Bipolar Jazzfanz

[Stifle Tower]

So we won a couple of games in a row and all was well. We loved all our players (well, maybe not Burke and Ingles), but we were apparently on the way to contending in the near future. Four days ago, the mood was completely different. Life sucked, the roster sucked, Quin was turrible. And now we’ve returned to almost the same place in the midst of a blowout loss to Charlotte. The highs on this board are incredibly high and the lows are incredibly low.

We're now at a crossroads, I believe, and I want to take a poll based on where everyone wants the season to go.

Realistically, I don't think there's too much of a chance to finish with a higher pick than #5 (barring a lucky move up in the lottery drawing). Philly has the worst record sewn up already. Detroit, NY and Minnesota are three wins back of the Jazz. Detroit is reportedly looking to move several players. Minnesota just traded Brewer for picks and Rubio and Pekovic are still out. NY is a mess and has no assets to trade.

Lump the Jazz in the group fighting for #5-8 with the Lakers, Charlotte and Indiana. Just ahead of them are a bunch of 10/11 win teams in Orlando, Brooklyn, Boston, Denver and Sacramento. As OKC climbs in the standings, it appears New Orleans and Phoenix will be the >.500 WC teams that miss the playoffs.
So do you want the Jazz to finish in that #5-8 group and pick up a possible starter-quality player in the draft, or are you hoping the bounces start to go our way, a couple players get hot and we finish with 35-40 wins and get a pick in the #10-12 range?

 

[fishonjazz]

My stance has never wavered.
I believe we have alot of talent on this team and will improve as the season goes on.

I think we will finish with a draft pick in the 9-13 range

 

[magic]

So do you want the Jazz to finish in that #5-8 group and pick up a possible starter-quality player in the draft, or are you hoping the bounces start to go our way, a couple players get hot and we finish with 35-40 wins and get a pick in the #10-12 range?

I am not one of those bipolar jazz fans, but I would prefer to have Okafor which was not one of the above options.

The only way I would be ok with a couple players getting hot and finishing with 35-40 wins is if one of those players getting hot was Exum.

 

[Jamezz]

I am not one of those bipolar jazz fans, but I would prefer to have Okafor which was not one of the above options.

The only way I would be ok with a couple players getting hot and finishing with 35-40 wins is if one of those players getting hot was Exum.

Agreed about Exum

 

[Stifle Tower]

I am not one of those bipolar jazz fans, but I would prefer to have Okafor which was not one of the above options.

The only way I would be ok with a couple players getting hot and finishing with 35-40 wins is if one of those players getting hot was Exum.

Sure, and we all wanted Wiggins or Parker. It just isn't realistic to expect anything we do, short of trading Hayward, Favors and probably Burks and Kanter too, for D-Leaguers and future picks would drop the Jazz to #2 behind Phlladelphia. And that was the assumption I orignally made, given Utah is already three games ahead of Minny (with Rubio and Pekovic still weeks away from returning), Detroit, which has reportedly put several players on the market, and the mess that is New York.

 

[Coach Ellis]

I want them to keep working like they are. Learn the offense. Learn the defense. Compete as hard as they can. Win games when they can, but not get discouraged when they don't. Learn from every mistake. Getting experience and film is worth more than wins. I want that competitiveness to show in how they work, but I don't want them getting psyched out when things go bad (like tonight.)

I think that if they keep doing what they're doing, they'll be better off down the road. I think that both Rudy Gobert and Dante Exum are starters next year. I think that Kanter has improved his value that the Jazz match his offer sheet (or just extend him theirselves). And I expect that they'll end up somewhere between 5-9 in the draft (unless they get lucky.) My hope is that they're high enough to grab a difference-maker.

Long story short. . . They're not tanking, but they don't have the juice or the bench to really win consistently this year. As such, I think that they get a decent draft pick and hope to add a free agent also. Next year, with a better (more experienced) bench and better starters in the lineup, they'll be a lot more consistent than they've been this year.

 

[Hotdog]

I want to win a bunch of games, finish just barely missing the playoffs, and then win the lottery from the 14 spot.


I want Trey Burke traded. I want Kanter signed to a cheap deal. Then bring him off the bench. Start Gobert


I want Alec coming off the bench as well.

I want Draymond Green signed in the off season to play small forward.


Exum
Hayward
Green
Favors
Gobert


Boom!


Defense + Offense = Championship

 

[Ferguson_Mellochill]

I want to win a bunch of games, finish just barely missing the playoffs, and then win the lottery from the 14 spot.


I want Trey Burke traded. I want Kanter signed to a cheap deal. Then bring him off the bench. Start Gobert


I want Alec coming off the bench as well.

I want Draymond Green signed in the off season to play small forward.


Exum
Hayward
Green
Favors
Gobert


Boom!


Defense + Offense = Championship

And with the #1 pick, you'd take....?

 

[Hotdog]

And with the #1 pick, you'd take....?

Not sure. Haven't been following college too much this year.

 

[Stifle Tower]

And with the #1 pick, you'd take....?

