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Jazz any closer to knowing their 2019 roster configuration?

Et tu Brute

Et tu Brute

Well-Known Member
I don't know about you guys, but this season has had a plethora of unpredictable story lines that have confused the hell out of me as to what the FO will do (or even should do) moving forward.

So many questions existed prior to the season e.g. how quickly will DM prosper, will Exum justify a lengthy extension or become a RFA target, will Favors return to the old Favs, would Hayward's absence force an eventual rebuild, would Gobert become a top 10 player, would veterans get traded, will Jingles live up to his contract etc etc etc

But even more questions have been added to the mix:
- Is Burks part of the future? Has he significantly increased his trade value?
- Who is Hood? Gunner? Sixth man? Starter? Attractive RFA target?
- Is Exum more likely now in the Jazz plans than ever?
- Should the team be built around Gobert and Mitchell OR just primarily Mitchell?
- Should trading away a potential cornerstone (Gobert) be even uttered or whispered among the FO?
- Is the Rubio thing a failed experiment?


My question is, are we any closer to knowing what the team will look like in the medium term?
 
if there are any takers for Burks we should take it (sorry fish) that said he's easily playing his best ball in 3 years but young Royce O'Neale looks a player.

Hood? Who knows? Doubt he does.

I'd like to see Exum given more time but you know I want to see as many Aussies on the roster as possible

Mitchell and Gobert need to be given more time together, frankly Rudy is owed some damn loyalty, so is Favs but I reckon he is looking expendable at the moment.

I'd give Rubio another year, maybe two, that said a decision on him will have to be made at seasons close cause he enters free agency next year.

All in all the DL did a great job putting together a roster in the last off season but rubio, favors and burks account for 35 million in salary. None of them are all star level players, shifting two of them for a star caliber player could take us into the top four in the western conference next season, who that is others are better placed to answer.
 
I think Rubio plays much better with the Jazz when they go to their small lineups. Would probably be better with Gobert if Rudy could actually catch a bounce pass. Rubio seemingly makes some of the most oddly timed turnovers to me though which is troubling. How many times has he tried to wing a pass and hit the side of the backboard? I've counted at least 3 in the past few games. His play has been very up and down for us but for a pass first PG, I'm not seeing the assist level that he should be at on a consistent basis.

As for Exum, the guy has had some of the worst early career luck a player can be given. With that said, at what point do you cut losses and move on? I suppose that will be determined by his recovery and potential summer/training camp play. If he looks like he was starting to this past off season, than you build him into your future plans as was always supposed to be the case. If not, you gotta cut bait.

I think the team builds around the Mitchell/Gobert tandem. You don't get rid of a player like Hood and if Burks keeps his controlled play up, you try to keep him around as long as possible as well. My hope is that Utah can finally break the mold and get a mid-level star (budding All Star, or something of the like) without destroying their roster to do so. We potentially have a great nucleus if the Jazz can keep everyone relatively healthy.
 
This probably won't be popular but it might be essentially the same roster but without Favors and Joe Johnson.
 
- Is Burks part of the future? Has he significantly increased his trade value?
To be determined. I think he has. In my opinion, he isn't part of the future because he has never established himself as a specialist at anything. If he's just a solid all around player without any defining characteristic, I don't think we should overpay to keep him.

- Who is Hood? Gunner? Sixth man? Starter? Attractive RFA target?
I think we will keep Hood as a starter. He is probably better than anybody we could add in free agency. I look for him to re-sign with us and we give him a couple years next to Mitchell. If he doesn't work out, he will get traded while he still has value. We can't overpay to keep him though.

- Is Exum more likely now in the Jazz plans than ever?
In my opinion, he seems like a perfect backcourt counterpart for Mitchell based off of his summer league and preseason performances. He has to prove it over time, but like Hood, he is probably a better option than we can find in free agency.

- Should the team be built around Gobert and Mitchell OR just primarily Mitchell?
I think Gobert and Mitchell. Every great team needs great defensive players. Gobert is unique in his ability to protect the rim. We need to build around the two of them.

- Should trading away a potential cornerstone (Gobert) be even uttered or whispered among the FO?
I don't think so. I just don't see how we receive enough in return. He is signed for the long term. He likes it here. Keep him.

- Is the Rubio thing a failed experiment?
Probably
 
The pieces you are going to build around/keep in mind are Mitchell, Ingles, and Rudy. Everything else is just noise.
 
If we're talking the 2019-2020 season, there are some things that look pretty clear.

Favors - no
Exum - almost definitely yes
Rubio - still TBD, but looks very doubtful IMO

Still unclear on Burks and Hood.

