Where does Utah fit in the West?

[NAOS]

And yet it is all we have to go on and it points to him being a great defender on the wing. I am not arguing against picking up a wing defender. I am saying all the evidence we have says that Exum will help address that issue. It'll take more than 1 to have elite perimeter D

Right now, I have way more cautious optimism for Exum. I don't think you can prove "great[ness]" (your word) in under two full seasons. NBA players and coaches adjust to an opponent's strengths and weaknesses, so a player needs to round the bases a few times.

Last year showed his potential.

 

[Cappy_Smurf]

The offense could improve by a handful of points per game the very moment Lyndsey decides to actually build out the whole roster. Like, build it for an actual run in the playoffs.

Ingles, Johnson, Pleiss, Burke, and Booker are, with respect to offense, easily upgradable. Look at what Portland did to the middle and end of its roster in a single ****ing offseason. One. And then look what it's getting them right now.

Our offensive ineptitude this year points directly at Lyndsey, and indirectly at everybody else.

And yet, had Utah been healthy, we could have easily been the team that played the clippers and got to the 2nd round because of injuries to their best 2 players. I think some fans are overestimating the difference between those 2 teams right now. Utah surely does have room to improve, but they are also in a better position than some fans are giving them credit for.

 

[NAOS]

And yet, had Utah been healthy, we could have easily been the team that played the clippers and got to the 2nd round because of injuries to their best 2 players. I think some fans are overestimating the difference between those 2 teams right now. Utah surely does have room to improve, but they are also in a better position than some fans are giving them credit for.

I agree that Lyndsey has put himself and the organization in an excellent position to make bold and decisive moves. I said the same thing last year.

"had Utah been healthy..."

how about

"had Utah been built to better withstand or offset some of these injuries..."

 

[Stoked]

I agree that Lyndsey has put himself and the organization in an excellent position to make bold and decisive moves. I said the same thing last year.

"had Utah been healthy..."

how about

"had Utah been built to better withstand or offset some of these injuries..."

Last season he should have done this. This season he needs to do this.

 

[karl malone]

Assuming we stay on our current trajectory (although a lot depends on Exum's development), we seem poised to fit in that "non-championship caliber playoff regular" category. Like someone said, our defense could be our "star" but we will still need that go-to offensive option who can take over at the end of games (especially come playoff time). Hood &/or Lyles could eventually become that guy for us but acquiring a potential #1 option should be our main priority.

I know it's not a popular opinion, but I still think we need to explore potential trades for Hayward. He is a very good player & someone you can win with as your team's #2/3 option but due to his opt-out clause, I would prefer to see this team take a risk on potential rather than risk losing Hayward for nothing or paying the max in order to retain him. Unless we are somehow able to add an established superstar to our core of Hayward, Favors, & Gobert, trading him for a high draft pick is likely our best opportunity to contend.

This team could stand pat, draft another solid contributor at #12, add a veteran or 2, re-sign Hayward, & be playoff regulars for the foreseeable future but I don't see this roster ever competing for a championship as currently constructed. I understand that fans are anxious to get back to our winning ways but I hope the team makes the correct adjustment(s) to this rebuild, even if it means an additional year or 2 of losing, as I feel this team has the potential to become legitimate contenders in the near future with the right acquisition(s).

 

[fishonjazz]

"had Utah been healthy..."

how about

"had Utah been built to better withstand or offset some of these injuries..."

No team is built to withstand the injuries that the jazz had.

Show me a team that would be just fine if it's starting point guard missed 82 games, starting pf and center missed about 20 games each, best bench player missed 50 ish games and then have other guys (Booker, Hayward, hood, ect) miss a handful too.

Is there a team in the nba built to withstand that? Maybe 1 or 2 but it's not the norm to build teams to be able to withstand those injuries.

Last year the thunder had one dude miss a bunch of games. No playoffs for them.

How good would the warriors be if curry missed the whole year, draymond and bogut missed 20 games each, and iggy missed 50.

Probably not that good but the expectation for the jazz is that they are built to handle injuries better than the best team in the league and possibly the best team of all time.

Seems unrealistic

 

[NAOS]

No team is built to withstand the injuries that the jazz had.

Show me a team that would be just fine if it's starting point guard missed 82 games, starting pf and center missed about 20 games each, best bench player missed 50 ish games and then have other guys (Booker, Hayward, hood, ect) miss a handful too.

Is there a team in the nba built to withstand that? Maybe 1 or 2 but it's not the norm to build teams to be able to withstand those injuries.

Last year the thunder had one dude miss a bunch of games. No playoffs for them.

Why must there always be a jazzfanzer who takes things in the most redonkulous way possible?

Did I say the team needed to be "just fine"? We've been over this at least three times. I said "better withstand or offset some injuries". That'a long way from "fine". Good hell.


LOL at the Thunder's injuries last year being summarized as "one dude". LMFAO

 

[fishonjazz]

I said "better withstand or offset some injuries".

