What's new

Jazz Pre-Draft Workouts

His big argument is that once you get out of the lottery, you don't have the stigma of being in the lottery and that you should get an All-Star with your pick. So you don't reach on players. You are right in that its stupid, but the stats show that picks 10-14 are busts more than 15-20. So, I dunno, maybe there is something to it.

The example might be Jimmer vs Bismack. There is a huge chance Bismack may never be good enough to step on the floor. BUT, his upside is huge. Jimmer will never have the potential Bismack has, but he will play a long time in the NBA because he can be a very solid backup pg and hit a ton of threes ala Eddie House. A lot of GM's will reach on Bismack over Jimmer hoping that Bismack turns out. Odds are he doesn't. Jimmer slides to 15 or 16 and a team picks him to be what he is: a backup pg with good range and Jimmer has a 8 year career hitting threes ala Korver. Can you see how GM's reach?

Back to your point, I don't know if Locke is correct that it is the lottery, or if GM's at 15+ just don't have the opportunity to reach as much on "potential" picks and are forced to take the safer picks.
 
His big argument is that once you get out of the lottery, you don't have the stigma of being in the lottery and that you should get an All-Star with your pick. So you don't reach on players. You are right in that its stupid, but the stats show that picks 10-14 are busts more than 15-20. So, I dunno, maybe there is something to it.

The example might be Jimmer vs Bismack. There is a huge chance Bismack may never be good enough to step on the floor. BUT, his upside is huge. Jimmer will never have the potential Bismack has, but he will play a long time in the NBA because he can be a very solid backup pg and hit a ton of threes ala Eddie House. A lot of GM's will reach on Bismack over Jimmer hoping that Bismack turns out. Odds are he doesn't. Jimmer slides to 15 or 16 and a team picks him to be what he is: a backup pg with good range and Jimmer has a 8 year career hitting threes ala Korver. Can you see how GM's reach?

Back to your point, I don't know if Locke is correct that it is the lottery, or if GM's at 15+ just don't have the opportunity to reach as much on "potential" picks and are forced to take the safer picks.
If his assertion is true (I don't care to do the legwork), I think it's likely that teams in the lottery, non-playoff teams- have more glaring needs than non-lottery teams, and feel they need to make a big splash. There's a higher chance they're re-building than re-tooling. With that said, with the youth Utah already has, and with their #3 pick and two more picks next season, they don't have the same pressure to land a high risk/reward player. On the other hand, they may be a team that can afford to take on a high risk/reward player, and, in this case, I would prefer this route (like drafting high school pitchers in major league baseball).

If Biyombo is available, I think he's an obvious choice. He's not an unknown, and has shown considerable talent and development playing against grown men in the ACB.
 
So Knight letting his agent manipulate him and chickens out of his workout against Jimmer. Makes you wonder, what does Knight have to hide? Is he afraid that the white Mormon might expose him? Why do Kemba and Knight always run away from competition? How does letting their agents dictate to them every move make Jazz fans feel? Especially when you consider how many agents would just LOVE to get their players out of Utah and into LA, Miami, or Dallas? If you don't want to be here, then don't let the door hit you on your *** on the way out.

The more and more I learn of Knight, the less and less I like.

I agree with what Gordy Chiesa said on Locke's show today, "Go shirts and skins, lace it up, and lets go play some basketball."

Enough of this chicken crap of playing as little basketball as possible to not "hurt" one's position in the draft. Go out there and prove something. Where's their competitive drive?
 
Kemba and Knight have NOTHING TO GAIN by playing a guy that is UNIVERSALLY considered a lesser prospect and might look better in a vacuum. Knight is going somewhere between #3 and #7 unless he screws up and he's not going any higher. Kemba is in a similar position.

When some people are ready to realize these are actual people living actual lives, chasing their actual career and not just mere toys that are mechanically competitive for our amusement, join the discussion.
 
Kemba and Knight have NOTHING TO GAIN by playing a guy that is UNIVERSALLY considered a lesser prospect and might look better in a vacuum. Knight is going somewhere between #3 and #7 unless he screws up and he's not going any higher. Kemba is in a similar position.

When some people are ready to realize these are actual people living actual lives, chasing their actual career and not just mere toys that are mechanically competitive for our amusement, join the discussion.

Could you see Karl Malone or John Stockton refusing to workout against their peers for "fear" of failure?

Where's the competitive spirit? Knight and Walker are afraid. What do they have to hide? If they beat the crap out of Jimmer, it raises their stock because they just destroyed the national player of the year. People can then see what Knight and Walker can do against competition. Seeing what they do against scrubs... Or 1 on none, doesn't prove anything to these teams. Which is what Knight and Walker want. They want themselves against no defense or competition.

No competitive drive.

Just mere following the agent's advice.

What happens when it comes to the negotiating table to resign with the Jazz? Will they continue to listen to their agents when the agent suggests to bail out of Utah and go to a bigger market? Do Utah Jazz fans really want to deal with this crap? Or do they want a little more competitive and independent thinkers on their team?

Again, Gordy Chiesa said it best, "Shirts vs skins, lace it up, and lets play some basketball."

Screw the standing on scales, vertical leap tests, and measuring the wingspan. Play basketball.

If all we did was what Knight and Walker wanted, guys like Kwame Brown would constantly go #1.

Lets get some competitors folks. Enough of these prima donnas who are too afraid of competing or standing up to their agents.
 
Knight would blow by Jimmer. Then blow by Jimmer. Then blow by Jimmer. Then shoot over Jimmer. Then oop over Jimmer. I don't think Knight is avoiding Jimmer.
 
Why does it matter if player X beats player Y? Williams routinely owned Paul throughout their Jazz-Hornets "rivalry" but Paul was still considered to be the better PG by many experts.
 
Walker's plenty quick to get a feel for how Jimmer looks guarding legit NBA 1's. It would be better if Knight was also there for that purpose, but hopefully the Jazz have somebody else on hand to test him as well. Don't care about Knight and Walker playing since they've already done that twice in real games.
 
Back
Top