with the Jazz, it seems like a steal.

a steal?

No longer tasked with being the leading scorer or main source of production on a team as he was in Memphis for over a decade, Conley’s production dips were completely expected and understandable. It was the amount of time it took for him to really catch on and find his place with the team that hurt him this season.

He was fine except the first few games. Not a great fit with Mitchell

Jordan Clarkson: A-

He's up with Rudy!

That’s a trait that can’t be taught and is completely invaluable. If the Jazz are able to re-sign Clarkson this offseason and bring him back, there’s no doubt that Snyder will be the first one celebrating.

maybe the coach needs to go elsewhere with Clarkson

Niang has continued to transform his body — becoming leaner — which has helped him on the defensive end. As the season progressed and then play resumed in the Orlando bubble, Niang found himself in various positions guarding players of every type, and he held his own in some tough situations.

not really seeing it. Would love to though. I think it's where he could improve

But Bradley’s development this season was really great. He went from playing just 12 games over the last two season to playing in 58 regular season games and six playoff games this season.

but let's bring in Favors!

But Davis never found a place within the Jazz’s system and was rather quickly played out of the rotation. The fit just wasn’t right. It would be shocking if the Jazz didn’t try to move away from him this offseason.

good luck!

A breakout year in the G League earned Rayjon Tucker a full NBA deal from the Jazz in December. His explosive athleticism and strength at 22 years-old gives the Jazz hope that future development will come easy for him.

D and energy?

Another player who spent the majority of the season on assignment with the Stars, Miye Oni got his biggest chance in the seeding games in the bubble. His 3-point shooting ability, along with his quickness, versatility and craftiness with the ball, are all enticing traits that could make him a valuable project.

length and D?

Developing point guard Nigel Williams-Goss had a pretty good season for the Stars but barely got the chance to show off his skills for the Jazz. He wasn’t one of the players that received a lot of praise in the extra minutes garnered during the seeding games, and it didn’t earn him any more time on the floor.

was hurt and only played the last game! Could see him as a 3rd pg. Stars were better with him than without him

If there’s a deep bench player outside of Oni who shined in the bubble for the Jazz, it was Jarrell Brantley. The Stars’ second leading scorer offers versatility, good defensive instincts and hustle that are all good signs for a player hoping to earn a full NBA deal.

Tucker? Morgan? Does it all. Needs to shoot better. Should get a shot at some teams rotation

With just four games under his belt with the Jazz, there was very little of Justin Wright-Foreman to analyze outside of his time with the Stars. It likely wasn’t enough to earn him another year with the Jazz.

can fill it up. Rather have him than Clarkson

[Xiao Yao You]

Among other 43s in Jazz history is former Grizzlies’ head coach Marc Iavaroni, who warmed the bench for the Jazz in the late 80s.

He started! So as much he sucked he should get this

Despite being in just his first season with the Jazz, I have little hesitation in naming Bojan Bogdanovic as the top 44 in team history. The only real competition comes from Pete Maravich, but the number 7 is on the jersey hanging in the rafters for Maravich. Because Maravich has already been honored as the best #7 in team history and because he only wore 44 with the Jazz for his first season in New Orleans, I can’t justify giving him the honor here. Another 44, Greg Foster, was an important role player for the late 90s title runs but, unless my memory fails me, Foster never hit two game winning 3s in the same season. Bogey wins. (That those game-winners came against the league-leading Bucks and rival Rockets only makes them sweeter.)

Pistol

Before there was Tag there was Felton Spencer. The Jazz sent Mike Brown to Minnesota in 1993 to bring back Spencer. Spencer was a serviceable starting center for 3 seasons in the mid-90s. Eventually traded for a package of players and a draft pick that would be used to select Andrei Kirilenko, Spencer’s time with the Jazz was brief but he was part of some good Jazz teams.

was good before he blew out his knee

Eaton was a large man who specialized on one side of the court. The current NBA record holder for blocks in a season (456) and the record holder for most blocks-per-game (5.56) Eaton was a defensive beast who didn’t offer very much on the offensive side. Still, if the timing had been just a little bit different, one can imagine the Jazz with Eaton instead of Ostertag defeating the ’97 and ’98 Bulls.

I can't imagine it. He sucked

Melvin Turpin and Mikki Moore also received consideration as the best 54 in Jazz history.

