Game Thread Feb 10, 2023 05:30PM MT: Jazz at Raptors

[Handlogten's Heros]

It’s just weird that we beat a team that would be a heavy taxpayer next year if they kept it together after offloading three rotation players and missing our second leading scorer.

Danny Ainge texting every ****** GM this morning “wtf… how do I even do this… I keep selling off our good players and we fall bassakwards into wins… we just wake up in the morning and piss excellence… any help you can give me Isiah?”

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

I really just don’t understand how Lauri’s fans from Finland come on here and say Lauri owes the team nothing and he’s leaving as soon as he gets a chance. We are the first team not to trade him and he literally blossomed into an all-star starter his first year here. The system Hardy has really helps Lauri utilize his strengths. Just really weird behavior when this is the perfect situation for Lauri.

He’s gonna get a damn statue.

 

[HermanG]

Sounds like a guy that wants out yesterday lol

I have a sneaky feeling he got the trusted star treatment and he was made aware of the direction before the moves were made. Just something about his calm demeanor in interviews through the trade period and after the news.

Might have been Conley, might be just that he has been around long enough.. or then it was the FO.

 

[sip]

Teams don't go from full-on tanking to "clear upswing" overnight. Imagine Lauri's exit interview with DA after next year and a 22-win season. He's obviously telling don't expect him to re-sign. Which DA can counter with "I'm getting Luka here" - but that's not very probable.


Where?

There were a million unattributed media reports to that effect, yes. At the deadline were a lot of reports saying a lot of things, much of it not true.

I think it is important to make a distinction between full on tanking and a youth movement. The trade we just made was a full on tanking trade for the rest of this season where we trade 3 rotation guys and bring nothing back. This offseason the focus will likely be to add back that depth but it will be done with our draft picks and maybe signing a few younger role players. The goal next year will likely be focused on player development and that should lead us to being in the bottom 3rd of the west but building a solid young core. The 2024 offseason is when I think we become more aggressive rounding out the roster and making a clear push to compete again.

 

[Step-Back Hook]

I think it is important to make a distinction between full on tanking and a youth movement. The trade we just made was a full on tanking trade for the rest of this season where we trade 3 rotation guys and bring nothing back. This offseason the focus will likely be to add back that depth but it will be done with our draft picks and maybe signing a few younger role players. The goal next year will likely be focused on player development and that should lead us to being in the bottom 3rd of the west but building a solid young core. The 2024 offseason is when I think we become more aggressive rounding out the roster and making a clear push to compete again.

If we think this team will have a full off-season to go through things with and how good its have been after throwing a lot of them in together just before this season... In no world this team is gonna be bottom third. The coach and combo of Lauri and Kessler is just too good for it.

 

[SoberasHotRod]

I really just don’t understand how Lauri’s fans from Finland come on here and say Lauri owes the team nothing and he’s leaving as soon as he gets a chance. We are the first team not to trade him and he literally blossomed into an all-star starter his first year here. The system Hardy has really helps Lauri utilize his strengths. Just really weird behavior when this is the perfect situation for Lauri.

I kind of get it. I'm sure Lauri fans would like to finally watch him on a good team and see how he performs in the playoffs. For them, since they aren't invested in the Jazz, the short term is much more relevant than the long term. I'm guessing they would mostly be happy with a perennial playoff team that's never good enough to win a title, whereas Jazz fans are sick of those type of teams and want to see us build a true championship level team.

 

[Elizah Huge]

I kind of get it. I'm sure Lauri fans would like to finally watch him on a good team and see how he performs in the playoffs. For them, since they aren't invested in the Jazz, the short term is much more relevant than the long term. I'm guessing they would mostly be happy with a perennial playoff team that's never good enough to win a title, whereas Jazz fans are sick of those type of teams and want to see us build a true championship level team.

I can understand that but to come on here and trash the team that’s helped propel him into a star is super cringe.

 

[Korisfani]

I really just don’t understand how Lauri’s fans from Finland come on here and say Lauri owes the team nothing

Because he doesn't. No NBA player does. And during the last 10 years half the stars in the league have shown they feel they don't owe anyone anything.
(There are 1-in-500 exceptions like Dame who have and will play their entire career with one team.)

