"You Gotta Love It Baby" Official Jazz thread

[MarkGrace]

lol thanks!

I'm not saying they'll take a bad Mormon player or one that doesn't fit, just that it mitigates the risk a bit. If he's in the conversation anyway, you don't think it tips the scale at all? they care about filling seats.

I feel the same way about this as I did about the arguments Jimmer would put butts in the seats. There may be a novelty interest in the short-term, but fans really only show up when a team wins, period. If they're winning/losing, that's going to determine how many butts are in the seats, not the background of the players. If they were split between Jabari/Wiggins, and convinced neither was going to be better than the other, then I could see it potentially being a factor.

[Donuthole]

lol thanks!

I'm not saying they'll take a bad Mormon player or one that doesn't fit, just that it mitigates the risk a bit. If he's in the conversation anyway, you don't think it tips the scale at all? they care about filling seats.

Wins fill seats faster and for longer. For some reason, pretty much every draft analyst has speculated about this possibility and/or the possibility that the Jazz will draft Parker because he'll be more likely to sign an extension with them. Neither argument makes much sense to me. Who's to say Parker won't be more likely to split because he's tired of living up to the Mormon pressure? I don't necessarily think that's probable either, but it's all just speculative nonsense. Which is why I don't think you can factor that in. Jazz fans--and any fans--want to cheer for a winner. So you pick the player who is most likely to help you win games. Even if he's agnostic.

[scottie]

Dumb question for you guys who follow this stuff way more closely than I: do you think there's a business interest in drafting Parker? In other words, even if he's a relative bust, Mormon fans will still fill the seats if he's even decent?

And Jimmer is a free agent.

[MarkGrace]

MG doesn't believe there should be, which makes sense if you are just building a team. Is there a major non-major bball reason? Absolutely. The Millers are as concerned, perhaps more, with being a profitable business that is able to keep the team in Utah as trying to build a title contender.

I don't think there's a sustained interested in attending basketball games or buying merchandise for non-basketball reasons. You want a profit? Win. We know the biggest factor in the Jazz profitability is making the playoffs. Gotta win to get that green!

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

Wins fill seats faster and for longer. For some reason, pretty much every draft analyst has speculated about this possibility and/or the possibility that the Jazz will draft Parker because he'll be more likely to sign an extension with them. Neither argument makes much sense to me. Who's to say Parker won't be more likely to split because he's tired of living up to the Mormon pressure? I don't necessarily think that's probable either, but it's all just speculative nonsense. Which is why I don't think you can factor that in. Jazz fans--and any fans--want to cheer for a winner. So you pick the player who is most likely to help you win games. Even if he's agnostic.

But, since the probability of any of these players not being superstars is pretty high, they would be better to have the non-AS that holds a rooting interest for a large percentage of the fan base.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

I don't think there's a sustained interested in attending basketball games or buying merchandise for non-basketball reasons. You want a profit? Win. We know the biggest factor in the Jazz profitability is making the playoffs. Gotta win to get that green!

We don't disagree on that. Are the Jazz as worried about the short term financials as the long term ones?

[BGRTHNUMEGO]

McD canceled 2nd workout with the Lakers.

He's going to do great in a Jazz uni.

[wapiti]

We don't disagree on that. Are the Jazz as worried about the short term financials as the long term ones?

With the current CBA and the Clippers sale for $2 Billion financials are not an issue for any NBA franchise. Could Utah do better in another market? Sure. But there are no doubts about solvency.

Rule #1 pick the best player available. Rule #2 pick the best player available. If your scouts are telling you the are equal, fire the scouts. They aren't equal. It's a basketball decision.

Having said that it is possible that the Jazz could sway in Parker's direction for non-basketball reasons. He has a reputation as a strong character guy with a better motor than Wiggins. While Wiggins doesn't have any glaring flaws Parker is as close to a guarantee as you can get that you won't have off-court or locker room issues. Also, there are questions about Wiggins motor. If that's a concern it could weigh into the decision.

[Applejack]

Wins fill seats faster and for longer. For some reason, pretty much every draft analyst has speculated about this possibility and/or the possibility that the Jazz will draft Parker because he'll be more likely to sign an extension with them. Neither argument makes much sense to me. Who's to say Parker won't be more likely to split because he's tired of living up to the Mormon pressure? I don't necessarily think that's probable either, but it's all just speculative nonsense. Which is why I don't think you can factor that in. Jazz fans--and any fans--want to cheer for a winner. So you pick the player who is most likely to help you win games. Even if he's agnostic.

