2023 Pre=season

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50741515...ting-backcourt

Now, that thinking will fall on a lot of different players. There are five guards who will be in play to start as the lead ball handler for the Jazz at the start of camp: Collin Sexton, Talen Horton-Tucker, Kris Dunn, Jordan Clarkson and Keyonte George.

Not Juzang? As funny as that is I'd certainly rather have him with the ball than The Bum. To think anyone could think he's a 1 or even good is hard to fathom

Sexton is a lighting bolt with the ball with decent shooting numbers, but he hasn't consistently flashed the traditional point-guard-like set-up abilities.

I thought he did last year. Conley taught him a lot

Clarkson made a huge jump in playmaking as a starter last season, and at 31, he's still a one-on-one maestro.

Yeah a real maestro. Dribble for 20 seconds while ignoring the other 4 guys on the floor with you, throwing up a prayer and a brick.

Dunn is coming off the best six weeks of his NBA career, and is the most traditional point guard on the team. In his 22 games with the Jazz, he averaged 13.2 points, 5.6 assists and 4.5 rebounds, and shot 47% from deep. If that is at all sustainable, he'll be in the mix for a bigger role.

we'll see if he even makes the team. George has to play. You'd think Sexton has to play. They'd probably like to showcase him and Talen for a trade anyway

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/505435/hardy-d...ded-backcourt/

Luckily for the Jazz, Kelly Olynyk’s versatility off the bench should allow him to play next to both Kessler and Collins interchangeably at the power forward or center positions while maximizing Markkanen at small forward.

Olynyk is more of a 3 than any of them at least offensively. None of them are on D which is where their problems were last year

With that resume, it’s probably safe to assume he’ll fill one starting spot for the Jazz in the backcourt, but will mostly likely operate off the ball.

there's a plan. The worst shooter off the ball. Give him the ball and no one else will see it again. Why is he in the league?

“But again we’ve got to make sure that it’s within a team construct and that individual motives are good and powerful and we need to lean into hose, but we also have to remember that we have 82 games coming and we’re all wearing the same jersey.”

and yet The Bum is still on the team!

[Xiao Yao You]

https://saltcityhoops.com/top-unansw...g-camp-starts/

First, there’s Collin Sexton. Prior to coming to Utah, Sexton had started 208 of a possible 218 NBA games. then last season with the Jazz, he only started 15 of a possible 48 games, mostly a function of Mike Conley being on the roster. All of his starts came when Conley was either injured or after his trade. So with Sexton the question is whether the Jazz view him as a starter for them going forward, or if they prefer him being instant offense off the bench. That said, we know his preference. In an interview with Tony Jones this summer, he said, “I want to be able to try and take over the point guard role. I want to show them that I can run the show… I think this season is going to be fun.”

sounds like they see him as a trade piece like much of the roster especially after drafting George

The next common choice I’ve seen is Jordan Clarkson, who had the best season of his career last year, posting careers highs in points (20.8), assists (4.4), and rebounds (4.0). Throughout much of his career, including his time with the Jazz, Clarkson has thrived in the sixth man role, evening winning Sixth Man of the Year during the 2020-21 season. Last season, Clarkson started all 61 games he appeared in and thrived in the role as he was given more control of the offense. As the NBA has transitioned away from the John Stockton point guard prototype, Clarkson has been able to easier make the transition from shoot first bench player, to lead ball handling guard under coach Will Hardy.

him off the bench until they trade him seems like the easiest decision. Maybe when he's paired with George and their future doesn't touch the ball they will finally get rid of The Bum

Three more players that have legitimate arguments. Talen Horton-Tucker averaged 18 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds as a starter for the Jazz last season, and is still somehow only 22 — younger than Ochai Agbaji. Kris Dunn revitalized his career with the Jazz late last season and averaged 13.2 points, 5.6 assists and 4.1 rebounds, while also playing suffocating perimeter defense. Then finally, they could throw rookie Keyonte George into the deep end as the opening day starter. If he shows the ability to play at a high level during training camp and preseason, they could decide to just turn over the reigns sooner rather than later.

I'd be shocked if he's starting right away. Also be shocked if he's not the back-up and starting by the trade deadline

Most are in allignment in believe the starting frontcourt will be Walker Kessler, John Collins, and Markkanen. Outside of that starting lineup, we will most likely see Markkanen slide to play the center or power forward position. From there, we will probably see Agbaji handle minutes as a small forward and he’ll be paired with players like Sexton and Clarkson in the backcourt. Agbaji can’t handle all those minutes though, and there is a good chance we are going to see consistent minutes from one of Fontecchio, Samanic, or, depending on health and what we see from them during the pre-season, this is where both Taylor Hendricks or Brice Sensabaugh could find a way to regular rotation minutes early.

