"You Gotta Love It Baby" Official Jazz thread

[UteStar]

Minny reportedly offered Flynn for Bell last year. Bell + #2 and a promise not to take Biyombo or Kanter for the #3?

Too bad we can't give Bell and #3 for the #2 pick. The only way that flies is if Minny doesn't want Williams and they are silly enough to take Bell's contract off the Jazz's hands. How awesome would that be though?

[BGRTHNUMEGO]

From Ford's mock (that has the Jazz taking Knight and Singleton):

I think this pick will be a three-way race between Williams, Enes Kanter and Bismack Biyombo. Of the three, Williams has the strongest pedigree and ultimately should be an upgrade over Michael Beasley. But don't be surprised if Kahn trades the pick. I'm already hearing form sources that Minnesota has told people they're very open to moving the second pick. Kahn really wants to add some veteran help to the team.

So lets ship them some leaderships/minute in Bell.

[Jacob]

GoodmanCBS Jeff Goodman
Why does everyone think that Utah will automatically take The Jimmer at No. 12? Mistake. Easily a dozen better guys on the board.

Who is this guy? I've never been super high on Jimmer as a pro, but "easily a dozen better guys" at the 12th pick? That's overstating the case by a lot.

[old_gregg]

Too bad we can't give Bell and #3 for the #2 pick. The only way that flies is if Minny doesn't want Williams and they are silly enough to take Bell's contract off the Jazz's hands. How awesome would that be though?

aren't they over the cap? how would that work salary wise?

[Jacob]

aren't they over the cap? how would that work salary wise?

No. Minny is not over the cap. So, they could take on additional salary, if they wanted. But, Jazz could even take back Jonny Flynn, who only has one year guaranteed on his deal and they would save the last year of Bell's deal. But this is all highly unlikely, I think.

[Maximus]

Would you trade the 3 for Houston's Martin?. Am I crazy to think that's a good deal?

[MarkGrace]

Ford's updated mock.

Analysis: The Jazz could go in a number of directions. They have a need at small forward (and would love it, by the way, if Derrick Williams fell to them) and at center. And while they like Devin Harris at point guard, they're not sure he's the long-term answer.

For that reason, I think Knight has a good chance of being the pick. Knight might not have the NCAA pedigree of Kemba Walker, but he is a high-character player, has good size for the position, defends well and can really shoot.

Analysis: With Andrei Kirilenko heading into free agency this summer, the Jazz are set to lose their most versatile defender. Enter Singleton. He's not the most polished offensive player in the world (sound familiar, AK-47 fans?), but his ability to guard multiple positions and his size for his position are intriguing for the Jazz. If Alec Burks is off the board here, I think they'll look seriously at Singleton.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/draft...ckDraft-110517

[Sizzle]

May 3 Update: Knight had a very good year at Kentucky and played well enough in the NCAA tournament to get himself drafted in the top 10. With Marquis Teague coming in next season, he risks being moved to an off-guard position and watching his draft stock plummet. Scouts still have questions about his position and upside, but in a draft that is weak on point guards, he should be the second or third point off the board.

Apr 20 Update: Knight has declared for the 2011 NBA Draft. Knight got off to a shaky start at Kentucky, but by January he looked like the best NBA prospect on the team. He's a bit hard to project because it's a little unclear just what he is. If he's a point guard, he has good size, quickness and a jump shot but doesn't see the floor particularly well. If he's a 2-guard, he's a bit undersized for his position. Still with the dearth of guards in this year's draft, he looks like a lock for the top 10 if he stays in the draft.

Apr 5 Update: Knight is a tough one to peg. He had the best game of his career -- a 30-point outburst against West Virginia -- and hit two game-winners for Kentucky against Princeton and Ohio State.

But it wasn't all easy sailing for Knight in the tournament. He really struggled shooting the ball (only 26-for-79 from the field) and had 17 turnovers. In his toughest game, matched up against Walker, he shot 6-for-23 from the field.

Knight clearly has talent, but scouts that question his ability to step in and run a team have legit concerns that weren't totally satisfied in the tournament.

Nevertheless, he could still end up being the second point guard off the board by going ahead of Walker on draft night. He's younger, taller, a better shooter and a better defender.

