post draft off season part II-bring on the roster moves!

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https://kslsports.com/466820/nba-tho...-have-vaccine/

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https://kslsports.com/466800/jazz-ni...all-reference/

The guard earned them in the AAU circuit after a coach said he swung around the floor getting steals with the same agility as Spiderman.

plays no D now. Needs a different name

Jazz fans have probably seen the Jordan Clarkson “Flame Thrower” shirts floating around Vivint Arena. Joe Ingles even wore one when he surprised Clarkson with the Sixth Man of the Year Award.

gunner

It’s a little surprising basketball-reference even found that one.

never heard it

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https://sircharlesincharge.com/2021/...build-ceiling/

And a big reason why is at least partly due to the fact that Gobert is limited in terms of a “star.” He can be schemed off the court and in a playoff series – we’ve already seen it time and time again over the last few years.

we haven't really seen it though

Essentially, they’re locked into the Mitchell-Gobert duo for essentially the next five years. The Jazz is all-in on Mitchell and Gobert. And based on recent results, I’m not sure this team is close to winning a championship. If that’s the ultimate goal, perhaps Utah needs to rethink its core. But, at the same time, they also have little-to-no wiggle room.

they were close last year. Injuries, Coty, Clarkson and Mitchell were too much to overcome. They certainly would have matched up well with the Bucks

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The G League Ignite agreed to a deal with Dakota Mathias, a league source told *********. Mathias was a member of Team USA’s AmeriCup qualifying roster and spent time with the Philadelphia 76ers as a two-way player last season.
– via Michael Scotto @ *********

wasn't too impressed with him during summer league

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Rows of kids sat circled around Elijah Hughes on Saturday in the gym at Beacon High School, and one by one, the questions poured in. “What was it like playing in Madison Square Garden?” one youngster asked. “How many buzzer-beaters have you made?” cried another from the back of the room. “How (high) is your vertical (leap)?” another kid asked. Everett Vancott, a Beacon resident, asked Hughes if he met any famous basketball players during his first year in the NBA. “He said he met LeBron James!” Vancott said. “That’s cool.”
– via A.J. Martelli @ Poughkeepsie Journal



Hughes not only answered whatever questions the kids had, but taught them the fundamental ins and outs of the game at an LMC Athletics basketball clinic, alongside coaches Justin Cooper and former NBA player Tyler Lydon. Back in his hometown, the Beacon native and Utah Jazz forward was thrilled to be working with the young players in the Hudson Valley, passing on the knowledge that led him to the professional ranks.
– via A.J. Martelli @ Poughkeepsie Journal



Hughes will turn his attention back to the Jazz next month, when training camp opens. He’s looking forward to playing with fellow Hudson Valley product Donovan Mitchell, as well as Dobbs Ferry’s Eric Paschall — who was traded to the Jazz from the Golden State Warriors this month. “We’ve got three guys from the area. We’re looking to expand and have a good year,” Hughes said. “I’m really blessed, to be around great people, a great staff and a great organization. We take care of business and we have fun doing it. That’s what makes it fun.”
– via A.J. Martelli @ Poughkeepsie Journal

From same place as Mitchell. Guess that explains his contract

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https://www.deseret.com/2021/8/28/22...hell-utah-jazz

“You know, (Mitchell) he is a really good player, on his way, but to try to crown him as the next, and then I said, ‘OK, if he’s crowned the next, where is he ranked right now?,’ and people were saying five, six, seven. I said, ‘Well I don’t know where y’all come from, but being fifth is not acceptable to me. If I’m not No. 1 or No. 2, don’t bring my name up, ever.’”

He's not even 2nd on his own team. Play some D and pass the ball and get back to me

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If the Jazz hit on Butler and he’s really good for them this year, things get pretty exciting. The only thing is he has to play. Quin Snyder can’t bury him on the bench in lieu of another veteran guard with glaring weaknesses that Snyder inevitably ingnores. Gone should be the days of watching players like Shelvin Mack and Emmanuel Mudiay steal minutes from Jazz prospects only to see them traded away the following offseason. This Utah Jazz team used to pride itself on its development of players. That should be a point of pride again. Considering the Jazz have given up a lot of first-round picks for Mike Conley and to offload Derrick Favors, they need these prospects to develop or they’ll have wasted these last few years in replenishing their talent.

Mack was good. Exum sucks. Mudiay was good too. Who is it he stole minutes from? Remind me Grayson? I'd rather have Mudiay now than Clarkson. The Stars are there for development. They will be back this yearr

The Jazz’s biggest trade deadline move last season was to trade for Matt Thomas. They gave up a second-round pick for him and then promptly waived him this offseason. That type of move doesn’t cut it. You might as well do nothing instead of bring in a player that only took minutes away from guys like Elijah Hughes. Now, Hughes may turn out to be nothing but these types of short-sighted moves hurt you in the long run. You lose a pick for nothing and you miss out on seeing your rookie develop. The Jazz front office and coaching staff have to be aligned. No more of this childish bickering that was apparently happening behind the scenes. If the Jazz draft a guy, the coach needs to make it his priority to develop them the best they can. Who cares if you didn’t like him. Although, the front office also has to be listening to the coaching staff. They need to understand who they are interested in and why. But whatever player is drafted, or trade made, the entire organization has to be all-hands-on-deck to make sure the players have the best chance to succeed. A trade for a player that will never see meaningful minutes makes no sense.

