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Rookie Contract Power Rankings

For me, it's:
1 Cody
2 Keyonte
3 Filipowski
4 Kessler
5 Sensabaugh
6 Hendricks
7 Collier

- Cody needs some time to develop, but he could become a solid #2 or #3 option on a playoff team, like a bigger version of Latrell Sprewell.
- Keyonte is mostly a score-first combo-guard. He'll be a good 3rd-option type. I think he should be playing off the ball as a release-valve shooter and secondary creator.
- Filipowski has a lot of potential, from shooting, to playmaking, to beating bigs off the dribble, while holding up defensively on the perimeter. He needs some time to put it all together, but he could be similar to Al Horford.
- Kessler is supposed to be a rim-runner, and he does run the floor very well, However, his lack of offensive presence at the rim and his inability to finish plays are becoming glaring. His rebounding will bring him a steady paycheck.
- Sensabaugh is a nice, offensively-skilled wing with enough size and strength to beat some guys. He's not quick or explosive. He may be similar to Aaron Nesmith.
- I'm having issues with Hendricks. He can't dribble, he can't self-create, he can only shoot with his feet set, and he has almost no in-between game. He's mostly a defensive player right now, strictly 3D, but lots of guys can do that--like that guy Toumani Camara, for example. There's still value here, and if I were being conservative I'd put him above Sensabaugh.
- I think Collier is probably going to be a backup. He handles, passes and defends well enough to take some rotation minutes, but he's limited offensively.
Sensabaugh is the guy who is probably being played out of his comfort zone the most. They are masquerading him as a PG at times. Hopefully it helps speed his development. I had him last in my rankings, but he could easily be in the top 3 by the end of the year.
 
Two questions:

How many of these players are on their second contract with the Jazz?

How many of these players have a second contract and are in any NBA rotation?
 
Two questions:

How many of these players are on their second contract with the Jazz?

How many of these players have a second contract and are in any NBA rotation?
With all the incoming draft picks we can't keep them all, so I'll say we keep 4 of the 7. I think that 6 out of 7 get a second contact somewhere.
 
With all the incoming draft picks we can't keep them all, so I'll say we keep 4 of the 7. I think that 6 out of 7 get a second contact somewhere.

3 and 4 for me….which is probably still higher than expectation based on their draft positions.

6/7 being NBA rotation players would be a hell of a draft record.
 
3 and 4 for me….which is probably still higher than expectation based on their draft positions.

6/7 being NBA rotation players would be a hell of a draft record.
All of our guys are very young, so teams will bet on youth. Second contract could just mean a minimum contract somewhere.
 
3 and 4 for me….which is probably still higher than expectation based on their draft positions.

6/7 being NBA rotation players would be a hell of a draft record.

At the moment, I think the Jazz are excited by Keyonte and Cody's potential, and they're intrigued by Flip and Brice. I could see Walker, Taylor and Isaiah get moved at some point. All of these guys are rotational, but Collier could be on the bubble if he doesn't improve his shooting. The combination of limited shooting and limited rim finishing could hurt his prospects for a 2nd contract, imo.
 
This stat means nothing, but here are our rookie contract +/- leaders for the preseason:
Collier +5.5
Kessler +2.7
George +2.0
Williams +0.5
Flip + 0.4
Brice +0.2
Hendricks -6.0

Normal caveats apply, such as limited sample size, blow-out win over New Zealand, and lack of apples-to-apples data due to varying lineups.
 
Ok, November is here and I'm going to update my rankings...

1. Walker Kessler
2. Keyonte George
3. Kyle Filipowski
4. Cody Williams
5. Brice Sensabaugh
6. Isaiah Collier

Not Ranked: Taylor Hendricks (due to injury)

I feel like I have to give Walker the #1 spot by default because he's the only clear cut starting level player currently.

I have Keyonte #2 because I still believe the struggles are due to playing a new position and without much talent/experience around him. In the debate of trying to be competitive vs straight tanking, I could see Keyonte being a casualty of the extreme tank. Dude would greatly benefit from having a starting caliber combo or PG next to him.

A positive for Keyonte is that I have liked some of his rim attacking. Seeing flashes of a more athletic/dynamic attacker. I think he really needs to embrace that and continue to learn how to attack the rim without a screen, and use that to make plays.

Filipowski is #3 and rising. The talent is just immense. He already looks somewhat comfortable. That being said, he has mostly played against scrubs in his minutes. I'm hoping the Jazz start running more offense through him as he really is the best passer on the team.

Cody is #4 and falling. I think Cody is currently the main reason the team looks awful. When he's on the court the Jazz are playing 4 on 5 in the half-court offense. The Jazz are trying to make him a corner 3pt shooter because he basically cant do anything else. I watched some Colorado Cody highlights at halftime just to remind myself he isnt trash. It was crazy how much faster he looked in college vs now. Still think he's thinking a lot out there which is slowing him down. It might be months before we see any improvement. He's a long ways away, but I havent given up.

Brice is #5. He actually looks competent on offense. At some point I think he should be given a shot at starting over Cody and getting more minutes just so the offense can have a chance at being functional.

Collier is #6 because he hasnt played yet.

Hendricks wont be ranked because of the injury :(
 
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