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Could Kanter and Gobert have worked?

I think in hindsight the 2011 NBA draft was one of the better ones in a decade. It just wasn't top heavy. Klay Thompson, Kawhi Leonard, and Jimmy Butler are three of the best two way wings in the NBA. Kyrie is Kyrie. Vucevic is a double double machine. Even the 60th pick Isaiah Thomas is the best last pick in a draft.
 
You take BPA. PERIOD!
Had Utah followed your rule, Gobert would never have been drafted. You can't forecast injuries. You can't foresee a later pick coming in and pushing another one out the door. Jazz were set to proceed with Kanter/Favors as the starting bigs. Even Lindsey admits that. NO ONE expected Gobert to go beast mode this season. And in many respects, we're betting on Gobert continuing to improve, especially on the offensive side. Right now, we might have the same record - or better - and maybe even have won the games against the Lakers and Boston had Kanter been in the game. And we could have easily done that by going back to Ergul and Enes, saying no good trade offer was made and we'd try to do a S&T this summer.

You just keep arguing about a situation which already failed. The Kanter Pick was never good for Utah and never good for Kanter himself. Thats a fact and reality.
 
You just keep arguing about a situation which already failed. The Kanter Pick was never good for Utah and never good for Kanter himself. Thats a fact and reality.

Nope. The Kanter pick failed because Enes thinks he's the best player of his generation. He COULD have succeeded in Utah. It's a fact that ONLY in Year #2 does he have a real gripe. But it's a fact he learned TONS behind Big Al. He progressed more than he ever could have by just going out and playing 30 mins/per and having no mentor. Enes will have a Boozer-like career, which is exactly what he wants. Had he told Utah in pre-draft interviews that he wanted to only score, but not play defense, then we could have avoided this whole scenario.
 
Nope. The Kanter pick failed because Enes thinks he's the best player of his generation. He COULD have succeeded in Utah. It's a fact that ONLY in Year #2 does he have a real gripe. But it's a fact he learned TONS behind Big Al. He progressed more than he ever could have by just going out and playing 30 mins/per

lol, Kanter was a 12, 12 player with 19 years of age he just did not get a shot to produce. That´s pretty special... Kanter already had many offensive moves before even playing an NBA game. His weakspot was 5 n 5 basketball offensively and defensively, he already just practiced for two years in Kentucky. Dude needed to learn, by playing the game. He still struggles with that and will only get better with patience.
With Al Jefferson, Millsap and Favors their was never the opportunity to give him, what he truly needed. AL was a great mentor and thats with Quin Snyder the only bright spot for him playing here.

You can not blamin everything on Kanter, when he is almost producing on allstar level for another team.
 
His weakspot was 5 n 5 basketball offensively and defensively, he already just practiced for two years in Kentucky. Dude needed to learn, by playing the game. He still struggles with that and will only get better with patience.
So as gandalfe said, Kanter's weakness is still 5-on-5 basketball after 5,000+ mins in the NBA? Is there any other kind of basketball...well, outside the And1 tournaments? But wait, he's "the best player of his generation" as stated by Max Ergul. Dude doesn't need to learn anything; he's already greater than anyone else his age.

He averaged 13, 15, 27 and 27 mins. with Utah. Care to reference how many minutes players like Anthony Bennett, Otto Porter and Alex Len got as rookies? Even Derrick Favors didn't get a ton as a rookie. Kanter was NOT an NBA player coming into the league; he was a project who had been out of basketball for a year. As I've repeatedly said, only in Year #2 can you make an argument he was underutilized.

PERHAPS Utah should have moved Jefferson that season. But when? Before the year, it was still uncertain Kanter would be a top-tier starter. Big Al was a near 20-10 player and the Jazz were trying to make the playoffs. So you undermine that by letting him go at the deadline? And at his salary, there just weren't many possible destinations. I know because I looked at every single playoff team to see if he could fit financially and roster-wise. So the Jazz did EXACTLY what they should have done. Kept all their bigs for a playoff push (they barely missed), then committed to Kanter by telling Big Al goodbye. Enes got his chance (TWICE) to be the center of the future for Utah but didn't put up.

But you're right; I shouldn't place all of the blame on Enes. Most of it is Rudy's fault. Gobert is just too damn good and too damn passionate about winning and playing dominant defense. And Snyder cares too damn much about the Jazz being accountable for defense. Kanter is going to anchor a team like Charlotte in the future. A team will overpay to grab him because some stupid GM only looks at box scores and sees a 20/10 player. I have no doubt Enes will average that - or more. But I have serious concerns a team he plays on will ever be a contender.
 
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