"You Gotta Love It Baby" Official Jazz thread

[MarkGrace]

This is how tall Sap is:

6' 6.25'' without shoes

6' 7.25'' with shoes

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

The saddest part is that the only time our interior looked respectable on defense was when Fes was in there.

He was the only guy out of the 4 we played between the 4/5 positions that looked like he could hold his ground, take up space, and disturb shots around the rim.

Is it too early to start looking at what bigs will be available with the Knicks pick next year?

[MarkGrace]

Is it too early to start looking at what bigs will be available with the Knicks pick next year?

Not at all. I just made a post about it on the Jazz board. In the way that last year was "the year of the PG," this year is supposed to be "the year of the power forward." Throw 2-3 C prospects that should go around the top 10 and you have a draft that looks very deep on bigs.

I'll dig that post up.

[Hot Lunch]

Not at all. I just made a post about it on the Jazz board. In the way that last year was "the year of the PG," this year is supposed to be "the year of the power forward." Throw 2-3 C prospects that should go around the top 10 and you have a draft that looks very deep on bigs.

I'll dig that post up.

Who are the top pro prospects this year? I don't follow college B-Ball like I do football.

[Hot Lunch]

Who are the top pro prospects this year? I don't follow college B-Ball like I do football.

Just found Chad Forde's top 20. There are a lot of big men in there.

[MarkGrace]

So last year many said the draft was the year of the PG, and we seem to have turned up a pretty decent one at the end of the 1st. It looks like PF's are all the rage in this class, and given that we have two first round picks, the plethora of big men out there this year could certainly shape what the Jazz decide to do for Boozer. Throw in two top C prospects in Aldrich and Alabi, and this class does look very deep on Bigs.

A recent article said the Jazz have several top-end prospects that they will track from day 1, and it makes you wonder if Boozer's future is determined in part by what they see.

If Boozer is moved (and I'm still not entirely certain that's the right move), ideally I would love for us to get our hands on a 20ppg scorer at the 2/3 -- a guy like Kevin Martin would be a dream. Then we go after a top flight 4 or 5 in this draft and try and get back in the mix in a couple of years.

Inside the College Game: Power Forwards Headline 2010 Draft Class
By Brian_Cerone
Wed, 10/21/2009 - 6:23am

College basketball is just around the corner and the same familiar names are all looking strong. The defending champs, North Carolina Tar Heels are looking like a very deep team despite losing three 1st round picks to the NBA, including ACC all-time leading scorer Tyler Hansbrough. 2008 national champs, Kansas Jayhawks should be one of the best teams in the country again, returning all their core players and adding one of the best high school players in the nation, Xavier Henry. Another prominent basketball school that should be putting themselves right back in the national spotlight is the Kentucky Wildcats. John Calipari is bringing in one of the best freshman classes college basketball has seen in a longtime to help during his debut season.

It seems like this could be the year of the power forward. Many teams are led by the play of their four-man, including almost all of the top teams. To start off the year, let’s take a look at who could be the top power forwards in the game:

Ed Davis, 6-10, Sophomore – North Carolina

Now with Hansbrough off to the Indiana Pacers, it is time for Davis to step right in and assume the star role. Last year, he was very efficient (51.8% from field) in limited minutes and showed plenty of signs to get Tar Heel fans excited for this upcoming season. Davis is long, athletic, and could end up being one of the best shot blockers in the nation when all is said and done, but we will find out soon in the year if he can be a consistent scoring option in the post for the defending champs.

Derrick Favors, 6-10, Freshman – Georgia Tech

Favors is an extremely hyped player from the state of Georgia who will step in and play big minutes immediately. He is an elite athlete and a great shot blocker. His frame (245 lbs) allows him to absorb contact and finish plays. Teamed up with Gani Lawal, the Yellow Jackets should greatly improve in the competitive ACC. Favors is most likely a one-and-done player. So, Jacket fans, enjoy Favors while you can.

Greg Monroe, 6-10, Sophomore - Georgetown

Monroe had a good freshman year despite the lack of team success. This year, he will be depended on to lead the Hoyas to the tourney and will need to become more selfish. His averages of 12.7 points and 6.5 rebounds should go up with the departure of Dajuan Summers to NBA. He has a unique set of skills for a big man, especially with is floor vision which works great in John Thompson III’s system because of all the back cuts. Monroe should emerge as one of the top players in the Big East this year.

