My 2014 Jazz Agenda

[fishonjazz]

Replacing Marvin Williams with Aaron Gordon, JLIII with Jeremy Lin, Richard Jefferson with Zach LaVine, Andris Beidrins with Ante Tomic and Brandon Rush with K. J. McDaniels should be worth a couple of wins all on it's own. I really, really like the depth of a team like this.

yup, this gets us a few more wins.

plus replacing corbin and his staff gets us a few more wins.

plus our core players improving and building chemistry gets us a few more wins.

plus not missing our starting point guard (burke), and a rotation guy (evans) for the first 20 (?) games gets a few more wins. (also kanters injury had an effect on the start of the season)

 

[Coach Ellis]

I like the roster ellis made.
We cant skip steps in this rebuild. Lets stay young and find out who our best youngs are with the new coach.

If we get vets like bradley, scola, hawes, etc..... then it will make us a little better in the short term but not enough to make us contenders and will plant us firmly back on the treadmill of mediocrity.

Stay young and if we suck, then at least we find out that we dont have enough talent and we have lots of young assets to try to trade for some real talent, plus another good draft pick next year.

If the youth movement surprises and we are fighting to make the playoffs then we most likely have a few very talented guys to build around next season..... and more importantly we know WHO those players are. (Unlike right now)

This was pretty much the whole point of my plan.

We get the best young talent that we can into the building and then we let Snyder and his staff get to work developing them. All of the Core5 + Gobert have talent and potential. I want to see how they fit with the new draft & develop vision of this team before we give up on them.

I want to get started working with the best two draft and stash assets in Europe while there's cap space, room on the roster and an even shot for guys to earn playing time.

I want to draft swing for the fences prospects and see just how far our developmental coaches can take them. The Jazz aren't going to lure a Max value free agent, but they might be able to develop one.

If the Jazz take on salary for assets again, I want a player who makes sense and might actually have a future with this team. A return to Linsanity would be fun as hell. I lived in New York when that was going on and it was a blast.

I want to get some players onto the roster that are lock down defenders. The Jazz have some guys who have potential, but no specialists like Gordon and McDaniels.

Outside of getting Embiid, Wiggins or Parker, I want to keep our 2015 pick. This should be a learning season for the players and staff. I'm expecting a huge improvement from this team, but that may not necessarily translate to wins like I'm hoping. They can then use that draft pick to acquire a stretch 4, or a clutch shooter.

I want to keep the cap space flexibility that they've rightfully earned to see if they need to really pay one or more of these Core guys down the road.

What I really want most is to create such a fun and competitive environment that guys genuinely enjoy playing in Utah and want to stay. I think that my plan is a step in that direction.

 

[Coach Ellis]

I think it would make it very difficult for Snyder to add 5 or so rookies. If anything we need to sign 3rd role vets like John Lucas who will help out, but probably not play. It's going to be interesting for sure and it's almost impossible to guess what will happen...

I hear what you're saying, but I'd rather get the young assets into the building and start working with them. Considered picking another draft and stash type, but ultimately decided that the depth at wing was more valuable. . . and that K. J. McDaniels had too much potential as a perimeter defender to pass him up.

I also think that they're genuinely interested in Neto and Tomic, and this will be the best opportunity to get them over here. Tomic needs to get started on his rookie contract this year or next - otherwise he's never coming. Also, this is the lowest his buyout will ever be. With his passing and touch, he'd make a great pick and roll big to groom. With Biedrins gone, there's also room on the roster to try him out.

5 rookies isn't ideal for the team or Snyder, but it's also not the worst thing in the world either. Adding Gordon, LaVine, McDaniels and Tomic are all huge upgrades from last year. I'd be in favor of leaving Neto over in Europe if I though it wouldn't cost them a fortune to get him later on. His contract is up, so there's no extra cost for a buyout. Bring him over and let him play up in Idaho for the whole season if needed.

 

[Stifle Tower]

I think it would make it very difficult for Snyder to add 5 or so rookies. If anything we need to sign 3rd role vets like John Lucas who will help out, but probably not play. It's going to be interesting for sure and it's almost impossible to guess what will happen...

Snyder was a D-League coach who is used to rookies and roster challenges. Unless the Jazz are able to trade for a SIGNIFICANT player, I'm opposed to adding vets on the downside of their careers. And what I mean by "significant" is a player like the Jazz obtained in Boozer, Okur or even Harpring when he first came over (before all the knee problems). Lindsey needs to find a player another team simply can't afford.