Mar 28 Update: Knight continues his amazing NCAA tourney run. Much like last week, his first game of the weekend was pretty shaky. He struggled with his shot and turned the ball over six times, but with the game on the line he hit his second game-winning shot of the tournament for Kentucky. Against North Carolina on Sunday, he was stellar, leading the Wildcats with 22 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. He hit five 3-pointers in the game and made some critical defensive plays.

NBA scouts will be watching his head-to-head matchup against Kemba Walker closely. In November, Walker got the best of Knight. Walker had 29 points in UConn's 84-67 win. Knight was 3-for-15 from the field in that game and committed five turnovers. But Knight has matured dramatically since. It's a much more even fight now, and the winner should end up being the second point guard off the board on draft night.

Mar 24 Update: If you wanted to find just one game with a ton of NBA prospects on both teams, this is it. Kentucky has three potential first round picks -- Terrence Jones, Brandon Knight and Doron Lamb. Ohio State has Jared Sullinger, William Buford and David Lighty. Some NBA teams even think Jon Diebler may have a role in the league.

Also, keep watching Knight. His play the past month has moved him back into the lottery conversation. If he can put up another huge game and get Kentucky a win against the No. 1 team in the country, he could jump up a few more rungs on our Big Board.

Mar 21 Update: Scouts got down on Knight in a hurry after a so-so performance in the Maui Invitational Tournament in November. While Knight is clearly talented, his struggles running coach John Calipari's dribble-drive offense had scouts questioning what sort of point guard he'd be in the pros.

But Knight got better -- a lot better -- as the season progressed, much like two other former Calipari guards, Derrick Rose and Tyreke Evans. Knight is more comfortable running the offense (especially since Calipari has him using more ball screens) and has been Kentucky's steadiest player this season.

In Kentucky's NCAA opener versus Princeton, Knight struggled with his shot but came up huge with the game-winning drive. In Round 2, Knight played the best game of his career. He scored 30 points and had 4 assists against West Virginia. In that game, scouts saw Knight's upside -- a long, athletic point guard who can shoot the basketball and be a lockdown defender. Who doesn't want one of those guys? Knight began the season ranked No. 7 on our Big Board and ended it ranked No. 12. If he has a few more big games in the tournament, he could be the second point guard off the board after Irving.

Mar 20 Update: We made some major adjustments in our Top 100 -- but two of them you should watch closely. One was a shift upward for Kentucky's Brandon Knight. Scouts were down on him after he struggled to run Kentucky well at the Maui Invitational. They questioned his point guard skills, and most thought he'd need at least two years at Kentucky before he'd be lottery pick.

But Knight has gotten better and better as the season wore on. Head coach John Calipari de-emphasized the dribble-drive offense that worked so well for Derrick Rose and John Wall and has Knight playing off ball screens more. Knight has improved his decision-making and was Kentucky's steadiest player this year. We moved him up to No. 12 before his game-winning shot in Round 2 and before his career-high 30-point game versus West Virginia in Round 3. I think his stock will likely jump up a few more spots by the end of the tournament.

Mar 14 Update: The good: Knight is a quick, athletic guard who can play both positions in the backcourt. He has really good range on his jumper and can be a lockdown defender on the defensive end.

The bad: He's a tweener. Knight struggles to see the floor as well as other elite John Calipari guards, and he seems more comfortable as a scoring guard.

The upside: Knight isn't Rose, Evans or John Wall. But he has had a terrific freshman season and, in many ways, has been Kentucky's steadiest player. If scouts can get over what he's not and focus on what he can do, he has a chance to move back up into the lottery conversation with a great tournament.

Jan 12 Update: Derrick Rose. Tyreke Evans. John Wall. Knight? John Calipari has a good track record with sending guards to the NBA -- but at 6-3, Knight isn't as strong as Evans, and he isn't as fast as Rose or Wall.

Knight benefits from being in Kentucky's attacking, dribble drive motion offense in large part because he has the freedom to score and has taken advantage of that. His shooting percentages, both inside the arc and outside of it, have been solid. In addition, he is explosive to the rim -- although he doesn't yet have the frame to finish in the NBA.

Because Knight is a shoot-first guard for Kentucky and has always had a scorer's mentality, there will be an adjustment when he is asked to run an NBA team from the point guard spot. His 23 percent Turnover Rate is an indication of the adjustment he will have to make.

