"You Gotta Love It Baby" Official Jazz thread

[BGRTHNUMEGO]

Yeah, I don't think a big move's happening. Don't think it's even possible with the situation those two are in.

Only chance is if the Jazz make a trade and are willing to use their cap space next year to take back salaries.

[smokymountainrain]

Jazz foul a lot.

[Jacob]

if your team is bad on the second of back to back games, the presumption is that the guys are tired from the night before. wouldn't a prudent coaching strategy be to rest your main players, at least the first half? why has this is genius strategy never been attempted, at least by the jazz?

[Jacob]

I thought it was a well-known rule that you cannot hang on the rim While the ball is above the cylinder and going in. I'm continually impressed by how little nba coaches and commentators seem to care about the actual rules.

A player shall not:
a. Touch the ball or the basket ring when the ball is using the basket ring as its lower base.

The jazz post game and Corbin spent most of his comments complaining how this correct call changed the game. And acted as if the play were worth 5 points. Embarrassing.

[MarkGrace]

The jazz starting backcourt is tinsley and foye. Let that sink in.

[MarkGrace]

You know what makes me happy this year? G-Time taking shots. Even when he's not making them, I'm just happy he's going after them. The last two years I swear there were times you couldn't get the kid to shoot even if he was wide open.

[smokymountainrain]

Dirk getting every call down the stretch.

[MarkGrace]

G-Time misses a free throw.

[smokymountainrain]

Holy shit. Al takes a huge charge.

[MarkGrace]

Burks playing point down the stretch? I didn't see him the other night, but Locke seemed to think his play there had improved considerably from what we saw last year.

[smokymountainrain]

I would really like to see Burks succeed and get more minutes, but the kid I watched play the last few times before last night didn't look like a kid that was in need of more minutes. I know his minutes have been spotty and it's hard to get it going that way, but damn, you've still just got to do more with those minutes when you get them.

I'm going to use this comment to make a point about Burks. I agree with Grace that he hasn't played like a guy in need of more minutes, and that in many games this year, he should be doing more with the minutes he has been given, BUT...

Going back to BGR's +/- stat - as long as he isn't hurting the team while he's out there, being a highly skilled and athletic 21 year old second year player whose best years are ahead of him, again, as long has he's not hurting the team, why not let him play through the struggles and see if he can break through?

Burks is a good perimeter shooter, but he has been atrocious outside of about 10 feet this year - he's probably shot as many airballs as he's made outside of 15 feet. A week ago, he was shooting 47% FTs. That isn't Burks. I believe the way Corbin has handled his PT in November and December has destroyed his confidence. The big three he made tonight was probably the toughest shot he's had all year and he drained it. Why? Because he had no choice but to shoot it. It didn't matter if he missed, he didn't think about it, just let it fly.

Since his the second half of his rookie season, Hayward has had some major shooting slumps, but has always been given consistent minutes either as a starter or coming off the bench. He's never had to worry about not playing as the minutes have always been there. He's handles the ball, can pass, can defend - he does other things to help the team. I believe Burks is a similar type player and should have been and should be given the same opportunities for consistent PT like Hayward has early in his career. Especially if the numbers support the fact that he either isn't hurting the team or is helping the team.

It was fun watching Hayward and Burks team up down the stretch in tonight's win as the primary ball handlers. There should be so much more of that.

[BGRTHNUMEGO]

You know what makes me happy this year? G-Time taking shots. Even when he's not making them, I'm just happy he's going after them. The last two years I swear there were times you couldn't get the kid to shoot even if he was wide open.

Amen.

He's clearly the best perimeter guy on this team, but the move to the bench is the best move for Hayward as long as this team has Mo at PG and insists on making Al the focal point of the offense. His usage rate goes way up when he comes off the bench. He's far more assertive when he has the ball in his hands more often. That's been my major complaint during his time in the NBA, that the Jazz have been trying to use him as the 2nd coming of Matt Harpring or Jeff Malone, even though Hayward has shown he should be used more like Klay Thompson is in GS: spot up shooter on certain sets, but also given the ball to initiate the offense far more than he does right now.

He's certainly been up and down during his 3 years, but he has had some blistering months shooting the ball. And I don't think it is as simple as "when he's hot he asserts himself more and shoots more". I think it is much more of "when he's involved and a focal point of the offense, he gets in a rhythm, his shot starts falling, and his all-court skill set is on full display". He's made 28 of his last 55 3ptA, he makes 84% of his FTs and gets to the line at a decent rate, he's a willing passer and is solid in SnR opportunities. Even though Hayward has gotten more minutes than any of the other core four, outside of Favors he's probably been misused or miscast the most. And seeing how Hayward's efficiency and production go WAY up when his usage rate is up, it really makes me upset that they haven't paved the way to get Favors and Kanter more time and more touches.

[BGRTHNUMEGO]

Exactly what we want out of Boozer 2.0:

Al Jefferson | C | Utah Jazz

Trend: becoming more perimeter oriented

Though "Big Al" is shooting less this season as he shares time with Utah's three other bigs, he's shooting more long 2s (16-23 feet) than he has at any point in his career. Entering Monday, more than a third of his shots per game (5.4 of 15.1) are coming from that range (per HoopData.com), which is an even higher percentage than that of Miami perimeter-oriented big man Chris Bosh.

This is the continuation of a two-year trend during which Jefferson has begun to drift away from the basket. Consider the following: From 2007-09 with Boston and Minnesota, Jefferson took at least 5.6 shots a game at the rim. That number dipped slightly each of the next two seasons. Then last season, at age 27, it fell more drastically. Jefferson averaged just 4.2 shots at the rim while taking 4.7 long 2s per game. This year, he's taking just 3.4 shots a game at the rim while his attempts from the perimeter continue to rise (5.4).

[The_Douger]

Jefferson has always been soft.

[MarkGrace]

In Rondo's place, you could find more of a complementary threat who can both run the offense and stretch the floor with catch-and-shoot abilities. Jason Terry can do this for stretches, but there are trade scenarios that make sense in the abstract. One I like is Rondo, Brandon Bass and Courtney Lee to Utah for Al Jefferson and Mo Williams, who both have expiring contracts. Perhaps the Jazz could figure out a way to work roster deadweight Raja Bell into the trade, as well.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/8820748/nba-interpreting-boston-celtics-slow-start