I agree with Ellis269 that our current group of 6 needs playing time. And add to that the #5 pick. That's seven players. I don't see much in free agency, which lessens the likelihood of a GS-type deal coming along. But you never know. Some team may want to add a guy like Deng and need to free up cap space. WE can help them for a future 1st. Bring over Tomic or sign Marvin to fill the remaining minutes in the rotation. My guess is Neto stays in Europe for one more season. Jazz want to give Burke another year to "sink or swim." Garrett returns as the #2 PG.

At #23 and #35, I see a few different scenarios: trade up into the the late teens for a solid rotation player or trade out of the 1st for more second-rounders and use them all on draft-and-stash players. Or, as mentioned in the first paragraph, maybe a trade can be worked using those picks as assets.

 

[Coach Ellis]

I don't see another deal like the GSW one being available this offseason because of Hayward's contract situation. That's why I suggested making the trade for Jeremy Lin and his albatross contract. Houston is desperate to get the cap space from him and Asik so that they can add another free agent and try to address Beverly and Parsons. Taking on Lin for their first round pick gives them about $10 million in immediate cap space. They'll still have to trade Asik, but I can see them doing that. This is a deal that makes sense for both teams IMO.

$14.8 million is a tough pill to swallow, but with that $8.3 million cap hit it's still better than $24 million for the right to rent Jefferson, Biedrins and Rush last year. Lin is a good fit for P&R and he's still young - 4th year pro turning 26 this summer. If he wasn't getting paid so much, he'd be one of the few vets I'd actually be interested in acquiring. If he fits well, they can always look to extend him next year.

Even as just depth, he's a huge upgrade from JLIII and Garrett. Anything more than that is a bonus.

 

[Doublea]

I see all the points that you are making. It's just, teams need solid vet players. Corbin just used them wrong so I feel like you are all against them. It adds stability to a team. I can just see that young of team getting messy and a little out of control. Then again worst that could have is we get a top pick and trade away some players for assist or we end up being pretty good and surprising people. I'd like the latter tbh.

 

[fishonjazz]

I see all the points that you are making. It's just, teams need solid vet players. Corbin just used them wrong so I feel like you are all against them. It adds stability to a team. I can just see that young of team getting messy and a little out of control. Then again worst that could have is we get a top pick and trade away some players for assist or we end up being pretty good and surprising people. I'd like the latter tbh.

i kinda consider evans, hayward, and favors "solid veterans" at this point.

i would rather have favors on the court than hawes or scola. i would rather have hayward than a solid vet like richard jefferson. i would rather have evans than a maurice speights or something.

i just dont want more below average vets coming in and taking alot of minutes from the youth so that we can win 3 more games and get a crappier draft pick and then watch those vets leave..... all while the young talents decelopment gets sacrificed one again

 

[Doublea]

i kinda consider evans, hayward, and favors "solid veterans" at this point.

i would rather have favors on the court than hawes or scola. i would rather have hayward than a solid vet like richard jefferson. i would rather have evans than a maurice speights or something.

i just dont want more below average vets coming in and taking alot of minutes from the youth so that we can win 3 more games and get a crappier draft pick and then watch those vets leave..... all while the young talents decelopment gets sacrificed one again

But you've been corbined. Those players should have had the roles they did. How do you measure a vet? Years they've been in the league? Minutes they've played? Or playoff experience. Roles have just been skewed in the last few years.

 

[fishonjazz]

But you've been corbined. Those players should have had the roles they did. How do you measure a vet? Years they've been in the league? Minutes they've played? Or playoff experience. Roles have just been skewed in the last few years.

im simply saying that i dont think there are any vets out there that we can get that i would rather see on the court than our young guys already on the team and our young additions via this draft and neto/tomic

 

[default]

Decided to try my hand at this little exercise. A lot of my assumptions of where guys will be available in the draft were formed by averaging their mock draft position from 7 different mock drafts.

I broke my plan up into four key steps - A. Coaching Staff, B. Before the draft, C. 2014 Draft and D.) Free Agency.

