Are we fifth in a 5-8 player draft?

[Stifle Tower]

No. But his work ethic to improve his free throw shooting and mid-range game does. He's smart enough to know what areas of his game are weak and and is driven to fix it. I believe that he will. Give him professional support and coaching and he will get better. I'd have him start working with Malone and the bigs this summer, then have Quin Snyder help him with his footwork and release. He will get better.

I've said it before and I'll say it again.

I have more faith in Aaron Gordon's ability to improve his free throws and shooting in general than I do in Jabari Parker staying in shape and playing defense, than I do in Joel Embiid staying healthy, than I do in Noah Vonleh's developing into an alpha leader and being more productive than he was in college, than I do in Marcus Smart improving his shot long-term, than I do in Randle being more than a rotational scorer off the bench and than I do in Dante Exum being able to compete against professional men competing at the highest level.

There's question marks about all of these guys. Aaron Gordon seems like the most likely of the bunch to answer those questions. I'd love to get Andrew Wiggins, but not at the cost that's been discussed recently. Outside of trading up to #1 to draft Wiggins, staying put at #5 and picking Gordon is my next favorite option (with trading up for Jabari Parker at #2 being my third favorite option.)

Are we twins separated at birth?
I find myself agreeing with you an awful lot.

Edit: oh, just read your last sentence again. I'm not sure I want Jabari at the price it would take. He's FAT - and I don't mean PHAT.

 

[Coach Ellis]

Are we twins separated at birth?
I find myself agreeing with you an awful lot.

Edit: oh, just read your last sentence again. I'm not sure I want Jabari at the price it would take. He's FAT - and I don't mean PHAT.

Yeah, I'm not totally off the Jabari train quite yet, but I'm willing to see if Gordon is gone at 5 (anything can happen) and I'd be willing to explore the trade options if he's not. I'm willing to go big for Wiggins, but not outrageous. I'm less enthused about trading up for Jabari, but would consider it. I'd still rather use more picks than players in any deal that gets made. I'm fond of Favors and Kanter, but would part with either of them if that's absolutely what it took to get the deal done. I'd rather keep Burks. I think that he possibly has the greatest star potential currently on the roster and I'd like to cultivate that. My preference is to keep all of our young guys, add a few more to the team and then let them compete with each other and learn the system. They won't be as bad as last year, which should raise their value for potential trades in the future if they don't pan out quite as the Jazz hope they will.

I can see the desire to add a star when there's two guys so tantalizingly close, but they're unproven at the NBA level and I don't want to give up an All-Star player package for a guy who is just as likely as the guys picked 3-6 to break out or bust. Save those trades for actual NBA All-Star players. Change the culture in Utah to a "Championship or Bust" mentality like the Rockets have gone after and I think that you can build a potential competitor. Guys want to play for winners. Start winning and being exciting and it makes it much easier to bring and keep players in Utah.

 

[bigmike]

I think there are definitely tiers in this draft. As you go through the process, everyone has their flaws scrutinized but I'm starting to think some people are undervaluing Embiid, Wiggins and Parker (though of course Embiid's injuries are a factor).

 

[Stifle Tower]

I can see the desire to add a star when there's two guys so tantalizingly close, but they're unproven at the NBA level and I don't want to give up an All-Star player package for a guy who is just as likely as the guys picked 3-6 to break out or bust. Save those trades for actual NBA All-Star players. Change the culture in Utah to a "Championship or Bust" mentality like the Rockets have gone after and I think that you can build a potential competitor. Guys want to play for winners. Start winning and being exciting and it makes it much easier to bring and keep players in Utah.

Agree. Let's get the next Harden or Love when we're close. Then you trade good assets for an actual all-star, not just one people THINK will be an all-star...SOME DAY.

 

[Coach Ellis]

Agree. Let's get the next Harden or Love when we're close. Then you trade good assets for an actual all-star, not just one people THINK will be an all-star...SOME DAY.

Exactly. You try to develop one from your draft picks first and foremost. That seems to be the direction that this team is taking. . . draft and develop. Then when you know exactly what they give you you either keep them or include them in asset manipulation to get a star player. The Rockets played this game perfectly and did so with only really two good draft picks in the past 5 years - Chandler Parsons and Terrence Jones. Everyone else of value that they have (Howard, Harden, Lin, Beverley and Asik) were acquired through trades or free agency.

I think that the Jazz are building up their assets for just that kind of run. They have some poker chips in Europe that they can cash in with Neto and Tomic, but they need to get the young guys out on the court and have them play. If even one of them develops into a star player post-Corbin, then it's an effort well endeavored. You then take that player along with your #5 pick this year to team up with an All-Star when they come available.

Step 1. Accumulate assets. They've been doing this since before DL came on board, but have really ramped it up once they decided to tank. Now they are in pretty good shape with a young roster of lottery players at every position and multiple draft picks available in the near future.

Step 2. Draft and Develop. They've been drafting, but now they need to develop. I don't dislike Ty Corbin, but for all his deficiencies, this was easily my biggest complaint of him as a head coach. The young guys have talent that needs to be embraced and cultivated. He really did very little to develop them and for that reason alone I'm glad he's been replaced by Quin Snyder. They have 5 lottery guys under contract if they match Hayward's offer sheet, plus a promising prospect in Gobert (who outplayed his draft position in limited minutes), plus one of the highest rated Euro big men stashed overseas, plus they will be adding another top lottery player to that mix and maybe another prospect from this deep draft as well. They went out and got a coaching staff that specializes in player development. I'm excited to see what the future brings with this group.

Step 3. Find a star out of the current group. This is the second part of the draft and develop paradigm. If you're doing the best you can to scout players, draft them and then develop them, you have to expect that one of your talented young players will get the opportunity and coaching that he needs to take that big step up to the next level. You expect that someone is capable of breaking out and that they do so. Then you build around those players. Whether that's Favors becoming the defensive presence he was expected to be, or Kanter becoming the scoring threat that he was expected to be, or Hayward getting his touch back in a new system that's not Hayfense, or Burks proving that he's solid at both ends and becoming a consistent threat or even Burke embracing the facilitator role of a P&R point guard. You just need one of them to step up and be special for this whole thing to be worth the effort. Along with this, you have to hope that the kid you draft at #5 (or #1 as it may be) has that All-Star capability in him as well. Because if he does, then that gives you two guys to build around.

Step 4. Acquire a star player. This is obviously the hardest step in the process, but not as far out of the picture as many believe. Win, and guys will want to play here. Especially if you have developed stars to share the load and have assets left to support them. This is the step where you go all out to take that next step. Whether it's offering a RFA the Max based on his potential, or trading for a disgruntled player in a bad situation or just manipulating your roster to find the cap space to add a guy outright before your other key contracts come due.

I could be wrong, but this seems like the process that DL is essentially taking and he keeps emphasizing that they can't afford to skip steps. They are definitely in the draft and develop stage. Hopefully they'll soon be in the "Find your star players stage" here really, really soon.