Shaq might just be replacing NWG.
Will be surprised if Oni isnt clearly ahead of Shaq on the depth chart all season.
Will be surprised if Oni isnt clearly ahead of Shaq on the depth chart all season.
Could be right, though it may be Shaq's injury and the fact that Oni knows the system better that contributes more than their quality as basketball players in a vacuum.Shaq might just be replacing NWG.
Will be surprised if Oni isnt clearly ahead of Shaq on the depth chart all season.
Oni is a far better passer and decision maker than Shaq. Shaq can penetrate better, but that's it.Could be right, though it may be Shaq's injury and the fact that Oni knows the system better that contributes more than their quality as basketball players in a vacuum.
But I do expect that Shaq could get some run at PG at times (Donovan or Conley out for a game, for example) where I don't see that from Oni.
I mean I think you are assuming that Oni is going to be a great defender which Shaq already is. Oni could be solid or good and still be worse on that end... and that end of the floor is where Shaq shines.Oni is a far better passer and decision maker than Shaq. Shaq can penetrate better, but that's it.
Jazz front office had a plan, and they've executed it so far. You can question their priorities, but you can't fault them for executing their plan.
I think the Jazz want to re-sign Gobert and be able to trade him if he starts pouting again. Acquiring Favors and Udoka gives them the ability to handle that contingency.
I don't see an obvious move for them that they could have made off the cuff. They're in a position to trade Conley, Royce, Favors or Rudy if the right deal comes up. Maybe they consider trading Mike for Otto Porter or Kevin Love at mid-season. Not sure.
If they really thought Udoka was their guy in the draft, then that explains their whole draft strategy.
Even if the Jazz want to trade Rudy, re-signing him will increase his trade value. So they want to re-sign Rudy either way. Also, they need to give Udoka some runway to see if he's going to be the real deal. They've obviously seen some potential, but he needs to show he can defend at an NBA level.I agree with you for the most part. I just think this timeframe is odd though. The Udoka pick followed by the Favors re-signing would have made perfect sense followed by a Rudy trade. Having all 3 is just weird in my opinion. It's so unlike any other team in the league to have 3 such bigs. And if trading Rudy was in the cards, we waited too long to strike while the offerings were at their greatest. People were throwing around assets like hotcakes to start free agency (us included).
The Rudy contract situation really impacts this offseason for me. I think it's ridiculous that it hasn't been resolved yet. Don and Rudy were the most important issues of the offseason. One of the two is still unsettled.
I like our additions, but I'm not sure if any of them are on the court in very important situations. Maybe Favors, but that probably comes at the cost of Rudy. Not really sure how much we trust Oni and Shaq against a team like Denver, or the LAs.
If he's signed, that means both sides came to an agreement. To trade him, it means something is wrong (on or off the court) not too long after we came to said agreement. I'm not sure he retains great trade value on a really big, long deal if things so south from a lockerroom perspective.Even if the Jazz want to trade Rudy, re-signing him will increase his trade value. So they want to re-sign Rudy either way. Also, they need to give Udoka some runway to see if he's going to be the real deal. They've obviously seen some potential, but he needs to show he can defend at an NBA level.