Ultimately, Knight is likely to be a middle of the first round selection for a team that is satisfied with drafting a small, scoring guard in that position. The likelihood of another Calipari-coached NBA Rookie of the Year award winner is slim, though. -- By Fran Fraschilla

Jan 4 Update: Who is the most overrated player on our board right now?

Scouts were a bit all over the place here. Harrison Barnes got votes. So did Perry Jones and Kentucky small forward Terrence Jones. A few were really hard on Kemba Walker and Derrick Williams, as well. It was impossible to get a consensus, in part because of the different ways people scout.

Some were totally unimpressed with Barnes and Jones due to their lack of production. Others were unimpressed with Walker's and Williams' physical tools despite their production.

But the one guy virtually everyone mentioned was Kentucky point guard Brandon Knight. Most of the scouts and executives I spoke with struggled with him as a first-rounder, let alone a lottery pick.

Nov 25 Update: Knight had a rocky first game in Maui but was the key player in a huge win over Washington on Tuesday. He was scoring inside and out, and proving he can be a terrific defender to boot. In the championship game, however, Knight was terrible. He shot 3-for-15 from the field and had another five turnovers.

Knight doesn't appear to have the same upside as his predecessors under Calipari -- Derrick Rose, Tyreke Evans and John Wall -- and for most of the tournament he didn't look much like a point guard. Off the ball he had his moments, but on the ball it was pretty ugly. Most scouts have him ranked somewhere between 10 and 15 on their draft boards. If he keeps playing like this, though, he'll slide even further.

Nov 24 Update, By David Thorpe: Thanks to Derrick Rose, Tyreke Evans and John Wall, Knight has high expectations and lots of attention as he tries to become the fourth straight point guard from John Calipari's system to jump into the top five after a year of school. Knight is a different guy in many respects from the other three, starting with his sterling academic career. He's not the incredibly-freaky athlete that Rose and Wall are, and he's not built like a linebacker like Evans. He's going to have to show that he has the shooting and scoring skills of an elite guard and the playmaking talents of a special point guard.

It's clear he's a better shooter than all three of the guys who preceded him, but in a class this stocked he's competing against far more than the past. In the past two drafts, players could go in the top 10 and first 20 based on reputation, which would help to the Gatorade National Player of the Year. But this season, Knight will have to outplay the four other prospects listed here, and others, to earn top-10 or even top-20 draft status.

Oct 26 Update: John Calipari has produced two straight NBA Rookie of the Year guards -- Derrick Rose and Tyreke Evans -- and a No. 1 pick, Wall, in 2010.

Will Knight be able to live up to his three predecessors? Probably not. Knight is a talented scoring guard who uses his speed and quickness to get to the basket. He's a hard worker who rarely eases up on the court, but Knight is not the elite athlete that Rose and Wall were in college, nor does he have the same scoring prowess Evans had.

Scouts are unsure at what position he'd be best. While it's likely Calipari will play him at the 1, a number of scouts aren't sure that will be his NBA position. A big year for Knight will obviously help his cause, especially if he can prove to teams he can play the point.

Jun 25 Update: In 2011, we have a whopping nine freshmen projected as one-and-done lottery picks, including UNC's Harrison Barnes, Baylor's Perry Jones, North Carolina State's C.J. Leslie, Kansas' Josh Selby, Duke's Kyrie Irving, Ohio State's Jared Sullinger and Kentucky's Brandon Knight, Terrence Jones and Enes Kanter.

April 12 Update: Knight came in pegged as the next John Wall but didn't really live up to Wall's stellar performance last year at the Nike Hoop Summit. Knight never really got aggressive looking for his shot, though he made some nice passes and set up Harrison Barnes and Jared Sullinger well in the fourth quarter. He also showed that he can be terrific on the defensive end.

Knight is a bit of a mixed bag as far as NBA prospects go. Some NBA scouts see him as a lottery pick next season -- especially if he ends up running the point for John Calipari at Kentucky. Others feel he doesn't quite have the skill level (some see him as a 2-guard with a streaky shot and the inability to go left) or extreme athleticism of Wall and Derrick Rose, and it might take him a bit longer.

