Mehmet Okur and Carlos Boozer (hidden gems or diamonds in the rough)

[d@!!0n0rcutt]

Now that Carlos Boozer is officially gone and Mehmet Okur's career is in jeopardy, who are the sleepers that are not going to get the typical attention in the free agent market that the Utah Jazz can snag off the market and give them contracts like Boozer and Okur got where they couldn't refuse.

No one ever knew of Mehmet Okur and seldom heard of Carlos Boozer after his Duke run. I mean Mehmet Okur was the third guy in a rotation in Detriot, how did the Jazz brass or anyone for that matter know he would blossom like he has. The same goes for the Boozer because I remember the summer we signed Carlos Boozer and we we're in the running for Kenyon Martin also, and Martin was the big name on the market and we cancelled our meeting with Kenyon Martin cause we knew Carlos would sign with us but Carlos in college from my memory looked like typical center from Duke that was slow and couldn't hit anything out from 5 feet like the Sheldon Williams type.

The Utah Jazz are not going to get the big name free agents, the only way we can get the stars is through the draft, very rare trades, and the example of Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur.

So my question is how are we going to find these replacements that are hidden gems or diamonds in the rough, that we could take advantage of to maximize their potential and offer that contract that wouldn't be offered by anyone else or thought of being offered by anyone else?

...NOT THIS OFFSEASON but maybe NEXT OFFSEASON...

 

[C l u t c H 385]

Hidden Gem? Diamond in the Rough? Whats the difference?

I wish Okur would have gone and blossomed somewhere else.

 

[d@!!0n0rcutt]

Hidden Gem? Diamond in the Rough? Whats the difference?

Nothing...your point?

 

[Twin Towers]

Nothing...your point?

You said OR like its one OR the other. Like make a decision which one they are. The OR does not make sense unless your talking about the best way to describe them? and if that is the case than this post is horrible. lol

They looked liked Diamonds than after a closer look they were just glass and they both broke very easily.

 

[Twin Towers]

https://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?page=FreeAgents-10-11

but to your point here is my list of players I like.

Josh Childress
Tyrus Thomas
Stephen Graham
Joey Graham
Acie Law
Shaq
Earl Watson
Marcus Williams
Dorell Wright
Quentin Richardson
Matt Barnes
Jason Williams
Roger Mason
Keith Bogans

I think we should sign Acie Law as the back up point guard. And the wing position all depends on if we can get Wes Matthews still. The Center position has to come through a trade. And the sad thing is nobody will take AK for there center or the trade exemption.

 

[d@!!0n0rcutt]

You said OR like its one OR the other. Like make a decision which one they are. The OR does not make sense unless your talking about the best way to describe them? and if that is the case than this post is horrible. lol

They looked liked Diamonds than after a closer look they were just glass and they both broke very easily.

Ok forget that! Your going off topic just trying to get discussion going, so who do you go after?

I really like Jeff Pendergraph did fairly well in college and never given a chance in Portland because they have LaMarcus Aldridge. I would of loved to have seen the Jazz get Taj Gibson in the deal from Chicago also.

 

[d@!!0n0rcutt]

https://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?page=FreeAgents-10-11

but to your point here is my list of players I like.

Josh Childress
Tyrus Thomas
Stephen Graham
Joey Graham
Acie Law
Shaq
Earl Watson
Marcus Williams
Dorell Wright
Quentin Richardson
Matt Barnes
Jason Williams
Roger Mason
Keith Bogans

I think we should sign Acie Law as the back up point guard. And the wing position all depends on if we can get Wes Matthews still. The Center position has to come through a trade. And the sad thing is nobody will take AK for there center or the trade exemption.

Ok but we need big men so...I guess I should of stated specifically big men, we have enough wing players.

WHO ARE GOING TO GET TO BE OUR REPLACEMENTS FOR BOOZER AND OKUR? WE ARE NOT GETTING THE TOP FREE AGENTS TO EVER COME TO UTAH!

 

[d@!!0n0rcutt]

https://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?page=FreeAgents-10-11

but to your point here is my list of players I like.

