First and foremost, yes it sucks that the Jazz didn't get a top-3 or top-4 pick in the draft lottery this year. Before anything else is said about it, let's take a look at the odds that the Jazz had before the picks were announced:
1st pick - 10.4%
2nd pick - 11.2%
3rd pick - 12.1%
4th pick - 9.9%
5th pick - 37.3%
6th pick - 17.8%
7th pick - 1.4%
We got the pick that we had the best odds on, it happens. Trust me, I was just as distraught as everybody else was. It took me a couple of hours and a bad nights sleep to recover from it, but you know what? Life moves on and honestly guys, we have a top-5 pick in one of the best drafts in the past decade. That's something to get excited about. We have a ton of options to choose from and we are still in a position for one of the consensus top-four players (Wiggins, Parker, Embiid, Exum) to fall to us at #5. A team ahead of us could fall in love with Randle, Vonleh, or Smart, it could easily happen.
It's important to note that it was extremely vital for us to win the coin-toss vs the Celtics, because if we didn't we would have the #6 pick right now.
The best news of this off-season by far is that Ty Corbin won't be returning as the head coach of the Jazz. We are going through a stretch we haven't been through in awhile. A top-5 pick and a coaching vacancy, it's an exciting time to be a Jazz fan.
There have been some names thrown around for the coaching job already: Ettore Messina, Jim Boylen, John Stockton, Adrian Griffin, David Blatt, Alvin Gentry, and the most interesting name Earl Watson. I say that because, he played for the Jazz already, knows all the players, already has Hayward's approval and I think everyone else would be on board with him as well.
It would be great if the Jazz could get Messina or Blatt, but I'm saving myself some disappointment and not getting my hopes up until there is news about them getting an interview or even meeting with Lindsey. Watson is well respected from a lot of people around the league and I think it would be an interesting fit for the Jazz. They asked Stockton for his interest as a courtesy move, so he really isn't in the running If it came down to Boylen, Griffin, Gentry, and Watson, I think I would like Watson the most out of them with Griffin being a close second. Messina and Blatt are the best options, but if we can't get either one I hope Watson gets some serious consideration.
Now onto the draft, right now assuming the top-four players go as according, the players who are contenders to be picked #5 are: Noah Vonleh, Julius Randle, Aaron Gordon, Marcus Smart, and a sleeper pick could be Dario Saric. Everyone out of those players would have been a top-2 or top-3 pick in last years draft without a doubt. Saric would have been mid-to-late lottery and did the right thing by taking his name out of the draft and improving his stock this year tremendously.
There are good things to say about everyone of the players mentioned, I saw someone mention this on the board earlier, when is the last time the Jazz had a pick where they got to choose from so many talented players?
Noah Vonleh has great size, has the biggest hands the draft, and has the potential to become one of the best two-way players in the draft.
Julius Randle ended up with 24 double-doubles this year which was the 2nd most all-time by a freshman, the best post scorer in the draft, and lead his team to the national championship game.
Aaron Gordon is the most athletic player, one of the youngest players, as well as one of the best defenders in the draft. The player with the highest potential out of everyone is this group.
Marcus Smart is arguably the best defender in the draft, has great size for a guard, first in the nation in ASPM (measures and estimates a players plus-minus from box score stats).
Dario Saric is the best passing big man in the draft, can handle the ball well for a big as well, and a pretty good rebounder.
If the draft was today, I would want Lindsey to take Gordon with the #5 pick in the draft. He has the most upside out of the group mentioned above and he is a swing for the fences type pick the Jazz need if they miss out on the top-four players. A lot can and will change over the course of the month leading up to the draft and we will see what happens. If I had to rank the players right now in which I would want them to be on the Jazz big board it would be (in order): Gordon, Smart, Randle, Vonleh, and Saric. Gordon can and will play the small forward position as well as play power forward and there would be a lot of different line-up possibilities for the Jazz as well. I live in Arizona and obviously U of A is the team to watch and like down here and saw a lot of Aaron Gordon, his stats are pretty nice for being on the team that he was on, considering they were pretty good and ranked #1 for a few consecutive weeks.
A few extra notes I wanted to include, Favors is the best player on the Jazz, he wants to be here, and is signed for four more years. You build around him, but if the right deal came along obviously no player is untouchable. Trey is our point guard, if you draft Exum or Smart, it would be a good idea to have a two point guard line-up which has proven to be effective for teams (Suns, Clippers). Burks and Kanter deserve some love as well, the Jazz have a ton of young talented players with Burke, Burks, Hayward, Favors, Kanter, Gobert, even Neto, if Lindsey drafts the right players, this team will be very dangerous in a year or so. Plus to add onto that we have a ton of cap space to work with this summer as well as future picks to look forward to. Also try to sign Hayward to an extension, I'm thinking somewhere along the deal Favors got, probably a little less, but not more.
All in all, we all know the Jazz won't be a contender this year, so take the BPA regardless of position and figure it out later. Hire a coach that fits with the Jazz as well as the players like. Let the young guys play and we will be in the lottery again, which the 2015 draft isn't bad at all, pick up a great player and then the run for the playoffs begins with all the young players.