Interesting watching his rise. If the Jazz are looking to run more of a 2-guard offense, he may be a nice compliment to Devin Harris in the backcourt. Knight seems like a good shooter, albeit a streaky one, and allegedly is a good defender. He seemed to have a lot of success playing off the ball. If Hayward and Harris can play alongside Knight and handle some of the playmaking ability, at least for now, he could be a nice fit.

[Sizzle]

I see a lot of scouts comparing Derrick Williams to David West. He just seems like a better shooter and better athlete than West to me. Maybe not quite as athletic as him, but he seems like a stronger version of Shawn Marion, with a better looking shot. I think of tweener 3/4s and Marion comes to mind, though most of that was just how he was used in Phoenix. The Artest comparison is probably the better one given that he is so much stronger than most 3s and not quite big enough to be a full time 4. I'd be stoked if the Jazz could land him, because I think playing alongside Al and Favors Williams could be a stud.

If you land Williams at three, here is another question. Do you consider moving up in the draft again with the hopes of adding Knight as well? How high would moving Millsap and #12 get you? I'd have to think Toronto at 5 would consider that, no?

[BGRTHNUMEGO]

Gottlieb's Top 5:

1) Cle - Irving
2) Min - Kanter
3) UTH - Williams
4) Cle - Vesely
5) Tor - T. Thompson (pointed out that he was Canadian...no idea why this pick would be made on top of the Ed Davis pick last year but Gottlieb said Thompson is a better pro prospect than Davis)

That draft would have Knight falling to at least #7 because Washington isn't going to take him at 6.

[BGRTHNUMEGO]

From Locke:

Moving into the top 3 in the NBA Draft, particularly a watered down NBA draft is huge for the Jazz. Since 1997 top 5 picks become all-stars 31% of the time and starters 62% of the time in contrast to players taken 6 to 10 who become all-stars 20% of the time and starters 44% of the time.

Don’t get too excited for the #12 pick – Since 1997 no pick 11-15 has been an all-star, 9% have been starters and 49% have been non impact players.

[MarkGrace]

Gottlieb's Top 5:

1) Cle - Irving
2) Min - Kanter
3) UTH - Williams
4) Cle - Vesely
5) Tor - T. Thompson (pointed out that he was Canadian...no idea why this pick would be made on top of the Ed Davis pick last year but Gottlieb said Thompson is a better pro prospect than Davis)

That draft would have Knight falling to at least #7 because Washington isn't going to take him at 6.

If we somehow come out of this thing with williams, or even more improbably irving, then getting the #3 was awesome. If we get knight, not so much.

[Jacob]

Interesting watching his rise. If the Jazz are looking to run more of a 2-guard offense, he may be a nice compliment to Devin Harris in the backcourt. Knight seems like a good shooter, albeit a streaky one, and allegedly is a good defender. He seemed to have a lot of success playing off the ball. If Hayward and Harris can play alongside Knight and handle some of the playmaking ability, at least for now, he could be a nice fit.

I haven't seem many people questioning whether Knight is a PG lately. He is a guy who looks to set up others. Much more of a PG than Walker.

[BGRTHNUMEGO]

I haven't seem many people questioning whether Knight is a PG lately. He is a guy who looks to set up others. Much more of a PG than Walker.

I think he's definitely a PG first, but he would be a much better option to play alongside Harris than what we've seen with Watson or Price playing next to Deron and Harris.

That is why I like Reggie Jackson as a pick for the Jazz at #12 if they can get Williams at 3. Same height as Knight but he has a 7' wingspan, so he should be able to guard opposing SGs easier.

[San Juan Sun]

My master plan for the Jazz:

1. Draft Kanter (if he's not available, see below).

2. Then draft the best wing available at 12: maybe Singleton.

3. Trade for Igoudala. Probably will have to use Milsap as the bait, and a 1st round draft pick (not next year's GS pick though).

4. Wait for next year to get the PG of the future.

Then we have:

PG: Harris/Watson
SG: Hayward/Miles
SF: Igoudala/Singleton
PF: Favors/Kanter
C: Al/Okur

Bench: Price, Evans, Fes.

(Roger Bell disappears under mysterious circumstances.)



If Williams falls to us, we don't go for Igoudala, and we keep Milsap. Keep our draft picks and get the PG of the future next year.

However, if some team just has top have Kanter/Williams and they give us a Godfather deal to fall back to 4-8, we take Brandon Knight.