Rest Easy, The Jazz Will Be Awful

[Handlogten's Heros]

Yep and some teams such as the Warriors and Clips will have enormous tax bills for the foreseeable future. Under the cap teams will obviously share in the distribution. It's fine as long as Smith is willing to invest big money in the Jazz again once they are ready to compete in the playoffs again.

The warriors tax bill could be like 350M next year… they gonna give the non tax teams like 15M by themselves.

Also if the expand each owner will get a nice 100-200M bonus.

Bizness is booming for Ryan.

 

[kcgar]

The fact that he's behind NAW and THT in the rotation. I don't know it could possibly be more clear at this point that he's behind those guys. In fact, I cannot think of a reasonable argument to think otherwise. If you have an argument that he is in fact ahead of NAW and THT I'd love to hear it, but to me I cannot think of a single reason to think that he has not been beaten out for minutes by those two. It doesn't mean he's behind them for eternity, but he's pretty clearly behind them right now.

The only thing I can think of is that they wanted to showcase the older guys as possible trade pieces during the pre-season and beginning of the season. It makes it a lot harder to trade someone, if they are playing a rookie over them during pre-season. I may be way off, but if it is the case and the older guys aren't traded by the deadline, look for Ochai to take over their minutes as time goes by.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

The only thing I can think of is that they wanted to showcase the older guys as possible trade pieces during the pre-season and beginning of the season. It makes it a lot harder to trade someone, if they are playing a rookie over them during pre-season. I may be way off, but if it is the case and the older guys aren't traded by the deadline, look for Ochai to take over their minutes as time goes by.

If NAW was making as much as Butler I think he'd have been the one released. There is nothing about his performance in games to justify playing over Ochai.

NAW is shooting 7% from the field in preseason... yes... single digits for FG%.

 

[KqWIN]

The only thing I can think of is that they wanted to showcase the older guys as possible trade pieces during the pre-season and beginning of the season. It makes it a lot harder to trade someone, if they are playing a rookie over them during pre-season. I may be way off, but if it is the case and the older guys aren't traded by the deadline, look for Ochai to take over their minutes as time goes by.

Showcase the guys they just traded for? I guess lol.

THT and NAW might not be in the league once their contracts end. I don’t think they’re getting any seniority over Ochai. The reason why they’re getting minutes over him is because Hardy thinks they are better than him. Same reason Ochai is getting minutes over Bolmaro, Ochai is probably just a better player than him.

If we’re talking guys getting minutes for politics or other reasons besides actually earning, Ochai would be at the front of the line.

 

[Ferguson_Mellochill]

Even if they were performing equally in practice the tie usually goes to the guys with nba experience. It’s a weird situation cuz all three guys are trying to establish their nba value. Ochai has the most runway so it makes sense he gets the backseat… front office and coaching staff have 4 years to figure out what they have. NAW and THT only have 1 and probably 2 years respectively. If it was just based on performance in game I don’t think NAW would be ahead of anyone. THT has had some moments.

I expect Ochai to get 15-20 minutes a night after the AS break or as soon as we make a move to thin the roster. I’m not worried about him at all.

The Jazz have a real shortage of guys who can handle the ball, drive and pass. That's why NAW and THT are being featured. They both can almost do those things, though not quite. Ochai isn't a ball-in-hand guy.

 

[Avery]

I'm hoping at some point we can trot out a lineup of Clarkson, Sexton, NAW and Beasley all in at once just to see how much gets chucked at the glass.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

The Jazz have a real shortage of guys who can handle the ball, drive and pass. That's why NAW and THT are being featured. They both can almost do those things, though not quite. Ochai isn't a ball-in-hand guy.

I see what you are saying but NAW is shooting 7% from the field... He isn't some creator driver... He's a super nice kid who they are trying to give every opportunity before not re-signing him next year or using him as cap filler in a trade.

 

[KqWIN]

Even if they were performing equally in practice the tie usually goes to the guys with nba experience. It’s a weird situation cuz all three guys are trying to establish their nba value. Ochai has the most runway so it makes sense he gets the backseat… front office and coaching staff have 4 years to figure out what they have. NAW and THT only have 1 and probably 2 years respectively. If it was just based on performance in game I don’t think NAW would be ahead of anyone. THT has had some moments.

I expect Ochai to get 15-20 minutes a night after the AS break or as soon as we make a move to thin the roster. I’m not worried about him at all.

I disagree. If it was close, Ochai would be given the minutes. It’s not like NAW and THT are established vets. Also, if it was close and it’s just politics/exterior reasons why Ochai isn’t playing that’s still not good. It’s not exactly fierce competition he’s going up against.

Hardy is watching these guys play every single day. I’m not saying coaches make all the right decisions, but it’s pretty clear to me that Hardy doesn’t think he’s better than them yet.

 

[Eddie Zero]

Even if they were performing equally in practice the tie usually goes to the guys with nba experience. It’s a weird situation cuz all three guys are trying to establish their nba value. Ochai has the most runway so it makes sense he gets the backseat… front office and coaching staff have 4 years to figure out what they have. NAW and THT only have 1 and probably 2 years respectively. If it was just based on performance in game I don’t think NAW would be ahead of anyone. THT has had some moments.

I expect Ochai to get 15-20 minutes a night after the AS break or as soon as we make a move to thin the roster. I’m not worried about him at all.

My take is just a little different than both of you here. I think for example NAW should be a playmaking guard on ball more than off which should not jive with Agbaji, I think THT is an undersized 3 or even 4 at best and mostly would not impact Ochai Agbaji's minutes on this roster. However Jordan Clarkson , Collin Sexton and Mike Conley are all veterans that are in front of him in the rotation for sure,including Beasley, so unless they want to try him out at the 3 where he will be a bit undersized in his rookie season defensively, and needs time to adjust to the speed differences imo before he can hold down that job.
I would expect he is much higher in the pecking order for core pieces than either of the likes of Walker or Tucker.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

I disagree. If it was close, Ochai would be given the minutes.

How exactly do you know this? I think seniority is definitely a thing. I think THT likely has been better than Ochai, but I think NAW might get more opportunity based on seniority and the fact he's kind of a leader on this team. There are times when young guys are brought along more slowly and have to clearly prove they are better than a guy with more seniority... and Ochai likely hasn't done that yet. I don't think it clearly means Hardy thinks those guys are better than Ochai... it could mean that though.

We are in full discovery mode... the discovery with some prospects is more urgent than others... give Ochai a spot above those guys then it will be hard to "demote" him and send him to the G League. Bring him along slowly and make him earn his PT by killing the guys in front of him in practice... or more likely NAW continues to stink up the joint and is replaced.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

NAW is shooting 7% from the field... if anything near that continues then I give zero ***** how good he is in practice or how good a locker room guy he is and we should play someone else.

Unless Hardy is fully in on the tank and really doesn't care how obvious it is.

 

[HeatCheck]

It's kind of an odd situation with a rookie HC and a bunch of 'veteran' wings in Gay, JC, NAW, Beasley, THT. Obviously Kessler didn't have such a roadblock at the center position. Fontecchio got caught up in the same number game as Agbaji.

I envision Agbaji will be more of a catch and shoot guy similar to Beasley and assume he will eventually get more minutes after Beas is traded. The NAW/THT situation will work itself out. Not sure they really need to be playing more than one of them in the rotation as they both need the ball in their hands and neither can shoot. Hopefully Fontecchio can take someone's place by the ASG.

Popovich in San Antonio makes his rookies earn their minutes and it appears Hardy is doing the same thing here with Agbaji.