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Summer League

Yeah I am surprised more people aren't talking about SImanic. I thought he looked pretty legit. Was blocking everything, and hit a nice three.
I’m down with keeping Simanic - although he seems more like an Exhibit 10 player to me. I’d probable give the other 2-way to Sneed simply because he’s already had that role before and he’s the right type of athlete I’m looking for the Jazz to start stocking up on.
 
One thing we don't know right now are the Jazz plans, if any, to poach someone who lit it up in summer league but whose team has no real room to keep them. Ian Clark would be an example who was Summer League MVP for another team and ended up signing with the Jazz. Heck the Jazz may have no idea what the training camp roster will look like right now.
 
I watched several of the games, including a couple SLC games in person. Here are my impressions of a few guys:

** Kofi Cockburn is athletic enough at his size to play at NBA speed and in NBA space. Strangely, he rarely moves to contest shots or actions outside the paint. It's as if he's been told to sit in drop coverage and not to move. He will make a contest if the player comes to him and challenges him, or if he's immediately involved in the play, but he doesn't make an effort to rotate defensively or chase down offensive players. This will be something to watch going forward. His size enables him to carve out space and grab rebounds. But again, he's used to people adjusting to him rather than having to adjust or go out of his space to get rebounds. He's good at catching the ball on the move and he has some touch around the rim to finish in a few ways other than just a dunk. He can score pretty well even if he catches the ball 10 feet out on the floor. I see him as a backup center project not unlike Tony Bradley a few years ago.

** Johnny Juzang is a floor-spacing shooter. He barely has enough size and athleticism to play in the NBA. He's not a particularly good shooter off movement. He needs to be solidly squared up and have time to take a natural shooting motion without being too rushed. He's a guy who can make three 3pt shots in a row if defenders leave him. He can also move the ball and play within a disciplined offense. He tries to stay in front on defense. I can see why he received a 2-way contract.

** Jordan Usher is a high-energy defensive player who can be disruptive guarding the ball and deflecting passes. He runs the floor well and is an underrated passer. He's the type of guy who will get a rebound in traffic, push ahead and get a hockey assist. However, he hasn't learned to score in the NBA yet. He needs reps on his shot from NBA distance and he needs to reevaluate how he's going to finish in the paint. He's not going to get to the rim like he did in the NCAA.

** Leandro Bolmaro is a long, high-energy, annoying defender who gets right up in the ball handler's business and has enough size to recover off screens and cut off the offensive player's play angles. He's a guy who can average 2 - 3 stocks if he gets regular rotation minutes. He's just a deterrent to have to move the ball against. On offense, he uses his long strides to get a bit past his defender and then uses his long arms to make big, sweeping passes to open shooters or cutters. He does a great job of delivering the ball right in rhythm to the shooting hand of his target, so the player can go right into a natural shooting motion. Offensively, you'll see him come off a screen and lean into a short, line-drive jumper just below the foul line. He can also finish with a layup if the angle isn't difficult. His 3pt shooting isn't very reliable, but he may be able to knock down ~33% once he gets comfortable with his teammates and picks his spots. He plays with non-stop energy and enthusiasm, which is refreshing.

** Jared Butler likes to play at his own speed, and I'm not sure that's always a good thing. It takes a while for plays to develop, and quite often he's left with the ball in his hands needing to take a tough look. For that reason, I actually prefer him playing off the ball and using his playmaking off a pass or a cut. He's a pretty reliable shooter if he doesn't have to dribble too much before the shot, which is another reason to use him as a floor spacer rather than a primary initiator. Think of the way the Rockets used to use Eric Gordon. He's a smart defender, albeit not a very rangy or athletic one. I could see him make a rotation as a backup 2-guard.
 
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I watched several of the games, including a couple SLC games in person. Here are my impressions of a few guys:

** Kofi Cockburn is athletic enough at his size to play at NBA speed and in NBA space. Strangely, he rarely moves to contest shots or actions outside the paint. It's as if he's been told to sit in drop coverage and not to move. He will make a contest if the player comes to him and challenges him, or if he's immediately involved in the play, but he doesn't make an effort to rotate defensively or chase down offensive players. This will be something to watch going forward. His size enables him to carve out space and grab rebounds. But again, he's used to people adjusting to him rather than having to adjust or go out of his space to get rebounds. He's good at catching the ball on the move and he has some touch around the rim to finish in a few ways other than just a dunk. He can score pretty well even if he catches the ball 10 feet out on the floor. I see him as a backup center project not unlike Tony Bradley a few years ago.

** Johnny Juzang is a floor-spacing shooter. He barely has enough size and athleticism to play in the NBA. He's not a particularly good shooter off movement. He needs to be solidly squared up and have time to take a natural shooting motion without being too rushed. He's a guy who can make three 3pt shots in a row if defenders leave him. He can also move the ball and play within a disciplined offense. He tries to stay in front on defense. I can see why he received a 2-way contract.