Craig Brackins, 6-10, Junior – Iowa State

Craig BrackinsCraig Brackins Brackins is a highly skilled big man with nice post moves. He can also step out and make the midrange jumper, which makes him one of the toughest covers in college basketball. Brackins already was getting 20 ppg as a sophomore. This year comes even more responsibility and more touches (as well as defensive focus), which could result in a NCAA tournament berth for the Cyclones.

Larry Sanders, 6-10, Junior – Virginia Commonwealth

It won’t take Sanders long to show everyone that last year’s team wasn’t just 1st round pick Eric Maynor doing everything. Sanders established himself as one of the best shot blockers in the nation. He possesses an unconscionable 7-7 wingspan. Combined with a good vertical and sound timing, Sanders is one of the best paint defenders in the nation. This year it’s his team and everyone will know it early in the year.

Michael Washington, 6-10, Senior - Arkansas

Washington came out of nowhere last season. His scoring average jumped from 4.3 ppg to 15.5 ppg in his junior year. This year, he won’t surprise anyone, but should be one of the best players in the SEC. He is an excellent rebounder who seems to play better with contact. His offensive game is polished, with good post moves and a solid midrange jumper. The Razorbacks will go as far as Washington goes this upcoming season.

Patrick Patterson, 6-8, Junior – Kentucky

Patterson may lead the best frontcourt in the nation. Last year, he was all alone in the paint for the Wildcats, but did more than hold his own, averaging 18 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.1 blocks while shooting a very efficient .603 from the field. This year, with some help from the freshman class, Patterson won’t have to do everything, but don’t expect his production to go down. He already has an NBA body. The Wildcats are back in the national title hunt, and Patterson will lead them.

DeMarcus Cousins, 6-11, Freshman - Kentucky

Most of the help that Patterson will be receiving will be coming from freshman Cousins. He is a much hyped player, but comes in with other highly prized freshman, so the pressure won’t be there for him to produce immediately. Still, he should get lots of minutes and help anchor one of the biggest and top producing frontcourts in the nation. Offensively, he has good post moves, and can step beyond the arc and make a three. His combination of skills makes him a very difficult cover. Cousins will be loved in Kentucky once he gets his feet wet. It shouldn’t take too long.

Gani Lawal, 6-9, Junior – Georgia Tech

Lawal was one of the few bright spots for the young Yellow Jackets last year. He has all the physical tools that any basketball player could ask for. He is very strong, great vertical, and has a really high motor. If he develops a few ball skills, he could be trouble for opponents at the next level. This year should be different for Lawal because he’ll receive plenty of help from one of the top freshman in the game, Derrick Favors. The combination should have the Yellow Jackets playing in March.

Jarvis Varnado, 6-9, Senior - Mississippi State

Varnado is one of the best shot blockers in the nation, if not the best. Varnado blocked a ridiculous 4.7 shots per game last year. An absolute human eraser. He has the perfect length for a shot blocker and possesses great athleticism. He needs to add a few more pounds and a little bit more of an offensive game in order to become dominant on both ends of the court. But, in terms of an exciting player and game changer, there won’t be too many more than Varnado this year.

Europe's top two prospects Donatas Motiejunas and Jan Vesely also happen to be power forwards.

http://www.nbadraft.net/node/13630

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

Nice thanks Grace, I remember Favors. I would love that kid.

[Hot Lunch]

Thanks Grace.

[MarkGrace]

Nice thanks Grace, I remember Favors. I would love that kid.

Sure. I just looked at NBADraft.net and four of their top five are PF/C's. And then probably 7 of their top 10.

Hopefully NY really sucks this year. I'm guessing our own pick will be somewhere bordering on the lottery.

[MarkGrace]

Ford's prediction for the NY pick:

Mark (Charlotte)


How excited should Jazz fans be about the NY Knics 2010 Draft pick? How bad will the Knicks be?
Chad Ford
(1:50 PM)


Super excited. The Knicks won't be the worst team in the league, but the Jazz are going to get a Top 10 pick, probably Top 8 in what's looking to be a pretty deep draft next year.

