Brian T. Smith: Jazz's Harris, Jefferson have formed a close friendship since Harris joined Utah on Feb. 23. Harris has also bonded with Corbin. Twitter
They do have worst team in the league potential, but I certainly don't think that's how they'll finish up. It will depend on health and the development of the 1st and 2nd year players. Favors looks ready to take the next step and hopefully Jefferson is out of the way by game 1.
They do have worst team in the league potential, but I certainly don't think that's how they'll finish up. It will depend on health and the development of the 1st and 2nd year players. Favors looks ready to take the next step and hopefully Jefferson is out of the way by game 1.
Worst team in the league potential? Hardly. Some of you guys are ridiculous.
Whatever, I mentioned that I didn't expect it to happen. However, if things went a little awry here or there, Utah could certainly be in that bottom 5. Their 2 best players are known for not making teams better, their 2-4 best young players may not be ready to contribute and their production from the 2/3 will be amongst the worst in the league most likely. They don't have a backup PG, Okur may not play and AK and Fesenko may be goners. Like or hate those last 2, without them this is likely the worst defensive team in the league. Harris is solid, but their D at the 2,3 and 4 is going to be AWFUL and possibly the 5 too unless Favors really gets it going.
I'm not saying we're going to be a playoff team, but I think we can sneak into the 8th seed, but that's just being optimistic, but it's crazy to think that we're going to be worse than Charlotte and Toronto.
Worst team in the league potential? Hardly. Some of you guys are ridiculous.
I'd call it realistic. Even before they gave their superstar away and Sloan skipped town they were struggling to make the playoffs. After that they were certainly in the running for worst team in the league. How do u see that changing?
Now they have the most unproven and understaffed coaching in the league including the worst lead assistant and no one to teach their young bigs.
They got even younger which doesn't generally lead to getting better. They have no proven stars which makes it hard to compete for the playoff spot in the west that you are talking about. They are loaded at one position with holes everywhere else.
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Their 2 best players are known for not making teams better
Millsap is the kind of guy any team would be lucky to have as far as I'm concerned.
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their 2-4 best young players may not be ready to contribute and their production from the 2/3 will be amongst the worst in the league most likely. They don't have a backup PG, Okur may not play and AK and Fesenko may be goners.
Okur and Fessenko being gone would be the good news. You forgot to mention their lack of a center.
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Like or hate those last 2, without them this is likely the worst defensive team in the league.
Fessenko is a defensive stopper? LOL!
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Harris is solid, but their D at the 2,3 and 4 is going to be AWFUL and possibly the 5 too unless Favors really gets it going.
I'm more interested to see if Corbin can bring anything from all of his other experiences in the league and do a better job of coaching D than Sloan did.
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it's crazy to think that we're going to be worse than Charlotte and Toronto.
They appear to be in the same place to me except that they get to play in the weaker east and Silas is a proven winner.
I was obviously talking about Jefferson and Harris when I said 2 best. That is up for debate, but not the point. Fesenko is factually a very good defender, sorry.
They have one of the best front courts in the league.
They do? Millsap and Jefferson didn't work together. What else do they have? AK who appears ready to bolt to Europe. A couple nice unproven prospects and a one dimensional and overpaid Okur who still has to show he can even get on the court. He's an expiring contract and nothing more right now. Fessenko should be done now with the two kids in place.
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They won't be the worst in the league, especially if the young guys improve at all.
Based on how they finished last year they very well could be. What have they done to improve their situation? They got younger. That usually isn't the way you get better. The young guys will improve but they got even younger.
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I was obviously talking about Jefferson and Harris when I said 2 best. That is up for debate
There's no debate as far as I'm concerned. Millsap is their best player far and away. All I've heard is how great Jefferson's post moves are and despite that Millsap was the far more effective offensive player despite not getting the touches that Jefferson did. Harris is on the downside of his career it appears and even Jefferson at 25 seems to have played his best ball. Millsap continues to improve. Put him next to a defensive center and watch him go.
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Fesenko is factually a very good defender, sorry.
