There is a disturbing amount of reactionary praise/hate after each game on Jazzfanz. It makes it difficult to agree on some of the basic strengths and weaknesses of the team. Here's how I see the current roster:
Harris: He is not as horrible as his performance so far indicates. He played with fire and intensity against Toronto, and I think he did a good job. But I do not think he works with the Jazz system. He is a scorer, and he depends on his quickness to score. In the current system, he is forced to play more of a pure PG role, commanding the flow and distributing the ball. That doesn't come naturally to him. Watson is amazing for a backup PG, but he is clearly not good enough to be a starter on a serious team. I don't know if the Jazz can realistically find a better replacement. As long as Harris continues to play as he did last night (ignoring the clutch free throws) I think he's passable for now.
Hayward: Gordon has been pretty ineffective on the offensive end, and he seems to have lost confidence with his shot. Still, I do not mind him getting minutes, or even a starting position. He plays hard and defends well. He's also a great passer, and that is important given Harris' inability to distribute. I don't think it is important for Hayward to become an offensive force, but he needs to find his shot. Right now, the Jazz have no consistent shooters, and that is why the zone destroys them every time.
Bell: After a disastrous start, Bell is no longer completely useless. I do not think he is the defensive stopper he is known to be. He is good at limiting his man's space, and makes it difficult for them to run. But he is slow, and his defense becomes laughable if he doesn't close in on his man as soon as he touches the ball. He's also not fast enough to challenge shots, so players usually just shoot over him. Offensively, he's done what's expected of him. A few shots here and there. Still, he should not be getting 35 minutes a game. That should be obvious. Bell may have value as a veteran leader who commits few mistakes, and he hits open shots. He should be getting no more than 20 minutes a game.
Millsap: This guy is fantastic. I don't understand those who want him traded. He is exactly the kind of player the Jazz need. An All Star level player who is reliable on both ends of the floor, very unselfish, plays within the system, and is the de facto leader of the team. I have no problem with Mansap.
Jefferson: Jefferson managed to get a few assists a number of times. So he is no longer considered a black hole (this week). I personally don't see the great changes to AJ's game. His slowness kills the rhythm of the offense. He's starting to to pass out when double teamed, but he doesn't do it often enough, and when he does, it takes him forever. I also don't think he tries on the defense, and I usually get angry seeing player after another drive by him game in and game out, while he ends up with 1 PF. I realize that he is a great offensive asset when he's on. But I'm not sure that's enough. He is obviously a better offensive player than Favors, but Favors is much better defensively. I keep hearing about how Favors is not ready to start, but he had 16 points and 12 rebounds against Toronto. And he didn't even have a good game. I'm sure AJ would've scored more points, but that would've been canceled out on the other end. I would mind seeing AJ traded for a shooter + bench big.
Favors: I like Favors. He is athletic and powerful. I am surprised, though, how unpolished his game looks. He is still very young, and he will improve with experience. But right now, he makes dumb mistakes, he never passes, and he loses focus when things don't go his way. As soon as he fouls, he begins pouting and playing more passively. I'm not overly worried about any of those things, and I think he would benefit from a starting role.
Kanter: He's a rusty 19 year old rookie. Still, he shows flashes of brilliance now and again. He's not ready for starter minutes (obviously), but I can't wait to see how good he'll be once he learns how to score. His rebounding is simply amazing, and I love some aspects of his defense. He is very difficult to back down, and his toughness reminds me of Malone. He also misses defensive assignments, and is miserably slow on help defense. Corbin should allow him to shoot more if he's open, but I understand his desire to force Kanter to improve his post game.
Burks: I love this guy. He is aggressive, athletic, skilled, and hungry. But I do not think Corbin utilizing him correctly. Burks like to slash and drive. That is his game, and he excels at it. Corbin is putting a leash on him, forcing him to slow down and play the inside-out game. That's taking away all his strengths. The biggest problem with Burks is not his aggressiveness, but selfishness. He breaks down the defense and drives to the hoop, then throws a crazy shot instead of passing it to an open man. But, unlike CJ, I don't think Burks is naturally selfish. He is capable of being a 4+ assists a game guy, but having been the first option on his college team, he needs to learn to pass. But he needs to continue driving. I also see great potential in his defensive ability. Right now, he's about the worst player I've ever seen on screens. But the rest of his defensive game is encouraging. He gets in his man's face, his hands are very active, and he has a gift for closing the passing lanes. If he could work out the few kinks, I see him being a poor man's Gary Payton defensively.
CJ: He's been driving to the hoop and proving the second unit with much needed offense. His minutes will probably go up if he maintains the same level of competitiveness. At which point he'll go back to chucking.
Corbin: I'm so-so on coach Corbin. There was a stretch of games where he was brilliant. He made it clear than you need to perform to earn minutes, regardless of who you think you are. That worked wonders for the Jazz, and I think they were at their best during that stretch. He's no longer doing that. His sub patterns aren't as rigid as Sloan's, but his sets are as well executed either. Corbin should stick with the tough-love mantra, and split minutes according to game performance.
