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  1. #751
    NBA Legend and Hall of Famer Xiao Yao You's Avatar
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    Default Re: Season of the tank!-2013-14 regular season

    [QUOTE]the picture for the Jazz is that they need a new coach. Not because the young players aren

  2. #752
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    Default Re: Season of the tank!-2013-14 regular season

    The Jazz, already the worst defensive team in the league, giving up 109 points per 100 possessions on the year, have seen their D drop off even more. Over its last eight games, a stretch with just one win, Utah’s defensive rating is a league-worst 116.3.

    And the offense isn’t keep pace, as the Jazz have the NBA’s worst net rating over that stretch: -14.2 per 100 possessions. In this stretch run, the Jazz have seen some positives. Gordon Hayward is averaging 18.4 points and shooting 42 percent over the last eight games. Enes Kanter is averaging a double-double. And Alec Burks is getting to the free throw line nearly eight times a game, en route to 16.8 points per contest.

    But there have been steep declines elsewhere over the last eight games:

    • Teams are outscoring the Jazz by 16.6 per 100 possessions with Burke on the floor.

    • Marvin Williams’ net rating has dropped from -5.6 on the year to -19.1 in this stretch.

    Following a blowout loss in Oakland, Calif., on Sunday, Jazz coach Ty Corbin took exception with his team’s body language — something he hasn’t done much this year.

    "I didn’t like it at the end. I thought the group at the very end came back and fought. When they made some shots we acted like we were a little defeated," he said. "We can’t afford to feel sorry for ourselves and not continue to fight, and I thought the group at the end, at least they came out and tried to execute and fight hard."

    "Guys get a little frustrated, as most young players do and young teams do," Jefferson added. "Veteran teams, they persevere and they push through. We have a young team and at times if they miss a few shots or the other team hits a few shots, they’re going to hang their heads. That’s just something you go through with a young team. But it changes as you get more mature and understand the game is a long process."

    The process may be long, but the season has just four games left.

    And Corbin expects his players to finish strong.

    "These guys aren’t going to quit, man," he said. "They understand where we are. They understand if we’re going to have any chance of being successful we have to stay together and work hard to do that. Even though we’ve gone through some adversity, they seem to come back and fight."

    afalk@sltrib.com
    Last edited by Xiao Yao You; 04-11-2014 at 05:59 PM.

  3. #753
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    Default Re: Season of the tank!-2013-14 regular season

    Jazz player net ratings

    Player rating based on team points scored vs. points allowed per 100 possessions while on the floor:

    Player Sea* L8**

    Alec Burks 7.5 -11.3

    Brandon Rush -12.3 7.9

    Derrick Favors -9.2 -9.9

    Diante Garrett -4.9 -10.4

    Enes Kanter -13 -15.4

    Gordon Hayward -8.4 -12

    Ian Clark 0.2 -30.9

    Jeremy Evans -7.5 -17.2

    John Lucas III -16.5 -10.2

    Malcolm Thomas -30.9 -51.5

    Marvin Williams -5.6 -19.1

    Richard Jefferson -10.4 -13.4

    Rudy Gobert -2.4 2.7

    Trey Burke -7.3 -16.6

    *Season **Last 8 games
    Burks the only one positive on the year!

  4. #754
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    Default Re: Season of the tank!-2013-14 regular season

    Jabari Parker Expects Draft Decision After Meeting Coach K

    Apr 11, 2014 5:35 PM EDT

    Jabari Parker said he expects to make a decision by next Tuesday or Wednesday on whether he will enter the June NBA Draft.

    Parker plans to meet Mike Krzyzewski to make his decision.

    "It's a very tough decision especially potentially leaving behind my coach and the program that really helped me out this year, so I really have to keep them in consideration in this whole process," Parker said on Friday.

    Parker does not view returning for his sophomore season at Duke as risky.

    "I think there's no risk," Parker said. "I think the community at Duke has really done a good job of taking care of my safety and they make sure that everything is done by the playbook. My parents, they come from different backgrounds. They don't even value money. My situation isn't the best, but they're not complaining and I've been going on this long so why can't I wait another year? That's the mindset in my head that keeps me moving."

    Via ESPN

  5. #755
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    Default Re: Season of the tank!-2013-14 regular season

    Alex Kirk Leaves New Mexico For NBA Draft
    Apr 11, 2014 3:46 PM EDT

    Alex Kirk has left New Mexico to declare for the 2014 NBA Draft.

    Kirk, a seven-foot redshirt junior, averaged 13.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocks in 32.0 minutes per game this season.