Hughes sucks. He was the biggest problem with the roster not Thomas. He's the biggest problem with the current one as well since yes he still sucks. They have a new GM. Sounds like they just need a new coach now. I had problems with the roster the past two years but Snyder lost two playoff series when he certainly had guys that could have made a difference and probably won both but he refused to try anything different. The fact that he still has a job is a joke and makes it hard to get behind the new ownership

Players like Torrey Craid and PJ Tucker were picked up last season by the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns and played significant roles for their teams late into the playoffs. Utah needs to do what it can to shore up weaknesses that will eventually show up during the season. If a nice player is available, make a move. This season is likely one of the best shots this Jazz team will ever have at a title and cold feet won’t get it done. But an aggressive move could be the difference. We’ll see what the Jazz do.

last year may have been their best shot. Have to have a coach that will play guys

Great article, but what about Paschall ?


He was 2019-20 NBA All-Rookie First Team and was 5th among rookies averaging 14 points per game. He may be the steal of the offseason. I am willing to put more weight on his rookie season than the regression during last season. I hope Q will bring out the best in him.

Posted by statpower on Aug 30, 2021 | 1:34 AM

is he as good as Ersan, Brantley and Morgan? He'll be in the mix because of bff regardless

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https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/8/29/22...novan-mitchell

The Utah Jazz overall have had a nice offseason. They’ve attacked some of their weak points with better talent by replacing Georges Niang with Rudy Gay and removing Derrick Favors’ bloated contract with a minimum contract for Hassan Whiteside. They also managed to draft Jared Butler in the second round. Even with all these changes, the Utah Jazz won’t look that much different. The bench is better, but the starting lineup will be the same. So should we just auto-generate this season till the playoffs to see how things pan out? No! In essence, that’s what happened last year and in some ways it hurt them in the playoffs.

shooting got worse and Whiteside is probably worse than Favors and gave up a first to do so. The fact that the starting lineup is the same and COTY, Clarkson and Hughes remain is a joke!

Experiment with lineups

good luck with that one. Same lame coach

Home court advantage is nice, but having a team equipped with multiple lineup options could be the thing that gets the Jazz to the finals. Look at the Milwaukee Bucks. They notoriously spent last season experimenting with switching, something they didn’t do much of previously. It cost them wins. But when the playoffs came around their team had already battled through the growing pains that come with change. On the other side of the league, you had the Jazz who played the exact same lineups all season and essentially did the exact same things on defense night after night. It helped them demolish the worst teams in the league, mostly dominate average teams, and struggle against the good ones. When the playoffs came around they came up against a team that found the answer to stop the Jazz’s defensive scheme and the Jazz had no answers. Utah has to change that this year.

they had answers. Just a coach that refuse to try them

The only changes to lineups that ever happened last year were only because of rest and injuries. Miye Oni only saw the floor when Mike Conley was resting or injured. As soon as Mike Conley would return, Miye Oni rarely saw the floor. This was painfully clear in the playoffs. In Game 6 against the Los Angeles Clippers, the Jazz were up by 22 at halftime. Wouldn’t it make sense to have a defensive-focused lineup on the floor for that second half? Miye Oni had gotten minutes during the year and sat on the bench that entire game and the rest is history.

Oni sucked in the playoffs. Playing one of your best players Ersan or trying Brantley, Morgan, Forrest or even Thomas would have made sense though

So what does that experimenting look like? Well, let me tell you and also cool your jets okay, it’s the offseason and this is the type of article you’re going to get! Quin Snyder needs to loosen things up with rotations and schemes. Try playing a 5-out scheme with Rudy Gay at the 5. The Jazz had one really fun game against the Los Angeles Lakers when Ersan Ilyasova played significant minutes at the 5 and was bombing threes. It was the most unique look we’ve seen from this Jazz team in years and I wish we had seen a little more of it. Imagine having that lineup with Rudy Gay, whose defensive numbers are actually really good, and throwing that on the floor in a playoff game randomly. It’s going to throw off another team immediately who’s prepared for everything that Rudy Gobert does. (On a side note, having two Rudy G’s is going to result in using last names much more often.)

good luck without Gobert. They lost that game

This season I hope we see more things like that. I also hope we see younger players get actual, real minutes. Miye Oni played big-time minutes for Nigeria at the Olympics and deserves more time on the floor. His defensive presence should be counted on more. We also need to see Udoka Azubuike on the floor more. He was dominant in the summer league and if his style of play can carry over to the regular season, the Jazz may have a nice backup center for years to come.

