What are your "we'd have a ring IF" beliefs?

[Saint Cy of JFC]

I'd say the biggest is when we were looking to draft a rim protector in 2007 draft to address our biggest weakness on the team that is paint security.

Then we got a shot blocking big man from Europe named Fesenko when Marc Gasol was still available despite having a much better resume at the time.

The single biggest "what if" moment in our franchise history. One can argue Lakers wouldn't have knocked us out 3 seasons in a row without Pau Gasol. And they wouldn't have gotten Pau if they didn't have Marc, who Memphis admired for a long time(he even played high school ball in Memphis). Not to mention how scary our roster would have looked with Dwill/AK/Boozer/Marc. It's truly a complete team that could have remained in contention for many more years to come.

Kind of a convoluted what if though.

Like just get a coach who embraced Okur's ability to shoot the 3....

 

[JimLes]

We'd have a ring if we made any freaking trade to obtain someone between the summer of 1996 and summer of 1999. Three years of contention and the biggest trade was when we sent a 2nd round pick to GSW for Todd freaking Fuller.

 

[infection]

Ike Austin... can't remember all the circumstances but if we had Ike Austin we win the title.

That one was rough seeing him tear it up in Miami and getting MIP during our first finals while knowing we could have really used him.

 

[jom2003]

I mean, I'd much rather have Bane than McDaniels.

That's a response to OP on the realistic approach. Cuz all sources said it was between McDaniels and Dok and DL chose Dok even though EVERYONE else wanted McDaniels. I don't think Bane was ever in the conversation and his profile wasn't enough to help us at that time anyways as we needed perimeter/wing defender more than anything.

 

[Fosto]

If we drafted Giannis instead of Burke lol

 

[Friend2bees]

If DM had even a slight bit of interest in playing defense in the playoffs of the 20-21 season. It would have been tough to beat Phoenix but that version of our team usually played well against Milwaukee.

Idk if DM playing defense meets the realistic qualifier though.

 

[jom2003]

Kind of a convoluted what if though.

Like just get a coach who embraced Okur's ability to shoot the 3....

Okur was overworked cuz we failed to get him a serviceable backupto to help reduce his workload... which is why I don't understand the love for Fess here cuz the guy is awful. He would come on for like 5 mins and pick up 2 quick fouls then we would have to put Memo back in. Memo and Yao are like the two biggest victims of that old school mentality and could really have benefitted from load management strategy we employed today. They would have much a longer career in today's NBA. Okur would probably be able to retire in a jazz uniform if we got Marc as his backup.

 

[Ferguson_Mellochill]

Jazz would have won a chip in 1995 if David Benoit could make an open jumper. Jazz would have beaten Houston, Phoenix and Orlando, but instead lost in the 1st round to Houston.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

If DM had even a slight bit of interest in playing defense in the playoffs of the 20-21 season. It would have been tough to beat Phoenix but that version of our team usually played well against Milwaukee.

Idk if DM playing defense meets the realistic qualifier though.

Advanced Stats says he's having a great defensive season this year.

 

[Bawse Dawg]

****ing up literally everything, draft, free agency, and trade wise when we had Mitchell and Gobert for sure.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

Okur was overworked cuz we failed to get him a serviceable backupto help reduce his workload... which is why I don't understand the love for Fess here cuz the guy is awful. He would come on for like 5 mins and pick up 2 quick fouls then we would have to put Memo back in. Memo and Yao are like the two biggest victims of that old school mentality and could really have benefitted from load management strategy we employed today. They would have much a longer career in today's NBA. Okur would probably be able to retire in a jazz uniform if we got Marc as his backup.

Yeah, like I said, a better coach for the modern era.

 

[LogGrad98]

Bring in Brogdon instead of Conley. I like Conley but he was not what we needed. At all. Tiny non-defensive-minded back courts rarely win anything of note. Regular season champs, playoff failures. Add a player like Brogdon instead and things would have been very different.