"You Gotta Love It Baby" Official Jazz thread

[Donuthole]

I think I partly answered my own question by reading this from draft express:


Any other thoughts?

He seems like the classic risk-reward pick. You could end up with an absolute stud, and you could end up with a complete dud (though isn't that the case with just about any pick?). I tend to think he's not an option for the Jazz because the Jazz don't have 4 years to let a big develop. Deron will be gone if we haven't given him something before then.

It sucks having to make moves to appease your star player so he won't leave, but I really do think the Jazz need to kow-tow a bit to Deron.

FTR, I'm not very high on Monroe, and I'd prefer either Udoh or Aldrich over him.

[BGRTHNUMEGO]

I think I partly answered my own question by reading this from draft express:


Any other thoughts?

Davis had an interview recently where he talked about him being a face-up 4 like Chris Bosh, but that Roy Williams wouldn't let him show that part of his game and really limited his offensive game at UNC.

I would personally be pretty shocked if his face-up game was any better than Andris Biedrins right now. But chalk him up as yet another big that thinks he's more valuable if he can loft up lower percentage shots from 17 feet than developing his low block offense.

[Sizzle]

FTR, I'm not very high on Monroe, and I'd prefer either Udoh or Aldrich over him.

The thing that is appealing to me about Monroe is he seems to have the most offensive upside of the three, especially as a passer. Granted, he is also the weakest defensively, but he at least has some size and has shown an ability to get better.

I think i'd be happy with any of the three but would probably lean Monroe Aldrich Udoh. I could see Monroe being a 18 point 10 board 3 assist big fairly early on. Aldrich as a 14 point 11 board 2.5 block guy. Udoh has a bigger range. He could be an absolute stud but IMO he has more risk associated with him than the other two guys.

[MarkGrace]

Davis gives me visions of M. Williams and sugar plums dancing in my head.

[Jacob]

Thorpe's latest value vs need

No. 9 Utah Jazz
Need: What does a top-caliber team like the Jazz need? Depth, depth and depth. Their front line dealt with injuries all season, plus they might lose Carlos Boozer to free agency. Adding a center to back up aging sharpshooter Mehmet Okur seems to make sense, but they have talented young bigs in Kyrylo Fesenko (23 years old) and Kosta Koufos (21). So power forward is the bigger need, or a sharpshooting wing to work with undrafted starter Wesley Matthews. All the bigs we've mentioned (excluding Alabi), plus Hayward, are in play here. I think Henry and Babbitt are, too.

Value: The Jazz are well known as a team that prefers to bring its rookies along slowly, and rightfully so, as Utah typically is in playoff contention or better. So this pick is more about tomorrow than today. Because of that, Avery Bradley might end up being the guy here. He has terrific upside and could play next to Deron Williams on both ends of the floor. In five years, he could be better than most of the players taken ahead of him. Ford picks Monroe, who does have excellent passing skills that will fit in perfectly in Utah's offensive system. But can he handle Jerry Sloan's tough love? One last guy I love here is Patrick Patterson, if the Jazz look for a "ready to help us win a title now" guy. He'd play Paul Millsap's old role well as Millsap moves into the starting lineup for Boozer.

[ame="http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/blog/_/name/nba_draft"]NBA Draft Blog - ESPN[/ame]

Hadn't seen Avery Bradley mentioned here.

[Sizzle]

Sounds like the T-Wolves may be interested in Tomic.

Tomic, 9 and Memphis pick for 4 and a future 2. I'd make that happen. At4 Cousins or Favors is worth the risk IMO.

[Jacob]

Tomic, 9 and Memphis pick for 4 and a future 2. I'd make that happen. At4 Cousins or Favors is worth the risk IMO.

What else could we throw in to make that happen?

[MarkGrace]

Tomic, 9 and Memphis pick for 4 and a future 2. I'd make that happen. At4 Cousins or Favors is worth the risk IMO.

Tomic isn't nearly enough to move up from 9 to 4.

Minny has three 1st rounders and a full roster, so there's talk they'll be looking to stash a player. Tomic makes sense, but I'm guessing the best the Jazz could do is Minny's 23rd pick.

[smokymountainrain]

Thorpe's latest value vs need



NBA Draft Blog - ESPN

Hadn't seen Avery Bradley mentioned here.

I think Bradley is somebody the Jazz should consider. I also like Armon Johnson and Terrico White as combo guards. But I think you could get all three later in the 1st round. If that's the direction they want to go, they should trade down.

[BGRTHNUMEGO]

Tomic isn't nearly enough to move up from 9 to 4.