NY sure looked terrible last year, and if this season starts to go bad for them, I could definitely see them shedding salary for the summer. Unfortunately there are some awful looking teams out there right now that could prevent NY from ending up as low in the standings as we want them to

[MarkGrace]

Ford is also talking about "the year of the big."

The 2010 NBA draft won't suffer from the same dour appraisals as the 2009 draft. In fact, with so many top underclassmen opting not to enter their names in '09, next year's draft could be one of the strongest in years, with several potential superstars and plenty of depth, particularly in the lottery.

If the 2009 draft was a gold mine full of point guards, the 2010 draft is rich in power forwards, with 11 ranked among the top 30 players. Add in another five centers and you can call next year's draft "Revenge of the Bigs."

Unfortunately for the teams that weren't able to snag a point guard in this year's draft, next year's point guard haul is pretty bad. This year, 10 point guards went in the first round. For next year, we have only four point guards projected as first-rounders.

But overall, here's why the class appears to be stronger than usual:

1. High-quality college returnees

A surprisingly large number of talented players decided to skip the '09 draft and return to college.

North Carolina's Ed Davis, Georgetown's Greg Monroe, Wake Forest's Al-Farouq Aminu, Oklahoma's Willie Warren, Kansas' Cole Aldrich, Ohio State's Evan Turner and Iowa State's Craig Brackins all had a chance to be lottery picks this year.

A few others, including Florida State's Solomon Alabi, West Virginia's Devin Ebanks, Kentucky's Patrick Patterson, Georgia Tech's Gani Lawal and Tulsa's Jerome Jordan likely would have been first-rounders had they decided to declare.

(Had players such as DaJuan Summers, Derrick Brown and Patrick Mills done the right thing and stayed in school, next year's draft class would be even deeper.)

In short, the prospective 2010 draft class is brimming with college players who look like they have a shot at being great.

2. Stronger freshmen class

In 2007, a record six freshmen -- Greg Oden, Kevin Durant, Mike Conley, Brandan Wright, Spencer Hawes and Thaddeus Young -- were drafted in the lottery.

In 2008, seven freshmen -- Derrick Rose, Michael Beasley, O.J. Mayo, Kevin Love, Eric Gordon, Jerryd Bayless and Anthony Randolph -- went in the lottery.

In 2009, just two college freshmen -- Tyreke Evans and DeMar DeRozan -- were drafted in the lottery, a huge drop.

For 2010, I'm projecting four incoming freshmen as lottery picks -- Kentucky's John Wall, Georgia Tech's Derrick Favors, North Carolina's John Henson and Kansas' Xavier Henry.

Several other freshmen, including Kentucky's DeMarcus Cousins, Texas' Avery Bradley and Florida's Kenny Boynton Jr., are possible first-rounders, though most scouts think they really need at least two years at the college level.

3. Pretty good international crop

Ricky Rubio was one of the faces of the 2009 draft, and the hottest international guard prospect ever. But besides Rubio, the international class was subpar. In the end, five international players went in the first round: Rubio, Victor Claver, Omri Casspi, Rodrigue Beaubois and Christian Eyenga. And only two of that group -- Rubio and Casspi -- are expected to play in the NBA next season.

In 2010, the talent is similar, with one potential star and several other interesting prospects. Lithuanian big man Donatas Motiejunas looks like a strong contender for the lottery. Czech big man Jan Vesely, Czech swingman Tomas Satoransky and Russian guard Alexey Shved all could be first-rounders.

On the whole, the 2010 draft class will probably be even better than it looks now. Some players whom we're not talking about yet will rise; they always do. Russell Westbrook, for example, wasn't in my top 50 two years ago. Ditto for Anthony Randolph.

As the Nike and ABCD camps and international tournaments get underway, look for further reports, including my stock watch.

To see how everyone stacks up, check out my 2010 Top 100.

Chad Ford covers the NBA for ESPN Insider.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/draft...Preview-090626

[MarkGrace]

I'm not missing Memo. Personally I'd really like to know what we have in Fes and Koof before this years draft, and they only way to do that is play them.

Both are showing positive signs tonight.

[MarkGrace]

Sap brings his A game late.

I really like Eric Gordon.

[YOhio]

Great throwdown by Price.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

Had you told me when I had the fever shakes and made my boys leave the trunk or treat, that the Jazz would cover I would have called you a silly goose.