Draft day, free agency, training camp, pre season...

[Xiao Yao You]

Shams Charania: The Charlotte Hornets are waiving forward Nicolas Batum, sources tell @The Athletic @Stadium.
– via Twitter ShamsCharania

so I'm guessing this is what the Jazz have been waiting for with camp opening tomorrow?

[Xiao Yao You]

Shams Charania: Nicolas Batum plans to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers after he clears waivers, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium .
– via Twitter ShamsCharania

So Robinson and /or Mudiay to the Jazz?

[Xiao Yao You]

Michael Scotto: Glenn Robinson III and the Sacramento Kings have agreed to a deal, a league source told @*********.
– via Twitter MikeAScotto

Mudiay is the fall back?

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50057788...-the-utah-jazz

Essentially, the contract is a way for teams to incentivize players to stay with their affiliated teams rather than depart for potential offers overseas — even offers that may be more lucrative, but offer their own uncertainties. So even if Toolson is waived by the Jazz (which remains a strong possibility, due to the roster's current makeup), he has plenty of reasons to play for the affiliated SLC Stars in Taylorsville.

it's almost a certainty

After struggling through most of two seasons at BYU and eventually withdrawing from school, Toolson followed then-Cougar assistant coach Mark Pope to Utah Valley — where his career was reborn. After sitting out the 2016-17 season due to NCAA transfer rules, Toolson posted double-figure scoring averages in both seasons he played in the Western Athletic Conference. His career culminated with 15.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game in 2018-19 en route to WAC Player of the Year honors and an Associated Press All-America honorable mention designation.

not sure what these struggles were. He was starting

[Xiao Yao You]

According to an NBA source, the Cavaliers weren’t sold on Toppin’s defensive prowess. Cleveland instead took Auburn’s Isaac Okoro, considered the draft’s best wing defender. The Cavaliers have been the league’s worst defensive team for two straight seasons.
– via Marc Berman @ New York Post

No wonder. Just let Tucker go. He plays D

[Xiao Yao You]

But the Celtics are still centered by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, now both signed to long-term extensions, with Marcus Smart (who’s not ungettable, per league sources) and Kemba Walker back in strong support roles. And making Hayward’s deal a sign and trade with Charlotte gives Boston a huge cudgel with which to take a swing at another star: a $28.5 million traded player exception that the Cs have a year to use in a trade. Given how Boston got throttled in the Eastern finals by Bam Adebayo, looking for a big man upgrade certainly made sense, and while Thompson’s not quite the two-way force he was a few years ago, he’s still quite good at both screen assists and points off of them (4.6 screen assists and 10.4 points per game produced last season, each sixth-best among centers in the league).
– via David Aldridge @ The Athletic

Now's your chance! Didn't want him in the draft because of Exum!

[Xiao Yao You]

Tim MacMahon: Jazz executive VP Dennis Lindsey on extension discussions with Rudy Gobert: “We don’t comment on past, present or future negotiations, but we love Rudy. We want Rudy to be here for the rest of his career.”
– via Twitter espn_macmahon

we'll see soon rather you're talking out of your ass again or not

[Xiao Yao You]

Ben Anderson: Also sounds like Dennis Lindsey and the @UtahJazz are fully planning on Juwan Morgan returning. “Juwan Morgan, as an example, was plus eight with Rudy, (when Morgan was) at the four, and he gives us a switch five.”
– via Twitter BensHoops




Ben Anderson: Dennis Lindsey on the @UtahJazz re-signing Jordan Clarkson. “Jordan Clarkson was a very significant free agent. He had big market, glamour market options. He wanted to come back.”
– via Twitter BensHoops

Imagine that they were good with a 4 in the game!

[Xiao Yao You]

https://sports.yahoo.com/what-the-ce...213307650.html

Gobert is probably the only player on that list who could become available. The two-time Defensive Player of the Year’s relationship with Mitchell is icy, and he will be an unrestricted free agent next year. A package including Thompson’s salary plus picks would allow the Celtics to absorb Gobert’s contract into the TPE.

I think their relationship is fine. Rather the Jazz fully appreciate him and want to pay him is the question

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/447283/jazz-st...shrinking-nba/

Why Are The Jazz Staying Big In A Shrinking NBA?

They aren't unless Favors is spotting up for 3 in the corner

First and foremost, Lindsey said the Jazz missed their two-big lineup. Gobert and Favors regularly started games together during their first stint in Utah, an element the team lost after sending Favors to the New Orleans Pelicans in 2019.

Yeah the best offense in the lague really missed Favors spotting up in the corner. They did miss having size on the floor besides their center. Still will unless Favors...

“It stood to reason [to] bring back our top eight guys that produced the number one offense since December 23,” Lindsey said. “And then add a defensive component that we need to go big-big.”

It won't be the best offense anymore if Favors is spotting up in the corner. The other problem is I'm not sure they were number one against good teams. Beat up on bad teams sure!

