"You Gotta Love It Baby" Official Jazz thread

[smokymountainrain]

Dan Patrick talking to Mark Jackson on the possibility about Pau Gasol to Minnesota for #2 pick and Kevin Love? Minnesota is probably stupid enough to do that trade

That would be a bigger heist than the infamous trade with Memphis.

[smokymountainrain]

Alright, what are your predictions?

I say Knight @ #3 and Singleton @#12

Same. I'm fine with Knight, not so much with Singleton.

[Jacob]

That would be a bigger heist than the infamous trade with Memphis.

The difference here is that Minny has no incentive to dump Love's low salary to take on Pau's big salary. That's a 13M difference this year. Minny also doesn't have any bad salaries to dump on LA (except Darko at 4m).

Minnesota probably wouldn't to Love for Pau straight up becuase of the relative ages and salaries, if not becuase Love is a fan favorite. And finally, to throw in the #2 on top of it all? Absurd. The only other asset LA has is Bynum.

[Blueintheface]

Alright, what are your predictions?

I say Knight @ #3 and Singleton @#12

I think a trade happens and the Jazz don't make the 3rd and 12th picks. Weird draft vibes in all camps based almost entirely upon the impending lockout. I think Minnesota takes it's chance to make an absolutely horrible move and the dominoes fall from there. And while the Jazz aren't prone to wild pre-draft movement, other than the D-Will draft, I think this draft is set up for just that kind of scenario.

[BGRTHNUMEGO]

Today's prediction is Vesely at 3 and Jimmer at 12.

But I don't think Utah really takes Vesely at 3. I think they take Kanter or Knight and make a trade with a team (Toronto or Washington) that will draft Vesely to complete the swap.

[Jacob]

Today's prediction is Vesely at 3 and Jimmer at 12.

But I don't think Utah really takes Vesely at 3. I think they take Kanter or Knight and make a trade with a team (Toronto or Washington) that will draft Vesely to complete the swap.

Can you sell me on Vesely? I get that he's a great athlete, but what is it that he brings to the table to help you win? We know he can't shoot. Does he penetrate at 6-11? Will he post up as a SF? Is he quick enough to be an elite defender at the 3? Not an elite shot blocker, but is that because he's isolated on the wing?
His FG% is ridiculously good on a low number of attempts, but he's a poor rebounder.

[MarkGrace]

That would be a bigger heist than the infamous trade with Memphis.

A friend told me about this last night and I literally LOL'ed, then looked at him like he was a giant dumb ass. He had to get the computer out and prove to me that people were talking about it. I wouldn't even give Love or the #2 pick for 31 year old Gasol, let alone both. You know your reputation as GM has hit bottom when people will even discuss such a rumor like it has any merit.

[BGRTHNUMEGO]

Can you sell me on Vesely? I get that he's a great athlete, but what is it that he brings to the table to help you win? We know he can't shoot. Does he penetrate at 6-11? Will he post up as a SF? Is he quick enough to be an elite defender at the 3? Not an elite shot blocker, but is that because he's isolated on the wing?
His FG% is ridiculously good on a low number of attempts, but he's a poor rebounder.

I can't sell you on him. I know some people have talked about him as someone that can come in and at least help on defense because of his athleticism while he develops more on offense, but as far as I can tell he doesn't play defense now and that isn't something that just normally clicks when you join a new league playing at a higher level.

I just put him in because I think he's a guy the Jazz really like and because I think there might be a push to get "longer and more athletic", and KOC might feel like he has more freedom to do that now than he did when Sloan was around. Maybe he has more of a green light to go after an athletic project...but to me that would mean picking Biyombo and not Vesely.

[Jacob]

Maybe he has more of a green light to go after an athletic project...but to me that would mean picking Biyombo and not Vesely.

Me too. Biyombo is just as long as Vesely, if not longer, but also has the strength and motor to go along with it. I don't doubt there's a good chance Vesely ends up a better offensive player.

[BGRTHNUMEGO]

DX says Utah discussing trading 3 to Washington for 6 and 18. Report also says Utah would use the 6th pick on Knight or Walker. About every source out there is claiming Utah is going to take Singleton at 12.

I'm not sure the 18 in this draft is enough to move a team up 3 spots at the top of the draft. I would hope something else would come over. Getting a pick like the 18 could be interesting in a couple of ways though: does Valanciunas fall to 12, and then the team takes someone like Brooks or Hamilton at 18...or will the 12 and 18 be combined to move up in an effort to land Leonard or Vesely or to ensure they get a falling Valanciunas if he doesn't make it to 12?

[BGRTHNUMEGO]

Why the Singleton rumors mean very little:

DraftExpress
The draft starts at #3 with Utah. No one has any clue what they're doing. You can ask 100 NBA people. 60 will say Knight, and 40 say Kanter.

DraftExpress
Spoken w/a few agents who have had clients drafted by Utah in the past. None had any idea that it was for sure going to happen until it did.

[MarkGrace]

DX says Utah discussing trading 3 to Washington for 6 and 18. Report also says Utah would use the 6th pick on Knight or Walker. About every source out there is claiming Utah is going to take Singleton at 12.

I'm not sure the 18 in this draft is enough to move a team up 3 spots at the top of the draft. I would hope something else would come over. Getting a pick like the 18 could be interesting in a couple of ways though: does Valanciunas fall to 12, and then the team takes someone like Brooks or Hamilton at 18...or will the 12 and 18 be combined to move up in an effort to land Leonard or Vesely or to ensure they get a falling Valanciunas if he doesn't make it to 12?

This team doesn't need 3 1st round picks. It would be nice if 12 + 18 could ensure moving up to 10 or something and getting Jonas, but there are a lots of variables in that scenario and we'd likely end up with 3 rookies on a team that is already pretty darn young.

[BGRTHNUMEGO]

This team doesn't need 3 1st round picks. It would be nice if 12 + 18 could ensure moving up to 10 or something and getting Jonas, but there are a lots of variables in that scenario and we'd likely end up with 3 rookies on a team that is already pretty darn young.

Agree, and that's why I would suspect Utah moving out of the #3 pick means there is player movement from the two teams, not just pick shifting.

[smokymountainrain]

After watching Walt Perrin on sportsbeat and trying to read between the lines, I'm convinced the Jazz like Brandon Knight a lot. I'm not sure how I feel about that.

[BGRTHNUMEGO]

After watching Walt Perrin on sportsbeat and trying to read between the lines, I'm convinced the Jazz like Brandon Knight a lot. I'm not sure how I feel about that.

I'm okay with Knight. I'm just not sold that he's really going to be any better than Devin Harris. And since the team already has Devin Harris, why not use that #3 pick to significantly upgrade another position to make Harris more effective?

If Knight is the best available at #3, so be it. But with my mouth firmly stuck to the Favors/Hayward kool-aid fire hose that I'd prefer the pick at #3 would be someone other than a PG.