BluesRocker
Banned
Hypothetical Dream Scenario
This last offseason just right after the lockout the Jazz traded away Al Jefferson and Raja Bell to a team with a low salary, took back minimal salary and got back two late first rounders and one second rounder and one of those late first rounders was for this year.
So now our lineup would have looked something like this.
Harris
Hayward(where he belongs)
Howard
Millsap
Favors
Now I know you are all thinking what I am thinking and that is this line up would have taken us to the Western Conference Finals.
But in my Hypothetical Dream Scenario something happens. Harris blows out both his knees on a single play in the 10th game of the year. At that point the Jazz are 10 and 0, but go on a really bad losing streak and only win 5 more games because Harris as we all know is the MVP of the team. We would not survive without him.
So now the Jazz have spent a good portion of the season developing their young guys and getting great growth out of them. They were in every game but just lost by few most of the time.
The team has had one heck of a journey and their bond grew even tighter as they vowed to come back twice as good next year. And they do.
The Jazz finish with the 7th worst record and bump the GS pick to eight. Jazz win lottery and select Anthony Davis with the 1st pic. They make some trades and move up from 8 to 4 and select Kidd Ghilchrist. And with their late lottery pick they take Royce White.
The Jazz live happily ever after and win 7 titles with those players plus our current players.
VS
Possible Nightmare Reality
The Jazz make the playoffs and get swept badly by OKC. Turmoil erupts in the locker room and players speak out about playing time again. Chemistry erodes away some.
Jazz lose their own pick to Minn and GS ends in the 7 spot both before and after lottery results. Jazz lose that pick.
The Jazz don't make any trades for picks and they don't draft anybody from what turns out to be the greatest draft class ever. They go into next year still having not made a move. Favors, Kanter, Evans, and Burks all continue to get limited minutes. But they do however turn out to be a better team than the year before. The Jazz make the playoffs but don't go far and still show glaring weaknesses in the team as a whole. GS and the Jazz both finish with about the same record because GS will be better next year with Bogut. And the two picks we end up with are the 22nd and 21st pick in the draft. Who turn out to be busts. At the end of the season Al, Millsap, and Harris find different teams to play with because the Jazz can't offer that much because they are expecting to pay the young guys soon. So they leave and Jazz get nothing for them. (No, a sign and trade won't do anything for us). The free agent market dries up and we can't land anybody worth a darn.
So at that point. Will it feel like we just started somewhat over? Was our step forward and then step backwards worth losing two high lottery picks and Royce white plus a future 1st and 2nd? What about another year of not playing our young guys? That would be like holding your kid back in school two straight years. That kid would have some serious problems. Just like this team might. Such as the Jazz spend the next 4-6 years falling short and having to eventually do another DWILL trade and start back over.
And that's the end of my story.
Catch me again on the Reading Rainbow.
This last offseason just right after the lockout the Jazz traded away Al Jefferson and Raja Bell to a team with a low salary, took back minimal salary and got back two late first rounders and one second rounder and one of those late first rounders was for this year.
So now our lineup would have looked something like this.
Harris
Hayward(where he belongs)
Howard
Millsap
Favors
Now I know you are all thinking what I am thinking and that is this line up would have taken us to the Western Conference Finals.
But in my Hypothetical Dream Scenario something happens. Harris blows out both his knees on a single play in the 10th game of the year. At that point the Jazz are 10 and 0, but go on a really bad losing streak and only win 5 more games because Harris as we all know is the MVP of the team. We would not survive without him.
So now the Jazz have spent a good portion of the season developing their young guys and getting great growth out of them. They were in every game but just lost by few most of the time.
The team has had one heck of a journey and their bond grew even tighter as they vowed to come back twice as good next year. And they do.
The Jazz finish with the 7th worst record and bump the GS pick to eight. Jazz win lottery and select Anthony Davis with the 1st pic. They make some trades and move up from 8 to 4 and select Kidd Ghilchrist. And with their late lottery pick they take Royce White.
The Jazz live happily ever after and win 7 titles with those players plus our current players.
VS
Possible Nightmare Reality
The Jazz make the playoffs and get swept badly by OKC. Turmoil erupts in the locker room and players speak out about playing time again. Chemistry erodes away some.
Jazz lose their own pick to Minn and GS ends in the 7 spot both before and after lottery results. Jazz lose that pick.
The Jazz don't make any trades for picks and they don't draft anybody from what turns out to be the greatest draft class ever. They go into next year still having not made a move. Favors, Kanter, Evans, and Burks all continue to get limited minutes. But they do however turn out to be a better team than the year before. The Jazz make the playoffs but don't go far and still show glaring weaknesses in the team as a whole. GS and the Jazz both finish with about the same record because GS will be better next year with Bogut. And the two picks we end up with are the 22nd and 21st pick in the draft. Who turn out to be busts. At the end of the season Al, Millsap, and Harris find different teams to play with because the Jazz can't offer that much because they are expecting to pay the young guys soon. So they leave and Jazz get nothing for them. (No, a sign and trade won't do anything for us). The free agent market dries up and we can't land anybody worth a darn.
So at that point. Will it feel like we just started somewhat over? Was our step forward and then step backwards worth losing two high lottery picks and Royce white plus a future 1st and 2nd? What about another year of not playing our young guys? That would be like holding your kid back in school two straight years. That kid would have some serious problems. Just like this team might. Such as the Jazz spend the next 4-6 years falling short and having to eventually do another DWILL trade and start back over.
And that's the end of my story.
Catch me again on the Reading Rainbow.
Last edited:
