I've been a Cotton booster from the start. But, simply put, the sample size is way too small to make this call, IMHO. By now, Snyder knows what Cotton's strengths are. He's quick as a desert roadrunner. He's a good shot. And I'll state now, I do believe he is and would be the better shooter of the two, and from beyond the arc as well. Cotton would prove to be more of a deadeye then Burke.
But, Cotton is small, and his defense may be the factor that determines if he can really stick at this level at all. We'll see. If Burke and Cotton are both on the roster next year, I would presume Cotton is the 3rd PG. I do have the confidence in Cotton to know he is not going to be someone who hurts this team. Look, he was +15 in 25 minutes against Portland. Exum was -13 in 23 minutes. Cotton is a very smart player, very unselfish, seems to run our sets just fine when he's out there. Cotton is a great example of what a 4 year college player can bring: maturity on the floor, look a little less like a rookie then a lot of one and done early entries.
You know, it might be up to Burke if he wants that backup job. I do believe Cotton can challenge for it, if he is on our roster next year. And I am certain Snyder knows that already. I think he's seen enough to know Cotton is worth keeping. But, it's a small sample size yet. Up to Cotton himself really. I'm a fan of this guy, and believe in a couple years, whoever has him on his team, will be glad they do.
We'll see what the offseason brings. Me, I sincerely hope he makes the Jazz roster and at least gets minutes as an offensive spark off the bench. Every team needs that, and Cotton can excel at that I honestly believe. But still too early to know if Cotton can be the backup on a playoff caliber team, which is what we expect for next years team. But can he help such a team, be a valuable matchup nightmare for such a team? You bet, IMHO. He'll run the sets, shoot the ball well, and seldom turn the ball over. And he will push the pace when that's what's called for. We can do much worse, he'll be a good 3rd PG, and I think the potential to challenge Burke for backup. But again, all this could change depending on our offseason moves....