With Gobert, Favors and Kanter in palce, I'd settle for just getting the third pick and taking Mudiay. Trade Trey and split the minutes equally between Mudiay and Exum. Competition makes them both better. Whoever emerges becomes the starter. Exum could also pick up some PT behind Burks. Hood backs up Hayward and Ingles returns to Australia.

 

[gregbroncs]

My stance hasn't changed all year. I said this team would be overachieving to win 30 games. I said their bench was young and would struggle. I said they were all playing new roles in a new system and it would take time. Honestly I've been pleasantly surprised by this team.
.
Hayward has played far better than I expected. (I did not want him for that price tag now I wonder if he's actually worth it.)
Favors has been by far our most consistent player and has shown some resemblance of an offensive game.
Kanter has shown improvement defensively and has been dominant in stretches offensively
Gobert actually looks like an NBA player now
Hood and Exum both look like they have very bright futures
And Burks is playing mostly within the offense. (still doesn't pass of his attacks enough but looks better/more willing than before)
Booker and Ingles are decent role players off of the bench. (both are playing more than they should but seem to be losing minutes as the others outplay them)
.
The only real disappointment this year for me has been Burke. I thought he'd take a step forward and take the drafting of Exum as a challenge to improve and show he deserves the start. I don't think he's improved at all from last year and if his shot is not falling he's virtually worthless on the court. And I was a Burke fan last year.
.
Oh and I love Snyder's system on both offense and defense. I've watched more Games this year than I have for the last 3 years already.

 

[Ferguson_Mellochill]

I think the Jazz are having a very productive season in terms of personnel development. As others have mentioned, most of our players are making incremental progress and gaining confidence. Also very important is that the Jazz can see clearly where they stand right now and what they need to take the next step forward.

I think the Jazz would like to have another top-5 pick this year, if they're able to swing it. This draft is okay, not great, but there are only a few talents that could make the Jazz better off from where they are now. I could picture the Jazz trading a player and their pick to move up a few spots in the draft if need be, and that player traded out would most likely be be Burks (though I'm sure they'd move Burke too).

Mudiay looks like an interesting player, but I actually like Hezonja a bit more right now. A line-up with Exum, Hezonja and Hayward moving the ball and breaking down defenses for our bigs might be the best distribution of talent. Hezonja looks like the more rare talent, and one who can impact the game on both ends of the floor, while Mudiay seems like PG with J'rue Holiday or prime Deron Williams potential. It's possible the Jazz could fall in love with Porzingis or Towns, but that would ultimately involve moving one of our existing bigs.

In other words, I do think the Jazz are looking ahead to the draft, and they kept our bench talent very limited this season on purpose.

 

[Siro]

I think the Jazz are having a very productive season in terms of personnel development. As others have mentioned, most of our players are making incremental progress and gaining confidence. Also very important is that the Jazz can see clearly where they stand right now and what they need to take the next step forward.

I think the Jazz would like to have another top-5 pick this year, if they're able to swing it. This draft is okay, not great, but there are only a few talents that could make the Jazz better off from where they are now. I could picture the Jazz trading a player and their pick to move up a few spots in the draft if need be, and that player traded out would most likely be be Burks (though I'm sure they'd move Burke too).

Mudiay looks like an interesting player, but I actually like Hezonja a bit more right now. A line-up with Exum, Hezonja and Hayward moving the ball and breaking down defenses for our bigs might be the best distribution of talent. Hezonja looks like the more rare talent, and one who can impact the game on both ends of the floor, while Mudiay seems like PG with J'rue Holiday or prime Deron Williams potential. It's possible the Jazz could fall in love with Porzingis or Towns, but that would ultimately involve moving one of our existing bigs.

In other words, I do think the Jazz are looking ahead to the draft, and they kept our bench talent very limited this season on purpose.

You throw around phrases like "prime Deron Williams" as if they mean nothing. Prime Deron was in serious contention for best PG in a league full of great PGs. The Jazz would be lucky if they add a player of that caliber.

 

[Stifle Tower]

In other words, I do think the Jazz are looking ahead to the draft, and they kept our bench talent very limited this season on purpose.

DL calls it "not skipping steps." And yes, I think it was Lindsey's intention to keep the team young and lean. Puzzled a bit with the Novak trade: high price to pay (extra year) for a late 2nd. But perhaps DL thought he could flip Novak to a contender at the deadline for another 2nd. Easy to see why they wanted Booker. He's young and aggressive, Quin did wonders with DMC; maybe he can help Trevor develop an outside shot.

Best case, Trey has a good year, Kanter surprises, Dante comes along faster then expected, but Utah still misses the playoffs and the pick is in the #11-14 range. Middle case, which is what we are seeing now, is that we're inconsistent and not all players have performed as well as we had hoped: pick in the 6-10 range. Worst case, a couple of guys really struggle and/or we have injuries and the pick is top-5.

I think we're looking at middle case, despite the fact our record puts us at #5 for now. I could see Utah finishing ahead of most of the non-playoff EC teams. Fortunately, with the unbalanced schedule, they play each other more, so schedule strength is weaker in the EC. Also, Jazz could finish ahead of the Lakers and even catch teams like Denver and Sacramento. A pick in the top half of the draft is going to net Utah another good rotation player - or it could be used as a trade chip.