Harris: He is not as horrible as his performance so far indicates. He played with fire and intensity against Toronto, and I think he did a good job. But I do not think he works with the Jazz system. He is a scorer, and he depends on his quickness to score. In the current system, he is forced to play more of a pure PG role, commanding the flow and distributing the ball. That doesn't come naturally to him. Watson is amazing for a backup PG, but he is clearly not good enough to be a starter on a serious team. I don't know if the Jazz can realistically find a better replacement. As long as Harris continues to play as he did last night (ignoring the clutch free throws) I think he's passable for now.
Hayward: Gordon has been pretty ineffective on the offensive end, and he seems to have lost confidence with his shot. Still, I do not mind him getting minutes, or even a starting position. He plays hard and defends well. He's also a great passer, and that is important given Harris' inability to distribute. I don't think it is important for Hayward to become an offensive force, but he needs to find his shot. Right now, the Jazz have no consistent shooters, and that is why the zone destroys them every time.
Bell: After a disastrous start, Bell is no longer completely useless. I do not think he is the defensive stopper he is known to be. He is good at limiting his man's space, and makes it difficult for them to run. But he is slow, and his defense becomes laughable if he doesn't close in on his man as soon as he touches the ball. He's also not fast enough to challenge shots, so players usually just shoot over him. Offensively, he's done what's expected of him. A few shots here and there. Still, he should not be getting 35 minutes a game. That should be obvious. Bell may have value as a veteran leader who commits few mistakes, and he hits open shots. He should be getting no more than 20 minutes a game.
Millsap: This guy is fantastic. I don't understand those who want him traded. He is exactly the kind of player the Jazz need. An All Star level player who is reliable on both ends of the floor, very unselfish, plays within the system, and is the de facto leader of the team. I have no problem with Mansap.
Jefferson: Jefferson managed to get a few assists a number of times. So he is no longer considered a black hole (this week). I personally don't see the great changes to AJ's game. His slowness kills the rhythm of the offense. He's starting to to pass out when double teamed, but he doesn't do it often enough, and when he does, it takes him forever. I also don't think he tries on the defense, and I usually get angry seeing player after another drive by him game in and game out, while he ends up with 1 PF. I realize that he is a great offensive asset when he's on. But I'm not sure that's enough. He is obviously a better offensive player than Favors, but Favors is much better defensively. I keep hearing about how Favors is not ready to start, but he had 16 points and 12 rebounds against Toronto. And he didn't even have a good game. I'm sure AJ would've scored more points, but that would've been canceled out on the other end. I would mind seeing AJ traded for a shooter + bench big.
Favors: I like Favors. He is athletic and powerful. I am surprised, though, how unpolished his game looks. He is still very young, and he will improve with experience. But right now, he makes dumb mistakes, he never passes, and he loses focus when things don't go his way. As soon as he fouls, he begins pouting and playing more passively. I'm not overly worried about any of those things, and I think he would benefit from a starting role.
Kanter: He's a rusty 19 year old rookie. Still, he shows flashes of brilliance now and again. He's not ready for starter minutes (obviously), but I can't wait to see how good he'll be once he learns how to score. His rebounding is simply amazing, and I love some aspects of his defense. He is very difficult to back down, and his toughness reminds me of Malone. He also misses defensive assignments, and is miserably slow on help defense. Corbin should allow him to shoot more if he's open, but I understand his desire to force Kanter to improve his post game.
Burks: I love this guy. He is aggressive, athletic, skilled, and hungry. But I do not think Corbin utilizing him correctly. Burks like to slash and drive. That is his game, and he excels at it. Corbin is putting a leash on him, forcing him to slow down and play the inside-out game. That's taking away all his strengths. The biggest problem with Burks is not his aggressiveness, but selfishness. He breaks down the defense and drives to the hoop, then throws a crazy shot instead of passing it to an open man. But, unlike CJ, I don't think Burks is naturally selfish. He is capable of being a 4+ assists a game guy, but having been the first option on his college team, he needs to learn to pass. But he needs to continue driving. I also see great potential in his defensive ability. Right now, he's about the worst player I've ever seen on screens. But the rest of his defensive game is encouraging. He gets in his man's face, his hands are very active, and he has a gift for closing the passing lanes. If he could work out the few kinks, I see him being a poor man's Gary Payton defensively.
CJ: He's been driving to the hoop and proving the second unit with much needed offense. His minutes will probably go up if he maintains the same level of competitiveness. At which point he'll go back to chucking.
Corbin: I'm so-so on coach Corbin. There was a stretch of games where he was brilliant. He made it clear than you need to perform to earn minutes, regardless of who you think you are. That worked wonders for the Jazz, and I think they were at their best during that stretch. He's no longer doing that. His sub patterns aren't as rigid as Sloan's, but his sets are as well executed either. Corbin should stick with the tough-love mantra, and split minutes according to game performance.