    Via Jeff Borzello/CBS Sports
    likely undrafted

  6. #756
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    Default Re: Season of the tank!-2013-14 regular season

    [QUOTE]The Mavericks

  7. #757
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    Default Re: Season of the tank!-2013-14 regular season

    Kanter registered his 21st double-double of the season. He is second on the team in that category behind Favors, who has 23
    mostly off the bench

  8. #758
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    Default Re: Season of the tank!-2013-14 regular season

    [QUOTE]We finally got to see the young 5 starting together and playing together. It last a grand total of 3:36 before Favors committed his 2nd foul and had to go out of the game.

    They ended up playing 17 minutes in the game. They were outscored 37-36. They scored at a rate of 113 pts per 100 possessions but allowed at a rate of 112 per 100 possessions. The offensive rebounding rate was 44% which is consistent with the level of rebounding they have had as a 5 man group all season. However, that is not sustainable. The Jazz only allowed the Blazers to shot 10 of 25 when this line-up was on the floor but they fouled way too much allowing the Blazers to go to the line for 15 of 18 from the line.

    The line-up played with pace and had an energy level we haven

  9. #759
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    Default Re: Season of the tank!-2013-14 regular season

    [QUOTE]The lineup played 17 minutes together and was outscored by 1 point. In those 17 minutes, the group shot 46.9% (15-32), including 3-7 from three, accumulated 16 rebounds, garnered 11 assists, and turned the ball over 5 times. Somewhat worryingly, they drew only 3 fouls while committing 11 against Portland. All in all, though, that

  10. #760
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    Default Re: Season of the tank!-2013-14 regular season

    of 125 rotation guards in the league this season, Burke ranks dead last in Defensive Rating (points against per-100-possessions while a player is on the court) according to NBA.com.2 The Jazz have been nearly five points-per-100 better when he leaves the court, the largest drop-off for any regular rotation player on the team besides Enes Kanter.
    No where to go but up! With Enes and Burke it's hard to imagine them becoming a defensive team.

    [QUOTE]The reasons for this are varied, with some tying back in to his pre-draft forecast. Burke isn

  11. #761
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    Default Re: Season of the tank!-2013-14 regular season

    [QUOTE]

  12. #762
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    Default Re: Season of the tank!-2013-14 regular season

    As it currently stands, the Jazz have the fourth-worst record in the league. Utah, loser of four straight, is 24-56 with two games remaining in the 2013-14 season. Milwaukee is sitting at the bottom of the NBA at 15-65, followed by Philadelphia (17-63) and Orlando (23-57).

    Boston, which has actually won two in a row, and the Lakers, losers of seven straight, are nipping at the Jazz’s heels with 25-55 records.

    Which brings us back to this Monday night marquee matchup.

    One team (the winner) will boost its pride.

    One team (the loser) will boost the amount of pingpong balls it gets on May 20 when the NBA determines its drafting order for the first 14 selections.

    The team with the league’s worst record (the Bucks) will have a 25 percent chance of winning the top pick, the second-worst has a 19.9 percent chance and the third-worst has 15.6 percent.

    The Jazz will fall somewhere between fourth (11.9 percent), fifth (8.8 percent) and sixth (6.3 percent).
    Looks like they could still be third but unlikely.

    If this draft really is five deep when it comes to superstar potential — Joel Embiid, Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker (if he enters), Dante Exum and Julius Randle — dropping to the No. 6 spot would put the Jazz in an unenviable predicament.

    The Jazz have beaten the Lakers in two of three meetings so far this season, so a Utah win would give L.A. the lottery tiebreaker. A Jazz loss would make it a two-team battle (with Boston) for the fourth spot.

    Utah wraps up the season in Minnesota on Wednesday, while the injury-plagued Lakers end that night at San Antonio. The Celtics play at Philly on Monday and host the Wizards on Wednesday.

    It’s worth noting that the Jazz will also have the Warriors’ first-round pick, which is currently in the 23rd spot. Utah picked up that asset — and a 2017 first-round selection — last summer by trading for Richard Jefferson, Andris Biedrins and Brandon Rush.

    Pride and/or pingpong balls aren’t the only thing on the line for this game.

    The Jazz need one more win to avoid ending up tied with the first team in the Beehive State for the worst record in the franchise’s 35-year Utah era. That 1979-80 squad, led by Adrian Dantley and Pete Maravich (for 17 games), finished that campaign at 24-58.

    The Jazz have only finished with fewer than 30 wins three times since then. Utah was 25-57 in 1981-82 when Frank Layden replaced Tom Nissalke as head coach during the season; 26-56 in 2004-05 when Carlos Boozer and Andrei Kirilenko had injury-plagued seasons; and 28-54 in 1980-81 despite big seasons by Dantley (30.7 ppg) and Darrell Griffith (20.6 ppg).
    My first year following them. Right back where it all began!

