Game Thread Jan 03, 2023 07:00PM MT: Jazz vs Kings

[Agent#00]

We are 0-5 when THT goes DNP

There I said it.

 

[sip]

I love how some of you are experts on Ochai after playing almost no minutes and most of the minutes he has received are just garbage time. At this point we have no clue what kind of player Ochai is whether it is good or bad. Unfortunately I don't actually believe that Hardy will give him any kind of meaningful minutes to figure out what he is. It is up to Ainge to force his hand and trade guys.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

I love how some of you are experts on Ochai after playing almost no minutes and most of the minutes he has received are just garbage time. At this point we have no clue what kind of player Ochai is whether it is good or bad. Unfortunately I don't actually believe that Hardy will give him any kind of meaningful minutes to figure out what he is. It is up to Ainge to force his hand and trade guys.

The lip service at least is encouraging... as it leans towards "we need to give some development minutes" which is tank language.

The tank is coming.

 

[HeatCheck]

Yeah, but his high point totals are not turning into wins. That's not ideal (to me - I understand that tankers are loving all this). Not saying it's his fault, but it is what it is. The debate on "empty stats" is ancient in the NBA. If you put up big numbers but the team keeps losing, is it because your teammates are not pulling their weight or because there's something lacking in your game? Are you making them better?

Fantastic perimeter shooting has had a large part in making Lauri pretty much the most efficient scorer in the NBA this season. And it's also kept the Jazz competitive, since his gravity improves the spacing a ton. He doesn't even really have to do anything to keep a defender glued to him.

I think this losing streak alone already killed his AS game chances, and putting up a ton of bricks from the arc will just Finnish the job (see what I did there?)

Nah I think Lauri is already a shoe in for the ASG being played in SLC. Personally I think the ASG itself is a joke especially with the Team Lebron BS but it's still a nice honor for him. Getting to the FT line 15 times like he did last night is still an elite skill even though his 3 pt shooting has tailed off. Many of the perennial all stars (Kawhi, AD) have also been injured most of the season too.

My concern is the rest of the team. At this point I'd be fine if Ainge just blew it up and traded almost everyone else if it meant taking a step forward next season. The perimeter defense is awful. The defense under the basket is awful. They lack athleticism and playmaking. KO has totally fallen off. His 3 pt % from earlier in the year looks like a mirage not to mention he's a horrible defender. I do like Vando but not sure he's a fit here. He can get out and defend the perimeter but he is just way too small to defend real bigs such as Sabonis. Taking one 3 pt attempt a game certainly isn't pulling any opposing defenders out to the perimeter. He'd be real nice next to an offensive 5 such as Ayton which is probably why PHX has shown so much interest. Kessler can be a difference maker with his shot blocking but he can't stay on the floor due to fouls(not totally his fault) and his lack of a go to move offensively. Right now all he has is dunks and putbacks in his offensive bag. He's a future rotation player but agree he needs to work on developing a go to offensive move asap. Jazz need to have a big man coach glued to him all summer.

The backcourt is a mess defensively but think some of it can be cured if they can bring in a big athletic wing. (Anunoby or Thompson twins anybody?). Conley is good for about 20 minutes a night to direct the team but he can barely defend a traffic cone. I know JC is a fan favorite, almost like a team mascot at this point, but I'm not paying him $20-25 mil per year starting SG money to play one end of the court especially when you add in the fact he's good for about 2-3 bad shots and 2 bad turnovers every game. Beasley is just way too hot and cold with his shooting. One night can barely miss a 3 but the next 2 nights he goes 2 for 9. Overall it looks ok in the season stats but he really hurts them on those bad shooting nights especially while not adding much else on the court in terms of defense or playmaking. NAW plays well for a few games and then just disappears. Sexton is the one guy who I think can be a long term rotation player with his burst and efficient scoring but 6th man/spot starter might be the optimum spot in the rotation for him.

The bench big wing role is just a mess with old man Gay and Fontecchio who is another that can't defend his position. Agbaji obviously doesn't have their size but I'd at least throw him out there a few minutes a game as he couldn't be any worse.