The future is looking bright for us guys, it's a great time to be a Jazz fan.
1st pick - 10.4%
2nd pick - 11.2%
3rd pick - 12.1%
4th pick - 9.9%
5th pick - 37.3%
6th pick - 17.8%
7th pick - 1.4%
We got the pick that we had the best odds on, it happens. Trust me, I was just as distraught as everybody else was. It took me a couple of hours and a bad nights sleep to recover from it, but you know what? Life moves on and honestly guys, we have a top-5 pick in one of the best drafts in the past decade. That's something to get excited about. We have a ton of options to choose from and we are still in a position for one of the consensus top-four players (Wiggins, Parker, Embiid, Exum) to fall to us at #5. A team ahead of us could fall in love with Randle, Vonleh, or Smart, it could easily happen.
It's important to note that it was extremely vital for us to win the coin-toss vs the Celtics, because if we didn't we would have the #6 pick right now.
The best news of this off-season by far is that Ty Corbin won't be returning as the head coach of the Jazz. We are going through a stretch we haven't been through in awhile. A top-5 pick and a coaching vacancy, it's an exciting time to be a Jazz fan.
There have been some names thrown around for the coaching job already: Ettore Messina, Jim Boylen, John Stockton, Adrian Griffin, David Blatt, Alvin Gentry, and the most interesting name Earl Watson. I say that because, he played for the Jazz already, knows all the players, already has Hayward's approval and I think everyone else would be on board with him as well.
It would be great if the Jazz could get Messina or Blatt, but I'm saving myself some disappointment and not getting my hopes up until there is news about them getting an interview or even meeting with Lindsey. Watson is well respected from a lot of people around the league and I think it would be an interesting fit for the Jazz. They asked Stockton for his interest as a courtesy move, so he really isn't in the running If it came down to Boylen, Griffin, Gentry, and Watson, I think I would like Watson the most out of them with Griffin being a close second. Messina and Blatt are the best options, but if we can't get either one I hope Watson gets some serious consideration.
Now onto the draft, right now assuming the top-four players go as according, the players who are contenders to be picked #5 are: Noah Vonleh, Julius Randle, Aaron Gordon, Marcus Smart, and a sleeper pick could be Dario Saric. Everyone out of those players would have been a top-2 or top-3 pick in last years draft without a doubt. Saric would have been mid-to-late lottery and did the right thing by taking his name out of the draft and improving his stock this year tremendously.
There are good things to say about everyone of the players mentioned, I saw someone mention this on the board earlier, when is the last time the Jazz had a pick where they got to choose from so many talented players?
Noah Vonleh has great size, has the biggest hands the draft, and has the potential to become one of the best two-way players in the draft.
Julius Randle ended up with 24 double-doubles this year which was the 2nd most all-time by a freshman, the best post scorer in the draft, and lead his team to the national championship game.
Aaron Gordon is the most athletic player, one of the youngest players, as well as one of the best defenders in the draft. The player with the highest potential out of everyone is this group.
Marcus Smart is arguably the best defender in the draft, has great size for a guard, first in the nation in ASPM (measures and estimates a players plus-minus from box score stats).
Dario Saric is the best passing big man in the draft, can handle the ball well for a big as well, and a pretty good rebounder.
If the draft was today, I would want Lindsey to take Gordon with the #5 pick in the draft. He has the most upside out of the group mentioned above and he is a swing for the fences type pick the Jazz need if they miss out on the top-four players. A lot can and will change over the course of the month leading up to the draft and we will see what happens. If I had to rank the players right now in which I would want them to be on the Jazz big board it would be (in order): Gordon, Smart, Randle, Vonleh, and Saric. Gordon can and will play the small forward position as well as play power forward and there would be a lot of different line-up possibilities for the Jazz as well. I live in Arizona and obviously U of A is the team to watch and like down here and saw a lot of Aaron Gordon, his stats are pretty nice for being on the team that he was on, considering they were pretty good and ranked #1 for a few consecutive weeks.
A few extra notes I wanted to include, Favors is the best player on the Jazz, he wants to be here, and is signed for four more years. You build around him, but if the right deal came along obviously no player is untouchable. Trey is our point guard, if you draft Exum or Smart, it would be a good idea to have a two point guard line-up which has proven to be effective for teams (Suns, Clippers). Burks and Kanter deserve some love as well, the Jazz have a ton of young talented players with Burke, Burks, Hayward, Favors, Kanter, Gobert, even Neto, if Lindsey drafts the right players, this team will be very dangerous in a year or so. Plus to add onto that we have a ton of cap space to work with this summer as well as future picks to look forward to. Also try to sign Hayward to an extension, I'm thinking somewhere along the deal Favors got, probably a little less, but not more.
All in all, we all know the Jazz won't be a contender this year, so take the BPA regardless of position and figure it out later. Hire a coach that fits with the Jazz as well as the players like. Let the young guys play and we will be in the lottery again, which the 2015 draft isn't bad at all, pick up a great player and then the run for the playoffs begins with all the young players.
The future is looking bright for us guys, it's a great time to be a Jazz fan.
