absolutely love this truehoop piece on tanking

[Stifle Tower]

What also is failed to mention sometimes in the tanking discussion, is that regardless of what your chances are at landing a franchise player if you tank, tanking is still beneficial because it increases the value of your draft pick. It might even mean the difference between losing your pick or having a top 5 pick.

You don't have to make that pick. A top5 pick in any draft has a ton of value and can be used to make a trade.

Tanking> middle ground, every day of the week. If you know you might have a chance in the playoffs, then go for it and trade picks to get help. If you know you can't and are pretty mediocre, then tank, and go the other way. Sitting in the middle is dumb imo.

And are we sitting in the middle? IIRC, the Jazz got a top-5 pick last year. How exactly would they guarantee a top-5 pick this season. Dump Favors, Hayward and Burks for 2nd rounders? At what point do we STOP dumping players and "unfortunately" end up with a pick in the 8-12 range and then, heaven forbid, maybe even challenge for a playoff spot? What happens if that #2 pick turns out to be Evan Turner instead of Demarcus Cousins? I'd say last year's draft is a good example of talent all the way to #10 (or maybe even further) being as good as #4 or #5. Is Gordon going to better than Randle? Maybe. Heck, Exum may not even be as good as Smart or Payton. We certainly hope that's not the case.

I think you cam make a case for this year's draft being very similar: three consensus guys at the top (for now). But 4-10 is anyone's guess. Jazz could get a star at #4. They could get one at #8. They could also get a bust at either spot.

 

[b_line]

Yep, there is a time and a place. Utah missed the right time, and now the chance for a quick rebuild is gone. Jazz fans could be in for a long rebuild if we don't have some serious luck with our draft picks, and soon.

If exum turns out to be awesome, then we can be contenders. If not, we need luck with the next could draft picks to be better than mediocre. Right now we have two guys who are pretty good, and a couple potential guys. That is about it. Everyone else is just filler.

 

[b_line]

And are we sitting in the middle? IIRC, the Jazz got a top-5 pick last year. How exactly would they guarantee a top-5 pick this season. Dump Favors, Hayward and Burks for 2nd rounders? At what point do we STOP dumping players and "unfortunately" end up with a pick in the 8-12 range and then, heaven forbid, maybe even challenge for a playoff spot? What happens if that #2 pick turns out to be Evan Turner instead of Demarcus Cousins? I'd say last year's draft is a good example of talent all the way to #10 (or maybe even further) being as good as #4 or #5. Is Gordon going to better than Randle? Maybe. Heck, Exum may not even be as good as Smart or Payton. We certainly hope that's not the case.

I don't know what team you have been watching, but the team I follow is headed for another top five pick this next summer.

 

[Hotdog]

And are we sitting in the middle? IIRC, the Jazz got a top-5 pick last year. How exactly would they guarantee a top-5 pick this season. Dump Favors, Hayward and Burks for 2nd rounders? At what point do we STOP dumping players and "unfortunately" end up with a pick in the 8-12 range and then, heaven forbid, maybe even challenge for a playoff spot? What happens if that #2 pick turns out to be Evan Turner instead of Demarcus Cousins? I'd say last year's draft is a good example of talent all the way to #10 (or maybe even further) being as good as #4 or #5. Is Gordon going to better than Randle? Maybe. Heck, Exum may not even be as good as Smart or Payton. We certainly hope that's not the case.

I think you cam make a case for this year's draft being very similar: three consensus guys at the top (for now). But 4-10 is anyone's guess. Jazz could get a star at #4. They could get one at #8. They could also get a bust at either spot.

I don't know what team you have been watching, but the team I follow is headed for another top five pick this next summer.

Lol

Ya, we are currently 6

 

[Stifle Tower]

I don't know what team you have been watching, but the team I follow is headed for another top five pick this next summer.

Maybe, maybe not. I think there's a greater chance we end up around 7-8.
Philly, Detroit and New York are train wrecks. LA and Minnesota are bad. So are Charlotte and Indiana. I think Boston and Utah have the best shots at improving as the season goes along: good coaches and young talent.

So if Utah does finish at #5, GREAT! But my point was that even at #10, there will be very good talent. I hear Okafor, Towns and Mudiay as the top-3. But after that guys like Turner, WCS, Johnson, Winslow, Porzingis, Hezonja. McCullough. Looney. Am I at 10 yet? Some of those will fall, some others will rise. This is again a deep draft. Anywhere the Jazz pick they could obtain all-star potential.

