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The Adjustment that Should be made but Won't

Watson and Williams are the two best guards the Jazz have and probably give them the best chance to start games with a formidable lineup. Or they can continue to plug in Raja Bell and hope that he can hit a shot, and maybe when he hits it, his toes will be behind the line. Right now, Bell is the biggest wreck of a player who has been given 30+ minutes a game for the Jazz in the past 25 years. He's making the McLeods and Palacios look like Dream Teamers. A three guard combo of Williams-Watson-Price, and at times Bell, really does give the Jazz their best chance at winning. They don't lose much in size, but they get better in speed and scoring. Where's the downside.

The Jazz don't have, and like won't ever get a Michael, Kobe, Drexler type of two guard: big and dominant, so they're going to have to make due and figure it out. Bell is not the answer. Williams and Watson might be, but it will take a lot of convincing for Sloan but even more for Williams.
 
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The Pearl said:
It is too radical and outside the box for JOC but the move that could seriously improve the Jazz and provide the best opportunity for them to go deeper into the playoffs is to move and start Deron at the shooting guard position and have him receive the majority of his minutes there.

As I see it, this is a no brainer and has significant historical precedence. Plus this will extend Deron's career a few years.

JOC can paypal me a nice juicy consulting fee.
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KOC already has me on retainer (https://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=45u97ur), where NJ sends GS 2 1st (as we took on Outlaws contract) & GS has the option to swap 1st w/ IND.

Think of this trade has "Horny-Redux"
 
The fact is, Watson is faster across the timeline than Deron ... no doubt about it. Well, it's certainly worth giving it a try at least for portions of the game. If the other team matches up with a bigger lineup, then we put Deron back at the point and either CJ or Bell at SG. There is no doubt now though that Bell needs to have his minutes cut back, however it's done.
 
It is worth a try. I think you still need to start Deron at the PG for ego sake. but anything to get Bell out of the lineup would help.
 
It would be interesting to see what would happen. Deron shoots 36% from behind the arc and can hit shots from anywhere - he has a great mid-range shot. And Watson has run the starting point for Seattle and Indiana - the guy can dish.

One can argue Deron is an undersized SG, which is valid, but he's also 210 lbs and strong.

It would be something worth trying, since our SG problem is still ongoing.
 
There have been many similar arguments on this board. Many people, including myself, have said that DW should see at least 10 minutes a game at SG. I can see that number creeping toward 15, but I'd be shocked as hell if it ever got there or exceeded it.

The truth is, Deron can excel at that position. And, the Jazz need him there.

I still think he starts at PG; Hayward starts at SG; CJ starts at SF; Millsap at PF; AJ at C. After about 6 minutes I'd bring in Watson for Hayward, move DW to SG. Tell Watson to push push. Let Deron befuddle the defense with a new look. Then, don't let Deron play the ENTIRE 1st quarter. Sub him out with 2 minutes left (enter Raja or Price), and then re-insert him into PG for Watson after the first 2 minutes of the 2nd quarter. BTW, at the 6 minute mark or shortly thereafter I'd sub AK in for Millsap and significantly open up the offense... it's all about transition, and that lineup could do it. If things stall, then let AJ work at his glacial pace down on the block. (While I'm at it, someone please inform me: where the hell as Fesenko been?)
 
The Pearl said:
Again, wrong logic. The question isn't whether player x is playing out of position, it is whether by playing player x out of position the collective unit is better.
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Obviously my conclusion is that I think they will be worse, not better. Did it occur to you that the correct logic is to play players at their natural position to get the best production. Maybe playing Fes or Okur with AJ, so AJ can play PF makes more sense than taking Deron out of his natural position. Maybe playing Hayward ahead of Bell is better as Hayward is naturally a SG and Bell...well Bell sucks. So far Sloan has insisted on playing certain players in spots other than their natural position. Almost every time AK plays at PF he excels. That is his most natural position. As it is we are already playing people out of their natural spot so taking another out of his won't make us better. It is making a bad move to fix other bad moves and that is bad logic to begin with.

That isn't to say that, depending on matchups, injury, and even to show a different look at times, it isn't a good idea to play Deron at the 2 or AK at SF or play AJ and Sap together, but so far playing them there EVERY GAME hasn't worked very well.
 
LogGrad98 said:
Obviously my conclusion is that I think they will be worse, not better. Did it occur to you that the correct logic is to play players at their natural position to get the best production. Maybe playing Fes or Okur with AJ, so AJ can play PF makes more sense than taking Deron out of his natural position. Maybe playing Hayward ahead of Bell is better as Hayward is naturally a SG and Bell...well Bell sucks. So far Sloan has insisted on playing certain players in spots other than their natural position. Almost every time AK plays at PF he excels. That is his most natural position. As it is we are already playing people out of their natural spot so taking another out of his won't make us better. It is making a bad move to fix other bad moves and that is bad logic to begin with.

That isn't to say that, depending on matchups, injury, and even to show a different look at times, it isn't a good idea to play Deron at the 2 or AK at SF or play AJ and Sap together, but so far playing them there EVERY GAME hasn't worked very well.
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so, then, in your estimation, how many minutes can/should DW play at SG?
 
I'm down with it. But I'm down with any program that gets Bell off the floor. I'd start Fes at the point if I knew it would mean Bell not playing.
 
YB85 said:
Watson and Williams are the two best guards the Jazz have and probably give them the best chance to start games with a formidable lineup. Or they can continue to plug in Raja Bell and hope that he can hit a shot, and maybe when he hits it, his toes will be behind the line. Right now, Bell is the biggest wreck of a player who has been given 30+ minutes a game for the Jazz in the past 25 years. He's making the McLeods and Palacios look like Dream Teamers. A three guard combo of Williams-Watson-Price, and at times Bell, really does give the Jazz their best chance at winning. They don't lose much in size, but they get better in speed and scoring. Where's the downside.
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Bah I guess I'm not the only one that was thinking this about Bell, I was going to ask who would you rather start at SG Bell, McCleod or Palacio. In my fantasy land I am hoping that Bell will be to Hayward as Palacio was to DWill, just at a slightly less scale (obviously Hayward wont be a top player at his position).
 
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