why can't Agbaji handle them if Lauri is playing most of them? Hendricks I expect to see in the mix. Doubt Brice plays much until later in the year

We’ve only seen Keyonte play, and he absolutely dominated during the Summer League. After a slow start to the SLC portion, he found his way to averages of 16.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists. Then in the first two games in Vegas, he put up 29.5 points and 8.5 assists, while shooting 53.8 percent from the field and 44 percent from three before injuring his ankle. We already know from the first question asked that point guard is a major question mark for the Jazz this season. That isn’t because of a lack of talent at the position though. They may not have a clear cut star, but they are very deep at the position with Sexton, Clarkson, THT, Dunn and George. With so much proven talent available to run the show, it wouldn’t be shocking for Hardy to feel more comfortable bringing Keyonte along slowing and perhaps even given him time with the SLC Stars.

looked too good for the Stars

Hendricks and Sensabaugh are harder to project since they both missed the Summer League due to injuries. Hendricks has been fully cleared and arrived in Utah weeks ago to begin working out at the Jazz facility. As excited as fans are for Keyonte based on what he showed in summer league, it’s important to remember that Hendricks was the Top 10 pick in this years draft for a reason. He has a rare combination of size, length, elite athleticism, and the ability to shoot from three. His biggest area of opportunity is his handle, which might limit his opportunity. Between Markkanen, Kessler, Collins, Kelly Olynyk, and even a player like Omer Yurtseven, playing time at the center and power forward spots is going to be hard to come by. With his shooting and foot speed, small forward would be his opportunity at playing time, but unless he can show an improved ability to handle the ball, the Jazz may wait for him to develop further before putting him in that role.

I'd think he's an energy guy off the bench right away

Enter Sensabaugh. Despite being a late first round pick for the Jazz, he may have the clearest path to playing time if he is fully recovered from his knee injury. If not for hurting his knee and needing surgury, he was originally projected to be selected in the teens. At 6’6″ and 235 pounds, he has the prototypical size to be a small forward who could even handle guarding most of the power forwards in todays NBA. He was also viewed as one of the best shooters in the draft, which is a skill that should translate immediately and could greatly benefit the spacing for this team. The biggest question mark for Sensabaugh will be his ability to play defense on the wing. He can handle the strength of the NBA, but can he consistently stay in front of some of the faster guards and wings in the league, especially as he returns from a knee injury.

sounds like the Jazz want to work on his body probably so he can guard the wing

[Xiao Yao You]

https://fansided.com/posts/3-outside...r-jrue-holiday

No. 3 outside-the-box Jrue Holiday trade suitor: Minnesota Timberwolves

I like it though Conley and Gobert have great chemistry. Conley could make a lot of sense as a mentor with Portland too at least to start the year

[Xiao Yao You]

https://thejnotes.com/2023/09/29/dam...ovan-mitchell/

Sure, Mitchell and Gobert were younger, but Lillard for the most part is better. And all three trades carried with it an inherent window. With Lillard, it was aging out, but with Gobert and Mitchell, it was contracts (and age to a lesser extent for Gobert).

he's better than Mitchell. Not sure he's had the impact Gobert has

[Xiao Yao You]

Alex Kennedy: The Salt Lake City Stars (the Utah Jazz’s G League affiliate) recently worked out free agents Isaiah Lewis, Mike Bibby Jr., Vance Jackson and Christian Bishop among others, per a league source.
– via Twitter AlexKennedyNBA

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50742000...s-into-minutes

George was a revelation during summer league, but how will he look against NBA players? Plus, he and Sensabaugh are part of a crowded backcourt that features Collin Sexton, Jordan Clarkson, Talen Horton-Tucker, Kris Dunn and Agbaji.

is Sensabaugh part of the backcourt at 235? Sounds like maybe they want him to be?

The second-year coach is a believer that time has to be earned. He doesn't think it's good for a player's development to just give away minutes just because a player was a lottery pick or is considered the "future." So if the rookies play rotation minutes early, it's a sign the team thinks they can contribute to winning.

the way it should be. But how does The Bum earn any minutes with his awful play?

[Xiao Yao You]

https://saltcityhoops.com/olynyks-im...esent-choices/

He arrived to a somewhat rocky reception, as some fans were underwhelmed with the trade that brought him to the mountains. In addition to the desire to play with some order, Utah also knew the roster was unbalanced, with a ton of guards and perimeter players, but not a lot of proven talent in the middle. The offers they were fielding for Bojan Bogdanovic weren’t yielding unencumbered firsts anyway, so they made a deal that would reduce salary commitments and address a positional need. But fan excitement over the Bogey-Olynyk swap was tepid at best.

brings a lot more to the table than the highly overrated Bojan. The guy can score. Did little else

Then there’s the other reality: at some point, it might just be time for the Jazz to get on with their future. Collins is 26 and has at least two more years on his deal, and Kessler is just one year into a 6- to 7-year period of team control. Both those guys are way more likely to be part of Utah’s next contending roster than 32-year-old Olynyk.

plus the rooks, Samanic and Yuretsan

[Xiao Yao You]

Dallas Mavericks guard Dante Exum stated that if his career leads him back to Europe one day, then his former team Partizan Belgrade will likely be the only club that he’ll consider signing with. Let me say right now, if I ever return to Europe, Partizan is the first option, and probably the only one,” Exum said to Mozzart Sport.