 

[HeatCheck]

We are 0-5 when THT goes DNP

There I said it.

I'm sure THT will be back in the rotation at some point especially if NAW keeps fading. Seems like they are using either NAW or THT as another playmaker off the bench depending on which one is playing better at the moment. Hopefully someone will whisper in his ear to stop bailing out opposing defenses by taking those stepback 3's early in the shotclock though. I think that's a big reason Hardy keeps benching him. Having a guy shooting 23% on 3s taking those types of shots is a momentum killer especially when his main job on offense should be to move the ball.

 

[Tremendous Upside]

I love how some of you are experts on Ochai after playing almost no minutes and most of the minutes he has received are just garbage time. At this point we have no clue what kind of player Ochai is whether it is good or bad. Unfortunately I don't actually believe that Hardy will give him any kind of meaningful minutes to figure out what he is. It is up to Ainge to force his hand and trade guys.

Ochai played four years of college ball but looks like he didn't play any. Seriously, if you are this lost after a full NCAA career, I don't think you're an NBA player. That's just the way it is.

He'll be 23 in a few months. IMO Ochai was a terrible whiff by the Cavs, which also explains why they had absolutely no problem showing him the door.

 

[SteakNEggs]

I love how some of you are experts on Ochai after playing almost no minutes and most of the minutes he has received are just garbage time. At this point we have no clue what kind of player Ochai is whether it is good or bad. Unfortunately I don't actually believe that Hardy will give him any kind of meaningful minutes to figure out what he is. It is up to Ainge to force his hand and trade guys.

I'm no expert but at this point we are tending straight down. It's time to get the younger guys minutes to assess their future.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

I'm sure THT will get burn at some point. He actually played great in the Denver game, but he just trying way too hard to prove he can actually shoot when he should be treating his 3pt shot like he's Royce O'Neale.

 

[seattlejazzfan]

Ochai played four years of college ball but looks like he didn't play any. Seriously, if you are this lost after a full NCAA career, I don't think you're an NBA player. That's just the way it is.

He'll be 23 in a few months. IMO Ochai was a terrible whiff by the Cavs, which also explains why they had absolutely no problem showing him the door.

you keep saying this, but what's your point as it relates to his playing time with the jazz? like are you advocating that he plays 40 minutes a game? 25?

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

Ochai played four years of college ball but looks like he didn't play any. Seriously, if you are this lost after a full NCAA career, I don't think you're an NBA player. That's just the way it is.

He'll be 23 in a few months. IMO Ochai was a terrible whiff by the Cavs, which also explains why they had absolutely no problem showing him the door.

He needs to study Royce O'Neale in Brooklyn.

 

[HeatCheck]

Ochai played four years of college ball but looks like he didn't play any. Seriously, if you are this lost after a full NCAA career, I don't think you're an NBA player. That's just the way it is.

He'll be 23 in a few months. IMO Ochai was a terrible whiff by the Cavs, which also explains why they had absolutely no problem showing him the door.

I'll agree he apparently didn't look great in summer league but I wasn't focusing on the Cavs at that point. His G league stats haven't been eye popping either.

Locke and some of the other team apologists say he was supposedly a "slow starter" at Kansas too.

At this point I'm not expecting huge things but he has to give them more energy than Gay, right? That's not a high bar. Denver has gotten some decent bench play/energy from the other Kansas kid Braun that got picked after Agbaji in the last draft. It's not like the Jazz have a ton of options.

 

[Tremendous Upside]

I'm no expert but at this point we are tending straight down. It's time to get the younger guys minutes to assess their future.

Not that I'm against giving minutes to the, umm, "youngins" instead of Rudy Gay, but I'm not sure what (or who) people expect to see. We don't exactly have a stash of tantalizing young talent just waiting to be let loose.

Nothing I've seen from Ochai so far makes me think he's anything more than a G League player. And he seems to be the one most people are expecting to break out.