What's new

Jazz Offseason Plan

…and to piggyback off my last post, I wouldn’t be surprised one bit to see Utah try and put a 3-4 team deal together to bring Lillard back to Utah. While I know it’s EXTREMELY unlikely, this is probably the year that Portland sits back and takes a hard look at the fact that the Lillard/McCullom plan just hasn’t worked, and probably isn’t going to. The Jazz probably don’t have any kind of package that doesn’t include Donovan that Portland would be interested in, but if you made a list of Jazz assets that includes any combo of: Rudy, Bogey, Clarkson, Favors, Ingles, Royce, and a few unprotected 1st round picks, it’s not too far out of the realm that by bringing in 1 or 2 other teams, something enticing enough could be presented for Portland to pivot and set Dame free.

Obviously, that leaves us worse Defensively and with yet another small backcourt, but you’ve basically put Dame in DM into a position in which neither will be double teamed ever again (when both are on the court anyway). I know Donovan got his points in the Clipper series, but when Lue committed to throwing a hard double team at DM, our offense didn’t respond. We were disjointed, out of sorts, and never really recovered before being eliminated. Plus, a team headlined by Dame/DM is probably enticing enough to get some quality 3 and D wings to come here on vet minimums.

Is this scenario likely? Hell no, but I do think it serves as a good example of what a Ryan Smith led Utah Jazz organization is now willing to at least attempt.
 
Wade wasn’t solely brought in for Donovan, but a big reason he was brought in was for Donovan. Donovan trusts Wade pretty clearly, and Wade is the gap filler between organizational choices, and how Donovan is truly feeling. Wade got a “sweet deal” money wise likely sure, but his value in his ownership stake is just him personally in his connections, relationships, etc. that add so much value. Wade will for sure influence things in a big way, and will likely let Ryan know what he needs to know about Mitchell’s feelings on everything. Smith will be aggressive for sure, it’s why I’d really really like the FO set up some point soon. I also think Smiths relationship with Donovan is pretty good. Donovan gives Ryan a hug most games he walks off the court. The Jazz need to win, and the fanbase needs to stop having issues. Those are the bottom lines. If Donovan leaves it won’t be because he hates the organization. It will be because it isn’t winning, and/or he doesn’t feel connected to the community he plays basketball for. One of the true lines in Monsons diatribe there is Donovan absolutely wants a fanbase he feels like is worth winning for, and this fanbase is, the fanbase (I know I know) for the most part worships the dude, but I think he needs to see it as well, because he’s undoubtably let some of the noise/perception get him in his feelings.
What other FO positions need filling? Haven't kept track of who has left their position other than DL. My assumption was Zanik is fully taking over GM/Basketball operation duties and that's kind of the end of it.
 
What other FO positions need filling? Haven't kept track of who has left their position other than DL. My assumption was Zanik is fully taking over GM/Basketball operation duties and that's kind of the end of it.
This is exactly what I’m wondering. The team made it a point to say that Zanik now has full say over personnel. I can’t imagine they’d go on record with that only to pull the rug out from under him by hiring a VP of Basketball Operations in the same offseason.

People are waiting for the other shoe to drop when there isn’t another shoe. I think we’ll see some scouts and advisors hired, but nothing that usurps Zanik’s role as “The Man”.
 
What other FO positions need filling? Haven't kept track of who has left their position other than DL. My assumption was Zanik is fully taking over GM/Basketball operation duties and that's kind of the end of it.
Local reporters have mentioned it may be a different structuring and more than one position will likely be added/hired. I think you could see medical/training staff shake ups. Idk, Windhorst mentioned the ankle thing was a big deal to Mitchell. Whoever made that mistake (maybe it was Dennis who caused the confusion idk) I’d guess will be shown the door.
 
So this year we could have had Rivers, Portis, and Craig, and maybe Batum, all on the cheap. Imagine them instead of Oni, Favors, and Niang. We move forward easily.
Didn’t the jazz try to sign Batum and he picked the Clippers over us? Not sure we needed Rivers. Portis or Craig would’ve been nice.
I blamed my wife (and still do) for the 98 Finals loss. I had asked her to let me watch alone and in peace and towards the last few minutes of the 4th, we were ahead and she came out and stayed in the room with me.

We never scored again from that point on in the game and then Jordan had his push off shot to win.

Blasphemy on so many levels.
And you’re still with her, why?
 
Moves I would make:

Bojan for Kuzma, #22 and future draft considerations

S&T Conley to Philly, Boston or Indiana. Get Brogdon, Smart and an asset, 3 team where Simmons goes elsewhere and we get something.

If Charlotte throws us the kitchen sink with an offer for Rudy in October, take it if we still have Favors and Doke.





Sent from my SM-A516U using JazzFanz mobile app
You're starting to sell me on the Kuzma idea, even though I still think he can only go so far. I didn't realize his contract was so much smaller than Bojan's, and lord knows the picks are needed.

I don't think Conley will agree to a sign and trade, or a potential new team would, but I'd kill to put Smart next to Donovan.
 
We want Kelly Oubre, Robert Covington, or Christian Wood. Preferably Wood and we all it an off-season
 
As we spend the early offseason bantering back and forth on what we think the Jazz should or will do in the upcoming weeks, there’s one mental road block that keeps popping up, reminding me that for the first time in 37 years of being a Jazz fan, I probably have ZERO idea of what the Jazz will do.

I realize that while we’ve seen a few different FO’s during that span, we also haven’t seen a FO operate that wasn’t ran by the Millers. The fact of the matter is that the Layden’s and their philosophies weren’t any different than KOC and his philosophies. Hell, that’s EXACTLY why KOC was hired. He fit the Miller mindset to a “T” and it’s no accident that Lindsey was the next man up after KOC. As a fan base, we’ve been spoon fed the EXACT same philosophy from our Front Office for the last 40 years because that mindset was the marching orders handed down my Miller ownership.

I can honestly say that for the first time in 4 decades, we’re in uncharted territory. In looking into Ryan Smith’s business philosophies, he seems to really key on one major talking point: Complacency will kill you faster that anything. It goes hand in hand with the age old mantra that the biggest enemy to great is good. The truth is, we could come up with 100 reasons why Larry and Gail Miller were fantastic owners, but at the same time, it would be extremely easy to come up with just as many reasons why this team was never winning a title under Miller ownership. To put it bluntly, they were happy being really good, and were not willing to put that at risk for the chance at being great.

I’ll readily admit that I have absolutely no idea what Ryan Smith is about to do, but I feel extremely confident that for the first time in ages, it will be something different. I think it’s pretty clear that Smith didn’t give D-Wade a REALLY sweet deal to own a small chunk of the Jazz just so he could show him off sitting court side all season long. Smith realizes that the status quo isn’t gonna win us anything and that it’s also the quickest way to run Donovan out of town. D-Wade is going to be a major player in how this roster looks going forward and I’m pretty excited to see what that looks like.
I think it’s very feasible that the 2021-22 Utah Jazz roster doesn’t have Bogey, Jingles, Favors, and maybe even Rudy anywhere to be seen come opening night. Ryan Smith is absolutely terrified of complacency and if he runs his basketball team like he runs his business, we’re going to learn that very quickly.
I wish I could agree with you here, but I just don’t see it. Nothing crazy will happen. Bogey should be traded, but likely won’t be.

Rudy is going to be on the roster this upcoming season. You can write that on a stone tablet.
 
Back
Top