"You Gotta Love It Baby" Official Jazz thread

[MarkGrace]

Biyombo has been playing in the highest euro league for a year and leads it in blocks, and it's not close. How is he as big of an unknown as Kanter?

As of two months ago, not a single one of us had heard of him and he wasn't even listed on draft boards. We don't even know the kid's age. How is he not as big of unknown?

[Jacob]

As of two months ago, not a single one of us had heard of him and he wasn't even listed on draft boards. We don't even know the kid's age. How is he not as big of unknown?

NBA teams have been scouting him for a year. No, I hadn't heard of him, but I hadn't heard of Kanter, or Veseley.

[MarkGrace]

NBA teams have been scouting him for a year. No, I hadn't heard of him, but I hadn't heard of Kanter, or Veseley.

I don't think any teams have been scouting him for a year, and if they have, it has to be an extremely limited number. Many saw him for the first time ever in Portland, and Ford says international scouts started following him in January of this year when he got promoted to the top league with his club.

Bismack Biyombo came out of nowhere to capture the hearts of NBA scouts and executives last weekend at the Nike Hoop Summit in Portland.

Apr 11 Update: Many of the scouts and GMs who came to Portland, Ore., made the trip just to get a good look at Biyombo. Over the course of the last month or so he's become one of the hottest names in the NBA draft, but only a handful of scouts and GMs had a good handle on who he was.

March 8 Update: International scouts have been quietly buzzing for the past month about Biyombo. He's one of the few ultra athletic players in Europe right now. He has the physical profile down and scouts claim that he's more polished than most players his age.

You hadn't heard of Kanter or Vesley as of two months ago? I find that hard to believe. Draft sites have been talking about them all year, and both have been on the NBA radar for years. There are entries on DE and NBAdraft.net about Kanter dating back to 2008 -- 2009 for Vesley. First mention on either site of Biyombo is April of this year. Ford had that small thing about him above in March, but that's the earliest he's mentioned anywhere and I don't think there's anyone better connected to what's going on internationally than Ford.

[Jacob]

You're right, they haven't been watching him for long. But he played 14 games in the highest euro league, so they have all that game film. So that reduces the unknown factor quite a bit, whereas Kanter hasn't played at all in a year.

[MarkGrace]

You're right, they haven't been watching him for long. But he played 14 games in the highest euro league, so they have all that game film. So that reduces the unknown factor quite a bit, whereas Kanter hasn't played at all in a year.

I definitely agree that it's nice to have some games at the level to evaluate. And even though that's not much, it's still better than nothing. But in the end, like I said earlier, in my mind he's still easily as big an unknown as Kanter. And the biggest question mark by far is still his age, which dramatically alters the narrative in this thing. If he's legitimately 18, then being as raw as he is and just jumping on the NBA radar now isn't as big a deal. If he's 22, I think it is a big deal and am staying far away because he's nothing more than the next DJ Mbenga.

[Jacob]

I definitely agree that it's nice to have some games at the level to evaluate. And even though that's not much, it's still better than nothing. But in the end, like I said earlier, in my mind he's still easily as big an unknown as Kanter. And the biggest question mark by far is still his age, which dramatically alters the narrative in this thing. If he's legitimately 18, then being as raw as he is and just jumping on the NBA radar now isn't as big a deal. If he's 22, I think it is a big deal and am staying far away because he's nothing more than the next DJ Mbenga.

Well, there won't be any way to prove his age, probably. So you either believe his story or not.

[BGRTHNUMEGO]

tribjazz
Tomic is available to join Jazz. Utah has to want him, though, and he has to want to come over. Likely lockout isn't helping situation.

tribjazz
Jazz's Perrin on Tomic: "We'd love to get him over, but it's his choice."

I wonder what kind of money the Jazz are talking about offering him. I sure hope they aren't trying to get him away from his contract in Europe with a typical low-ball 2nd round deal. I don't have any idea how good he could be in the NBA, but I can't imagine it not being worth paying him a late first round contract to see. The 30th pick this year will have a first year salary of about $1.052 M. I wonder if a deal starting at that figure with a team option on the back end would be enough to get Tomic over.

Also:

tribjazz
Jazz definitely plan to see Biyombo overseas.

[MarkGrace]

Also:

They should brings his ass over, even if there is a lockout, and get him working with a nutritionist and strength and conditioning coordinator. His skill level is already high and his age advanced, so it's not like he's going to miss out a huge amount of skill development if he doesn't play for the year. His body is the biggest thing that needs work and the lockout may provide a better opportunity than any to get that work in.

[BGRTHNUMEGO]

They should brings his @#!*% over, even if there is a lockout, and get him working with a nutritionist and strength and conditioning coordinator. His skill level is already high and his age advanced, so it's not like he's going to miss out a huge amount of skill development if he doesn't play for the year. His body is the biggest thing that needs work and the lockout may provide a better opportunity than any to get that work in.

I think another reason you've got to bring him over is because his trade value would go up. I don't have any idea if any other teams have watched him and would be interested, but they sure aren't going to offer much value in return for a guy that has already been in Europe this long without coming over if he then signs another 4 year deal with his team. But maybe if he comes over and joins the Jazz KOC would start to hear more from teams that like him and he could be grouped in a package to bring someone else in.

I wonder what pick he would have been this season if he'd been in the draft. Late lottery, but not higher because of his age?

[BGRTHNUMEGO]

Updated HoopsWorld mock says Kemba at 3 and K. Thompson at 12.

Vesely, Kanter, Knight, or Valanciunus should come off the board for Utah before Walker. It was funny to see Locke tweeting about watching a couple of Walker's games saying he never played PG and was about as interested in defense as Jimmer. And yet for some reason he enters the draft with far fewer questions about his transition to the NBA.

[BGRTHNUMEGO]

Jazz will get a late look at Marshon Brooks, coming in on June 20th. Jimmer does have a workout scheduled with Utah. Not sure if we know of any other prospects getting looks other than the trip to Europe.

http://thehoopsreport.com/workouts.aspx?action=Utah

[BGRTHNUMEGO]

Apologies for spamming this thread:

DraftExpress
NBA Combine medical examination results are slowly trickling out. We must proceed w/caution, but appears Enes Kanter's knee checked out fine

[MarkGrace]

Apologies for spamming this thread:

So did Greg Oden's. That shit still scares me. But I still want to hear a report of the actual injury. My level of concern could vary widely depending on the details.

[scottie]

Updated HoopsWorld mock says Kemba at 3 and K. Thompson at 12.

Where are you seeing that? The last mock I can find on their site is for May 27th: http://www.hoopsworld.com/the_draft/index.asp

[Jacob]

Where are you seeing that? The last mock I can find on their site is for May 27th: http://www.hoopsworld.com/the_draft/index.asp

He may have misreported the name of its sponsor:
http://thehoopsreport.com/draft.aspx

TheHoopsReport

But aren't DX and Ford the only mocks worth looking at?