"You Gotta Love It Baby" Official Jazz thread

[smokymountainrain]

This was clearly obvious last year. But is it Gordon's responsibility to "grab the team" regardless of the scheme and strategy that the coach is putting in place? Is Gordon supposed to take the lead when others are announced as captains and given longer leashes with their play?

Yeah, Gordon had pretty good coach at Butler. At Utah, well...

[MarkGrace]

David Locke @Lockedonsports 3h
Dennis Lindsey references "lean and strategic" as possibility for upcoming season

I think this screams little activity in FA and playing near the league minimum next year. Guess we'll see.

[UtahJazzFan88]

I'm cool with us not doing much in FA, we might be terrible next year, but let's see how this team does with our rookies, and if we're terrible then we get a good pick in a loaded draft.

I think the Jazz will try staying at lowest salary possible, hopefully load up on 1 year contracts at a high price to meet the salary floor. More flexibility.

I'm intrigued at our team next year, I doubt Mo comes back. I think we go after a guy like Jose Calderon. I could see Foye & DeMarre staying. I seriously doubt Paul is going to stay. 50/50 on whether Al is going to stay.

[Jacob]

I'm cool with us not doing much in FA, we might be terrible next year, but let's see how this team does with our rookies, and if we're terrible then we get a good pick in a loaded draft.

I think the Jazz will try staying at lowest salary possible, hopefully load up on 1 year contracts at a high price to meet the salary floor. More flexibility.

I'm intrigued at our team next year, I doubt Mo comes back. I think we go after a guy like Jose Calderon. I could see Foye & DeMarre staying. I seriously doubt Paul is going to stay. 50/50 on whether Al is going to stay.

This strategy makes no sense to me. It would have worked last year, or the year before, but next year you have to give big contracts to Favors and Hayward and you don't have big cap space. Further, this strategy does not yield a terrible result. It yields a result similar to this year as far as a final result of either just getting in the playoffs or just missing.

And I want Al gone. nothing will impede the offensive development (let alone defense) of this team, i.e. Hayward and Favors, more than having Al around.

The only play that makes sense is to draft the best players available and sign, or trade, or sign-and-trade for the best guard and wing players available on the market. This team has been sitting and waiting for 2 years now. It is time to make your move to improve the team.

[Eddie]

I'm cool with us not doing much in FA, we might be terrible next year, but let's see how this team does with our rookies, and if we're terrible then we get a good pick in a loaded draft.

I think the Jazz will try staying at lowest salary possible, hopefully load up on 1 year contracts at a high price to meet the salary floor. More flexibility.

I'm intrigued at our team next year, I doubt Mo comes back. I think we go after a guy like Jose Calderon. I could see Foye & DeMarre staying. I seriously doubt Paul is going to stay. 50/50 on whether Al is going to stay.

The radio talking heads (OK, not all - but some) have pointed to the number of guys with expiring contracts as being a huge problem this year. They believe that many of the guys with expiring contracts were being selfish to the detriment of the team in an effort to look good so that they can get a good contract next year.

I'm not sure I believe it - after all, there weren't a lot of Jazz guys who had great individual stats outside of Jefferson. But it is something to think about - do you need more guys on a contract for more than a year to get them thinking about winning as a team instead of just making bank?

[MarkGrace]

The radio talking heads (OK, not all - but some) have pointed to the number of guys with expiring contracts as being a huge problem this year. They believe that many of the guys with expiring contracts were being selfish to the detriment of the team in an effort to look good so that they can get a good contract next year.

Except when they play well in a season like this everyone says "contract year." Hard to have it both ways.

[MarkGrace]

It would have worked last year, or the year before, but next year you have to give big contracts to Favors and Hayward and you don't have big cap space. Further, this strategy does not yield a terrible result.

Huh. Right now they have tons of cap space next year. And Favors and Hayward are still on rookie deals next year.

[Eddie]

Except when they play well in a season like this everyone says "contract year." Hard to have it both ways.

Oh, I agree. And I think that this is more likely the case. But the point the radio guys were trying to make wasn't that it was bad to have guys trying to play well for a contract year - but that the Jazz had too many of them (8? 9?), which led to everyone playing selfishly rather than just a couple of players doing so.

Of course, they also said that they thought Milsap was planning on being traded by the deadline, and by the time it passed he was so done with Utah that he's just been going through the motions to finish the season.

At this point it is all just a bunch of opinion. But like I said - it made me think.

[MarkGrace]

Oh, I agree. And I think that this is more likely the case. But the point the radio guys were trying to make wasn't that it was bad to have guys trying to play well for a contract year - but that the Jazz had too many of them (8? 9?), which led to everyone playing selfishly rather than just a couple of players doing so.

Yeah, when you got a bunch it probably spirals. They have no real investment in anything long-term here.

Of course, they also said that they thought Milsap was planning on being traded by the deadline, and by the time it passed he was so done with Utah that he's just been going through the motions to finish the season.

Sap has been kind of a bitch this year. Amazing everyone just constantly complained about Al when Sap played half the year like he was on vacation. Last five games of the season when games mattered the most he averaged 8.4 points and hit double figures in just two of the games (and not a single double-digit rebounding game). Foye shoots 36% over the last 5. G-Time is in single digits the last three games. Al drops 24 pts and 12 rebs per, while shooting 55% from floor, and it's still just non-stop bitching about Al every game. Maybe I'm not as harsh on Al as everyone else because I just like the fact that he cares. Seriously, he was the only guy in the last week that looked like he gave a fuck. Booz just seemed like a dick so he was easy to hate on, but I don't know, with Al it's just hard for me because I find him kind of endearing (I also think much of what people complain about with him isn't entirely his fault).

