Who Ends Up Being Better?

[homeytennis]

I think the biggest difference between NAW and THT is that NAW recognized that he could be a role player and he adjusted his game accordingly. NAW started his career as an inefficient scorer who didn't do much else, but came to Utah and really bought in to being a defender/ball mover.

But THT is going to be the toast of Turkey soon. That is priceless.

 

[Coach Ellis]

I think the biggest difference between NAW and THT is that NAW recognized that he could be a role player and he adjusted his game accordingly. NAW started his career as an inefficient scorer who didn't do much else, but came to Utah and really bought in to being a defender/ball mover.

Neither had shown much before this poll started, but NAW definitely developed more than THT - even though most of that development happened for the wolves. I remember being excited to see if either of them took a step up with a bigger role in Utah back during the first tank season - and then we traded NAW away and signed Kris Dunn to push THT further on the bench.

 

[prodigy]

It kind of amuses me that THT is still only 24 years old. He's going to dominate in Turkey for a couple years and some NBA team is going to give him another shot thinking he's just hitting his prime.

 

[KqWIN]

I think NAW can survive on both ends more easily with the right situation. He's much closer to having a function jumper, and he has shown the ability to create turnovers on defense. The shot creator/PnR operator thing is probably done at this point, however. Put him on a team where he can stand in the corner on offense and blitzes a lot on defense and he can be a useful player.

THT also has defensive playmaking ability, but it's tougher for him to find a role on offense without a jumper.

Thank god my past self did not betray me

 

[NUMBERICA]

With THT out of the league and NAW getting a bag I think we can officially crown NAW as the better player.

3/4 of our board are awful talent evaluators, lol.

I will say for my part that it wasn’t an easy choice, but I also didn’t care too much either.

I think for me it was that THT was younger, mostly. Maybe entirely?

 

[prodigy]

I guess it helps playing for a good team but Minnesota was just the situation he needed to prove he was useful but also still useless for stretches. I still maintain he's a frustrating player. But far less than THT.

 

[SoberasHotRod]

Neither had shown much before this poll started, but NAW definitely developed more than THT - even though most of that development happened for the wolves. I remember being excited to see if either of them took a step up with a bigger role in Utah back during the first tank season - and then we traded NAW away and signed Kris Dunn to push THT further on the bench.

This is mostly true. Most of what I saw from NAW happened during this season when he and THT were trading off games. I really liked NAW during that stretch and thought he looked like a keeper.

 

[Coach Ellis]

This is mostly true. Most of what I saw from NAW happened during this season when he and THT were trading off games. I really liked NAW during that stretch and thought he looked like a keeper.

I was surprised that they traded him as a throw-in for a bigger deal. Hated that trade for so many reasons.

 

[KqWIN]

With THT out of the league and NAW getting a bag I think we can officially crown NAW as the better player.

3/4 of our board are awful talent evaluators, lol.

It’s hard to get back into that 2022 mindset without revisionist history, but maybe the lesson here is to give an edge to the guy with a more simpler path to being a role player? I think THT had more “potential” because he could do more on ball stuff + if he could shoot he could be very good in theory…..but NAW had a more reasonable role player trajectory and that’s probably what we should be looking for/betting on while making moves on the margin.

The Jazz have had a ton of ball dominant guards over the years who have acted as pseudo stars in smaller capacities. The ironic part about it is that NAW has proved to be the guy worth money. The chucker archetype isn’t worth anything.

NAW was actually a chucker himself before he reinvented himself as a defensive first player.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

It kind of amuses me that THT is still only 24 years old. He's going to dominate in Turkey for a couple years and some NBA team is going to give him another shot thinking he's just hitting his prime.

I think his game matured in Utah/Chicago, but if he plays the way he tries to play at times in Europe, he will not dominate.

 

[Miggs]

ACE