Turpin was great. Moore was good too. Dinaldson wasn't

Former BYU standout Araujo also received a good portion of response from fans, but his one season with the Jazz was mostly unremarkable.

I liked him

THEY MISSED HIS LEADERSHIP AND PHYSICALITY THIS YEAR!!!

didn't miss the 8 3 attempts a game

[Xiao Yao You]

https://saltcityhoops.com/jazz-by-the-numbers-part-2/

Despite the notability of others who have worn the number, there is little doubt that Big Al Jefferson made the biggest impact on the floor of any player to wear 25 for the Jazz. While his three seasons with the Jazz were not the brightest in the squad’s history, Al started every game he played for the Jazz and averaged a solid 18.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game in his time in Utah.

I'll take Neto and Goodrich over the blackhole

Rudy Gobert would probably be the best 27 in Jazz history even if he weren’t the only player ever to wear the number for the Jazz

only 12 and 32 have been better. It's not close

Joining Kyle Korver, David Benoit and Raja Bell as players to have multiple stints with the Jazz, Theodore “Blue” Edwards was the starting small forward for the Jazz from 1989-90 to 1991-92 before being traded to the Bucks for Jay Humphries and current University of Utah coach Larry Krystkowiak.

Jerry didn't like Blue or Benoit either

The Mini-van Georges Niang will have to bide his time if he wants to rise to the top of players who have worn 31 for the Jazz, as Adam Keefe holds that position for now. Keefe never put up the best numbers but he was a rotation player through much of the 90s, including with both Finals teams. Keefe spent six of his nine years in the NBA with the Jazz after the Hawks traded him in exchange for future Jazz coach Ty Corbin. Keefe ended up being traded to the Warriors in 2000 in a massive 4-team trade that saw the Jazz trade away Keefe, Howard Eisley and future first to acquire Donyell Marshall.

liked Keefe!

Boris Diaw is one of my all-time favorite players and even if he had little impact on the court for the Jazz in his brief time with the team, I’m personally tempted to name him here. But as with so many fans, I also love Trevor Booker and he won the popular vote here.

His corpse being at the 4 instead of Favors had a huge impact actually. But let's put Favors and Hood back in the starting lineup and get Rubio!

While eight players have worn 34 for the Jazz, this really ends up being a two-way race between long-time Jazzmen. Bryon Russell was a key member of the Jazz for nine years, including the two title runs, while C.J. Miles played seven years for the Jazz after being drafted with the 34th pick in the 2005 NBA draft. While Russell probably had the bigger impact on the team, he only wore 34 for his first 3 seasons before changing to the number 3. So, the top 34 in Jazz history goes to Mr. Miles.

still got to be Russell. Jerry never liked CJ

Despite some memorable times with both Brown and Evans, the honor here goes to Shandon Anderson. Anderson only spent three seasons with the Jazz but earned a spot in the rotation as a rookie on the 1997 Finals team and increased his minutes as Jeff Hornacek’s back-up in each of the following seasons. Following the lockout shortened 1999 season, Anderson chose to sign with the Rockets as a free agent.

Jazz chose for him when they made the over the hill Horny their priority instead of Shandon!

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.sltrib.com/sports/2020/0...-monson-heres/

Miami has had its share of success in past seasons, but this Heat team is different. There’s no Dwyane Wade in his prime here, no LeBron James. There were few predictions that this group would pretty much waltz its way to a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference finals. Jimmy Butler is a great player, but at this stage would anyone trade Mitchell for him?

Should be talking Gobert and Butler. They are 2 of the few guys in the league that have carried their franchises on their backs

The Jazz aren’t that far removed from their goal.

They are a starting PF, more size, more D, more depth and probably a new coach away

Mitchell and Gobert, as the team’s stars, need to continue to improve. Considering Mitchell just turned 24 and Gobert is 28, they have many stellar years ahead. Everyone saw Mitchell’s advanced play in the bubble. Now, in addition, those top guys need help, a boost which Bogdanovic, at least in part, can give. As Lindsey recently noted, the Jazz seek more perimeter defense, resistance that won’t blow a hole in their spacing at the offensive end.

and Bojan doesn't help there so quit bringing him up!

They have some of what the Jazz do not. But Utah has some advantages, as well. Bottom line is this — the disparity is anything but vast. The Jazz are moving forward. The chance to narrow the gap is there.

forward? Offense went back to where it should have been 2 years ago and the defense went back to Big Al days