Thee Jazz Fan
Well-Known Member
Middleton/Harris/almost all of the guys we mention are not qualified to be #2
None of those guys would be second or third options. 1,2,3rd options belong to Mitchell Gobert and Ingles. That is the basis to how this offense is run. Guys like Harris Middleton and Niko would be cogs, pieces that fit a puzzle and complete the offense enhancing and elevate the effectiveness of what makes up the jazz offense. DM, Gobert, and Ingles.
Randle is the exact opposite, he is a square peg trying to fit in a round hole. He would actually force his way into the role of second option, interrupting what the core of this offense has. Randle takes the ball out of both Ingles and Mitchell’s hands and still tries to occupy the same space Gobert needs while one of Harris Niko or Middleton allow Mitchell and Ingles to run the offense and give Gobert space to operate seamlessly in the pick’n roll. These are guys that don’t hold the ball too long or need the ball all that much, so while that is the case, they are efficient, and effective scorers that don’t get in the way, but are pieces that help unlock the secrets of this offense and propel the jazz to contention. You don’t just sign a guy like Randle to globs of money because he can score 20 points a game and shot over 30% for the first time in his career. That’s why they call it jazz dna. Harris , Middleton and Niko have it because each would fit what the jazz want to do.
Case and point is how the jazz finally broke through in the Stockton and Malone days. They had a big three of Stockton, K Malone and J Malone. Jeff was a 20 point scorer, and talented offensive player, but had his flaws because he could only space the floor to a certain point and was limited within the offense because he occupied the same space as Karl, but then traded him for Horny who was that missing piece. He was the missing piece because he complimented the offense instead of hindering it. One of Niko, Harris, or Middleton are our Horny in a matter of speaking. Yes, Randle is talented and can score, but he doesn’t fit, likewise Those other players are talented and enhance the offense because they aren’t getting in the way and give the type of offense we are lacking. They can act as a second option to take pressure off Mitchell without actually being the actual second option.