I didn't say Burks is worse, but for a small market team like the Jazz a draft pick is a lot more important than keeping an overpriced fringe starter. Not saying Burks isn't a good player but let's be real, you have to think about flexibility as well.
Would you say Burks is better than Hood? No right? Hood is a late first rounder in an average draft. So is Gobert. I know we won't be hitting the jackpot every time, but with DL's drafting track record (barring Trey who was really a Ty's pick), I'd roll the dice with him getting us another solid player who we can have on cheap contract for years to come.
I call BS. The buck stops at the GM's desk. He makes the final call; if he takes credit for Hood, he can't pass off a terrible mistake on a coach, It's laughable to assume Corbin as a new coach had Sloan-like power to demand a certain player. Also, DL pigeon-holed himself into HAVING to take a PG instead of BPA by not resolving the PG situation the season before. He had the worst backup PG's in the league and knew Mo wasn't coming back. Instead of having a starter, vet and a developing PG, he had a SG in a PG's body (Mo) and two "gummers" who should have been in assisted-living facilities,
I think we give him WAY too much credit for being a draft "guru." Yes, I give him and his staff kudos for Gobert. Can't remember the int'l guy they hired, but I do remember he was the one who used to put together the World team for the Hoop Summit, He was the one who "found" Gobert and it was a very smart hire, Hood was a "no-brainer" pick as the highest rated player on the board. During the draft, his name kept popping up as he slid. 99% of us would have made the pick, But what hidden "gems" has DL found? With his 90 workouts per summer has he uncovered a Paul Millsap or a Wesley Matthews with one of those late picks?
2013 - Traded up for Neto. 3rd-string PG on almost any other team. OK, at least he made a roster.
2014 - Draft pick traded for a future, WORSE pick (Jokic or Clarkson would have been nice!)
2015 - Hanlan drafted, other pick sold for cash. Nothing exciting here.
OK, any FA moves of note? KOC brought in Memo and Okur. DL has found us Booker, Withey, Johnson and Little Sap. WOW, I bow to his genius. Oh that's right...the slew of player development guys Utah has will turn scrubs into all-stars!
And we can't "skip steps." GS waited for Thompson and Green to develop before they made key trades for great veterans like Bogut and Iggy, SA traded their veterans to let Kawhi develop into an all-star. Oh wait...
This idea that you can have a "core" develop all together is absurd nowadays. There will ALWAYS be player movement, You can't keep everyone. Jazz MAY lose Hayward if they want to keep Gobert, Exum, Hood and Favors. So a young player then gets brought in. Then another leaves if/when it comes time to pay that young guy. Even in the Stockton/Malone days, there was movement at the SG until Hormacek arrived. Then Utah went through some C's and SF's. DL and/or the Millers and now the BofD has REFUSED to spend money, They've gotten barely to the salary floor the past two years and kept Utah 28th in payroll. That just WON'T result in a serious playoff competitor.