Josh Childress
Tyrus Thomas
Stephen Graham
Joey Graham
Acie Law
Shaq
Earl Watson
Marcus Williams
Dorell Wright
Quentin Richardson
Matt Barnes
Jason Williams
Roger Mason
Keith Bogans

BUT I do like Matt Barnes, Joey Graham, and Josh Childress from your list. Graham and Childress are still young enough and still unproven...but the majority of these guys are past their prime I am looking for young guys just off their rookie contract or so...like Okur and Boozer were.

 

[Twin Towers]

Ok lets go down the list.
Nets: Nobody
Wolves: Jefferson? Not a real center and is not good on defense. Nobody else
Kings: Nobody we want
Wizards: Nobody
Warriors: Biedrins? Maybe but is injury prone. And I highly doubt the warriors even consider it because they just traded away Turiaf
Sixers: Nobody
Pistons: Nobody
Clippers: Kaman? Not available
Knicks: Nobody
Hornets: Okafor? way over paid and undersized. No thank you
Pacers: Hibbert? love him but he isn't available in my opinion. Pacers like him
Grizzlies: Thabeet? Maybe but he probably wouldn't play much here and I don't think we have much to offer
Raptors: Nobody
Rockets: Nobody
Bulls: Nobody
Thunder: Nobody
Bobcats: Chandler? Like him but I highly doubt they give him up. but a possibility
Spurs: Nobody
Bucks: Nobody
Blazers: Pryzbilla? Like him but injury prone and the Blazers would never trade him to us.
Heat: Nobody
Celtics: Nobody
Denver: Nobody we can get. Birdman is not available for what we have and neither is Nene
Atlanta: Nobody
Suns: Nobody
Dallas: Nobody
Orlando: Gortat? highly doubt it because we have nothing they want.
Lakers: Nobody
Cavs: Nobody

 

[Twin Towers]

BUT I do like Matt Barnes, Joey Graham, and Josh Childress from your list. Graham and Childress are still young enough and still unproven...but the majority of these guys are past their prime I am looking for young guys just off their rookie contract or so...like Okur and Boozer were.

Well don't limit yourself because Okur and Boozer became better because of the Jazz system. Okur would average 10 points on another team. Boozer would average 15-16. Jazz spread the ball around. Most teams don't. We can make average role players look really good. So thats what we should look for.

This is a Center starved league. We are screwed. Fesenko is all we have. And that might actually be ok in the long run. Not much available unless we over pay or take back a huge contract.

 

[Twin Towers]

Shaq or Ilgaskas would be nice. But both of those guys will be going to other teams like the heat, spurs etc. We don't have much of a chance getting free agents either.

Fesenko will be cheap and him sharing minutes with Okur will be ok. I like AK backing up the PF spot. So we need to be patient and wait for the trade deadline or wait until next summer.

 

[Hearsky]

https://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?page=FreeAgents-10-11

but to your point here is my list of players I like.

Josh Childress
Tyrus Thomas
Stephen Graham
Joey Graham
Acie Law
Shaq
Earl Watson
Marcus Williams
Dorell Wright
Quentin Richardson
Matt Barnes
Jason Williams
Roger Mason
Keith Bogans

I think we should sign Acie Law as the back up point guard. And the wing position all depends on if we can get Wes Matthews still. The Center position has to come through a trade. And the sad thing is nobody will take AK for there center or the trade exemption.

Acie Law? That's your plan? My God. You can only dream of riding the short bus.

 

[d@!!0n0rcutt]

Ok lets go down the list.
Nets: Nobody
Wolves: Jefferson? Not a real center and is not good on defense. Nobody else
Kings: Nobody we want
Wizards: Nobody
Warriors: Biedrins? Maybe but is injury prone. And I highly doubt the warriors even consider it because they just traded away Turiaf
Sixers: Nobody
Pistons: Nobody
Clippers: Kaman? Not available
Knicks: Nobody
Hornets: Okafor? way over paid and undersized. No thank you
Pacers: Hibbert? love him but he isn't available in my opinion. Pacers like him
Grizzlies: Thabeet? Maybe but he probably wouldn't play much here and I don't think we have much to offer
Raptors: Nobody
Rockets: Nobody
Bulls: Nobody
Thunder: Nobody
Bobcats: Chandler? Like him but I highly doubt they give him up. but a possibility
Spurs: Nobody
Bucks: Nobody
Blazers: Pryzbilla? Like him but injury prone and the Blazers would never trade him to us.
Heat: Nobody
Celtics: Nobody
Denver: Nobody we can get. Birdman is not available for what we have and neither is Nene
Atlanta: Nobody
Suns: Nobody
Dallas: Nobody
Orlando: Gortat? highly doubt it because we have nothing they want.
Lakers: Nobody
Cavs: Nobody