Oni was playing in the playoffs That was a big reason they lost. He hasn't earned anything. He's an end of the bench energy guy until he proves otherwise. Forrest is a better option if you want a non shooter and Brantley, Morgan and Ersan would have been too. Thomas could shoot. Udoka needs to be with the Stars until he proves otherwise

The Jazz need to play a lot of Jared Butler

again. Stars until he proves otherwise

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https://thejnotes.com/2021/08/30/uta...gobert-trades/

Still, crazier things have happened, and as long as that’s true, we should feel free to dabble in thought experimentation. Here are two things that are true about the Jazz: they are built around 24-year-old Donovan Mitchell, and they are in the thick of contention for the NBA championship. Typically, title contention does not coincide with a team’s best player’s age 24 season.

if they were built around Mitchell they'd be in the lottery

Utah Jazz land stretch big Myles Turner

how many picks do they get to tank?

Really, there are two simple reasons: spacing and age. For his career, Turner is shooting 35.2% from three-point range on 2.4 attempts per game. That’s a little better than Gobert’s 0.0% on 0.0 attempts per. Furthermore, at 25, Turner aligns with Donovan Mitchell’s timeline a lot more cleanly than the 29-year-old Frenchman.

the other reason would be to get picks and young players. Have to trade the other big contracts vets to because that move puts you in the lottery

For the last time: the Utah Jazz will not be trading Rudy Gobert, at the very least, before this year’s trade deadline (and most likely, not then either). Please, consider this a thought experiment: the Jazz’s two centerpieces have certainly failed to co-exist in the past, and the age gap between the two does at least open up possibilities.

maybe they should trade Mitchell and get their top two players some help?

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https://thejnotes.com/2021/08/29/uta...ll-taste-come/

Need less of that not more. Would rather he was working on D and running the pick and roll

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Ricky Rubio discussed his NBA career and more with Spanish outlet Marca. “I am a little tired,” he admitted regarding being traded for the third time in the last ten months, “Ultimately, every player like me prefers stability, especially now with my family also needing stability.”
– via EuroHoops.net

really feel for ya

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The late NBA star Mark Eaton was honored posthumously today by top leaders of the nation’s largest veterans association. “Not everyone who is nominated for this award receives it,” Past National Commander of The American Legion John P. “Jake” Comer said during the presentation of the 2021 James V. Day “Good Guy” Award. “Many celebrities are accustomed to receiving lucrative appearance or speaking fees. We don’t offer that. I say this because those who accept this prestigious award truly have proven to be good people simply by putting veterans above financial gain.”
– via The American Legion @ PR Newswire

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https://kslsports.com/466981/jazz-ra...ower-rankings/

Are they versatile enough?

does it matter? same COTY

Here’s the complete Western Conference Power Rankings:
Phoenix Suns
Los Angeles Lakers
Utah Jazz
Dallas Mavericks
Los Angeles Clippers
Denver Nuggets
Golden State Warriors
Portland Trail Blazers
Memphis Grizzlies
Minnesota Timberwolves
New Orleans Pelicans
Sacramento Kings
San Antonio Spurs
Houston Rockets
Oklahoma C

Lakers don't worry me. Mavs improved? Weren't much last year. No Kawai. No Murray to start. No Klay to start. Looks like Suns and Jazz again to me

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https://fansided.com/betsided/posts/...utm_source=RSS

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Ryan Smith said the NBA is like a 24/7 job, but he still finds time to calendar golf, playing in events like the Utah Open, the PGA Tour’s AT&T Pro-Am at Pebble Beach, and the famous Dunhill Pro-Am in Scotland. In both those events, Smith partnered with longtime friend Tony Finau, who recently won the Northern Trust, the first leg of the FedEx Cup playoffs.
– via Dick Harmon @ deseret.com



Smith joined an NBA board that is helping review where the game is going, to create ambassadors to represent the game. Part of that is involvement in golf. He said it started during the COVID-19 bubble season when a lot of NBA players either took up golf or brought their clubs to play as things were sorted out with the pandemic. “Whether it is Dwyane Wade, Mike Conley or Donovan (Mitchell), I play a lot of golf with all of them and wherever they are on the skill level, whether just getting started or played a while, it’s just incredible and it’s good for the game. I think we’ve got a long way to go but I think all of these guys playing is definitely massively positive and incredible marketing and branding for the game of golf.”
– via Dick Harmon @ deseret.com



Smith said Danny Ainge has been a mentor and friend for 20 years and they play all the time. Some in the media might like to make something of that, now he’s the owner of an NBA franchise, but with Ainge, they were golfers and buddies before Smith ever thought of owning an NBA team.
– via Dick Harmon @ deseret.com