Thee Idiotic Minivan K
Well-Known Member
Now agree to my bet already.
The Lauri Thread
- Thread starter SoberasHotRod
- Start date
One of the reasons why I was concerned with Lauri….we’re putting him in the worst position to succeed. Like you said, we don’t get to trade theoretical Lauri who is in a good situation. Whether he’s truly dropped in level or not, we haven’t don’t him favors and his value has dropped.
I’ll be willing to say it. If the Shams trade that was reported was actually available, I think it was a mistake to keep Lauri. If we wanted to trade Lauri, I doubt we will get that amount this summer. We can always choose to build with Lauri, but the other moves this team has made and the current status of our young players has made that option less appealing to me.
Tremendous Upside
Well-Known Member
Indeed.
This team is AT LEAST two years away from being two years away without some shocking trade for an established star, and I'm not holding my breath waiting for such an acquisition to materialize.
Lauri was/is a massive investment, and the way things are going, the most likely scenario is that his value and prime are wasted. As I said in another thread, not cashing in on him back when his market value was sky high (and the tanking roadmap already established) was a serious tactical mistake by the Jazz. I still don't understand what they were thinking.
With the amount of assets Ainge would've gotten for Lauri at, say, the 22/23 trade DL, the decision not to act probably stretched the tank by a few years.
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The time to trade theoretical Lauri in good situation was when Lauri was in good, in practice, situation on over performing team...
The problem is people never want to lose a good feel story, a guy who came with not great expectations and massively smasher them.
Right now, it's probably best if we just keep Lauri and hope for quick turnaround with Cooper Flagg or whoever we draft. I still think Lauri can be a very high level secondary or tertiary option... True Finnisher...
He's having an off year in the first year we are fully committed to losing. It's honestly ideal in a way. Sad, but ideal.
Best for who? The thing is we lost out on both Lauri fronts. Our team is not great, so trying to win with Lauri is less good as an option. But at the same time, his trade value has likely dropped so we've lost out if we want to trade him and tank more next year. If we don't get Flagg, which at minimum is 86% chance, I think we really should accept our losses and trade Lauri. If we do luck out and get Flagg, I'm still leaning towards trading Lauri anyways.
I do agree that people don't want to lose their feel good story, but without that attachment and desire to specifically build around Lauri I think moving Lauri is probably best and would have been better if we had already traded him. The way I see it is that there's an 86%+ chance we should definitely trade Lauri. If we hit on the 14% chance and get Lauri, there's still a good argument for trading him anyways.
The best realistic scenario is that we hit on our picks in the draft, Lauri bounces back, and we can choose whether to go for it or trade him with rebounded value.
Regardless, right now, we need to be doing everything possible to preserve his body (and value). Still feels like he’s off physically.
But yeah, his value is WAY down and we probably should’ve just traded him last off-season.
Regardless, right now, we need to be doing everything possible to preserve his body (and value). Still feels like he’s off physically.
But yeah, his value is WAY down and we probably should’ve just traded him last off-season.
latin jazz
Well-Known Member
He is in a terrible situation, forced to miss easy games/matchups and when he plays it's usually with rookies and 2nd year players or g league material (at this point it should be renamed the Hommey League). I wouldn't read too much into this year. With improved talent, also comes better looks. And not to mention the obnoxious tanking. Can't blame him for not being motivated
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Lauri needs better spacing and passing, he is not great at creating for himself. It appears he is trying to develop some of the back to the basket moves to his game, but it has not gone well. I'm not worried about him.
Tremendous Upside
Well-Known Member
I don't think he looks unmotivated. Frustrated, sure. He's still out there chasing smaller guys around screens and killing his body in meaningless games. Never been a guy whose effort level fluctuates according to the opposition or situation.
But Lauri's probably in the worst possible situation for a player like him (basketball-wise). He's something of a luxury piece, a guy who elevates a team that already knows what it's doing... but Lauri can't drag a bunch of rookies and G-Leaguers out of a hole. He doesn't have the personality or the skillset.