** Jordan Usher is a high-energy defensive player who can be disruptive guarding the ball and deflecting passes. He runs the floor well and is an underrated passer. He's the type of guy who will get a rebound in traffic, push ahead and get a hockey assist. However, he hasn't learned to score in the NBA yet. He needs reps on his shot from NBA distance and he needs to reevaluate how he's going to finish in the paint. He's not going to get to the rim like he did in the NCAA.

** Leandro Bolmaro is a long, high-energy, annoying defender who gets right up in the ball handler's business and has enough size to recover off screens and cut off the offensive player's play angles. He's a guy who can average 2 - 3 stocks if he gets regular rotation minutes. He's just a deterrent to have to move the ball against. On offense, he uses his long strides to get a bit past his defender and then uses his long arms to make big, sweeping passes to open shooters or cutters. He does a great job of delivering the ball right in rhythm to the shooting hand of his target, so the player can go right into a natural shooting motion. Offensively, you'll see him come off a screen and lean into a short, line-drive jumper just below the foul line. He can also finish with a layup if the angle isn't difficult. His 3pt shooting isn't very reliable, but he may be able to knock down ~33% once he gets comfortable with his teammates and picks his spots. He plays with non-stop energy and enthusiasm, which is refreshing.

** Jared Butler likes to play at his own speed, and I'm not sure that's always a good thing. It takes a while for plays to develop, and quite often he's left with the ball in his hands needing to take a tough look. For that reason, I actually prefer him playing off the ball and using his playmaking off a pass or a cut. He's a pretty reliable shooter if he doesn't have to dribble too much before the shot, which is another reason to use him as a floor spacer rather than a primary initiator. Think of the way the Rockets used to use Eric Gordon. He's a smart defender, albeit not a very rangy or athletic one. I could see him make a rotation as a backup 2-guard.
  1. Cockburn is not NBA level. He's a 10-day contract guy. He doesnt move well outside the paint because he has terrible reaction time. He's just an offensive rebounder. If he can greatly improve his ability to play in drop coverage he could maybe be a 3rd center.
  2. Juzang is Rodney Hood without the other non-shooting skills that made us like Rodney Hood to start his career. If he can round out his game a bit he could have a chance.
  3. Usher needs like 3 years in the G-League/Overseas before he's ready for the NBA.
  4. Bolmaro is probably trash, but he's at least interesting trash. I don't think his 3pt shooting is that bad if open, it's just his lack of scoring ability. He's going to get a ton of shots blocked. Right now he's a lesser Ricky Rubio without the intangibles and without the go-to scoring moves.
  5. Butler doesnt have a chance to be anything outside of a solid backup PG. He isn;t a 2. His best skills are ball in hand.
 
Based on this I think Butler is this season's Elijah Hughes or Jarrell Brantley. In other words he will not be with the Jazz at the start of his third NBA season.

I mean, Trent Forrest consistently got minutes ahead of Butler, and Trent Forrest got cut pretty immediately this offseason. So that doesn't exactly bode well.
 
  1. Cockburn is not NBA level. He's a 10-day contract guy. He doesnt move well outside the paint because he has terrible reaction time. He's just an offensive rebounder. If he can greatly improve his ability to play in drop coverage he could maybe be a 3rd center.
  2. Juzang is Rodney Hood without the other non-shooting skills that made us like Rodney Hood to start his career. If he can round out his game a bit he could have a chance.
  3. Usher needs like 3 years in the G-League/Overseas before he's ready for the NBA.
  4. Bolmaro is probably trash, but he's at least interesting trash. I don't think his 3pt shooting is that bad if open, it's just his lack of scoring ability. He's going to get a ton of shots blocked. Right now he's a lesser Ricky Rubio without the intangibles and without the go-to scoring moves.
  5. Butler doesnt have a chance to be anything outside of a solid backup PG. He isn;t a 2. His best skills are ball in hand.
I agree with all of this except the part about Cockburn. What I observed as the games went on is that he improved. After the first game in Salt Lake I said to myself "Oh my gawd this guy is horrible." It seemed like he had a lot better idea of where to be and how to be effective as things wound down in Vegas. I think he figured he didn't have to be the man and that he could be effective playing D, setting screens and rebounding. That being said I think he is the longest of long shots to make the regular season roster.
 
I agree with all of this except the part about Cockburn. What I observed as the games went on is that he improved. After the first game in Salt Lake I said to myself "Oh my gawd this guy is horrible." It seemed like he had a lot better idea of where to be and how to be effective as things wound down in Vegas. I think he figured he didn't have to be the man and that he could be effective playing D, setting screens and rebounding. That being said I think he is the longest of long shots to make the regular season roster.

Kofi Cockburn is a big lump of clay. Someone needs to teach him how to defend in the NBA, then we'll figure out if he can actually do it. Jazz went through this same process with Tony Bradley, and in the end Bradley couldn't do it.
 
Kofi Cockburn is a big lump of clay. Someone needs to teach him how to defend in the NBA, then we'll figure out if he can actually do it. Jazz went through this same process with Tony Bradley, and in the end Bradley couldn't do it.
 
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