What's new
By:

Grantland ranks offseason moves

F

franklin

Well-Known Member
https://www.grantland.com/story/_/i...-assessing-winners-tankers-everything-between

Took Giant Steps Back — for Better or Worse

Utah Jazz

Not much to this: Utah let two free agents walk. It has been popular to criticize Utah for failing to deal Al Jefferson or Millsap at the trade deadline, but they would have done so if they could have gotten a first-round pick — or some other upside asset — without taking on any long-term salary. The better argument is to look back a year, when Utah had more leverage and other teams would have looked at both bigs as useful assets for at least one more season. The Jazz have also caught heat for reaching the league's minimum team salary by acquiring $24 million worth of players (Andris Biedrins, Richard Jefferson, Brandon Rush) who won't help them win many games — all for the right to snare four draft picks, including two first-rounders, from the Warriors. This is called "being bad on purpose."

Utah's young, four-man core is better than solid considering their collective age, and the Jazz should actually improve on defense by giving more minutes to the Derrick Favors–Enes Kanter pairing. But if Gordon Hayward is your no. 1 option on offense, you're on track for a bottom-five ranking in points per possession and a ton of losses in the ultra-competitive Western Conference.
Click to expand...
 
It will be our lack of bench depth that hurts us, but other than that it is hard to argue with his reasoning.
 
And I have no idea how Danny Ferry brainwashed Paul Millsap into accepting a two-year, $19 million deal.
Click to expand...

Paying Al Jefferson $14 million per season is ludicrous, but you can understand Charlotte's reasoning. Charlotte must prove itself as a viable free-agency destination, and that's impossible while flirting with "Worst Team Ever" status every season. Splurging on Big Al's flat-footed nondefense might be the perfect way to regain some relevance, transform into a run-of-the-mill bad team instead of a headline-grabbing embarrassment, and stay bad enough to try the top-five lottery gods one last time. Jefferson's is the only long-term nonrookie deal on the books, so it's not as if that contract is holding Charlotte back from future spending.
Click to expand...

heh
 
Had a fun exchange with Zach just now. Told him that he was criminally underrating Hayward (just to mess with him) and told him that Burke will be ROTY. What up bishes
 
And I have no idea how Danny Ferry brainwashed Paul Millsap into accepting a two-year, $19 million deal.
Click to expand...

Not sure how renouncing rights works as the Jazz had to do with Millsap, but I would have really liked Millsap onboard for this type of contract. Millsap must be kicking himself a little for turning down Utah's 3-year extension offer last summer.
 
So he both criticizes the Jazz for letting two (what happened to the 5 others?) FA's walk. Then critizes Charlotte for overpaying Al and Milsap for accepting too little. Did he think the Jazz should have signed the two of them for 22-25 Million? Thats about what the market was. There is no issue to discuss here. Jazz did the right thing.

Criticizing the no-trade either in 13 or in 12 may have some room for debate. However, we don't know what offers the Jazz had to consider-- if they even had any. If they were offered Amare or Boozer--then the Jazz did the right thing.

Also, I thought the Jazz got 5 total draft picks not 4.
 
Last edited:
dalamon said:
Had a fun exchange with Zach just now. Told him that he was criminally underrating Hayward (just to mess with him) and told him that Burke will be ROTY. What up bishes
Click to expand...

That's cute Dal. Congrats

dat jazzfanz.com mobile app doe
 
dalamon said:
Had a fun exchange with Zach just now. Told him that he was criminally underrating Hayward (just to mess with him) and told him that Burke will be ROTY. What up bishes
Click to expand...

Clark Schmutz‏@Clarkpojo3h
There isn't a better NBA journalist than @ZachLowe_NBA & even he is sleeping on Gordon Hayward's offensive potential.

Dalamon=Clark Schmutz
 
Jeffrey32 said:
Not sure how renouncing rights works as the Jazz had to do with Millsap, but I would have really liked Millsap onboard for this type of contract. Millsap must be kicking himself a little for turning down Utah's 3-year extension offer last summer.
Click to expand...
After seeing what some of the other FA's got (like Humphries), I'm sure Paul envisioned himself in the 4/$40M category as his "floor." The new CBA is really strangling the length and value of some free agent contracts. But Paul is young enough to get another very good 2-3 yr deal, especially if he changes his attitude and decides not to sleepwalk through another season like he did the past one. I've always been a big fan of Millsap...until the past year.
 
And good job, dalamon. Will rep when I can. The article is fair otherwise. But it's not JUST about the 4 picks from the W's. It's also about positioning Utah for a top-5 pick in a loaded draft. And about retaining the flexibility to "double-dip" on assets by getting very liquid expiring contracts and/or cap space when those deals come off the books next summer (if not traded at the deadline).
 
Core4 said:
And good job, dalamon. Will rep when I can. The article is fair otherwise. But it's not JUST about the 4 picks from the W's. It's also about positioning Utah for a top-5 pick in a loaded draft. And about retaining the flexibility to "double-dip" on assets by getting very liquid expiring contracts and/or cap space when those deals come off the books next summer (if not traded at the deadline).
Click to expand...

What's good for the goose is good for the gander
Amirite
 
There is the basically error that Hayward is our number 1 option. I think Kanter/Favors in the post are going to get several chances to score. And Burke. I don't see Hayward trying to go iso very often. He may be running Pick and Rolls.
 
Qman said:
There is the basically error that Hayward is our number 1 option. I think Kanter/Favors in the post are going to get several chances to score. And Burke. I don't see Hayward trying to go iso very often. He may be running Pick and Rolls.
Click to expand...

I don't see a first option guy on this team.. we better have good ball movement, crisp passing, covet the ball, and hit some shots if we want to win more than a handful of games.
 
Batman said:
Clark Schmutz‏@Clarkpojo3h
There isn't a better NBA journalist than @ZachLowe_NBA & even he is sleeping on Gordon Hayward's offensive potential.

Dalamon=Clark Schmutz
Click to expand...

Wrong one. My twitter handle is much more gay
 
PKM said:
I don't see a first option guy on this team.. we better have good ball movement, crisp passing, covet the ball, and hit some shots if we want to win more than a handful of games.
Click to expand...

I think Hayward as first option is more of a: He's a good facilitator. He'll either find Enes and Derrick down low in their sweet spots, can hit the open guy coming off a screen and play the PnR himself to make a play. He'll initiate a lot of sets.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page
Back
Top