I'll go with Olden Polynice, aka the man with the badge.
2025 Utah Jazz All-Time Bad Draft
- Thread starter Saint Cy of JFC
- Start date
TLDR: Chris Morris
Bit of a story for anyone that doesn't mind reading it.
Back in the mid -90s, my family got cable for the first time. Prior to that, I mostly would follow games on the radio. I was in my early teens, and this was the first time I really started watching basketball. My memories of this era were the Jazz having a dominating first 5, and a very sketchy bench. Any time one of the main guys had to sub out, it was a nerve-wracking experience hoping the game wouldn't get out of hand before the starters could get back in (note that Greg Foster my previous pick was also one of these bench guys).
About this time Morris joined the team as a free agent. Former #4 draft pick with a reputation for fighting with coaches, he slid into Jerry Sloan's system like a block of concrete into a wood chipper. Sloan once kicked him out of a game and then had security remove him from the court. I remember him having some skills, but just often doing dumb things or ending up in the wrong place at the wrong time. One of my earliest basketball memories involved Hornacek shooting a three pointer that looked very much like it was going to go in, and Morris jumped up, caught it out of the air just above the rim, and dunked it.
I liked pretending to simulate out games on my little nerf hoop. Sometimes I'd put myself in on the team (yeah I was that big a nerd). Well obviously the combo of Stockton, Malone, Hornacek, and young GunterD was absolutely unstoppable and could do no wrong. But somehow the games had to be close at the end so I could make the game winning shot.
Enter Chris Morris.
Anyway, in my mind the dude was a screwup, and so in my pretend games, he missed every shot, blocked his teammates, scored on the wrong basket, etc. Again I was young and hadn't watched a lot of basketball at this point, so I'm certain its not fair to him, but in my mind at least he was the worst player the team ever had. Figured I could wait a few rounds, but I think its time to pick him.
Bit of a story for anyone that doesn't mind reading it.
Back in the mid -90s, my family got cable for the first time. Prior to that, I mostly would follow games on the radio. I was in my early teens, and this was the first time I really started watching basketball. My memories of this era were the Jazz having a dominating first 5, and a very sketchy bench. Any time one of the main guys had to sub out, it was a nerve-wracking experience hoping the game wouldn't get out of hand before the starters could get back in (note that Greg Foster my previous pick was also one of these bench guys).
About this time Morris joined the team as a free agent. Former #4 draft pick with a reputation for fighting with coaches, he slid into Jerry Sloan's system like a block of concrete into a wood chipper. Sloan once kicked him out of a game and then had security remove him from the court. I remember him having some skills, but just often doing dumb things or ending up in the wrong place at the wrong time. One of my earliest basketball memories involved Hornacek shooting a three pointer that looked very much like it was going to go in, and Morris jumped up, caught it out of the air just above the rim, and dunked it.
I liked pretending to simulate out games on my little nerf hoop. Sometimes I'd put myself in on the team (yeah I was that big a nerd). Well obviously the combo of Stockton, Malone, Hornacek, and young GunterD was absolutely unstoppable and could do no wrong. But somehow the games had to be close at the end so I could make the game winning shot.
Enter Chris Morris.
Anyway, in my mind the dude was a screwup, and so in my pretend games, he missed every shot, blocked his teammates, scored on the wrong basket, etc. Again I was young and hadn't watched a lot of basketball at this point, so I'm certain its not fair to him, but in my mind at least he was the worst player the team ever had. Figured I could wait a few rounds, but I think its time to pick him.
Always felt like Collins got a bit of a bad rap. He was unathletic and slow and never did anything that showed up on a stat sheet or a highlight reel. Didn't chase blocks, didn't demand shots. His job was just to roll out there when the starters went out and play solid positional defense and just hold down the fort and not make any mistakes until the better players could get a rest and come back in and I thought he did that pretty well.
Suppose though we actually are about at the point in this draft where that kind of guy ought to be picked.
Thee Jazz Fan
Well-Known Member
He wasn’t on my board to be honest.
Thee Jazz Fan
Well-Known Member
Am I up?
Yes, sorry forgot to tag you
Thee Jazz Fan
Well-Known Member
Mike Brown
Thee Jazz Fan
Well-Known Member
Coach Ellis
Well-Known Member
SF: Sasha Pavlovic
The highlight tape simply is a gift to behold.
The highlight tape simply is a gift to behold.
Coach Ellis
Well-Known Member
Domino
Well-Known Member
Oh wow I’ve looked at this thread like 4 times in the last hour or so looking for updates and didn’t even realize it was my pick I’ll pick right now
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LogGrad98
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Especially considering 1) we traded up to #9 to get him and 2) the players drafted after him were CJ McCollum at the very next pick, #10, then Stephen Adams at #12, Kelly Olynyk #13, and ****ing GIANNIS at #15. Granted a lot of teams slept on GIannis, but, **** me, we move up using assets to get there, to take arguably the worst rotation player in this draft. **** me. And great #1 pick for this draft from @Miggs
I do think if I do this again next year I'll be more lenient in the minutes played, maybe go to 500
Coach Ellis
Well-Known Member
Oh yeah. Not enough minutes. He’s one of the guys that I would’ve considered if we had some sort of exception to go under the 1,000 minute threshold. Him and/or Svi were the two guys I would’ve thought seriously about taking.
Coach Ellis
Well-Known Member
Or at least let us each pick one guy under 1,000 minutes and more than 500 minutes. Opens up the board, but doesn’t tank the whole team. I think the draft has been pretty great so far.
Any chance you can update the order in the original post?
Domino
Well-Known Member
May I ask why? He played 2,340 minutes for the Utah Jazz?
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