The Non-Jazz NBA Thread in the Jazz Section

[infection]

Whiteside was on the team that ended the Jazz and he hasnt gotten a job since despite playing well, so I'm not sure that your best example.

Derrick Favors was on the team that put the Jazz on life support and, despite being two years younger than Whiteside and still having one more year of his contract left, played his last NBA game three months before Whiteside did. A big difference is Favors was being paid $10M while Whiteside made $2.4M in a contract that was subsidized by the league. The following year, Whiteside didn't have a contract. Favors was paid another $10M for a year he didn't play because he was waived.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Whiteside was on the team that ended the Jazz and he hasnt gotten a job since despite playing well, so I'm not sure that your best example.

Did he outplay his minimum deal? Is he the reason the team broke up?

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

Derrick Favors was on the team that put the Jazz on life support and, despite being two years younger than Whiteside and still having one more year of his contract left, played his last NBA game three months before Whiteside did. A big difference is Favors was being paid $10M while Whiteside made $2.4M in a contract that was subsidized by the league. The following year, Whiteside didn't have a contract. Favors was paid another $10M for a year he didn't play because he was waived.

No one is saying the Favors contract was good. It has nothing to do with the idea of negative team chemistry pieces being on the team.

And I'm also sure part of the reason Favors isnt in the NBA anymore is because he doesnt want to be. He was never the hardest worker or most ambitious player. That's why he wanted to stay in Utah and why he was OK being 2nd fiddle to Rudy despite having the talent for more.

 

[infection]

Based on?

Teams seem to think the end of the bench/later roster guys are very important for team culture/chemistry. There are a ton of talented basketball players who arent in the NBA because of that thought.

Of course. Because end of bench guys often lack talent and any chemistry issue isn't worth keeping you around. Wood is moved from being a starter to being end of bench guy (in large part, presumably) due to non-basketball reasons. Your end of bench guys may not play a lot, so you certainly want culture. But that's not the only reason you end up with end of bench guys. Many situations afford you the opportunity of filling out with some diversity.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

Did he outplay his minimum deal? Is he the reason the team broke up?

He outplayed his minimum deal and then never got another minimum deal. THe Jazz were plagued by locker-room issues and that led to the downfall of the team and our star playing half-assed in a winnable series.

I know this is hard for y'all to put together becaues you so desperately want this to be a simple thing of just adding talent and dont want to admit there are factors you arent privy to

 

[infection]

And I'm also sure part of the reason Favors isnt in the NBA anymore is because he doesnt want to be. He was never the hardest worker or most ambitious player. That's why he wanted to stay in Utah and why he was OK being 2nd fiddle to Rudy despite having the talent for more.

Isn't this fairly similar to the reason Whiteside is not in the NBA?

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

Like why is WIll Hardy playing Rudy Gay? Maybe because there are real negatives to having these negative guys on your team and it's overall just better to appease them with something if you are in the unfortunuate position of having them.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

Isn't this fairly similar to the reason Whiteside is not in the NBA?

No.

Im not saying Favors was lazy or anything. He did what he had to to secure his future and earn himself a great living. He just wasnt going to go above and beyond to be maximize his NBA potential/earning ability. I think Favors is probably closer to the average person's motivation level. Professional, but not exceptional and accepted what came with that.

Whiteside was more along the lines of someone with an average work ethic and outside delusions of grandeur to go along with outside confidence and willingness to vocalize.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Like why is WIll Hardy playing Rudy Gay? Maybe because there are real negatives to having these negative guys on your team and it's overall just better to appease them with something if you are in the unfortunuate position of having them.

And if Rudy was on a minimum deal you just cut him and problem solved...

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

And if Rudy was on a minimum deal you just cut him and problem solved...

Still has negatives. And cutting him still gives you a cap hit of 3 million next year.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

And I dont think it's a huge negative for the Lakers, but the idea that a team should have tried to pay him more just to block the Lakers from getting him is wild.

This isnt going to help the Lakers at all. He will probably have some nice moments and a lot of bad ones and do nothing in the playoffs for them. He'll have enough highlights for another team to continue to believe in him for these types of deals and for a section of your fanbase to swear by his potential if the coach actually believed in him.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Title teams for years have made use of the talented guy with maturity or locker room issues. As long as you do it at a low buy in it is a good bet. From Bison Dele to Stephen Jackson and Dennis Rodman to Ron Artest... more recently Dwight Howard. Lakers made a bet on a guy that could be quite helpful and has every reason to be on his best behavior... the opportunity cost is nothing (have to have 13 players on the roster and he makes the minimum so his salary is partially subsidized by the league).