Minny has three 1st rounders and a full roster, so there's talk they'll be looking to stash a player. Tomic makes sense, but I'm guessing the best the Jazz could do is Minny's 23rd pick.

Last year, Denver gave up a future first round pick to land Minnesota's #18. I think that pick was top 12 protected in 2011, 2012, and 2013, and then completely unprotected after that. That is a solid pick to land, but moving into the draft at 18 for a future pick was high value for Denver to receive.

That pick was originally traded in 2008, with obvious heavy protection at that time since it still hasn't been capitalized, and landed the #20 pick in the first round.

Since the Memphis pick doesn't ever become unprotected and ultimately ends with a cash payout instead of a guarantee of a pick, I doubt it carries a ton of trade value. But the Wolves at 23, Grizzlies at 25 and 28, Thunder at 26, Nets at 27, and Wizards at 30 all represent teams picking late in the 1st round who will have already made picks before those listed. Surely one or more of those picks could be had for the Jazz's own 2011 first rounder.

[Sizzle]

Tomic isn't nearly enough to move up from 9 to 4.

Minny has three 1st rounders and a full roster, so there's talk they'll be looking to stash a player. Tomic makes sense, but I'm guessing the best the Jazz could do is Minny's 23rd pick.

I know. Which is why the Memphis pick was included. A lot of teams had Tomic graded at first round value. Getting him as a 2nd rounder helps with the buyout since they can pay him more. Basically then, the Jazz are giving up three first round picks (Tomic, Memphis pick, and 9) to move up five spots. Granted, Tomic is likely a late first round pick, but it isn't terrible value. Minnesota is trying to rebuild smart, so acquiring extra picks is not a bad way to go. They aren't a year away, especially waiting on Rubio, so stockpiling talent and assets is not a bad route.

[MarkGrace]

I think Bradley is somebody the Jazz should consider. I also like Armon Johnson and Terrico White as combo guards. But I think you could get all three later in the 1st round. If that's the direction they want to go, they should trade down.

Despite my affinity for all things Seattle-area, I'm not interested in Bradley at all.

[MarkGrace]

I know. Which is why the Memphis pick was included. A lot of teams had Tomic graded at first round value. Getting him as a 2nd rounder helps with the buyout since they can pay him more. Basically then, the Jazz are giving up three first round picks (Tomic, Memphis pick, and 9) to move up five spots. Granted, Tomic is likely a late first round pick, but it isn't terrible value. Minnesota is trying to rebuild smart, so acquiring extra picks is not a bad way to go. They aren't a year away, especially waiting on Rubio, so stockpiling talent and assets is not a bad route.

Oops...I missed that.

I don't think getting him as a 2nd rounder helps much with the buyout. I thought the kick with buyouts is that the team can only pay a certain amount (half?) and the player has to cover the rest? Tomic is unlikely to come over via buyout because he can't afford to pony up for his portion.

[Sizzle]

Oops...I missed that.

I don't think getting him as a 2nd rounder helps much with the buyout. I thought the kick with buyouts is that the team can only pay a certain amount (half?) and the player has to cover the rest? Tomic is unlikely to come over via buyout because he can't afford to pony up for his portion.

Correct. But where it helps is he can be offered a much larger salary as a 2nd rounder than he would get as a first rounder, making it easier to pay for the buyout. I did a terrible job explaining that initially.

[MarkGrace]

Links between another team's overseas scouting mission and a possible Jazz trade apparently are without merit.

The rumors involve Ante Tomic, a lanky 7-foot-2 Croatian center now playing in Spain for Real Madrid.

Tomic was a second-round draft choice of the Jazz's in 2008, and the Minnesota Timberwolves evidently have an eye for him.

Reached for comment on the Tomic talk late Tuesday afternoon, Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor, who has been attending offseason organization planning meetings this week and last, did not rule out any potential trade scenarios.

"If it makes our team better," he said, "we would consider anything."

Yet — despite an item originally posted by a Spanish newspaper, prompting Internet speculation that it's perhaps a possibility — there is no reason whatsoever to believe a Tomic trade proposal is on the table.

Or that one has even been discussed between Utah and Minnesota.

The Tomic chatter was prompted by a Noticias de Alava report that Timberwolves coach Kurt Rambis attended a recent Spanish ACB League game and "paid special attention to" Tomic.

Multiple basketball-related websites later picked up and disseminated the report, including HoopsHype.com, a Spain-based site that is quite popular among Web-surfing American NBA fans.

It's believed that 23-year-old Tomic does not have an opt-out clause in his current contract for next season, but he could come to the NBA in time for the 2011-12 season.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/7...l?s_cid=rss-43