I don't disagree that having a mormon player on the Jazz (Jabari, Jimmer, Samaki Walker, etc) would not fill the Salt Palace/Delta Center/Energy Solutions Arena. BUT, I disagree about long-term potential. I don't know much about their personal lives, but I would bet that Jabari would be much more likely to re-sign long term with the Jazz than any other player available. Sure, there is a chance he burns out on the mormon-hype, but nearly every other rookie is dreading being drafted by Utah (Smart won't work out for the Jazz, rumors are Embiid wants Boston or LA, etc). Jabari would, at least in theory, be open to coming to SLC. I think that would be a factor in a draft-day decision, assuming the Jazz guys rated Jabari and Wiggens in the same tier, more or less.

I mean, Jabari almost spent a year in Provo. Voluntarily!

[creekster]

Yikes!

So the list is: Kevin McHale, Bill Walton, Z, Yao, Borchardt, Haywood, Toney Douglas, and Jordan? Always nice to be on a short list with Michael Jordan, I guess.

But for those of us old enough to recall the way that injury screwed up Walton's career (and Toney, not to mention the others apart from Jordan), it is not a list a big man wants to be on.

[scottie]

Having said that it is possible that the Jazz could sway in Parker's direction for non-basketball reasons. He has a reputation as a strong character guy with a better motor than Wiggins. While Wiggins doesn't have any glaring flaws Parker is as close to a guarantee as you can get that you won't have off-court or locker room issues. Also, there are questions about Wiggins motor. If that's a concern it could weigh into the decision.

I'll be glad when Jay Bilas stops talking like that.

[MarkGrace]

I don't disagree that having a mormon player on the Jazz (Jabari, Jimmer, Samaki Walker, etc) would not fill the Salt Palace/Delta Center/Energy Solutions Arena. BUT, I disagree about long-term potential. I don't know much about their personal lives, but I would bet that Jabari would be much more likely to re-sign long term with the Jazz than any other player available. Sure, there is a chance he burns out on the mormon-hype, but nearly every other rookie is dreading being drafted by Utah (Smart won't work out for the Jazz, rumors are Embiid wants Boston or LA, etc). Jabari would, at least in theory, be open to coming to SLC. I think that would be a factor in a draft-day decision, assuming the Jazz guys rated Jabari and Wiggens in the same tier, more or less.

I mean, Jabari almost spent a year in Provo. Voluntarily!

Smart's issue is we already have a young backcourt. That's the rumor, anyway.

As far as signability, it so much favors the drafting team that I don't think it's a huge consideration.

[Donuthole]

I don't disagree that having a mormon player on the Jazz (Jabari, Jimmer, Samaki Walker, etc) would not fill the Salt Palace/Delta Center/Energy Solutions Arena. BUT, I disagree about long-term potential. I don't know much about their personal lives, but I would bet that Jabari would be much more likely to re-sign long term with the Jazz than any other player available. Sure, there is a chance he burns out on the mormon-hype, but nearly every other rookie is dreading being drafted by Utah (Smart won't work out for the Jazz, rumors are Embiid wants Boston or LA, etc). Jabari would, at least in theory, be open to coming to SLC. I think that would be a factor in a draft-day decision, assuming the Jazz guys rated Jabari and Wiggens in the same tier, more or less.

I mean, Jabari almost spent a year in Provo. Voluntarily!

Even if that's true--and I don't think it is--there are two reasons why I think it's a non-factor: 1) it 's least five years down the road, and 2) ultimately, 99% of players want the most money they can get, and the team with a player's Bird rights is always going to be able to offer the most. Kevin Love had no reason to stay in Minny, but he did because he wanted that extra 20 mil. I have no reason to believe Wiggins or Smart or Exum or whoever wouldn't feel the same way, assuming they are max players. And if they aren't max players, then there is no reason to lose sleep over them wanting to play elsewhere.

[BGRTHNUMEGO]

Ford also says Utah has made calls about getting the #1 pick. And that Utah would not draft Embiid at #5 because ownership doesn't want to tank next year.

[smokymountainrain]

McD canceled 2nd workout with the Lakers.

He's going to do great in a Jazz uni.

McDermott is going to be very interesting. I don't know that I'd want to end up with him after a tanked season, but if they could move up to take him in addition to whoever they take at #5, I'd be thrilled.