Most of these guys are well knowns...My question is did anyone know anything about Mehmet Okur before he signed with the Utah Jazz and before he won the title with Detriot Pistons? We have to find players like him and Carlos Boozer who were very under the radar in the NBA Free Agent market when we signed them.

 

[Twin Towers]

Acie Law? That's your plan? My God. You can only dream of riding the short bus.

No but you need to be realistic. He is a big point guard that doesn't have to score. He can pass a little bit. And will be cheap. The wing players its way to uncertain right now. And Centers won't be coming here.

 

[Hearsky]

Most of these guys are well knowns...My question is did anyone know anything about Mehmet Okur before he signed with the Utah Jazz and before he won the title with Detriot Pistons? We have to find players like him and Carlos Boozer who were very under the radar in the NBA Free Agent market when we signed them.

YES!!! People had heard of Memo AND Boozer before the Jazz signed them.

 

[d@!!0n0rcutt]

My point is Jeff Pendergraph for example is a unrestricted free agent, did anyone know that? Probablly not because he didn't do anything for Portland last season, but he did really well in college and has the build and potential to be a longer taller version of Carlos Boozer possibly.

 

[Hearsky]

No but you need to be realistic. He is a big point guard that doesn't have to score. He can pass a little bit. And will be cheap. The wing players its way to uncertain right now. And Centers won't be coming here.

He is a career 40% shooter and 27% from three point range. This board would be screaming for Milt in minutes.

 

[Twin Towers]

Most of these guys are well knowns...My question is did anyone know anything about Mehmet Okur before he signed with the Utah Jazz and before he won the title with Detriot Pistons? We have to find players like him and Carlos Boozer who were very under the radar in the NBA Free Agent market when we signed them.

Trust me I have studied the rosters for years now. I have been pushing for a real defensive center for years. Even the year we went to the western finals. But the fact is we waited until it was too late and the stock for our players are down now. We are stuck so we can't trade them away. And if they can't clog the lane than I don't care if they are a center. We shouldn't want them anyways. The unknown guys i have studied in detail also. nobody stands out.

And by the way Boozer was putting up good numbers before we signed him. And people knew about Okur. Pistons talked him up a lot and said they wish they had more playing time for him.

 

[Twin Towers]

He is a career 40% shooter and 27% from three point range. This board would be screaming for Milt in minutes.

I am sorry but look at Ronnie Price. His numbers are the same. I like this guy because he plays with more control and is patient. That is what the good point guards do on the pick and roll. Price is out of control. Law's stats would go up here because there is structure (Atlanta is not structure and neither is the warriors). Guys who are patient are the ones who are successful in Sloan's offense. He is still young too.

Trust me he is not my ideal back up point guard. But its hard to get free agents to come here. And there isn't much to choose from.

 

[Stifle Tower]

Fesenko will be cheap and him sharing minutes with Okur will be ok. I like AK backing up the PF spot. So we need to be patient and wait for the trade deadline or wait until next summer.

I agree. Probably nothing happens until close to the deadline. There's no reason to toss away the TPE's or AK's expiring and take back junk. Very good players always become available at the deadline. Owners get pissed off that their team is losing and decide to rebuild. Others want to clear salaries so they don't have to pay as much luxury tax.

I think we'll probably go into TC with Fes, Koufos and Augustine. In a way, I actually want Sloan to be forced to play Kosta and Krill. Both have potential. Kosta has made some decent progress in the summer league. Let's see what they can do. Either one just might be a hidden gem if given some significant minutes.