[Eddie]

Yeah, when you got a bunch it probably spirals. They have no real investment in anything long-term here.

Sap has been kind of a bitch this year. Amazing everyone just constantly complained about Al when Sap played half the year like he was on vacation. Last five games of the season when games mattered the most he averaged 8.4 points and hit double figures in just two of the games (and not a single double-digit rebounding game). Foye shoots 36% over the last 5. G-Time is in single digits the last three games. Al drops 24 pts and 12 rebs per, while shooting 55% from floor, and it's still just non-stop bitching about Al every game. Maybe I'm not as harsh on Al as everyone else because I just like the fact that he cares. Seriously, he was the only guy in the last week that looked like he gave a fuck. Booz just seemed like a dick so he was easy to hate on, but I don't know, with Al it's just hard for me because I find him kind of endearing (I also think much of what people complain about with him isn't entirely his fault).

Interestingly enough - one of the radio guys thought it might be interesting to pair Al with Favors. Believing that Favors' defensive abilities might make up for some of Al's liability on defense, and Al's ability on offense might make up for Favors' lack of offensive development at this stage of his career.

But for many, I think Al represents the choice of trading a few wins now for the development of younger players and potentially greater success in the future. So they just want him gone to forget the past couple of years.

[MarkGrace]

Interestingly enough - one of the radio guys thought it might be interesting to pair Al with Favors. Believing that Favors' defensive abilities might make up for some of Al's liability on defense, and Al's ability on offense might make up for Favors' lack of offensive development at this stage of his career.

Well this combination has been tried before. It yielded solid defensive results last year, but was a disaster this year. Though the consideration is clearly bigger than just those two. We had Mo and Foye at the guard line, and both of those dudes were absolutely flammable -- Mo was the point guard version of Al on defense. So I'm guessing part of their success last year vs. this year had something to do with who was in front of them. As Lowe said in one of his recent articles, you may be able to play good team defense with Al in there, but you'll never do it with Al and Mo.

But for many, I think Al represents the choice of trading a few wins now for the development of younger players and potentially greater success in the future. So they just want him gone to forget the past couple of years.

It shouldn't be Al that represents that -- it should be Al and Sap. Every team needs three big guys regardless, and you easily have minutes to go around with a three-man rotation. You just can't do four like they've tried the last couple years. Your 4th guy has to be a true 4th guy (ie., dude who never plays except in blowouts or due to dire need), not a guy who needs minutes every night.

[UtahJazzFan88]

The radio talking heads (OK, not all - but some) have pointed to the number of guys with expiring contracts as being a huge problem this year. They believe that many of the guys with expiring contracts were being selfish to the detriment of the team in an effort to look good so that they can get a good contract next year.

I'm not sure I believe it - after all, there weren't a lot of Jazz guys who had great individual stats outside of Jefferson. But it is something to think about - do you need more guys on a contract for more than a year to get them thinking about winning as a team instead of just making bank?

I didn't think a lot of the guys were playing for stats too much. It didn't seem like anyone was playing for stats or given up on the team besides Millsap.

Loading up on a few big 1 year deals is a risky move. But this free agent class is pretty horrible, the draft class is supposedly not that talented, but who knows at this point.

I'm not sure who the Jazz should get for a long term deal at the wing/guard line. I like Jose Calderon because he's a good playmaker, good passer, can do a lot of good things on offense, however is a lackluster defender. Maybe the Jazz could get OJ Mayo, but after how he ended the year I'm skeptical on him.

[smokymountainrain]

I didn't think a lot of the guys were playing for stats too much. It didn't seem like anyone was playing for stats or given up on the team besides Millsap.

Loading up on a few big 1 year deals is a risky move. But this free agent class is pretty horrible, the draft class is supposedly not that talented, but who knows at this point.

I'm not sure who the Jazz should get for a long term deal at the wing/guard line. I like Jose Calderon because he's a good playmaker, good passer, can do a lot of good things on offense, however is a lackluster defender. Maybe the Jazz could get OJ Mayo, but after how he ended the year I'm skeptical on him.

I like Calderon a ton and think he would be a perfect fit with the core four young players. He makes open shots, makes threes, wants to pass first - particularly to get the big men involved, is efficient from the field and doesn't turn it over. I couldn't give a rat's ass if he doesn't defend. The only concern with him is that he will play next season at age 32.

[Blueintheface]

I like Calderon a ton and think he would be a perfect fit with the core four young players. He makes open shots, makes threes, wants to pass first - particularly to get the big men involved, is efficient from the field and doesn't turn it over. I couldn't give a rat's ass if he doesn't defend. The only concern with him is that he will play next season at age 32.

Locally I keep hearing about Teague but my guess is Atlanta will match as he's a RFA (unless the Jazz overpay for him or front load the contract to make it too toxic to match). I'm not sure how much more Teague gives you than Mo at this point though. I think he avgd 1 more assist than Mo but shot even worse from 3. At least it would be addressing a glaring need though. Not a lot of PGs out there.

[MarkGrace]

I'm fine with the "draft a point guard and use a stop-gap" for the next two years scenario, calderon would work well in that gig. And I still like kabongo. If you're going for the no superstar detroit pistons model, you absolutely have to be a great defensive team. I think kabongo has the quickness and length to be a good defender at the lead guard position, and of course has a pass-first/playmaker mentality. Feels like a good fit with the other four to me and I think that group of five could play great D with a different coach. He probably goes lotto with a full season but as it stands there's a good chance of getting him at 21.