"You Gotta Love It Baby" Official Jazz thread

[MarkGrace]

Jeremy EvansSF | Utah Jazz
B
His first dunk was so lame that Andre Iguodala folded over the 1 on his "10" sheet to give him a zero. However, the second one, slamming two balls simultaneously after they were tossed in the air by a seated Gordon Hayward, was spectacular -- both original and skillful, one of the best we've seen in the competition. The Karl Malone tribute dunk at the end was harder than it looked, too -- he got some serious elevation on that.

http://espn.go.com/nba/allstar2012/s...t/dunk-contest

Budinger gets a D+, George a C, and Williams a D.

[Jacob]

On Favors' mentality. We'll have to wait and see what happens when they tell him he's the man. It would be great if he'd just exert himself, but when Jefferson is on the floor with him, Jefferson and the other players force him to be timid, because they are not going to give him the ball much. But I too worry about Hayward and Favors mentality. But not Burks or Kanter.

[MarkGrace]

In regard to getting Rondo, I'm just not sure I'd want to give up any of the youngsters to get him. But I'm not sure I wouldn't want to either. It's tough.

It's tough because there's always an overrated value to the unknown. Draft picks carry so much value because they could turn into anything, even though their value is usual overstated. Same thing happens with young talented kids. At 21 we would have been looking at CJ and seen good athleticism, a great looking stroke, etc., and not wanted to move him because of his potential. No he's all unrealized potential.

Favors and Kanter - I have fairly major issues with both of them, but it's always scary to give up young big talent for an older smaller player.

I'm less inclined to give them up as well, because you're not often in the position to land top-5-in-the-draft type bigs very often. Wings at the 9-14 range we'll have another shot at this year.

[fusnik]

Paul George.....

If the Jazz could go back.

He shoots better, rebounds better, better defender, more athletic and turns it over less than GHay.

[MarkGrace]

Paul George.....

If the Jazz could go back.

He shoots better, rebounds better, better defender, more athletic and turns it over less than GHay.

He actually turns it over more (TO ratio of 13 to Ghay's 11), but other than that I agree he looks like he's going to be a stud.

[fusnik]

He actually turns it over more (TO ratio of 13 to Ghay's 11), but other than that I agree he looks like he's going to be a stud.

Oops yep wrong.

[Blueintheface]

An interesting article that mirrors the current discussion on CUF regarding the Jazz.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/jazz/53...tml.csp?page=1

A few highlights:

The other issue is fair treatment of Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap. Any extra minutes that go to Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter are taken away from those guys, who want to further their own careers. Look, I’m as tired as anyone of seeing Jefferson pound the ball into the floor with his back to the basket, but that’s how this offense is designed and he’s the team’s leading scorer. Millsap’s level of effort also merits playing time.

Fair treatment? Not sure at this point that even matters.

So the answer is just gradually increasing the minutes for Favors and Kanter. On the wings, the Jazz eventually should start Alec Burks and bring Gordon Hayward off the bench. That would help both of them, because Hayward’s game will expand only when he becomes a bigger part of the offense, such as playing with the second team.

Duh!

ESPN.com projects a 36-30 record will be required to make the Western Conference playoffs. That means the Jazz would have to go 21-13, which is not going to happen. But they have to try, considering they’re only two games below the cut.

False.

[smokymountainrain]

On the wings, the Jazz eventually should start Alec Burks and bring Gordon Hayward off the bench. That would help both of them, because Hayward’s game will expand only when he becomes a bigger part of the offense, such as playing with the second team.

The major flaw in that thinking is that if Hayward comes off the bench, he faces the same problem Burks has been faced with when he plays - Howard and Miles are chuckers who come off the bench and you don't want either Burks or Hayward having to play too much with either of them. Hayward is in a good spot right now playing with Bell. Burks not so much.

The best solution to this is to either start Hayward and Burks together (perhaps preferrable because then the two young wings play with the veteran bigs) or bring them off the bench together. The best part about bringing them off the bench is that they play with Watson. That way you force Raja to play with Howard and/or Miles, he's a veteran and should be able to handle it better, plus from a skillset standpoint, he's a better fit with Miles and Howard regardless.

[Blueintheface]

Second half starts for the Jazz tonight. Unfortunately this revolution will be televised.

[MarkGrace]

Holy crap. Harris whiffs a break that with just an ounce of creativity would have led to a wide open bucket form Hayward.

[Blueintheface]

Holy crap. Harris whiffs a break that with just an ounce of creativity would have led to a wide open bucket form Hayward.

Harris is a scared sissy. Even worse he's scared of losing playing time to Earl Watson.

[Blueintheface]

Preach it, Matt Harpring! Favors and Kanter need more time! Al and Milsap came to play.

[Blueintheface]

Burks is wise beyond his years at getting to the foul line.

Cj makes a jumper and just can't resist shooting another.

[MarkGrace]

Cj makes a jumper and just can't resist shooting another.

A 3pter coming off a screen and moving away from the hoop, no less.

[MarkGrace]

Man, Al's shot selection is as bad as CJ's sometimes.