No C?
He's the definition of stiff. He's not an NBA player. They have no center until someone proves otherwise. Maybe Favors or Kanter will? Jefferson, Okur, the stiff and a couple unproven prospects=no center in my book. Haven't had one since Tag and they weren't smart enough to even realize what they had there.
They do? Millsap and Jefferson didn't work together. What else do they have? AK who appears ready to bolt to Europe. A couple nice unproven prospects and a one dimensional and overpaid Okur who still has to show he can even get on the court. He's an expiring contract and nothing more right now. Fessenko should be done now with the two kids in place.
The people who didn't fit together were Sloan and Jefferson. He was unwilling to feed the ball to a guy who in all likelyhood wouldn't be able to make a great pass that Sloan needed to run his system.
So which front courts are better? Millsap is a 17-8 guy with really great defense and Jefferson was 22-11 after Sloan left. Then they have one of the best backups in Favors, who is already proven to be a great rebounder and defender. Kanter could be great or terrible, I don't know much about him, but either way that's undeniably one of the best front courts in the league
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Based on how they finished last year they very well could be. What have they done to improve their situation? They got younger. That usually isn't the way you get better. The young guys will improve but they got even younger.
Not really. They got 2 new draft picks is all, I wouldn't call that getting younger since they probably will be bench players this year anyway. And last year they finished with injuries, and a new coach.
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There's no debate as far as I'm concerned. Millsap is their best player far and away. All I've heard is how great Jefferson's post moves are and despite that Millsap was the far more effective offensive player despite not getting the touches that Jefferson did.
Sorry, that doesn't make a lot of sense. Jefferson went crazy after the all star break, and pretty much proved he was a lot better scorer then millsap.
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Harris is on the downside of his career it appears and even Jefferson at 25 seems to have played his best ball. Millsap continues to improve. Put him next to a defensive center and watch him go.
Harris should be gotten rid of. I don't like the guy at all, he doesn't bring anything to the table but transition offense.
The people who didn't fit together were Sloan and Jefferson. He was unwilling to feed the ball to a guy who in all likelyhood wouldn't be able to make a great pass that Sloan needed to run his system.
Criticizing the legend! Unheard of. Deron called the plays but yeah getting Jefferson with Millsap already there made little sense from the get go.
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So which front courts are better? Millsap is a 17-8 guy with really great defense and Jefferson was 22-11 after Sloan left.
But neither one is a center. I'll take any frontcourt with an actual defensive center rather he is a 22 11 guy anyday like Jordon and Griffin for example in LA off the top of my head. not To mention Kaman off the bench!
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Then they have one of the best backups in Favors, who is already proven to be a great rebounder and defender. Kanter could be great or terrible, I don't know much about him, but either way that's undeniably one of the best front courts in the league
Can they stop anyone from getting to the rim and stay out of each others way and mesh together?
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Not really. They got 2 new draft picks is all, I wouldn't call that getting younger since they probably will be bench players this year anyway. And last year they finished with injuries, and a new coach.
They did get younger and Burks could certainly be starting and maybe even Kanter. They will probably both be a big part of the rotation as Jerry isn't the coach anymore.
So this year they won't have injuries or they will be deeper to be able to play through them? They still have a new unproven head coach. Probably the most unqualified lead assistant in the league. Horny will be a good coach but another rookie and apparently not even with a contract and no one else.
Who is going to teach their young bigs the ropes other than their two 25 year old vets? Okur going to show them how to loaf and hang out at the 3 point line?
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Jefferson went crazy after the all star break, and pretty much proved he was a lot better scorer then millsap.
Millsap shot a much higher % and is a much more complete player. AJ is Boozer 2.0. Stats, a big contract and not a whole lot else.
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Harris should be gotten rid of. I don't like the guy at all, he doesn't bring anything to the table but transition offense.
I read that the reason the Jazz haven't hired any assistant coaches yet is because they don't want to pay them during a lockout. Seems typical. Wonder who'll be left by the time they get around to it.
Re: How good do you think we are next year?