– via EuroHoops.net

are you good enough to be picky?

[Xiao Yao You]

Here are the players listed on the Jazz training camp roster:


Ochai Agbaji – Guard – Kansas
Jordan Clarkson – Guard – Missouri
John Collins – Forward/Center – Wake Forest
Kris Dunn – Guard – Providence
Simone Fontecchio – Forward – Italy
Keyonte George – Guard – Baylor*
Joey Hauser – Forward – Michigan State*
Taylor Hendricks – Forward – UCF*
Talen Horton-Tucker – Guard – Iowa State

Johnny Juzang – Guard – UCLA (Two-way player)
Walker Kessler – Center – Auburn

Taevion Kinsey – Guard/Forward – Marshall*
Romeo Langford – Guard/Forward – Indiana
Lauri Markkanen – Forward – Arizona
Kelly Olynyk – Forward/Center – Gonzaga
Nick Ongenda – Center – DePaul*
Micah Potter – Forward – Wisconsin (Two-way player)
Luka Šamanić – Forward – Croatia
Brice Sensabaugh – Guard/Forward – Ohio State*
Collin Sexton – Guard – Alabama
Ömer Yurtseven – Center – Georgetown

a few guys from summer league filling out the roster. Probably all on Exhibit 10's and headed for the Stars but obviously their is flexibility to add guys with their partial and non guaranteed deals. Looks like 1 of those guys will have to go anyway. Yurtseven, Samanic or Dunn

[Xiao Yao You]

Andy Larsen: At Jazz media day, Keyonte George says he’s set a goal for himself this season: Rookie of the Year.

– via Twitter andyblarsen

He looked like one of the best in summer league but unless he's starting it will be tough. Some thought Kessler was the best last year though he came off the bench most of the year

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/505638/jazz-20...odds-and-ends/

“Weight-wise, I’m probably like 255 now, I don’t know what it was last year, but I feel a lot stronger,” Kessler noted. “Jumping, I won’t say a lot higher but I can feel I’m more explosive for sure. Part of this is growing up and maturing.”

definitely needed to get stronger as long as it doesn't slow him down. Need to see him guard in space still

“He became my main coach playing in Boston,” Langford said of Hardy. “We always had one coach we went to, so at first it was Joe Mazzulla, but then with the coaching staff switch it became Will, so we became close on and off the floor.

interesting

[Xiao Yao You]

https://kslsports.com/505609/all-thr...ficult-summer/

The rookie has drawn praise for his activity and shot-making during open gym workouts with the Jazz, mirroring his contributions as a breakout one-and-done star in college.

I'm thinking at least some of what Vanderbilt brought with energy at least early

“I’ve been able to talk to Collin [Sexton], Talen [Horton-Tucker], and even KD — Kris Dunn,” George said. “Collin has been telling me to stay in attack mode, he stays in attack mode the whole time.”

as long as you don't listen to The Bum!

Finally, George noted he’s already begun film work with Dunn, even before their first preseason game.

“He’s been defending at a high level for a very long time, and that’s what he’s great at.” George recognized. “Even looking at the film from open gym, seeing how he can guard me see and how he is at times pushing me off my line.”

He can certainly teach you a lot about defending and running the offense!

[Xiao Yao You]

https://www.deseret.com/2023/10/2/23...up-experiences

Jordan Clarkson’s last two years with the Philippine national team have helped him grow as a leader and playmaker, and he has credited his recent success as a passer in part to the role he plays for the Philippines.

let's just call him Stock!

[Xiao Yao You]

https://saltcityhoops.com/quotable-f...rom-media-day/

Knowing it’ll be no small task, George has already locked in by looking at the film and getting his perspective focused. “I’m looking at what the team did last year, looking at what Mike did, to see how he was able to get guys shots. At some point, I’ll be able to gain that trust and be able to lead this team in a way and continue to make winning plays,” George said.

the description of the guy coming into the draft sounded Bum like so to hear he's learning from Conley and Dunn instead is very exciting!

“We’re going to try to put something on the floor every night that represents this community and his fan base. Like I promised you last year, I promise this team will play hard and will compete every single night. As a staff, we aim to figure out how this group best fits together. There will be conversations about building on last year, or building toward the future.”

I loved that they played hard and unselfishly(outside the Bum anyway)