Game Thread Feb 14, 2024 07:00PM MT: Jazz vs. Lakers

[Shad]

I love how Simone wasn't in our timeline...... but Lauri is? They're a year and a half age difference.

 

[HeatCheck]

I guess Simone and Olynyk were more important than I thought. On the flip side if those two were that important we’re not nearly as good as we thought.

It's more than that though..

Olynyk was their only passing big man and best passer off the bench.

Simone and to a lesser extent Agbaji were their only wings/SF's.

Their lineups just don't work anymore.

 

[Spaniard]

We always want a tank until we get a tank

 

[MTS]

I think I'm mostly annoyed that we did this year's trade (and last year's trade) right at the trade deadline instead of before or right around the beginning of each season.

 

[Agent#00]

Good job jazz. All eyes on #1 pick next year

 

[Hearsky]

Holly just keeps yapping about the overturned call momentum change, when in fact, it's more about we just don't have anyone in the bench squad to calm down offense like KO, and we sold our best glue guy in Tech for peanuts. This is how it's going to be.

That said, Lakers shot 57/46 off the field, Jazz shot 48/33. Mix up with some friendlier whistle to Lakers, beating us in fta's by 14 attempts more, there you go

We had eight fga's more than them. If we made closer to average shooting splits, the game still was very winnable. But no one got really hot

You could have stopped at "Holly just keeps yapping".

 

[UpArrow]

I remember the first game that LeBron played in SLC. At the end of the game, the whole crowd stood on their feet and gave him a standing ovation. It was the first we ever did that for a visiting player who had no history with the organization. It was amazing to see and the whole crowd knew he was going to be special.

I was at that game row 2. Boozer was also electric that game - which evidently inspired LHM to engage in a bit of chicanery a year later.

 

[Tremendous Upside]

It's more than that though..

Olynyk was their only passing big man and best passer off the bench.

Simone and to a lesser extent Agbaji were their only wings/SF's.

Their lineups just don't work anymore.

Bingo

 

[HermanG]

Yeah... the sad fact is that after trading away Simone and KO we dont really have enough elite shooters left. We were one of the worst 3 point shooting teams even before we gave away 2 of our best 3. That and removing Simone from the starting lineup which hurts our defense against opposing team starters.

The BPMs for this game are weird. Keyonte played pretty well but how on EARTH did he, Collins and Hendricks have the best +- of all the rotation guys? I mean Keyonte somewhat deserves a nice number, but how did Hendricks and Collins land at #1 and #3 on the team? Someone saw something I missed? I mean sure, Hendricks was pretty good on defense and on the boards, but surely his offensive impact was the lowest of anyone who played.. He didnt even get guarded properly and was laying bricks from his early open shots.

 

[HermanG]

I guess Simone and Olynyk were more important than I thought. On the flip side if those two were that important we’re not nearly as good as we thought.

We traded away talent from 3 skillsets where we were already thin. Thats playmaking (passing), defense and 3 point shooting.

Especially the last two hurts. We are 22nd in the NBA with 35.6% team 3 point percentage, but we traded away 2 of our top 5, and now we have just 3 guys left who are over 34% for the season.

 

[Tremendous Upside]

Hendricks was pretty good on defense and on the boards,

I'm sorry, what?

He was literally hunted every time he stepped on the floor and Hachimura abused him 1-on-1 so badly I felt like calling 911.

Hardy noticed it too and kept yanking him

 

[UpArrow]

We traded away talent from 3 skillsets where we were already thin. Thats playmaking (passing), defense and 3 point shooting.

Especially the last two hurts. We are 22nd in the NBA with 35.6% team 3 point percentage, but we traded away 2 of our top 5, and now we have just 3 guys left who are over 34% for the season.

DA/RS' big picture strategy is now clear:
Allow your new young coach to work with his best tools before trade deadline. Let the team excel to their best potential to allow said coach to build a good reputation in the league and get the fans good and lathered up in support. Sell fanwear, popcorn, content subscriptions etc etc out the wazoo.
Then come trade deadline sell off what you wish to (or can - talking to you JC & THT) and tank the last 1/3 of the season while coasting on dwindling fan support which edges toward draft position excitement.

It's a businesslike strategy and maybe a sensible one as well.

But it's a sh!tshow to put the players through. Don't know if I'd have the heart to do it myself when odds of us ever winning the chit are so extremely low regardless of FO skill in executing it.