What's new

My hot take on what I'd do in the off-season.

His playoff stats this year show he might be a top 5 player. He took a big step forward. Mitchell is at the top of many advanced stats for playoffs this year and some for all-time in NBA history.
Good post.

Regular season stats are interesting, but they aren't truly relevant to the playoffs. I've been saying it since the 2018 OKC series - Don is unquestionably our most important player for the postseason.

Rudy played pretty well against Houston last year, but we almost got swept due to our lack of talent and Don not playing great. His best game was our win.

This year, Rudy played average by his standards and we took it to 7 games on Don's back. This was without our 2nd best scorer and Conley for 2 games (some might say 3....).

Don is at the level of those other guys mentioned. The roster around them is the difference minus maybe Doncic. Last time I checked, Doncic hasn't won anything.


Sent from my SM-G970U using JazzFanz mobile app
 
I kinda resigned to the fact that we probably won't make the playoff next season.

We are kinda stuck in a 2014 Brooklyn Nets-ish limbo for this next season.

Without the ability to make any major roster overhaul, the best we can hope for is a 7th or 8th seed finish and another early round exit from the playoff. This current roster has reached its full potential. It's only gonna be a downhill from here.


So i'm looking at possible moves we can make beyond the expiration of Conley's horrendous contract, which is in 2021/22. If we can tank our way to a top 5 spot in next year's draft in the process, that'd be a bonus.

This is very pessimistic. Our roster won’t improve without a major overhaul? Let’s says we get a 20ppg scorer and an athletic defensive wing for next year. Aka Bojan comes back and we sign a Jerami grant type. We also now will have Clarkson for the entire season. After we traded for him we had a top 2 offense from December on. It’s easy to see us staying in the same range, maybe even moving up. Don definitely took a step up in the playoffs that will lead to playing changes for the next season. Cmon man, where’s the fandom? Where’s the optimism or at least an honest appreciation for the progress? Jazz rock.
 
This is very pessimistic. Our roster won’t improve without a major overhaul? Let’s says we get a 20ppg scorer and an athletic defensive wing for next year. Aka Bojan comes back and we sign a Jerami grant type. We also now will have Clarkson for the entire season. After we traded for him we had a top 2 offense from December on. It’s easy to see us staying in the same range, maybe even moving up. Don definitely took a step up in the playoffs that will lead to playing changes for the next season. Cmon man, where’s the fandom? Where’s the optimism or at least an honest appreciation for the progress? Jazz rock.
Well first adding Jerami Grant is considered "major" and we can't afford him on our current cap. He's paid 10mil already and will only opt out of his last year with Denver unless someone guarantees him more money. And that "someone" definitely wouldn't be us.
Also, next season we will see the return of Steph/Klay Warriors. A Suns team that's starting to figure it out and T'Wolves that are loaded with talents. So these teams will take at least one playoff spot away, which means someone has to make way. And you can bet it won't be the Lakers, Clippers, Nuggets, Houston, Mavs or even the Thunder.
Yes getting bojan back can help somewhat but he is already 31 yr old and will need time to get back to 100% after a big surgery. Plus even with him on the roster, we have been through frustrating losses against Rockets, Suns, Thunder, Spurs in front of our home crowd cuz teams started to realize the fact that we've got scoring but not much else. An aging Joe Ingles and Mike Conley who will only play worse every season on but combine for over 40mil wont help either.
 
Last edited:
Wings don't grow on trees so we will need at least one season to redevelop our wings. Get one from the draft, then look at the international/G league market again for guys with the highest physical upside, preferably someone 6’8 or more. And let Quin teach these guys NBA basketball. But to make these guys contribute at NBA level, we will need at least one season.
 
Good post.

Regular season stats are interesting, but they aren't truly relevant to the playoffs. I've been saying it since the 2018 OKC series - Don is unquestionably our most important player for the postseason.

Rudy played pretty well against Houston last year, but we almost got swept due to our lack of talent and Don not playing great. His best game was our win.

This year, Rudy played average by his standards and we took it to 7 games on Don's back. This was without our 2nd best scorer and Conley for 2 games (some might say 3....).

Don is at the level of those other guys mentioned. The roster around them is the difference minus maybe Doncic. Last time I checked, Doncic hasn't won anything.