“Derek doesn’t give us traditional spacing at the four, but he does give us vertical spacing at the five,” Lindsey said. “Again, coupled with that, it’s already been proven that he and Rudy can play together successfully.”

It's proven that the offense will suffer. Why not get a modern starting 4 instead?

Why Add Azubuike?

3 centers going to be free agents. 6 rookies last year covering everything but a true center. Really?

With Gobert likely to play at least 30 minutes a night, and Favors deserving of the remaining backup minutes at center, why did the Jazz add Azubuike at a position that is already in a minutes pinch?

Because if you've paid attention you aren't getting immediate help from the draft

While some teams prefer to draft for need, Lindsey said the Jazz believed Udoka was the best player remaining on their board on draft night.

and what you needed in your system

“I think our analytics ratings had him second overall,” Lindsey said of the team’s first-round pick. “Our scouting ratings had him inside the top 10. Their defensive rating at Kansas was the best in the NCAA. We just feel like he was a unique kid.”

not sure that means much with your track record but interesting

In addition to the aforementioned trio, the Jazz plan to carry six bigs into training camp when including Bojan Bogdanovic, Juwan Morgan, and Georges Niang.

Bojan? What about Brantley or their starting 4 O'Neale?

“A week from now we will determine whether we want to have him take contact at the first available practice or if is he script only,” Lindsey said. “A lot of that really is Bojan’s feedback to [vice president of performance health Mike Elliott] about his level of confidence. But so far so good.”

Still not ready? Kind of ridiculous that he didn't have surgery in March

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/447274/jordan-...-market-teams/

According to Jazz vice president of basketball operations Dennis Lindsey, Clarkson chose to return to Utah over other, higher-profile teams in the NBA.

He chose Utah or money? Hard to believe anyone else wanted to pay him that kind of money for that many years. Also who else will let him think he's the number 1 option?

“Part of my conversation with Donovan Mitchell when we were talking [included] bringing Jordan back and Donovan really co-signed on that decision,” Lindsey said.

You should have learned with Hayward approving Rubio not to listen to your players.

“He’s a selfless guy. He’s had a huge impact on our team our chemistry, our connection.” Snyder said. “Everybody likes JC. It’s more than likes him, I think people appreciate him, and it’s not often you get to a coach a guy that’s as authentic as he is.”

selfless? Really?

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/sports/2020/...is-lindsey-nba

Utah Jazz banking on continuity and familiarity for the 2020-21 season

like almot every year. Woo Pee!

The Utah Jazz are not one of those teams.

but they could have been

The biggest question the Jazz will be looking to answer in the early days of the 2020-21 season is, have they done enough to boost their defense?

the bigger question will be their lack of size other than Favors spotting up in the corner and how much that affects the O

Next up, the Jazz will be evaluating whether the moves they made in the offseason will be enough to elevate the team.

They probably got a little better but didn't really answer the issues they had other than Favors spotting up in the corner which brings with it other issues

This time around, the Jazz know pretty much what they’re getting and will be looking at whether the addition of Favors and the development of internal players is enough to stabilize the defense in a meaningful way.

internal development could have helped the D but Tucker is gone and Brantley is on a 2 way. and there are 1 or two rotation spots open for those guys for limited minutes

Being able to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the roster in the early days of the season will give the Jazz a blueprint for how to address the roster moving forward, whether that be between now and the trade deadline, or after the conclusion of this season.

how did they not evaluate Favors and Clarkson before? Really?

[Xiao Yao You]

https://hoopshabit.com/2020/11/29/ut...ic-in-2020-21/

While the addition of Bogdanovic caused Joe Ingles to struggle at the start of the season, things worked out as the season progressed. Ingles was not his normal confident shooting self and this had a flow-on effect for the rest of the roster.

Not sure you can blame him for Joe but certainly for their lack of size, versatility and D

The Utah Jazz turned to ball over too often last season. They ranked 21st with 15.1 per game. Considering they were also 26th in assists with only 22.4 per game, those turnovers are a problem. This is a large reason the Jazz were not higher in the standings last season.

more for other things

How about Bojan show he can do more than shoot and score? That's what I'd really like to see other than him traded for a starting 4

[Xiao Yao You]

https://sircharlesincharge.com/2020/...-21-lakers/17/

8. Utah Jazz

tax paying!!!

I have concerns about that and whether this team has already maxed out as a core. Falling a few spots in the standings, I think the Jazz, with how the rest of the Western Conference teams have improved, is a borderline playoff team in the West.

They haven't maxed out but they have serious issues that weren't addressed other than Favors spotting up in the corner

[Xiao Yao You]

Ian Begley: Trevon Bluiett has agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal with the Utah Jazz, per SNY sources.
– via Twitter IanBegley

I called that one. He can play. Might be a good guy for the end of the bench. Too bad they have so many young guys already