Crystal clear that Rudy and Mitchell are the core of the team moving forward. Other guys you draft, sign, trade for, etc. should be done so with the thought of building around those two in mind.
 
Going into 2019, I see the following:

Guys still on the roster:
Gobert (two years left on current deal)
Mitchell (still on rookie deal)
Ingles (two years left on current deal)
Hood (contract in the $17 million per year range)
Bradley (still on rookie deal)
O'Neal (two years left on current deal)
Exum (contract in the $12 million per year range)

Gone are:
Rubio (no longer in the plans, maybe traded before summer 2019)
Favors (traded this year or more money elsewhere 2018)
Thabo (possibly retired or move to a contender like the Warriors or Cavs)
JoeJ (retired)
Burks (more money elsewhere)
Udoh (more money elsewhere)

Maybes are:
Jerekbo (depends on how much he wants in summer 2019)
Neto (depends on how much he wants this coming summer)
 
NUMBERICA said:
He is a cascade of mysterious non-contact injuries and offers little besides scoring. He may end up being a net negative asset if he's given a crazy offer sheet.

So until/unless he proves otherwise, he's noise.
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I was unaware that 40% 3pt shooter who can get his own shot and score is such a useless piece in the modern NBA.

And IDK how anyone can just dismiss a 4th year player after the jumps we have seen from many players in their 4th to 5th year.
 
Saint Cy of JFC said:
Hood at 42% 3pt shooting on 7 attempts. That is a long-term piece you want to keep.
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Especially considering his seemingly newfound willingness to try to attack the basket more. Granted, he's not super efficient at it yet, but he'll get there. Making himself comfortable with attempting to do so is a pretty big first step.
 
Saint Cy of JFC said:
I was unaware that 40% 3pt shooter who can get his own shot and score is such a useless piece in the modern NBA.

And IDK how anyone can just dismiss a 4th year player after the jumps we have seen from many players in their 4th to 5th year.
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Who said he was useless?

He may produce like that, but he's missed more than a third of his games due to little injuries, many of which we don't even see occur. With how injury prone he is, I'd balk at a max offer even if he was a significantly better player.

His being a part of the future is contingent, and that's just reality or he would have already been extended at this point.
 
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The main thing that separates Mitchell and Gobert is their competitiveness and desire to win. I agree that despite early season struggles Rudy is such a rare talent that you don't get rid of him unless you can get a huge haul.

I definitely like the idea of signing Hood even though he may be expensive. The Jazz are not in a position to be picky about talent at this point. If they can retain some of what they currently have, then that is imperative.

It could possibly be a blessing in disguise that Exum has been limited with injuries this year. He still has great potential, and his market value has probably been capped due to his injury history. I was very bullish about the Exum/Mitchell backcourt from Summer League.

I really like the three primary FAs from this year (Jonas, Thabo, Epke). However, they may all go to contenders after this season. Being a young team, the Jazz may have to cycle temporary veterans in each year.

Favors is another great talent and I have his jersey, so I would love to keep him. However, he is often injured and is way too inconsistent. He will look like a top 5 big man one game and then become invisible for the next 10 games or so. It just seems that he is inconsistent in the passion that he displays.

For me, the main keepers are:

-Mitchell
-Gobert
-Hood
-Ingles
-Exum


Starting PF will be a concern going into next year, I believe.
 
NUMBERICA said:
He is a cascade of mysterious non-contact injuries and offers little besides scoring. He may end up being a net negative asset if he's given a crazy offer sheet.

So until/unless he proves otherwise, he's noise.
Click to expand...

Are you kidding? The injuries are great in that it will lower Hood's overall value league wide. There just isn't enough max slots league wide to take a chance on Hood, as he is, with a max contract. Two years ago he was a for-sure max. I think this ensures that both Hood and Exum are matched or offered fair contracts, and will be a part of the future.

Seriously, though, if Hood has anxiety attacks playing for Utah, I can't imagine a market like Philadelphia is going to be a big draw. The Utah media is Disneyland in comparison.
 
The big question is "Is Donovan Mitchel your starting Point Guard?" Everything else cascades off of that answer.
 
framer said:
Are you kidding? The injuries are great in that it will lower Hood's overall value league wide. There just isn't enough max slots league wide to take a chance on Hood, as he is, with a max contract. Two years ago he was a for-sure max. I think this ensures that both Hood and Exum are matched or offered fair contracts, and will be a part of the future.

Seriously, though, if Hood has anxiety attacks playing for Utah, I can't imagine a market like Philadelphia is going to be a big draw. The Utah media is Disneyland in comparison.
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He's missed a third of his games from mostly non-contact injuries. Not sure how that's exciting to anybody.
 
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