"You Gotta Love It Baby" Official Jazz thread

[Hot Lunch]

I'm pretty excited about the kid. If they made this deal without giving up his rights, I agree, it's a nice get.

I will be really excited if they pull this off without giving up Tomic. In 2011/2012 a front court of Jefferson and Tomic gets me excited or in the words of our dear friend Goatnapper, "gets my nipples hard".

[MarkGrace]

I will be really excited if they pull this off without giving up Tomic. In 2011/2012 a front court of Jefferson and Tomic gets me excited or in the words of our dear friend Goatnapper, "gets my nipples hard".

Plus you have an extremely productive Sap still making under 7mm that year. That frontline could put together some great combinations.

[BGRTHNUMEGO]

My assumption has always been that Utah would use either the trade exception OR AK's expiring deal, but not both. I'd be shocked if they don't just let AK's contract expire now; pleasantly shocked, but shocked nonetheless.

[Hot Lunch]

Plus you have an extremely productive Sap still making under 7mm that year. That frontline could put together some great combinations.

Use the AK money coming off the books for a good scoring 2 or 3 and damn that is nice team and hopefully it will be good enough to keep D-Will around. I will just punt this season and get excited for 2011/2012.

[Color Me Badd Fan]

Great get by the Jazz if it happens. Is 25 year old Al Jefferson really that much of a downgrade over soon to be 29 year old Boozer? Jefferson averaged a 23 and 11 season before he blew out his knee and he still had a decent year last year coming back from the knee injury.

[Blueintheface]

Does this move definitively mean Wes is a Blazer or does it have no bearing on their decision? I'd like to think it means they aren't matching but the Jazz are currently (and always) short at the two. I thought I heard tonight that the Lakers were considering dedicating the remainder of their mid-level to RaJa Bell, some $1.8MM. why couldn't the Jazz just offer $2 and free Heber Creeper passes? Seems reasonable and might keep Greg out of the red.

[MarkGrace]

Does this move definitively mean Wes is a Blazer or does it have no bearing on their decision? I'd like to think it means they aren't matching but the Jazz are currently (and always) short at the two. I thought I heard tonight that the Lakers were considering dedicating the remainder of their mid-level to RaJa Bell, some $1.8MM. why couldn't the Jazz just offer $2 and free Heber Creeper passes? Seems reasonable and might keep Greg out of the red.

I think it means they are very unlikely to match on Wes. They'll likely commit to CJ and Hayward at the 2, with both playing some backing up AK, and then fill in with someone cheap.

[Blueintheface]

I think it means they are very unlikely to match on Wes. They'll likely commit to CJ and Hayward at the 2, with both playing some backing up AK, and then fill in with someone cheap.

Maybe get lucky and find another Wesley Mathews, eh. I just think it's asking a lot to have two physically weaker guys playing the two, one a rookie. Having said that, and assuming Al is on his way, I think this summer has already surpassed my low expectations in moving this team in the right direction in a post-Boozer world. And the summer isn't over yet.

[Jacob]

Finally a bit of good news. At worst, the Jazz are the same team they were last year. At best, they are a bit better because Boozer is gone and Jefferson can't be as worthless on defense. Jefferson is 1 inch taller than Booz. Not exactly the length we were dreaming of. Still need that long defensive help in the post. But there's virtually no chance we sign another post player this summer.

I haven't watched much Jefferson, but according to 82games, he shoots more jump shots than Boozer. Here's to hoping for a quick Memo recovery to be shortly followed by a trade for some post defense, like a trade to GS for Biedrins.

[fusnik]

I like the move. Hope this signals the madness of Wes' contract.

They are still a couple pieces from being elite.

[Blueintheface]

They are still a couple pieces from being elite.

This is the Jazz mantra and always has been unfortunately. I just look for them to remain competitive without mortgaging their future. Shore up the team, work to retain D-Will, and make a smooth coaching transition when Sloan retires after next season and all will be well. And by well I mean making the playoffs each and every season.

[Donuthole]

Finally a bit of good news. At worst, the Jazz are the same team they were last year. At best, they are a bit better because Boozer is gone and Jefferson can't be as worthless on defense. Jefferson is 1 inch taller than Booz. Not exactly the length we were dreaming of. Still need that long defensive help in the post. But there's virtually no chance we sign another post player this summer.

I haven't watched much Jefferson, but according to 82games, he shoots more jump shots than Boozer. Here's to hoping for a quick Memo recovery to be shortly followed by a trade for some post defense, like a trade to GS for Biedrins.

Don't sell Al Jeff's size short. He may only be an inch taller than Boozer, but his standing reach is pretty respectable (9'-2"). Compare that with some of the taller bigs in the league:

Bogut: 9'-2.5"
Bosh: 9'-1"
Bynum: 9'-4"
B. Lopez: 9'-5"
J. Noah: 8'-10.5"
Oden: 9'-4"
Okafor: 9'-2.5"

[Jarid in Cedar]

Does this move definitively mean Wes is a Blazer or does it have no bearing on their decision? I'd like to think it means they aren't matching but the Jazz are currently (and always) short at the two. I thought I heard tonight that the Lakers were considering dedicating the remainder of their mid-level to RaJa Bell, some $1.8MM. why couldn't the Jazz just offer $2 and free Heber Creeper passes? Seems reasonable and might keep Greg out of the red.

I am going to wait to hear SloanHater's view on this before commenting.

[Jacob]

Don't sell Al Jeff's size short. He may only be an inch taller than Boozer, but his standing reach is pretty respectable (9'-2"). Compare that with some of the taller bigs in the league:

Bogut: 9'-2.5"
Bosh: 9'-1"
Bynum: 9'-4"
B. Lopez: 9'-5"
J. Noah: 8'-10.5"
Oden: 9'-4"
Okafor: 9'-2.5"

So his standing reach is 1.5" higher than Boozer's. Maybe that matters a little. Much more telling is the fact that he actually blocks some shots, which Boozer never did. This probably means he plays more help defense. Hell, if he plays just a little help defense, it will be a tremendous improvement.

[BGRTHNUMEGO]

Al Jefferson's career path had been nothing short of stellar until the knee injury. He came directly out of high school, but it isn't as if he came from Oak Hill. He played for a public high school in Prentiss, MS. The competition he played against was less than stellar. He was viewed as a huge project because of that.

Yet in only his 3rd season in the league, he averaged 16 and 10. It was also the first year he got more than 30 mpg. The next season he was at 21 and 11, the next 23 and 11 before getting injured. Garnett didn't get to 20 and 10 until his 4th season in the league either, even though he'd played 38 and 39 mpg the previous two years, respectively. Jermaine O'Neal took a while longer to hit his stride as a big out of HS. His career PER is 20.3, compared to Boozer's 20.8, even though Jefferson didn't have 3 years of seasoning in college.

Jefferson was on his way to being extremely productive and efficient for a long time before the injury. And it isn't too shabby to come back from a significant knee injury that happened in February to average 17 and 9 in the next season. I feel good about what a healthy Jefferson being moved to a competitive team for the first time in his career could mean, especially if some of the added weight he's been carrying is just leftover from injury and can be lost.