A Good Word on Cotton

[Stifle Tower]

It's a sound model, but the component you're missing is that they are also picking these guys up hoping to find a diamond in the rough. It has happened before. When it happens again they are unlikely to just throw their find on the trash heap.

Because I believe Cotton has real diamond potential, I think the most likely scenario is that his contract becomes guaranteed and he sticks with the Jazz to the end of the season. I do not expect Exum to play at all this year and since point guard is currently our weakest position I think the Jazz are likely to keep three active guys at that position until one or more prove themselves to be solid starting quality. If that doesn't happen by the trade deadline, and assuming the Jazz are somehow in playoff contention anyway, then one or more of them (along with other assets) will probably be moved to bring in a vet.

Agree. I don't follow any other team closely, but I'll bet a lot of them have a few of these contracts heading into training camp. Probably a post-Matthews strategy to get these players locked into multi-year, team-option deals just in case one of them surprises. Then Utah can retain that player on a cheap deal for a few years.

AS for a vet PG, I think it's a given DL will be pursuing a trade. Jazz will pick up Trey's option, but to stake the future of the team on Burke or a player coming off an ACL injury who was underwhelming last year is just not wise. I hope one of the PG's breaks out this season and that Dante comes back strong and can hit the broadside of a barn. But I'm not counting on it. And I doubt DL is, either.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

It's a sound model, but the component you're missing is that they are also picking these guys up hoping to find a diamond in the rough. It has happened before. When it happens again they are unlikely to just throw their find on the trash heap.

Because I believe Cotton has real diamond potential, I think the most likely scenario is that his contract becomes guaranteed and he sticks with the Jazz to the end of the season. I do not expect Exum to play at all this year and since point guard is currently our weakest position I think the Jazz are likely to keep three active guys at that position until one or more prove themselves to be solid starting quality. If that doesn't happen by the trade deadline, and assuming the Jazz are somehow in playoff contention anyway, then one or more of them (along with other assets) will probably be moved to bring in a vet.

I think the Jazz are leaning towards Millsap being the first guy who makes it from non-guaranteed to guaranteed. He has a NBA level skill that he does at above average level (defending).

I dont see Cotton having any of those skills.

 

[homeytennis]

I think the Jazz are leaning towards Millsap being the first guy who makes it from non-guaranteed to guaranteed. He has a NBA level skill that he does at above average level (defending).

I dont see Cotton having any of those skills.

But Bryce does have mad hops.

 

[andylarsen]

Can't be worse than Clint Peterson. That guy is cancer on steroids.

Just to be clear, Clint Peterson is not affiliated with Salt City Hoops. We do have a Clint Johnson, who is neither cancerous nor steroid-infused.

 

[andylarsen]

Well, I did read on another forum that someone observed Raul in a Walmart. Probably looked pretty smooth maneuvering that shopping cart.

I'll bet there are 5-10 people on Jazzfanz who could write better articles than most of what is posted on SC Hoops or any other Jazz site.

Maybe! I'd welcome anyone on Jazzfanz to submit articles to me if they want to write longer stuff for Salt City Hoops that wouldn't fit on Jazzfanz for whatever reason. Anyone can email me at andy@andylarsen.com if they're interested.

 

[Jazz4ever]

This guy shot 36% against bad competition in the SL. Small sample size, but not much smaller than his from the end of the season, a time when teams are notorious for not caring anymore.

He's not a great passer, he's small, he's not a great defender...I just don't see it. He's definitely not better than Burke.

But he has elite athleticism, Burke doesn't. His ceiling is simply higher because of this fact. Cotton gets more elevation on his jump shot, can blow by defenders, and can finish above the rim.
Burke is always going to be that slow little guy who can't turn the corner, no matter how hard he works. The history of these types of players speak for themselves. They are the Earl Watson's, DJ Augustine's of the league. While Cotton is currently not much better than Burke, he could blow him away next season.

 

[RandyForRubio]

But he has elite athleticism, Burke doesn't. His ceiling is simply higher because of this fact. Cotton gets more elevation on his jump shot, can blow by defenders, and can finish above the rim.
Burke is always going to be that slow little guy who can't turn the corner, no matter how hard he works. The history of these types of players speak for themselves. They are the Earl Watson's, DJ Augustine's of the league. While Cotton is currently not much better than Burke, he could blow him away next season.

Cool, he still shot 36% against mediocre competition. I don't care too much about how high guys can jump if they can't do the rest of it. Plus, he's not much of a distributer either. I think he could make an ok backup at some point, but he's not anybody I'm too worried about.

 

[Game6Conley]

Cool, he still shot 36% against mediocre competition. I don't care too much about how high guys can jump if they can't do the rest of it. Plus, he's not much of a distributer either. I think he could make an ok backup at some point, but he's not anybody I'm too worried about.

FWIW - He shot just about the best percentages of any guard in the D-League last year(other than Seth Curry), in a much larger sample size than SL.

.473 from the field. .452 from 3, and .900 from the line on almost 17 shots per game (6 3pt. attempts per)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yb6gLghFPkc

 

[Red]

Cool, he still shot 36% against mediocre competition. I don't care too much about how high guys can jump if they can't do the rest of it. Plus, he's not much of a distributer either. I think he could make an ok backup at some point, but he's not anybody I'm too worried about.

I don't want to make excuses from what even I thought was a poor shooting performance in SL. But I am not worried about his shooting at all, in the long run. I realize the NBA is not college, is not D League, but he's been too good a shooter for too long for me to believe starting now, Bryce Cotton is going to be a lousy shooter. From the article:

"And even if Cotton is a step or two behind Utah’s other primary handlers as a distributor, signs point to him covering that value and then some as a shooter. He was one of the D-League’s best spot-up shooters last year, and his combined D-League and NBA numbers yield an excellent 49 percent on no-dribble jumpers, per Synergy Sports — for comparison’s sake, Burke (37.5 percent), Exum (31.5 percent), Gordon Hayward (43 percent) and Rodney Hood (39.8 percent) were all markedly worse last year, by an amount that the D-League drop-off doesn’t fully account for. Cotton was also the best pull-up shooter on the roster last year among volume guys, per SportVU7."

 

[Red]

Neto is a distributer. Neto is a pass first pg. I have always seen Cotton as a shoot first pg. In Cotton's senior year at Providence, he would have been the shooting guard, and Kris Dunn the pg. Dunn re injured his shoulder and sat out the year. Bryce averaged over 40 minutes a game (lots of OT games) and played point. And obviously, pg in the D League. But he's not the assist machine someone like Kris Dunn is, and hopefully will be in the NBA. It's true, the best skill a point guard can have is the court vision and anticipation to know where all his mates are, and where the best shot is, or is about to be. Of course, it really helps to be able to create you own shots and make them when, as a pg, you realize your own shot is the best immediate option.

 

[fishonjazz]

This guy shot 36% against bad competition in the SL. Small sample size, but not much smaller than his from the end of the season, a time when teams are notorious for not caring anymore.

He's not a great passer, he's small, he's not a great defender...I just don't see it. He's definitely not better than Burke.

He is quick and athletic though. You got to give him that at least

 

[fishonjazz]

Cool, he still shot 36% against mediocre competition. I don't care too much about how high guys can jump if they can't do the rest of it. Plus, he's not much of a distributer either. I think he could make an ok backup at some point, but he's not anybody I'm too worried about.

So he is like trey burke with speed, quickness and athleticism.

Trey with speed, quickness and athleticism > trey without quickness, speed, and athleticism imo