It just doesn't make any sense for him to be on this roster.
SoberasHotRod
Well-Known Member
It feels like we are going to either:
- Be grateful that this ends up being Lauri's worst year in Utah, which helps us get a top pick.
Or
- Regret giving him a Max contract as he ends up a huge negative contract for us.
- Be grateful that this ends up being Lauri's worst year in Utah, which helps us get a top pick.
Or
- Regret giving him a Max contract as he ends up a huge negative contract for us.
I think there’s a good chance he’s traded this summer and we’ll still get value. We won’t get the 1.5x godfather package that people were so stubborn for here….but I don’t think he/we have done enough damage to his stock to make him negative. That will probably lead us to regretting not trading him earlier, and time will tell if Lauri is truly worth his deal.
I’m pretty sure I said this at the time….but for most of the contracts that people consider very toxic today….everyone was happy when they were signed. Things can change so quickly and teams are going to be really tight with money going forward. I don’t really believe in first guy, second, third guy or whatever….but I think you’re going to need a lot around Lauri if you hope to win a championship and his contract could make that challenging for any potential buyer.
Oh don't get me wrong. I'm by no means one of the people who is designating Lauri as untouchable. I meant best for the Jazz if they actually wanted to trade him. I was on the record that we probably should have traded him last off-season. I feel like we are wasting him both as a player and as an asset. I think the only way keeping him would have been worth it is if a few of our prospects took steps forward and we're ready to start winning next season and this is a complete and utter miss. Our best prospects are either injured or underperforming or stagnating.
I also think the lower back problems have been legitimate this year, and not just a "covert tank" thing.
Step-Back Lauri
Well-Known Member
Which is at the same time concerning but also would be nice to know he's just not lost it this badly just bc it's boring to tank. But more concerning definitely.
Step-Back Lauri
Well-Known Member
- Lauri talks about his shot in a media day interview
- Says he's still confident on his shot, and especially if he shoots from his comfort zone (c&s from spot)
- They have knowingly tried to get him shoot more off the screens, picking them shots off from motion and on tougher situations. He trusts the shots would start going in through repetitions, and that he haven't really taken such shots earlier in his career
- Aside learning that, the idea is also to allow more space for the team by moving Lauri more, so the defenses have to react on that.
- Lauri is not admitting his sitting out from games would've contributes to his slump by making it tougher to stay in rhythm.
Let's see how it'll go rest of this season,and onto the next one..So far, the growing number of 3ptsfeom new/less familiar situationshavent looked great. And yet,if he unlocks them as well and shoots closer to 40 than 35 again, it's nice. I just wonder how much can Jazz afford run it on next season, in case they won't start dropping, as they also have to think about his trade value
Here's the link for the media day interview:
- Says he's still confident on his shot, and especially if he shoots from his comfort zone (c&s from spot)
- They have knowingly tried to get him shoot more off the screens, picking them shots off from motion and on tougher situations. He trusts the shots would start going in through repetitions, and that he haven't really taken such shots earlier in his career
- Aside learning that, the idea is also to allow more space for the team by moving Lauri more, so the defenses have to react on that.
- Lauri is not admitting his sitting out from games would've contributes to his slump by making it tougher to stay in rhythm.
Let's see how it'll go rest of this season,and onto the next one..So far, the growing number of 3ptsfeom new/less familiar situationshavent looked great. And yet,if he unlocks them as well and shoots closer to 40 than 35 again, it's nice. I just wonder how much can Jazz afford run it on next season, in case they won't start dropping, as they also have to think about his trade value
Here's the link for the media day interview:
SoberasHotRod
Well-Known Member
Bump
Probably time to revisit some of these questions.
Probably time to revisit some of these questions.
Tremendous Upside
Well-Known Member
He's become the embodiment of joyless basketball.
