Lauri + Tank

[Saint Cy of JFC]

Both guys are the types of young players that don’t really kill you. Collier/Key/Brice though are the types that can.

Key might be ready to kill opposing teams. Could have a huge leap. I know you are the main person who loves the Hardy/Key jokes, but Hardy isn't warm to rookies so I tend to believe there is something special there.

 

[whatthe]

A well rested Lauri at his peak and soft early schedule versus all the worn-out past their peak all stars doesn't mean more losses for the Jazz. The Jazz could start fast and then slowly fade back in the standings.

 

[Coach Ellis]

Like if you can somehow make the team wheres it's just Ingram and Lauri surrounded by rookie contract players and end of career vet journeymen, go for that

Not advocating for this, but. . . Sexton, Clarkson and Collins for Ingram and McCollum gets you very close to this. It breaks up logjams for both teams and give the Pelicans much-needed cap relief with some new vets all under contract for the next two years.

Keyonte - McCollum - Collier
Williams - Juzang -
Ingram - Sensabaugh -
Markkanen - Hendricks -
Kessler - Eubanks - Filipowski

Add three more end of the bench guys like Bazley, Lofton, Potter, etc.

What’s the high and low end win potential for a team like that?

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

Spurs can easily salary match for a 2025 off-season trade for Markkanen. T

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Key might be ready to kill opposing teams. Could have a huge leap. I know you are the main person who loves the Hardy/Key jokes, but Hardy isn't warm to rookies so I tend to believe there is something special there.

He would have to take a huge leap just to be neutral. If he leaps all the way from where he was to "killing guys" then who gives a **** about the tank. The point of the tank is not to lose... the point of the tank is to find top tier young talent. If Key is that then we good. Progress is normally incremental.

 

[fishonjazz]

A well rested Lauri at his peak and soft early schedule versus all the worn-out past their peak all stars doesn't mean more losses for the Jazz. The Jazz could start fast and then slowly fade back in the standings.

Ya lots of things could happen

 

[rippimpc]

Not that it matters (i dont have mystical powers), but we should be hoping none of our young guys make a leap right?

 

[Coach Ellis]

Not that it matters (i dont have mystical powers), but we should be hoping none of our young guys make a leap right?

For the tank, that’s ideal. But for the long-term prospects of the Jazz it would be better if any of the young players show their long-term options to team with Lauri.

 

[rippimpc]

Best outcome for jazz would be landing cooper flagg or aj dybantsa

 

[KqWIN]

He would have to take a huge leap just to be neutral. If he leaps all the way from where he was to "killing guys" then who gives a **** about the tank. The point of the tank is not to lose... the point of the tank is to find top tier young talent. If Key is that then we good. Progress is normally incremental.

With the role he's put in, it makes it hard for him to be neutral in the first place. A big reason why he was one of the worst players in the league was his outsized role. Being a high usage, ball dominant player is one of the hardest things to do in the league. I don't think we're slowing down on Key's usage. Anyone who can play in that role well as a starter is a star player. If unearthing a star player ruins the tank, why do we even care? I don't think anyone is upset that Lauri turned out to be a star.

A more interesting question surrounds Sexton, IMO, who has obviously had stretches of being a star. If he's a star player, obviously we want him. But if he falls short of that and is just a very good player...I think those are the types where you would rather just have a very good player's weight in future draft picks.

 

[HermanG]

Not that it matters (i dont have mystical powers), but we should be hoping none of our young guys make a leap right?

We should hope all of them make a leap.

 

[Coach Ellis]

If the Jazz plan to tank, I’d like to see them start the season by rolling out a lineup of Keyonte George, Cody Williams, Lauri Markkanen, Taylor Hendricks and Walker Kessler in the starting lineup. Go ahead and bring Sexton, Clarkson, Juzang, Collins and Eubanks off the bench, but leave the bulk of winning or losing in the hands of the young guys.