Sent from my SM-G970U using JazzFanz mobile app
I think this is a big/short offseason for Mitchell. Kind of like Jordan's when he was ousted and beat up by Detroit. He can settle and be happy with his points and regular season wins and losing in the first/second round in the playoffs or he can go to work. Rework his body, like Jordan did and go from an "inefficient scorer" to All Defensive Player and Leader of a great team. Now, Jordan had Pippen and there is no one on Pippen's level on the Jazz, but if you are the Jazz you become much more willing to move Gobert after this playoff series and if Mitchell comes back a man possessed.
 
I think this is a big/short offseason for Mitchell. Kind of like Jordan's when he was ousted and beat up by Detroit. He can settle and be happy with his points and regular season wins and losing in the first/second round in the playoffs or he can go to work. Rework his body, like Jordan did and go from an "inefficient scorer" to All Defensive Player and Leader of a great team. Now, Jordan had Pippen and there is no one on Pippen's level on the Jazz, but if you are the Jazz you become much more willing to move Gobert after this playoff series and if Mitchell comes back a man possessed.

Who has the capability either by draft, FA, or trade to be our poor mans Pippen?
 
uh... I'm not gonna read thru this whole thread sorry. I just want to chime in; Why in the world would Cleveland trade Kevin Love for Conley??
 
Well first adding Jerami Grant is considered "major" and we can't afford him on our current cap. He's paid 10mil already and will only opt out of his last year with Denver unless someone guarantees him more money. And that "someone" definitely wouldn't be us.
Also, next season we will see the return of Steph/Klay Warriors. A Suns team that's starting to figure it out and T'Wolves that are loaded with talents. So these teams will take at least one playoff spot away, which means someone has to make way. And you can bet it won't be the Lakers, Clippers, Nuggets, Houston, Mavs or even the Thunder.
Yes getting bojan back can help somewhat but he is already 31 yr old and will need time to get back to 100% after a big surgery. Plus even with him on the roster, we have been through frustrating losses against Rockets, Suns, Thunder, Spurs in front of our home crowd cuz teams started to realize the fact that we've got scoring but not much else. An aging Joe Ingles and Mike Conley who will only play worse every season on but combine for over 40mil wont help either.

You sound like an accountant. Are you an accountant? Overly pessimistic to guard against possible disappointment. Gotta get you a pass aboard the Jazz train. Next stop, home court advantage in the playoffs. Woop Woop.
 
Who has the capability either by draft, FA, or trade to be our poor mans Pippen?

Nobody will be Pippen because he was one of a few guys athletic enough and good enough on defense to guard pretty much anything other than centers. Phil called him the best defender on his Bulls' teams without a doubt. Pip could also score and pass too.

In today's game, Jaylen Brown would be perfect but highly unlikely.

Maybe one of these guys is a poor man's Pippen, at least on defense, on a bad team and might be attainable:
Miles Bridges - Charlotte
Frank Ntilikina - New York
Mikal Bridges - Phoenix
Sekou Doumbouya - Detroit
 
Nobody will be Pippen because he was one of a few guys athletic enough and good enough on defense to guard pretty much anything other than centers. Phil called him the best defender on his Bulls' teams without a doubt. Pip could also score and pass too.

In today's game, Jaylen Brown would be perfect but highly unlikely.

Maybe one of these guys is a poor man's Pippen, at least on defense, on a bad team and might be attainable:
Miles Bridges - Charlotte
Frank Ntilikina - New York
Mikal Bridges - Phoenix
Sekou Doumbouya - Detroit
I like Shaq Harrison... not as big as some of those guys but gets a lot of deflections, steals, and for a guard he gets blocks and rebounds at a high rate. He is listed at 6-7 on bbreference but he aint really that. He's 15th in the league in Defensive RPM... it isn't a fool proof way of finding gems but there are times when it kind of predicts a guy breaking out. He shot abnormally high 3p% this year for him... I don't trust it but it is a good sign at least.

Bulls were actually good defensively this year which is surprising. Shaq was part of the reason... team had a dfrtg of 103 when he was on the floor 111 when he was off. Part of that is likely related to playing 2/3 of his minutes without Zach Lavine.

I think he'd be cheap and could play 1-3 for us. I think he's the type that can stick to a Jamal Murray type. If his shooting is real then you are truly on to something.
 
Back
Top