What's new

Now is the time to start looking for your PG of the future

the likelihood of a charles jenkins or a reggie jackson or a darius morris being markedly better as a pro than devin harris aren't great. devin's not a top-five PG by any stretch of the imagination, but he's been an all-star and the second best player on an NBA finalist team. jenkins/jackson/morris will be lucky to hit that level.

again, i agree that devin isn't the long-term answer if want to content... but if any of those guys had obvious PG-of-the-future potential, they wouldn't be available at 20.
Teams pay a premium for size. Good PGs can be found late in the draft at a higher rate than, say, centers. Or true wings (which act as big point guards). Jenkins will probably not be a more viable option in year one, but in year five? Anything is better than a net 0 (Harris not being re-signed) or negative (when accounting salary if re-signed and on a likely steep decline).

I am of the opinion that your PG had better be a very special playmaker and/or someone that can spread the floor. Harris isn't special as a playmaker as presently constituted, has never been a shooter, and anything he had will be on it's way out before this team can be taken seriously again.
 
that was sposta say "if we want to contend." oops. i'm rusty.

anyway, the "good PGs can be found late in the draft" argument is weak and without basis. sure, you'll name me someone like tony parker who is the exception, but true difference-making PGs are as hot a draft commodity as bigs.

want proof? there are four starting PGs who are still playing. bibby was a second pick (and isn't even one of his team's three best players), westbrook was a fourth pick, kidd was a second pick, and rose was a top overall pick. or if you want to look purely at individual success, let's look at PER, where the top five PGs were picked fourth (paul), fourth (westbrook), first (rose), third (williams), and fifteenth (nash). the next best point guard is tony parker, a 29th pick -- the exception, not the rule.

so yeah, *good* point guards are available late in the draft... but very rarely are *great* ones available.
 
pg is the Least important piece, imo. Get 2 stars in other spots and the pg can get away with being decent.
 
that was sposta say "if we want to contend." oops. i'm rusty.

anyway, the "good PGs can be found late in the draft" argument is weak and without basis. sure, you'll name me someone like tony parker who is the exception, but true difference-making PGs are as hot a draft commodity as bigs.

want proof? there are four starting PGs who are still playing. bibby was a second pick (and isn't even one of his team's three best players), westbrook was a fourth pick, kidd was a second pick, and rose was a top overall pick. or if you want to look purely at individual success, let's look at PER, where the top five PGs were picked fourth (paul), fourth (westbrook), first (rose), third (williams), and fifteenth (nash). the next best point guard is tony parker, a 29th pick -- the exception, not the rule.

so yeah, *good* point guards are available late in the draft... but very rarely are *great* ones available.
I didn't say otherwise. But again, I know Harris is NOT going to be the guy. I wouldn't consider him "*great*" now either.

I - along with probably most others - are interested in putting more emphasis on getting ballhandling and playmaking from the wing from this new re-build (or "re-tool" if you want to kid yourself). If the Jazz are lucky enough to get that kind of talent, having a good PG is great. Hell, in that situation, I don't know how much more you need from a PG than spreading the floor if you can get playmaking from more than one wing player. Harris isn't that guy either.

I don't know who will be the future at the 1. I do know who won't and I don't see the wisdom in dragging feet while he still has decent market-value.
 
I'm fine with Harris this year (he's starting this year no matter if the Jazz draft a PG or not) and then I'm really eager to watch UNC's Kendall Marshall play next year. He looks like the kind of pretty good PG who can run an offense well but not be the eye popping elite talent that gorges your team's payroll. He's compared to Mark Jackson. Me likee. As of now he's projected at the top of the 2nd round next year. UNC will do well next year and that will move him into the first round but he won't be too high I don't think - not with that draft's depth. Did I mention I want more 2012 draft picks?
 
I actually really like Darius Morris and wouldn't be at all sad if it worked out that we got him. Great size, pass first, rebounding PG that played against very solid competition.
 
I have to agree with going big in this draft. Regardless of what we do at #3, a Euro big will likely fall to us at 12. I say we use both lottery positions to draft the best bigs available.

Next years draft is unclear. Will GS be in the lottery again next season? Most likely, but not guaranteed. Jerry West has his ways. Will the Jazz be in the lottery next season? Maybe, but the FO sure as **** isn't planning on it and not making the playoffs is not guaranteed.

Next years picks may fall, I think we should address the PG situation next year, as well as the wing. Next years draft is wing heavy and we have a decent shot at getting a good player. We can then draft a PG in the middle of the first round. Or we have a lottery pick or two and address the situation from there.

It's obvious that the PG situation should not be addressed in the lottery. Why waste the golden opportunity of 2 lottery picks to address the PG situation by moving out of the lottery?
 
Last edited:
I guess another thing to add is that this is low-risk. If the Jazz don't get THE guy they want at the 1 longterm, they'll realistically at least find a longterm backup on a cheap contract and asset.
 
Back
Top