    Monday's home-finale could also be the final time Tyrone Corbin coaches the Jazz team in Utah. His contract is up after this season, and management hasn’t made an indication of whether it will re-up the longtime Jazzman, who has had a variety of challenges and mix-and-match rosters since replacing Hall of Famer Jerry Sloan midway in February 2011.

    Although Utah wants him back, it’s possible this could be the final time shooting guard Gordon Hayward suits up in a Jazz uniform at EnergySolutions Arena. The team’s leading scorer becomes a restricted free agent this offseason.

    Veterans Richard Jefferson, Marvin Williams and Brandon Rush will also potentially be wearing Jazz uniforms for the final time at ESA. They’ll all be free agents this summer.

    Trey Burke, Alec Burks, Jeremy Evans, Derrick Favors, Rudy Gobert and Enes Kanter are the only players with guaranteed contracts with the Jazz for next season.

    EMAIL: jody@desnews.com

    TWITTER: DJJazzyJody

  13. #763
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    Default Re: Season of the tank!-2013-14 regular season

    Trey Burke has taken care of the ball all season long. He doled out eight assists in 38 turnover-less minutes Saturday, the third consecutive game without a miscue. In fact, Burke has now played 130 consecutive minutes (dating back to the third quarter against the Golden State Warriors) sans a turnover, while handing out 31 assists during that span.
    That is impressive!

    [QUOTE]- Only six players on Denver

  14. #764
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    Default Re: Season of the tank!-2013-14 regular season

    Hayward and former WNBA great Tina Thompson will coach young hopefuls trying to become Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA All-Stars during the Philippines 2014 national training camp.

    The camp, sponsored by the NBA

  15. #765
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    Default Re: Season of the tank!-2013-14 regular season

    The case of Hayward is … curious. The Jazz were hoping he’d be more than he is.
    Why I'm not sure?

    As mentioned, he was on the floor more than any other player and was asked to do more, probably too much. He’s led the team in scoring — averaging 16 points — and got 5.2 assists, along with five rebounds. But he also turned the ball over the most — 2.7 times a game — and shot 41 percent, 31 percent from three. In each of his four seasons in the league, as Hayward has squeezed off more attempts, his shooting percentage has dropped, from 48 percent to 45 percent to 43 percent to this year’s low.

    He’s taking too many shots outside his range, and he’s making bad decisions as to when to fire away in traffic. Hayward can still be a fine player. He might even become a fringe all-star. But the load of carrying a team is too much. He’d make a terrific third-option on a contending team.

    Favors is the closest thing the Jazz have to an emerging elite player.
    He is? Burks does to me. Kanter offensively. Favors defensively. Hayward all-around. Burke a lot to work on.

    His defense has always been his priority, and he could become a great rim protector. He averaged 1.4 blocks this season — that number will go higher — and he also averaged 13.2 points and 8.7 boards. At the offensive end, the Jazz should have gone to Favors more this season because he already improved enough to make nearly 52 percent of his shots. Still, he ranked only fifth in attempts. He has to get the ball more and he must hit more than 67 percent of his free throws.
    That's not a bad FT % for a big.

    Burks showed the most improvement, doubling his scoring — to 14 points — and making 46 percent of his shots, despite ratcheting into the ionosphere their degree of difficulty.

    His aggression at the offensive end rewarded him with more trips to the line than any other Jazz player. He made 75 percent. It will be interesting to see how the Jazz use Burks moving forward. Do they see him as a trusted go-to guy from hip to hop, or as a kind of mercurial, situational force off the bench?
    Could depend on the draft, G and Burks own contact.

    Kanter should have played more this season. It was wasteful that he didn’t. In his 26 minutes, the Jazz player who benefits more than any other from his time put up 12.1 points and hauled down 7.3 rebounds. He’s a gifted offensive presence, with evolving moves and a soft touch. His defense at times was a laugh a minute, but Kanter is capable of a better effort there than he showed. He needs strong coaching and court time. He’s a unique talent the Jazz should make more use of or trade for whatever it is they’re looking for.
    Trade looks likely.

    Either way, the forceful fact remains.

    The Jazz have young players all around who can be good, a couple who can grow to be real good. But they still need what they don’t have: a player who somewhere in his bones can be great. With luck, and a few more losses, maybe they’ll get him from the only place they ever could, from the place this season was always — or always should have been — about.

    Yeah, you know where.

    GORDON MONSON hosts "The Big Show" with Spence Checketts weekdays from 3-7 p.m. on 97.5 FM/1280 and 960 AM The Zone. Twitter: @GordonMonson.

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