They withstood them pretty damn well. Had a decent shot at the 5th seed and a second round playoff appearance and had a great shot at the playoffs. Despite those injuries. Do you expect the jazz to have their starting point guard miss the entire season, starting pf and center miss 20 games, best bench player miss 50 games and other guys miss a handful of games and then just cruise into the playoffs no problem? I don't expect any team in the nba to suffer those injuries and cruise into the playoffs.
I would be proud of any team with those injuries if they had a great chance at the playoffs during the last week of the season.
I would be proud of their gm for putting together a team that could do so well despite all the injuries too... Not criticize him.

The jazz problem was not/is not depth.
Swap exum, hayward, and favors for curry Thompson and green. Don't add any depth. Don't upgrade cj ingles or booker.
Curry, thompson, hood, green, gobert, burks, lyles, booker, mack, ingles, withey, cj. That team competes for a title imo.

The 4th wing or 4th big or 3rd point guard don't have much sway on how good a team is. It's the top end talent. The reason the jazz missed the playoffs is because of an unordinary and unpredictable amount of injuries to some of their best players and a their top end talent not being good enough.

 

[NAOS]

They withstood them pretty damn well. Had a decent shot at the 5th seed and a second round playoff appearance and had a great shot at the playoffs. Despite those injuries. Do you expect the jazz to have their starting point guard miss the entire season, starting pf and center miss 20 games, best bench player miss 50 games and other guys miss a handful of games and then just cruise into the playoffs no problem? I don't expect any team in the nba to suffer those injuries and cruise into the playoffs.
I would be proud of any team with those injuries if they had a great chance at the playoffs during the last week of the season.
I would be proud of their gm for putting together a team that could do so well despite all the injuries too... Not criticize him.

The jazz problem was not/is not depth.
Swap exum, hayward, and favors for curry Thompson and green. Don't add any depth. Don't upgrade cj ingles or booker.
Curry, thompson, hood, green, gobert, burks, lyles, booker, mack, ingles, withey, cj. That team competes for a title imo.

The 4th wing or 4th big or 3rd point guard don't have much sway on how good a team is. It's the top end talent. The reason the jazz missed the playoffs is because of an unordinary and unpredictable amount of injuries to some of their best players and a their top end talent not being good enough.

^I can't even make it through this post. You're better than this. You know what my stance is. Why do you need this form of false praise? This year sucked. Lyndsey should have done more. If he had, then we'd have been in the playoffs. The math is ****ing easy, broooough.

 

[fishonjazz]

I have said it before and I will say it again.
Ingles, cj, booker, withey are not the jazz problem. Those guys are 4 and 5th string. Compare ingles with other good teams 4th wings. He is just as good as most.
Compare booker and withey with other teams 4th and 5th bigs. They are as good as most.

Teams don't look for great high paid 4th string guys. They know that if their 4th string guys are playing a lot then they are ****ed.

 

[Ron Mexico]

I fully support a trade that brings in a star. I assume every Jazz fan supports a trade that brings in a better player. Love is not that player or a good trade. We are in a great position. If a star player is up for grabs we have a pretty decent ability to trade for him. But we are not desperate we have the players to be a good basketball team and a chance (small one) of being a great team if the players develop right. I think our best hope and the most likely outcome of our team is having 5 starters that are borderline all-stars. Very few teams have had that to compare to. I think that makes us a a top 3-4 team in the west and maybe we break through one year.

There is no reason to risk our future out of desperation. Make a good trade if it comes along and if it doesnt keep developing players and drafting well. Just make sure that trade is not giving up to much and improves that position and the team. I have a dislike of Love though since he spurned my Ducks and his family tradition for that ****ty school in cali. If you trade for someone from Cavs if they lose in the playoffs this year, go after Irving. He is signed for 4 more seasons at a good max salary. He is an elite PG and wants to be a star of a team. We would probably have to get a third team involved though since what we would be trading for him wouldn't be what Cavs want.

I think a couple pretty good players might be available this off season that we would want and could try for. Make offers for (almost for sure rejected and/or matched but still try) KD, DeRozan and Beal. Hope that Irving, Paul George, Russel Westbrook, maybe Cousins, John Wall or Butler gets put on the trading block.

If none of those players become available then maybe look at some lower lvl players to trade for if they are really good deals or can sign as a FA. If all that strikes out then shore up the bench with some vets and roll into next season with making the playoffs as your number 1 goal.

 

[NAOS]

I have said it before and I will say it again.
Ingles, cj, booker, withey are not the jazz problem. Those guys are 4 and 5th string. Compare ingles with other good teams 4th wings. He is just as good as most.
Compare booker and withey with other teams 4th and 5th bigs. They are as good as most.

Teams don't look for great high paid 4th string guys. They know that if their 4th string guys are playing a lot then they are ****ed.

was Booker our 4th or 5th big? Lyles never exactly over-took him, and due to injuries he was never that buried. You know this, though, and are just being willfully ignorant.
the deeper end of wing rotations -- on good teams -- are either more talented or more experienced. Mostly both. Have a (better) look for yourself.
Also: Neto and Burke. C'mon.