A. Coaching Staff - The first step to building this team is to get the right coaching staff to develop a young, but talented roster. As I understand it, the plan is to keep both Brad Jones and Alex Jensen as two of the top 3 assistants. I'm fine with that. Jones can help with offense, Jensen with defense. My key addition to the coaching staff would then be to hire Chip Engelland from San Antonio. I'm assuming that it will take a very nice offer and a big promotion to lure Engelland away from San Antonio and keep him from going to Golden State. I absolutely think that it's critical to get a guy like him who can help improve shooting across the whole roster. I'd keep Johnnie Bryant as one player development coach and try to hire Darvin Ham as the other. Besides those moves, I'd probably expand Karl Malone's role with the Big Men and then also officially hire him and John Stockton as Coaching Consultants to help teach these young kids the nuances of P&R.

B. Before the draft - I'd maximize the team's cap space this offseason by trading JLIII to the Houston Rockets for Jeremy Lin and their #25 selection. The Rockets want to get another big star to team up with Harden and Howard, while still being able to keep Parsons and Beverly. That means that they have to unload both of their huge contracts for Asik and Lin. Since Asik is a quality big man, it should be easier for them to trade him and get something back for doing so. Getting rid of Jeremy Lin's $14+ million contract ($8.3 million cap hit) is not going to be as easy. They'll have to kick in a decent asset to get it done, and it makes sense if that asset is their first round pick from this year because it frees up even more immediate cap space. The Jazz can use the asset to be aggressive trading up in the draft and Jeremy Lin is actually a very good fit for what Quin Snyder wants to do. He plays at a higher pace than Trey Burke and he's actually quite good in the P&R. If it pans out, the team has a chance to extend him next offseason - he's still young enough to possibly figure into the their long-term plans. If it doesn't work out, he backs up Burke and then moves on next offseason freeing up that cap space for 2015. I'd also buy out Ante Tomic before the draft and bring him and Raul Neto over to add to the team's depth. I'm expecting that getting Tomic to come over would cost around $4-5 million per year for his 3 year contract - depending on what the buyout ends up being. Details on that are a little sketchy.

C. 2014 Draft - In this scenario, the Jazz have the #5, #23, #25 and #35 picks in the draft. If I can't move up into the top 3, I want to try and get at least 3 good prospects to improve my depth. I'm holding out hope for trading up into the top 3 for either Wiggins or Parker, but I just don't think that Cleveland, Milwaukee or Philly will trade out of that top tier of players. I'm expecting Orlando to take either Exum or Smart, so my first pick is going to be SF: Aaron Gordon (Arizona). He can step into the SF spot right away and contribute on defense, in transition and in attacking the rim. After taking Gordon, I keep working the phones to package #23 and #25 to move up for SG: Zach LaVine. He's got athleticism and a lot of hype right now, but I think that there's enough holes to his game that he slips a bit past the lottery. With their last pick, the Jazz trade the #35 pick, a future 2nd round pick and cash to move up for SF: K. J. McDaniels (Clemson). He's another athletic guy with a strong defensive game. IMO, he's DeMarre Carroll-Lite. The Jazz need perimeter defense, heart and hustle off the bench. I think that he'd fill that role very well. With the new draft and develop philosophy that the Jazz are employing, they're banking on the fact that their new coaches (especially Chip Engelland) can take super-athletic guys like Gordon, LaVine and McDaniels and get the most out of them. At the very least, the Jazz have greatly improved their defensive capabilities. I like the idea of Aaron Gordon and K. J. McDaniels both out on the floor when they absolutely must get a stop.

Aaron Gordon (10 - 10 - 8 - 6 - 6 - 6 - 6) Average mock draft position = 7.4
Zach LaVine (17 - 9 - 24 - 18 - 19 - 17 - 17) Average mock draft position = 17.3
K. J. McDaniels (26 - 31 - 23 - 32 - 22 - 23 - 21) Average mock draft position = 25.4

D. Free Agency - This is where I'll probably run into the most contention. I'm a fan of the young guys on the roster and I think that they should all be kept and given a real chance to develop into the players they were drafted to become. My main focus would be on extending (or matching) Gordon Hayward's deal and also getting Alec Burks and Enes Kanter signed to extensions before their RFA seasons. I think that there's a good chance that both guys will take a big step forward next year, and I'd prefer to lock them up at a favorable rate. I'd renounce the rights on all of the team's free agents and pass on resigning Marvin Williams. I'd avoid going out and spending valuable cap space on any other veteran free agents as well. I think that I'd prefer to let all of the remaining young players on the Jazz roster battle it out for the last few spots and a trip to Idaho for some D-League playing time.