 

[Stifle Tower]

Lol

Ya, we are currently 6

Technically tied for 5th. It's a crapshoot. Minny should get a lot better when Rubio returns. Utah apparently has had one of the toughest schedules so we should get better. LA has incentive to tank: they have top-5 protection on it; otherwise it goes to Phoenix. Maybe it comes down to a few injuries here and there. Best case, IMO is #4. I just don't see us being worse than Philly, Detroit or New York. Worst case is #10 behind all the EC teams and LA and Minnesota. Split the difference and figure on a #7 slot going into the lottery.

 

[Hotdog]

Maybe, maybe not. I think there's a greater chance we end up around 7-8.
Philly, Detroit and New York are train wrecks. LA and Minnesota are bad. So are Charlotte and Indiana. I think Boston and Utah have the best shots at improving as the season goes along: good coaches and young talent.

So if Utah does finish at #5, GREAT! But my point was that even at #10, there will be very good talent. I hear Okafor, Towns and Mudiay as the top-3. But after that guys like Turner, WCS, Johnson, Winslow, Porzingis, Hezonja. McCullough. Looney. Am I at 10 yet? Some of those will fall, some others will rise. This is again a deep draft. Anywhere the Jazz pick they could obtain all-star potential.

Every year is different. We should have been tanking a few years ago. Now since we are where we are, I would consider trading the pick for some help. Maybe throw together a package of picks, Burke, and Kanter for a good player.

I think our future is gonna be built around Gobert, Favors, Hayward, and Exum anyways.

 

[freakazoid]

Drafting at #10 this year would be a complete **** up. Utah needs at least a half-way decent chance to get in the top 3, or our tank is a waste.
-
Our worst case scenario is drafting around #10-#14 in the next two years.

 

[Stifle Tower]

Every year is different. We should have been tanking a few years ago. Now since we are where we are, I would consider trading the pick for some help. Maybe throw together a package of picks, Burke, and Kanter for a good player.

I think our future is gonna be built around Gobert, Favors, Hayward, and Exum anyways.

We've finally found common ground. I could definitely see the pick traded in a package. We have plenty of youth and only so many players (9-10) can get rotation minutes. I think the four you mentioned are probably about as untouchable as we can get. A lot depends on where the pick falls: we get lucky in the lottery and I think we gladly take - and keep - Towns, Okafor or Mudiay. From #4 down, the pick is definitely in play for trades. Also depends on who DL might get as a free agent.

 

[Stifle Tower]

Drafting at #10 this year would be a complete **** up. Utah needs at least a half-way decent chance to get in the top 3, or our tank is a waste.
-
Our worst case scenario is drafting around #10-#14 in the next two years.

Well, we're tied for the #5 spot now, So if we draft #10, it likely means the Jazz are playing a helluva lot better, putting it together and everyone from Kanter to Exum is developing nicely. I don't really think that would be a disaster. On the other hand, if the Jazz finish #4 (barring injury), it means the bench still sucks and the starters aren't meshing offensively or defensively. And in that case, a pick is likely replacing a player we need to get rid of. I could see the Jazz drafting #14 in two years. It's going to take 48-50 wins to make the playoffs. Even if we draft well, does Utah have the experience to win that many next season? Say we finish at 30 wins (which likely gets a #8 pick) or 35 which would have been a #11 pick last season. Does any player we get improve the team by 14-20 wins? That's a stretch, even with internal improvement. And if we finish with 25 wins, can a #5 pick double our win total?

 

[spycam1]

The article actually points out how hard it is to land a franchise player. Which justifies even more why Tanking is the only way

R.I.P. BluesRocker

 

[spycam1]

Well I'm not going to completely kill him for his statement. After all I was a dirty tanker last year. Lol. I went to the game against the magic and showed disgust when Burke hit that corner three buzzer beater to win the game then getting chewed out by some lady in front of me.


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Me and spycam went to a game against the charlotte jefferhornicats and were rooting for the jazz to lose. The Jazz ended up winning and we were pissed.
People were giving us alot of dirty looks.

It was fun

I was also at that game against the Magic. God was I pissed.

Then Orlando gave us Exum anyway, lol. Can't wait for someone to pass on Towns for us this year.