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SI: Midseason Grades

BabyPeterzz

BabyPeterzz

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https://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2...n/02/21/midseason.grades/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

Utah Jazz - B+

Five weeks with a winning record is longer than most would have expected the Jazz could last, even with a schedule front-loaded with home games. A year after the departure of legendary coach Jerry Sloan and All-Star point guard Deron Williams, the challenge was to stay competitive with veterans like Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap and Devin Harris while developing youngsters such as Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter, Gordon Hayward and Alec Burks. There have been some glitches: Harris has disappointed, Hayward is still very inconsistent and Favors, Kanter and Burks all could use an extra five or seven minutes per game. When the team was winning and Millsap and Jefferson were both mentioned as possible All-Stars, the kids off the bench naturally got shorter shrift. But Utah has inevitably faded in February, and now even pleasant veteran surprises like swingman Josh Howard have to yield playing time.
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more playing times for the youngins' ...

...it's a pity everyone else can see it except may be Ty and KOC.

But then again they need to keep the hopes up to sell tickets.

Catch 22.
 
Hotttnickkk said:
more playing times for the youngins' ...

...it's a pity everyone else can see it except may be Ty and KOC.

But then again they need to keep the hopes up to sell tickets.

Catch 22.
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What does KOC have to do with how many minutes the young players get? Let's remember that he's the one that saved us from watching Memo fart all year and Kanter languish at the end of the bench and/or in the D-League.
 
^^^^ Agree with that. If anything I can see KOC expanding on the Memo move and shipping out one of the 2 starters... In the name of Kanter. Sooner, rather than later.
 
I'd probably give the team a "B". An easy early schedule was the right environment for a generally conservative outlook, which is how the Jazz operate. **** is going to get pretty nuts in the second half, so we'll see how they adapt and keep everybody on the team feeling like things are relevant. That's going to take a less conservative approach.

I'll be disappointed if there aren't two or three trades, but I understand the argument that Harris and Jefferson might be more valuable in the offseason.
 
NUMBERICA said:
What does KOC have to do with how many minutes the young players get? Let's remember that he's the one that saved us from watching Memo fart all year and Kanter languish at the end of the bench and/or in the D-League.
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KOC hires Ty.

So even though Ty seems to have full reign in distributing minutes, I assume KOC would have some says in how much we play our young guys.

Granted KOC traded away Memo. But if he really wanted to give Kanter more minutes, all he needed to do was hold a lunch meeting with Ty to talk it over.
 
A 'B+'?
These guys are off their rockers and/or released this issue back when the Jazz had like a 4 game win streak.
 
nba.com version

https://www.nba.com/reportcard/midseason/2012/jazz/

FRONTCOURT B
With Al Jefferson at center and Paul Millsap at power forward the Jazz boast one of the most productive and underrated low-post tandems in the league. Gordon Hayward is still a work in progress but progressing.

BACKCOURT C
Devin Harris has seen his scoring production cut in half from last season and he barely resembles the player he was earlier in his career. Journeyman Raja Bell is solid but not someone other teams worry about.

DEFENSE D
Once a staple for Jerry Sloan-coached teams, the Jazz simply do not have the personnel to defend at an elite level inside or on the perimeter.

BENCH B-
Earl Watson actually leads the team in assists and both Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter provide quality reserve minutes behind Jefferson and Millsap. Josh Howard is a solid veteran contributor

COACHING B
The fact that you never hear anyone griping about the job Ty Corbin tells you everything you need to know about Sloan's successor. He's done a fine job taking things over and establishing his own style.


OVERALL B-
Summary
With all of the frontcourt firepower they possess, the Jazz could prove to be a nightmare matchup in a playoff series. But they need the backcourt production to matchup if they are going to be anything more than a first round out. There are just too many holes on the roster, particularly in the backcourt, for the Jazz to project as anything else. John Stockton's not walking through that door. And neither is Deron Williams. They need Harris, who is struggling more as a starter in this system than he has anywhere else in the same capacity, to step his game up.
Any worries about a philosophical shift from the Sloan era to the Corbin era were calmed when the Jazz started the season on a tear, winning nine of their first 13 games. But they've come back to earth since then, losing 10 of their next 15 games and getting worked over by opposing guards in many of those losses.
-- Sekou Smith
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I think he gets it right in the summary, but we do not have an average backcourt. We are lucky to achieve an average level in our best backcourt performances. Also positive sells, so these grades are probably higher than reality.

Edit: Nevermind on inflating the grades, Sekou gives out 3 overall 'F' grades.
 

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the NBA.com version is way too hard on our defense. Once we (a) get rid of Jefferson and are playing Favors and Kanter more, and (b) add some firing power to the perimeter so the other team has to work harder on their defensive end, then we'll be a better-than-average defensive team. That's not a lot of movement in order to get there.

Jefferson for Martin (not a great defender, I know)
or
Jefferson for MWilliams and Hinrich

Either of those will do just fine.
 
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