Consider it this way. . .

Players who will be back from last year are - (1) Derrick Favors, (2) Enes Kanter, (3) Gordon Hayward, (4) Alec Burks, (5) Trey Burke, (6) Rudy Gobert and (7) Jeremy Evans. They'll be adding (8) Aaron Gordon, (9) Jeremy Lin, (10) Ante Tomic, (11) Zach LaVine, (12) K. J. McDaniels and (13) Raul Neto to replace Marvin Williams, Richard Jefferson, John Lucas III, Andris Biedrins and Brandon Rush. Plus, they have two left-over roster spots (14/15) for guys like Diante Garrett, Malcolm Thomas, Erik Murphy, Ian Clark and any summer guys or undrafted free agents to battle it out for. Between McDaniels, Neto, and whoever the last two guys are, they should always have two players up in Idaho getting quality D-League minutes.

2014 Roster:
5/4 - Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter, Ante Tomic, Rudy Gobert and Jeremy Evans
3/2/1 - Aaron Gordon, Gordon Hayward, Alec Burks, Jeremy Lin, Trey Burke, Zach LaVine, K. J. McDaniels, and Raul Neto
plus two more from - Diante Garrett, Malcolm Thomas, Erik Murphy, Ian Clark, Summer League, Undrafted Free Agents, etc.

My biggest concern is that, as a team, the quality of shooting isn't where I'd like it to be. My hope is that Quin Snyder and Chip Engelland can really help the Core guys and the new draft picks all improve their shots dramatically. If they can do this, I think that Gordon, Burks, LaVine and Kanter can all become special players down the line. I love the idea of loading up the roster with young, hungry players who are eager to prove themselves. The competition for starting jobs and playing time will be intense. There's also great depth that can be utilized to keep guys healthy and fresh. There's a lot of versatility to this roster to matchup with pretty much any kind of lineup that they can face. I also like that this is an extremely athletic group of players. They can learn to play at a faster pace than they did under Sloan/Corbin - which should lead to them having more fun playing basketball again.

I like some of the things you did there except for . . . we would be very weak at the point guard position, defensively in the back court, and not really have a go to scorer.

 

[Stifle Tower]

Maybe GVC can weigh in on this but I don't think we have cap space to take on any contracts right now. All that has to wait until we can officially renounce the rights to Beidrins, Rush, Jefferson and the rest (July 10th?). Until then, don't we have cap holds in place? So any trades before July would need almost matching salaries to work. Am I wrong?

 

[Coach Ellis]

But you've been corbined. Those players should have had the roles they did. How do you measure a vet? Years they've been in the league? Minutes they've played? Or playoff experience. Roles have just been skewed in the last few years.

For me, it's not a matter of what Corbin did or not do with the young guys vs. the veterans. That's in the past. Over and done with. Time to move on. I love the fact that Snyder, Jones and Jensen all have a player development background. It will help with a young team.

I can see the value of having veteran players - especially on such a young team. Veterans help to provide leadership and stability. If I saw players like DeMarre Carroll out there, I'd gladly offer them up a minimum contract and let them compete for a roster spot. For me, personally, I think that it's better to take the young guys and develop them to see if any of them blow up with consistent minutes, better coaching and a new system to play in.

I think that it's more valuable to get some cheap, young players to run the bench and realize that even though they're inexperienced, they're still an upgrade over what we've had recently. It might be Moneyball, but I think that it's the best plan for the Jazz right now. Stay young and cheap for now. Maximize the assets you have. Develop the players and see how they fit the new system. Then next year start looking at making an aggressive trade to significantly upgrade the talent with better valued assets than what we have right now.

Especially this year, I think that it's critical for them to get out on the floor. Get some tape and some experience underneath them. The idea should be to take as many shots at developing a young player into a great player. If any of them develop into a #1 go-to option, this could be a really good team.

Even though they're all still very young, I'd consider Derrick Favors, Gordon Hayward, Jeremy Evans, Ante Tomic, and Jeremy Lin to be veteran players. They'll definitely be quality vets 3 years from now when this team actually has a chance to compete at a high level. Could probably lump Burks into that group down the road as well.