Just really weird behavior when this is the perfect situation for Lauri.

Perfect?

So playing with the Celtics in the Finals wouldn't be better? Or teaming up with Jokic? Or any other of a multitude of teams that are somewhat contenders?

The reality right now is Lauri is playing with guards that aren't a top25 grouping, and the team is extremely unlikely to make the playoffs this year and doubtful to do so next year.

There are several situations that are much, much better for him as an individual (when it comes to basketball at least). Could the Jazz's situation improve, and possibly even rather quickly? Of course, the Jazz have all the tools to do so. But if the call is to absolutely be in the lottery next year as well, that's far from a perfect situation for him - it's a nightmare, seven seasons without so much a a whiff of the playoffs and another of his very few prime seasons wasted.

 

[sip]

If we think this team will have a full off-season to go through things with and how good its have been after throwing a lot of them in together just before this season... In no world this team is gonna be bottom third. The coach and combo of Lauri and Kessler is just too good for it.

Yes it will. The west is going to be brutal next year and we will be playing a ton of really young players.

 

[HermanG]

I really just don’t understand how Lauri’s fans from Finland come on here and say Lauri owes the team nothing and he’s leaving as soon as he gets a chance. We are the first team not to trade him and he literally blossomed into an all-star starter his first year here. The system Hardy has really helps Lauri utilize his strengths. Just really weird behavior when this is the perfect situation for Lauri.

Not all finnish fans behave like this.. so please dont generalize. However those who do are wrong to do it.

Lauri owes a lot to DA, Hardy and the Jazz.. and I'm pretty sure he feels great about the future of this team.

The 3 teams with arguably better draft/young player assets are Grizz, Thunder and Pels.. and two of those have flaws.

Grizz look like they are cooking toxic stuff.
Pels stars cant stay healthy and are 1 game ahead of us despite being closer to cap hell in their timeline.

Its a great time to be a Jazz player or fan.

 

[Korisfani]

I can understand that but to come on here and trash the team that’s helped propel him into a star is super cringe.

Sure, there are certain people that act in a very hostile way. And the only reason they're on this board is that they've been banned from Finnish boards a long time ago...

However, I don't think that applies to everyone. I don't think I've trashed the team?

But I think saying that Lauri is 100 % not leaving, because there'll be a top2 pick this year, another tank, another top4 pick, and then the rest of the superduper picks will be turned into Luka, and Grant and Kuzma obviously don't want to go anywhere else but Utah...

I mean, come on, the Jazz could turn into a contender even pretty soon if every single thing goes according to plan. But is that a realistic expectation?

 

[sip]

Because he doesn't. No NBA player does. And during the last 10 years half the stars in the league have shown they feel they don't owe anyone anything.
(There are 1-in-500 exceptions like Dame who have and will play their entire career with one team.)


Perfect?

So playing with the Celtics in the Finals wouldn't be better? Or teaming up with Jokic? Or any other of a multitude of teams that are somewhat contenders?

The reality right now is Lauri is playing with guards that aren't a top25 grouping, and the team is extremely unlikely to make the playoffs this year and doubtful to do so next year.

There are several situations that are much, much better for him as an individual (when it comes to basketball at least). Could the Jazz's situation improve, and possibly even rather quickly? Of course, the Jazz have all the tools to do so. But if the call is to absolutely be in the lottery next year as well, that's far from a perfect situation for him - it's a nightmare, seven seasons without so much a a whiff of the playoffs and another of his very few prime seasons wasted.

Put Lauri on the Celtics or Nugs and you don't see him having a breakout season and putting up even close to the same numbers. On those teams he would have continued to just being his old role player self. It took giving him the keys to the car to get him to snap out of his passive self that he has been his entire career. I guarantee he prefers being the top guy on a mediocre team where he can expand his game rather than being the 3rd or 4th fiddle on a championship caliber team right now. As long as he sees a path over the next few years for us to become a championship caliber team in the future he will be happy.